To anyone who has been to Australia and did not go to Tasmania…shame on you and your family..!!..it..is..brilliant..!! If, like me, you like beaches, wildlife, national parks and Sal (well you can maybe go with the first three anyway) then Tasmania is the place to go..!!..it even feels like home because it was pretty cold and wet some of the time, sunny some times, pretty windy…but I guess the more temperate climate is what makes it so much more interesting than the mainland…don’t get me wrong – it was generally hot and sunny…but just make sure you bring a raincoat, and something warm for nighttime!!
Anyway, I took so many photos and simply can’t go through step by step what I did, but I’ll just put a few (maybe 20!?) up with a caption on each one..!!
We tried to hire a campervan, but it’s the most popular week of the year and literally EVERYTHING was booked up…we couldnt even get a car…I thought all was lost, but somehow, by pure luck (probably a cancellation) we ended up getting a brand new Hyundai iLoad van!!
An airbed and a few sheets later and we had a campervan..!! 
) home for the week!!
Welcome to Tasmania!! They have these road signs for EVERY animal…and boy do they need them – I have never seen so much roadkill in my life..!?..I guess with so much wildlife it’s bound to happen..I narrowly missed a wallaby the other day…
Lots of beaches like this…
I was reeeeeeally wishing I had my bike with me!!..this isn’t warning that “motorbikes might slip for the next 4km”…this is saying “these roads are f’ing awesome for riding on so expect some motorbikes for the next 4km”..!!
Wineglass Bay…
I set my beer down on this bench on a beach where people were fishing, not realising the grafitti..quality..!! )
For all those that sent me texts/facebook wishing me a happy 30th birthday, thankyou…now I never really had thought about how I’d be spending my 30th…but I reckon travelling around Tasmania in a campervan is a pretty good way to do it..!!..the next 4 photos are how I spent my birthday… )
Freycenet National Park…awesome scenery and blistering sunshine…what you can’t see are the mother and calf whale just offshore…
Douglas Apsley National Park…swimming in a waterhole…now the west coast of Australia had some great swimming spots…as warm as bathwater…this was as cold as Belfast Lough..!!..
We found a campsite near a place called Binalong Bay…
…and this is it…my 30th birthday…brilliant day…ended with the campervan on this beach…
On Wednesday I thought I’d made a horrible navigational error..!?!?…
Riding along in my automobile….my baby beside me taking pictures…doesn’t quite have the same ring to it…
This is one of the main National Parks in Tasmania – a World Heritage Area….and an amazing place…
It wasn’t the best day so I was wearing my new jacket…can you spot me..??..it actually really reminded me of Glenveagh National Park in Donegal…fantastic scenery…
…except Glenveagh doesn’t have wombats wandering around…
That’s Cradle Mountain in the background…hard to get it without mist…it’s meant to have two peaks with what looks like a baby in the middle…maybe not from this angle but if you squint hard enough you might see it..!!
Ouch..!!..there are SO many squashed kangaroos and wallabies it’s unbelievable…
Lake Sinclair National Park…if you’re walking by a river you NEED to have a stick…goes without saying…
The beautiful Sal and the beautiful Lake Sinclair…
It rains in Australia sometimes too..!!
Lake Pedder in Southwest National Park…
Gordon Dam – Lake Gordon and Lake Pedder were created by this MASSIVE dam…the biggest absail in Australia apparently…unfortunately you needed to pre-book, have a group of four, and it was an all day affair…otherwise I’d be tempted..!!..just look at the tiny people in the middle..!!
Sal and I standing on the top of Gordon Dam
The ecologist in me has to point out this is what happens when you dam a magnificent river gorge…this is Lake Pedder with low water levels…or ‘Dead Tree Lake’ as I renamed it…
I just realised I couldnt end with a photo of ‘Dead Tree Lake’ so here’s some more scenery from the road…
So there you have it…Tasmania was and probably will be the highlight of my trip…by the time you read this I will probably be on the east coast…Brisbane…Byran Bay…then up to Cairns…I’m not as excited about the east coast as I was about the west coast or Tasmania, but I’ll reserve judgement…until next time…adios amigos
Tue 13th January, 2009
at 1:09 am
If the campervans is a rocking, the wheel alignment might be off…….
Tue 13th January, 2009
at 8:47 am
Now what I don’t understand is why there is just one mattress rather than two single ones…!! Ah, not enough room, now why didn’t I think of that..!! As a good Norn Iron boy, I’m sure you would have no alterative motive..!! LOL Cheers, Des
Tue 13th January, 2009
at 7:25 pm
Shurley.. the ‘45km/h’ is a minimum speed limit! Don’t slow down in case a kanga dose that to your bonnet.. filthy animals.. make me sick..
ps. nice inverse sash..
Wed 14th January, 2009
at 2:42 am
Shut Up……….I’m Green!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Not even joking sssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Wed 14th January, 2009
at 2:44 am
No really though its not all bad here. Its -411 degrees. Dark in the morning. Dark in the evening. Dull in the afternoon. But its ok theres lots of insurance claims to settle.
Wed 14th January, 2009
at 10:20 am
Pete, you are welcome anytime..:-)
Wed 14th January, 2009
at 11:13 am
Seeya in New Zealand Pete!! ;o) I’m flying over to meet Marty on Monday..!!..in fact hold on – see you in SYDNEY for a couple of days first..!!
Wed 14th January, 2009
at 4:39 pm
Glad you are having a ball……Just hope you realise that life is not REALLY like that all the time…..You WILL have to come back to earth at some stage…..hopefully before your money runs out altogether!!!! Anyway just letting you know that I am one of those bloggers who DO write comments!! And also to let you know that your baby is still safe….so far Lots of love mum