On Thhursday, after a yummy breakfast of poached eggs and stewed tomato, all 3 of us jumped in the car. Chris had a physio appointment in St. Mary's so while she was there, Jeff and I went into town to a coffee shop/art gallery/cafe. There were some beautiful photos of Tasmania on display.
It was starting to rain, and gradually getting heavier. From the physio, we went on an unsealed road towards Upper Scamander - much of this area had been burned by the bushfires last summer and the damage was depressingly obvious. As we went further, we emerged onto rolling green grazing land. The luminous green, even in the rain, reminded me a lot of Scotland. There were cows and sheep in the paddocks, and mountains in the distance. Originally, we had planned to go to The Blue Tiers, but at the info centre in town we were advised not to because of the road and track conditions. We decided that we could still probably go see St. Columba Falls. Seeing as how it was raining heavily, we opted to have a bite to eat and then head towards the waterfall. We went to Holy Cow!, an outlet of Pyngana Cheeses, where they make a variety of cheddar cheeses, and have a great little restaurant. In fact, most of the flavored cheeses, like the sun-dried tomato, pickled onion, and chilli, didn't taste much like they had anything in them. Certainly not King Island of Margaret River cheese. However, the beef and beer pie and the tasting plate was yummy and filling.
By this time, when we thought it couldn't get any wetter, it was actually pouring down even more. We decided that we might as well go to St. Columba falls since we'd come all this way, and so onwards we went. We reached the Falls area, which turned into lush green forest, with huge tree ferns, and moss covered trees in a steep valley. We could see some of St. Columba Falls from the car, and due to the rain, we decided that was as close as we would go that day. Beautiful spot, though, and I'd like to go back someday.
We basically went straight home after that, making a short pit stop at the Seafood center in St. Helens, where we had seen plenty of boats at the jetty that had come in recently. We got some scallops and home we went. Funny enough, it wasn't really raining at the house, although the rain meter showed 7.5mm. I was exhausted and went straight for my nap.
Dinner that night was a potato bake, delicious Asian-inspired cabbage salad, and the scallops cooked in butter, mirin, and soy sauce. Yum.
Friday morning we got off to a good start since there was lots to see. We went Southwards, passing through the Chain of Lagoons and numerous beaches, to arrive in Freycinet National Park. One of the most popular destinations in Tasmania is Wineglass Bay, a perfectly shaped bay with white sand and crystal clear water. We marched through the pink granite mountains to get to the lookout for Wineglass Bay. It was a beautiful walk, through the pink mountains that seemed to change color everytime the light changed at all.
We then spent a couple of hours going around to different beaches and bays in the area, photographing. The contrast between scenery was astounding. Whereas Wineglass Bay is powder-soft white sand, other parts of the coastline are a rugged red sandy cliff, whilst others are small black boulders, and still others are brown rock formations jutting out into the sea, We had a picnic lunch at Honeymoon Bay and walked around Cape Tourville, where views were really spectacular, layers of cliffs melting into the sea, with the azure waters continuing until they became one with the sky. On the way back to the main road from Cape Tourville, we stopped in Sleepy Bay, where the color of the water was phenomenal. Clear white spray, light green, turquoise, aquamarine, and everything in between melded together as the waves came crashing in.
We then headed northwards towards home, and stopped at the Friendly Beaches. Here, we saw heaps of wallabies, including one that came right up to us, no fear of humans. They seemed less elegant than kangaroos, but oh-so-cute. The beach here was spectacular. The sand was so white - I think Tasmania and Fraser Island have the softest, whitest sant I've ever seen - and the clear sunny sky meant the water had that serene, perfect color palette. There were different rocks here, that looked as though they had for some reason been kept a lighter color - muted light greys. Also, rocks covered in deep green moss littered the sand. The bright green grass and bush growing on the sand just near the water's edge provided a beautiful contrast between the blinding white and the blues of the sea.
After this, we really did go home, and enjoyed a nice sunset - not quite as nice as the day I arrived, but nonetheless the colors of the clouds above were awe-inspiring. Dinner was a fajitas-type thing, with my guacamole, and afterwards Chris and I fiddled around on the computer, me attempting to teach a bit about the flickr site and other things, even though I don't really know anything about technology. Oh well, seemed to work out ok. Chris and I stayed up late that night, talking first about my apprehension about viisting the States, and how leaving Japan was, and by the end of it, we had switched over to literature and movies. It was great hearing about her experiences in Margaret River and Tasmania, both places in which she and Jeff have experienced a community tragedy. The reactions and outlook in these events are some of the more important things for me to consider, I imagine.
Saturday morning came and I really didn't want to go. We made a Mexican breakfast because I wanted them to try it, and afterwards lounged about the house getting ready. When I said bye to the dogs and Jeff, it was a strange feeling, not really of going away, but a see-you-later - cliche, I know, but it's true. The drive to Launceston was beautiful, and as Chris had told me the day I arrived, every time you go through the valley it's different, depending on the season, the clouds, the sky. Chris had a podiatrist appointment so I went up to Cataract Gorge, which is really just outside the city but feels miles away. There is a steep proper hiking track called the Zig-Zag Track which I went up, crossed the suspension bridge, and went back the ing them. other way on a tarmac road. The gorge has huge cliffs of grey stone with light green and white lichens and mosses covering them. Due to the recent heavy rainfall, the water was gushing down, with sprays of white going everywhere. What a great walking spot so close to a city.
I still had some time before Chris would arrive so I went for a stroll around the river, and crossed paths with many walkers and cyclists. It was really nice. I then met Chris and we went downtown to get lunch at a bakery, then off to the airport. Launceston airport is really small, so I think I kind of didn't get the sense that I was leaving. As I said by to Chris, I really didn't want to go, I was tempted to just go back with her. Such is life, though, and I really really hope that I can come back while they are still living in Tasmania, and spend a month or so during the summer to go on extended walks around the island. Their hospitality and everything about their lifestyle is great - producing the bulk of your own food, taking the time everyday to enjoy your surroundings - all things I hope I can do one day.
So off I flew to Sydney, and slept the whole way on the plane.
Showing posts with label Tasmania. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tasmania. Show all posts
Monday, August 6, 2007
Sunday, August 5, 2007
Australia: Tasmania: 31 July - 1 August, 2007 (Written 1 August 2007)
The flight from Melbourne to Launceston is very quick. It feels like just after you’ve taken off and managed to drift off to sleep, they are announcing that you’re getting ready to land. Chris was there, waiting, and it felt a bit like a homecoming in a way. It’s always nice when you have that vibe with someone – and I am realizing more and more how lucky I am to have the handful of people in Australia that I feel that way with.
We ran some errands in Launceston, a sleepy town it felt like – compared to the hustle and bustle of Melbourne, its small rows of shops were notably quieter, more quaint. We had lunch at a great little French bakery with some great chai, and continued on. Tasmania is the last populated of Australia’s states, with only 480,000 people living on the island just off the coast of Victoria. It is, in fact, closer to Antarctica. People had been warning me the whole time about how I was going to freeze in Tassie, as the island is commonly known, but it was actually quite mild when I arrived.
The drive home was quite spectacular, at first passing through bright green farmland with cows and sheep grazing – Tasmania also suffered as a result of the ongoing drought in Australia, but the past few months have seen quite a lot of rainfall. We headed south from Launceston and at Conara took the road eastward, going towards the coast. The scenery began to be more dramatic with mountains on either side, and there were dramatic clouds spreading across the sky. This is perhaps the most striking feature of Tasmania that I’ve seen thus far; the sky is constantly changing and the colors and shapes to be seen are transforming continuously – that afternoon, the sky was a pale lavender, which was absolutely gorgeous.
We drove by Elephant Mountain, which I’m not so sure looks like an elephant, but compared to place names like Mount Disappointment in Victoria, I didn’t mind the stretch-of-imagination nomenclature of this odd mountain which had a long gradually sloping side and then a plateau on top. We then passed through St. Mary’s Pass, which had earlier this year been devastated by bushfires dubbed “a moving furnace” rather than a normal healthy fire. As a result of this fire, the trees had sprouted leaves directly along their trunks, giving them what Chris called pajamas. Indeed, the whole forest had an appearance of Ents from Lord of the Rings or something out of a Dr. Seuss book. I’d never seen anything like it before; the silvery blue leaves of the gum trees and the light green fresh leaves in the late afternoon light are imprinted in my memory.
I caught a glimpse of the ocean coming up and as we got closer you could see the perfectly shaped waves crashing in onto the smooth, weathered rocks with thick kelp in some areas. You really got the sense that you were at the end of the world here. We arrived at the property, 25 acres right next to the ocean. We went along the dirt driveway, passing under 2 blooming wattles, their bright yellow balls of fluff dancing in the wind. Jeff was walking the dogs and the dogs started racing us to the door. Monte is a King Charles terrier, sweet as could be with really soft fur. He’s already 10 and deaf, but seems to do ok. Yuki is a crazy miniature Schnauzer, 1.5 years old, still acting about 3 months old.
The house is beautiful, with large glass panels overlooking the cove; you can watch the ocean whilst cooking, eating, lounging. My room is upstairs and on two sides I have windows with ocean views. The sunrise is seen from my window, and in the evening the sunset colors can be seen.
We had come back just in time for sunset; earlier, I had told Chris that I thought it wasn’t worth it to photograph the sky and the clouds because my photos wouldn't do it justice. The sky turned into a brilliant canvas of pinks, reds, purples, oranges, and blues, with tiny cotton balls of white scattered in. I decided I may as well try and capture it on film. And so I did. The amazing thing was that the color of the sky caught on the white of the waves, and the spray; there were pink and purple reflections in the ocean. Breathtaking. It was starting to get much cooler so we ran inside.
We munched on Angie’s smoky tomato sauce (yum! Thanks!) and the King Island Double Cream Brie. Jeff was kind enough to share his Hay Shed Hill Shiraz from Margaret River with me. Australian wines have impressed me overall already, but this bottle really hit the spot. We had a yummy pasta for dinner followed by way too many pastries that had been bought at the Launceston French bakery, and enjoyed a couple different shows on TV. Felt just like the home that I don’t have.
Today, it was a leisurely morning, I was awake just in time for sunrise over the ocean and we had breakfast on the veranda. Jeff had to do some work so Chris and I decided to go to Binalong Bay. The whole area around Binalong Bay and further north is called the Bay of Fires because the rocks are covered in lichens, ranging from the soft yellows of kindling to ochre, and the deep red of a raging flame.
It was just over an hour to get to this impossibly beautiful bay with soft powdery white sand and clear turquoise, green, and aquamarine water. It seemed as though every moment as the light changed, and the movement of the water changed, the whole bay was changing – my camera shutter was going basically nonstop. We went a bit further to the Skeleton Bay carpark and did the easy walk to Skeleton Point. Skeleton Point was beautiful. The black rocks had orange and red lichens on them, and the contrast between the black, yellow, orange, and red with the green, blue, and white found in the ocean was like something out of a fantasy novel. We sat and contemplated and ate snacks. Ahh.
We then drove a bit further north to a few beaches, saw some saltwater moss which I’ve never seen, and turned back. On the way home, near Scamandar, we stopped at the Winifred Curtis Conservation Area. This area had been heavily damaged by bushfires this year. This was evident from the charred trees that remain in the area, along with the fresh new growth that is just emerging from the ground. We went on the lagoon track, walking just next to the lagoon with a view of the Sisters and other distinctive mountains in the area. The grass growing along the lake was the same silvery blue green that is found in eucalypts. We went down a bit further and turned inland towards the Old Coach Road.
The vegetation changed completely. Now, there were plenty of tall black charred trees. Interspersed amongst them were the other ‘pajama’ trees, with fresh new foliage adorning trunks and branches, and as we continued on we came across a plant that Chris referred to as “Black Boys.” Supposedly it is now politically incorrect or inappropriate to call them this name. However, it is entirely fitting – the trunk is a charcoal black color, and in the center of the plant is a very phallic stem that stands erect. The proper term now, apparently, is Native Australian Grass Tree. We walked a bit further and found that they were all around us, and many of them had multiple stems; perhaps nature’s way of promoting regeneration after the devastating fire. I had never seen anything like this before, and the combination of all the different types of vegetation with the mountains looming behind presented a scene that was somehow nostalgically prehistoric: dinosaurs could have roamed here.
After we had satisfied our desire to photograph all the plants in the area, we continued home. Once we arrived, we went in the John Deere to see the property on the south of the house. We went down to the rocks with the waves crashing in, we visited the veggie garden with the sections with some broccoli and peas left- the remainder is all prepared for strawberries, cauliflower, tomato, apples, pears, lemons, nectarines, mulberries, and a whole variety of other produce.
I had a quick siesta and woke up just in time for sunset – except there was nothing resembling yesterday evening. The house faces east so in order for the sunset colors to be there the sunlight needs to light up the clouds above the ocean; for some reason today that didn't happen. Perhaps tomorrow.
We munched on some stuffed red peppers and Margaret River Smoked Cheddar cheese, and had some Stella Bella Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc medley wine (Lisa, Chris and Jeff’s daughter who also came to Japan, works for Stella Bella in Margaret River).
Dinner was absolutely gorgeous. We had Yudofu, boiled soft tofu in a soy based sauce with ginger, spring onion, sesame, and seaweed, and a plate of veggies; cauliflower, homegrown butternut pumpkin, snowpeas, and broccoli, with a miso based paste. It was the first time I’ve had Japanese food in Australia and I found that I missed it more than I had even realized.
I’ve found Tasmania to be the most beautiful state I’ve seen in Australia. Yes, I’m aware that it is an enormous country and I’m seeing a very very small percentage of it, but of what I’ve seen it is the most striking. It is largely untouched by humans, it is not densely populated by any means, and it is really accessible, at least where I’ve been. Through the whole day along the coast at Binalong Bay and then at the Reserve, we did not see one other person. How refreshing. The quality of food seems to be really high (but that might just be the Sedevic household standard) and of course, the ocean view doesn't hurt. I could stay here a lot longer than the 5 days I’m here for.
We ran some errands in Launceston, a sleepy town it felt like – compared to the hustle and bustle of Melbourne, its small rows of shops were notably quieter, more quaint. We had lunch at a great little French bakery with some great chai, and continued on. Tasmania is the last populated of Australia’s states, with only 480,000 people living on the island just off the coast of Victoria. It is, in fact, closer to Antarctica. People had been warning me the whole time about how I was going to freeze in Tassie, as the island is commonly known, but it was actually quite mild when I arrived.
The drive home was quite spectacular, at first passing through bright green farmland with cows and sheep grazing – Tasmania also suffered as a result of the ongoing drought in Australia, but the past few months have seen quite a lot of rainfall. We headed south from Launceston and at Conara took the road eastward, going towards the coast. The scenery began to be more dramatic with mountains on either side, and there were dramatic clouds spreading across the sky. This is perhaps the most striking feature of Tasmania that I’ve seen thus far; the sky is constantly changing and the colors and shapes to be seen are transforming continuously – that afternoon, the sky was a pale lavender, which was absolutely gorgeous.
We drove by Elephant Mountain, which I’m not so sure looks like an elephant, but compared to place names like Mount Disappointment in Victoria, I didn’t mind the stretch-of-imagination nomenclature of this odd mountain which had a long gradually sloping side and then a plateau on top. We then passed through St. Mary’s Pass, which had earlier this year been devastated by bushfires dubbed “a moving furnace” rather than a normal healthy fire. As a result of this fire, the trees had sprouted leaves directly along their trunks, giving them what Chris called pajamas. Indeed, the whole forest had an appearance of Ents from Lord of the Rings or something out of a Dr. Seuss book. I’d never seen anything like it before; the silvery blue leaves of the gum trees and the light green fresh leaves in the late afternoon light are imprinted in my memory.
I caught a glimpse of the ocean coming up and as we got closer you could see the perfectly shaped waves crashing in onto the smooth, weathered rocks with thick kelp in some areas. You really got the sense that you were at the end of the world here. We arrived at the property, 25 acres right next to the ocean. We went along the dirt driveway, passing under 2 blooming wattles, their bright yellow balls of fluff dancing in the wind. Jeff was walking the dogs and the dogs started racing us to the door. Monte is a King Charles terrier, sweet as could be with really soft fur. He’s already 10 and deaf, but seems to do ok. Yuki is a crazy miniature Schnauzer, 1.5 years old, still acting about 3 months old.
The house is beautiful, with large glass panels overlooking the cove; you can watch the ocean whilst cooking, eating, lounging. My room is upstairs and on two sides I have windows with ocean views. The sunrise is seen from my window, and in the evening the sunset colors can be seen.
We had come back just in time for sunset; earlier, I had told Chris that I thought it wasn’t worth it to photograph the sky and the clouds because my photos wouldn't do it justice. The sky turned into a brilliant canvas of pinks, reds, purples, oranges, and blues, with tiny cotton balls of white scattered in. I decided I may as well try and capture it on film. And so I did. The amazing thing was that the color of the sky caught on the white of the waves, and the spray; there were pink and purple reflections in the ocean. Breathtaking. It was starting to get much cooler so we ran inside.
We munched on Angie’s smoky tomato sauce (yum! Thanks!) and the King Island Double Cream Brie. Jeff was kind enough to share his Hay Shed Hill Shiraz from Margaret River with me. Australian wines have impressed me overall already, but this bottle really hit the spot. We had a yummy pasta for dinner followed by way too many pastries that had been bought at the Launceston French bakery, and enjoyed a couple different shows on TV. Felt just like the home that I don’t have.
Today, it was a leisurely morning, I was awake just in time for sunrise over the ocean and we had breakfast on the veranda. Jeff had to do some work so Chris and I decided to go to Binalong Bay. The whole area around Binalong Bay and further north is called the Bay of Fires because the rocks are covered in lichens, ranging from the soft yellows of kindling to ochre, and the deep red of a raging flame.
It was just over an hour to get to this impossibly beautiful bay with soft powdery white sand and clear turquoise, green, and aquamarine water. It seemed as though every moment as the light changed, and the movement of the water changed, the whole bay was changing – my camera shutter was going basically nonstop. We went a bit further to the Skeleton Bay carpark and did the easy walk to Skeleton Point. Skeleton Point was beautiful. The black rocks had orange and red lichens on them, and the contrast between the black, yellow, orange, and red with the green, blue, and white found in the ocean was like something out of a fantasy novel. We sat and contemplated and ate snacks. Ahh.
We then drove a bit further north to a few beaches, saw some saltwater moss which I’ve never seen, and turned back. On the way home, near Scamandar, we stopped at the Winifred Curtis Conservation Area. This area had been heavily damaged by bushfires this year. This was evident from the charred trees that remain in the area, along with the fresh new growth that is just emerging from the ground. We went on the lagoon track, walking just next to the lagoon with a view of the Sisters and other distinctive mountains in the area. The grass growing along the lake was the same silvery blue green that is found in eucalypts. We went down a bit further and turned inland towards the Old Coach Road.
The vegetation changed completely. Now, there were plenty of tall black charred trees. Interspersed amongst them were the other ‘pajama’ trees, with fresh new foliage adorning trunks and branches, and as we continued on we came across a plant that Chris referred to as “Black Boys.” Supposedly it is now politically incorrect or inappropriate to call them this name. However, it is entirely fitting – the trunk is a charcoal black color, and in the center of the plant is a very phallic stem that stands erect. The proper term now, apparently, is Native Australian Grass Tree. We walked a bit further and found that they were all around us, and many of them had multiple stems; perhaps nature’s way of promoting regeneration after the devastating fire. I had never seen anything like this before, and the combination of all the different types of vegetation with the mountains looming behind presented a scene that was somehow nostalgically prehistoric: dinosaurs could have roamed here.
After we had satisfied our desire to photograph all the plants in the area, we continued home. Once we arrived, we went in the John Deere to see the property on the south of the house. We went down to the rocks with the waves crashing in, we visited the veggie garden with the sections with some broccoli and peas left- the remainder is all prepared for strawberries, cauliflower, tomato, apples, pears, lemons, nectarines, mulberries, and a whole variety of other produce.
I had a quick siesta and woke up just in time for sunset – except there was nothing resembling yesterday evening. The house faces east so in order for the sunset colors to be there the sunlight needs to light up the clouds above the ocean; for some reason today that didn't happen. Perhaps tomorrow.
We munched on some stuffed red peppers and Margaret River Smoked Cheddar cheese, and had some Stella Bella Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc medley wine (Lisa, Chris and Jeff’s daughter who also came to Japan, works for Stella Bella in Margaret River).
Dinner was absolutely gorgeous. We had Yudofu, boiled soft tofu in a soy based sauce with ginger, spring onion, sesame, and seaweed, and a plate of veggies; cauliflower, homegrown butternut pumpkin, snowpeas, and broccoli, with a miso based paste. It was the first time I’ve had Japanese food in Australia and I found that I missed it more than I had even realized.
I’ve found Tasmania to be the most beautiful state I’ve seen in Australia. Yes, I’m aware that it is an enormous country and I’m seeing a very very small percentage of it, but of what I’ve seen it is the most striking. It is largely untouched by humans, it is not densely populated by any means, and it is really accessible, at least where I’ve been. Through the whole day along the coast at Binalong Bay and then at the Reserve, we did not see one other person. How refreshing. The quality of food seems to be really high (but that might just be the Sedevic household standard) and of course, the ocean view doesn't hurt. I could stay here a lot longer than the 5 days I’m here for.
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