A few words – or perhaps paragraphs – about our recent visit Down Under. Judine and I were in Australia for a little over three weeks – nine days in Tasmania, the rest in Melbourne and Gold Coast on the mainland. Much of what we did was connected to two Supanova conventions in the two named cities, but I am leaving that for another blog and tackling Tasmania first.
You can see a lot of Tasmania in nine days, and by doing so you find out some really interesting things. We were there in their autumn so the weather on the good days was sunny and crisp and nice. On the bad days, it rained a lot and on one memorable evening it snowed and we woke the next morning to a white world. Only lasted about two hours, but still.
This was in the back, way back of beyond, at Thousand Lakes Lodge, a facility that was once a training center for explorers on their way to the South Pole, so that pretty much tells you everything. It was barren, blasted country reminiscent of the English moors and it took a long time to get to our hotel. The hotel was beautiful and welcoming, but outside was bitter cold – enough so that our guide who went for a fifteen-minute walk just to have a look around came back looking like death on a holiday.
But here’s the thing. Tasmania has a raft of varied countryside, from mountains to vineyards, valleys, and grasslands to seaside fishing villages and major seaports, which also serve as vacation destinations. Every part of the island had something to offer, and every part in its own way was beautiful and fascinating.
This, in part, is due not just to the geography, but to the animal life, of which there is a lot. More on that in the next blog, which will be about animals, reptiles and birds. Can’t wait, right?