Article Trip to Tasmania

Tasmania's climate is similar to the Czech Republic, except that the seasons in Tasmania do not show such large differences. Winters are a bit milder here and summers a little colder than in the Czech Republic. The area is also very similar to ours, only slightly smaller and has twenty times fewer inhabitants than in the Czech Republic (the total population of Tasmania is 519,000 inhabi­tants, of which 211,000 live in the capital Hobart). The rest of Tasmania consists of national parks, mountains, lakes, forests, national parks, mountains, lakes, forests, nature …

Our expedition begins on the island of Maria Island, which is a protected national park with a rich history. You can reach the island in about half an hour by boat from the town of Triabunna. In the first half of the 19th century, this island served as a prison for convicts at the time, and today the prison building is used as a hostel for tourists. At first I envied the convicts for the beautiful landscape, but as soon as I learned that the room where the two of us stayed was shared by 66 prisoners, all the envy was gone.

There is no transport on „Maruška“ except for cycling. You can rent a bike here and go around the island by bike or walk around like we do.

Here you will meet countless cute fat and still grazing wombats (and even more bay leaves :)), wallabies (= smaller kangaroos), wild geese and if you are a little lucky, you may even see a Tasmanian devil at dusk.

The Tasmanian Devil has been the largest living predatory marsupial since the extinction of the weasel (or Tasmanian tiger) in 1936. He currently lives only in Tasmania, although his skeletal remains can be found virtually throughout Australia (he became extinct on the Australian mainland about 400 years before the arrival of the first European settlers). Even in Tasmania, it has been threatened with extinction due to devil-borne facial cancer (DFTD), which cannot yet be treated. In 2012 and 2013, 23 healthy Tasmanian devils were taken from mainland Tasmania and placed in isolation – on the island of Maria, where they have ideal conditions and where they are not in any danger. And the good news is that, according to monitoring, in a few years, their population has grown to today's 200 Tas­manian devils.

On the island of Maria, be sure not to miss the „famous“ Painted Cliffs – painted cliffs, which you can reach every day at low tide. These extraordinary patterns were created on sandstones due to the seepage of groundwater, which left traces of iron oxide.

Mount Maria (710m above sea level) is the highest mountain on the island. From the top you will have a unique view of the mainland of the island

On the island you will find many historic uninhabited buildings that are also worth exploring

After buying supplies in Hobart, we headed southwest to Mount Hartz National Park – a rainforest where you will meet only a handful of people.

The first tall ferns and weeping weather showed us the landscape in a misty mystical form.

The park offers several treks from short, undemanding to full-day mountain hikes. If you plan to go here, buy an entry pass to the national parks in advance. Otherwise, you will find at the top that it is not possible to buy a passport in this park and you will either have to leave it after a long winding road or risk (like us) that no one will catch you that day.

We moved to the oldest and most popular Mount Field National Park. This place is known mainly for its Russell Falls and Horsehoe Falls, which attract many tourists. A calm river will lead you to the waterfalls through a dense forest.

Trees towering proudly to the sky, old giant trunks lying on the ground, stumps and logs, everything is covered with green, everything is covered with moss and lichens. If you have always secretly wanted to visit Pandora – the land from the movie Avatar, go to Mt. Field NP! The atmosphere for all that beauty is further enhanced by ferns of all sizes, from small to gigantic.

Tasmania is one of the places where you can meet unique animals such as the finch. We're trying to see someone by the lakes on the Tarn Shelf Circuit. Even if we don't have enough patience or luck and we won't meet the finch

This trek is clearly TOP for us in the whole of Tasmania. The five-hour trip will take you through the diverse nature around the crystal clear lakes and we still open our backpacks and stop every few minutes because we have to take „one more – really last – photo“.

Our next stop is the town of Deloraine, where our friends live, who will provide us with a roof over their heads for their cabin for a few days. From here, we set out on day trips around the area, such as Devonport. In this city there is a dock for ferries Spirit of Tasmania I., II. and III., which transport people to Sydney and Melbourne to the Australian continent. After a lot of trampled kilometers, the sole on my Mustang ramps decides to resign and all that remains is to go shopping in Launceston. The city doesn't inspire us too much (but maybe it's because none of us are in town) and after the necessary roundabouts we decide to visit the nearby vineyard of Josef Chromý. If the name sounds Czech to you, then you are not wrong. The founder of the vineyard is Čech, who emigrated here in 1950 as a 20-year-old poor young man with zero knowledge of English. Today, he is a successful entrepreneur, whose winery has won 14 cups and 170 medals in a short time, making him one of the most successful newly established wineries in the history of Tasmania. The unique selected and sparkling wines of the Josef Chromy Wines winery from Tasmania are created thanks to Josef's rich experience in the Tamar Valley and a unique vineyard with an area of 60 hectares. You can choose from three rows. The basic wines are named Pepik, the prestigious Josef Chromy and many of the best grapes of selected vintages are called Žďár (as well as his hometown). In the transcript for better English pronunciation, the label says „Hello“. Which is a word that certainly describes the success of the businessman Josef Chromý.

We decide to step on the new mountains immediately in the center of Tasmania „Walls of Jerusalem“. This park is located on a plateau in central Tasmania and is characterized by coniferous forests, alpine vegetation and unpredictable, fast-changing weather. Do not be discouraged by the long steep beginning of the route (about the first hour of walking), the reward will then be a beautiful walk in the middle of the majestic rocks. If you have more time, don't forget to take a tent. This trek can be completed as a 3-day circuit or you can go on smaller day trips from the main station. And if you have one day, a visit to this park is still worth it.

What would it be like to visit Tasmania without the famous Cradle Mountains, whose Overland trek is one of the 10 TOP treks in the world. Who hasn't seen the Cradle Mountains as if (in Tasmania) haven't been! I bet every visitor to Tasmania will say this sentence …

Huge visitor center, even more huge parking, guided shuttle buses that take you every 15 minutes to the main stops in the Cradle Mountains, selfie poles and thousands of tourists. This is my first impression of the Cradle Mountains. However, when you get used to the atmosphere of „Wenceslas Square“, the park is really beautiful. Most tourists visit the main attraction – Lake Dove, around which there is a wooden path all the way. If you want to avoid crowds, you can go on more challenging routes, such as Hansons Peak, Little Horn, Smithies Peak or Cradle Mountain, where many people do not go. In the Cradle Mountains you can come across hedgehogs, posums, wallabies (small kangaroos), rare platypus or quun.

We continue northwest to the Tarkine area, which has been home to the Tasmanian Aborigines for 40,000 years and remains a place of spiritual significance to this day. An endangered species of the orange-bellied neophyme parrot lives in this area. It is one of two species of parrots that migrate regularly. In summer (in the conditions of the Southern Hemisphere) it nests in Tasmania, while winter flies to the warmer coast of South Australia. The wild population numbers only a few dozen individuals, so the yellow-bellied neophema is classified by the IUCN as a critically endangered species. The current wild population is estimated at less than 50 individuals. State and volunteer organizations are working intensively to save it.

We won't even meet a little animal on a walk through the fairytale forest „Balfour Track“, where a narrow path next to the stream will take you through the rainforest, through the roots of trees, moss and ferns. And if I ever imagined what a place at the end of the world should look like, then the idea of Waratah, where we are staying, would certainly fulfill this idea. It may not be at the end of the world, but it is definitely „at the end of the asphalt road“, which no longer leads. In addition, there are nice people and amazing peace.

The Tarkine area was also the last area where the already extinct Tasmanian tiger (wolf) was last found. This species was exterminated by farmers because it attacked their sheep and game, and therefore rewards began to be offered for its capture. Van Diemen's Land Company began offering rewards as early as 1830. Between 1888 and 1909, the Tasmanian government paid a reward of £ 1 per adult head and ten shillings per cub. She paid a total of 2,184 rewards, but more vacancies were probably killed. This effort by farmers and bounty hunters is often considered the cause of animal extinction. Today, you can only see the Tasmanian tiger in Hobart as a stuffing in the National Museum of Tasmania.

Our time is slowly coming to an end and we are slowly moving back to Hobart. Along the way we will visit the picturesque historic town of Stanley. If someone is engaged in climbing, this city is ideal for them, because you have a rock literally „behind the barracks“. If someone is engaged in swimming, this town is also ideal for them, because this place is surrounded by the sea from the left and right. There are several churches and perhaps all the houses and buildings in Stanley are beautifully decorated. In short, everyone will find theirs here. On the main street you can taste local chocolate in small family shops, sit in one of the several cafes and breathe in the pleasant and relaxed atmosphere of this place.

We also visit the Rocky Cape National Park, where there are sacred Aboriginal caves and rock shelters. This place has helped to reveal many of the indigenous people's lifes­tyles, and today's Aborigines still feel a strong cultural and spiritual connection to the place and are involved in the administration of this park.

We spend our last day in Hobart with my friend Hanka. There is a very small but even friendlier Czech community living in Hobart, which is very common. We end the trip with a trip to Mount Wellington, from where we enjoy the view of the capital of Tasmania and visit the National Museum. We will be pleasantly surprised by the free entry and we will learn interesting things about the local fauna and flora, the history of the island and the Aborigines in Tasmania. Did you know, for example, that until 1967, when a referendum was held in Australia, the Aborigines were included in the fauna and flora? Another very nice place is the Salamanca Square and the controversial Mona Museum is definitely worth a visit.