Friday 17^th February, 2012

Dark clouds covered the sky as I drove to the end of the Bay of Fires. It started to rain when I reach Binalong Bay. I still walked along the beach. As I reached the end, the rain got stronger. I got soaking wet until I reached the car. I went back to the motel. But of course as I reached it the rain stopped. With fresh and dry clothes I make did a short sightseeing in St. Helens. This village is not really big. As I was still dry, I drove to St. Helens Point. It is the outermost point of St. Helens. But the rain started again and it did not want to improve. So I just made a picture and went back as I did not want to get soaking wet again. As the weather than improved again, I walked along the shore at Georges Bay. I was observing sea birds as suddenly two giant birds approached. As they got closer, I realized they were pelicans. At 4 pm it started raining again. At the reception I got the key for the swimming pool and swam a few rounds.

Thursday 16^th February, 2012

Yesterday I somehow noticed that today is “Dirty Thursday” and the carnival starts in Switzerland. I am missing the feeling for time here in Australia. The sky was clouded as I started driving towards Scottsdale. Here I stopped to buy food. Then I drove over the interior towards the sea. At Weldborough Pass I made a short stop and walked through the rain forest. There was much farming in this area and I saw many cattle herds. One was even escaped and stood directly on the road. My way led to St. Columa Falls. To watch the 90 m high waterfall closer, I walked to the viewpoint. At one spot there was a snake laying on the path. As I do not like snakes that much, to be precise I fear them, I stood still. The snake did not show any insight that it should get away. So I had to stamp hard on the ground to say: “Attention, enemy approaching!” After I took some pictures, it moved away. I then enjoyed a nice view to the falls. On the way back I met again an animal, but this time a wallaby. After this adventure I drive directly to St. Helens and informed me about the accommodation. The kind lady from the tourist information gave me a hint and I found immediately a room. As it was just past noon, I decided to drive to the Bay of Fires. The bay is 35 km long and has a white beach. From time to time there are also rocks covered with red lichen. Together with the turquoise sea it looked very interesting. I got the feeling of south sea holidays. I walked for an hour along the beach and went back as the tide was coming in. Then I enjoyed just sitting on the rocks and watch the waves breaking. In the evening I sat a bit at George Bay in St. Helens. Here I could observe rose grey parrots flying like mad through the air. There were also sea birds to watch.

Wednesday 15^th February, 2012

The first stop came very soon. I was a few minutes too early at Tamar Island. A footbridge is leading to the island from which I could observe sea birds. After a few meters it rustled in the reed and something with a tail disappeared below the footbridge. I stopped, looked around and saw two examples of the smallest wallaby species in Tasmania. I was surprised to meet wallabies here as I was expecting for birds and snakes. I went on and saw different birds, which all fled after they heard me. It was a nice walk, but the sun was already burning at 9 o'clock. I went further to the Swiss Village Grindelwald. Yes, that is correct, the village is really called Grindelwald (to the non-Swiss: this is a tourist village in the Swiss Alps). It was founded by a Dutch which was taken with Grindelwald. He constructed here houses in Swiss style and now they are mostly used as tourist accommodations. My next destination is Beauty Point. Here is a platypus and echinda house. I wanted to visit it as I never saw a platypus live. The guide explained a lot over the platypuses and I could watch a few of them. Then the guide changed to the echindas and told us about this animals. There were tree small ones which did not fear humans so I could sit to them. As the tour was over, I went to the nearby sea horse house. Also here I learned a lot about this animals from a guided tour. It was interesting to watch how this small “horses” develop. Then there was also a gold mine in the proximity which I visited. There is an exhibition about the old mine and its miners. They also showed how 2006 the miners were locked in and how they were rescued. Over the Batman Bridge I drove to the other side of Tamar River to Low Head to visit the light house. Along vines, apple and apricot trees the voyage continued without interruption to Bridport. This village is at the sea and I enjoy the beach with a long walk.

Tuesday 14^th February, 2012

A sunny day is awaiting me, thus I decided to explore the surroundings. Launceston is at Tamar River and is the oldest town of Tasmania. First I walked along the other part of the town, as I wanted to go to the Cataract Gorge Reserve. It is a nature reserve around laid a gorge. I walked along the gorge to the First Basin. At the small artificial lake a chairlift goes over the gorge. I preferred to walk around the lake. I saw two wallabies at the path passing the chairlift. I was very astonished that there wallabies also here. One was not shy at all and came very close to me. At the way back I sa in the park of the restaurant a few peacocks with their chicks. Back in the town I walked thorough the reserve an enjoyed a bit the nature. Then I walked along the river to the town. There I marvelled at the many Victorian houses of Launceston. My way lead to Prince's Square which contains a small park. In the City Park I discovered a monkey cage. The rest of the afternoon I was reading in the City Park and enjoying the sun.

Monday 13^th February, 2012

After a short walk at the beach I visited a special market hall where they showed and sold artisanry. You could see different handmade papers, jewellery made of glass and sea shells, clothes and cheese. I looked a bit around and informed me where to go on. My trip led to Penguin. There is a very big figure of Pingu and everything in the village is about penguins. On some beaches at the east coast live little penguins, they are also at home on Philipp Island. After I went on to the harbour town Devonport. As all remarkable is along the beach, I walked along the beach promenade. I was a bit disappointed, then except of the harbour there is not much here. The ferries from Melbourne land here, but that will be in the evening. As it was only noon, I decided to drive on. Over the countryside I could drive with 110 km/h and reached soon Launceston. Here I was looking for accommodation and was walking a bit through the town. The evening I enjoyed in the vis-à-vis park.