I Love Tasmanian Devils. I Hate Hiking.

Get Outta Strahan!

Strahan was a boring sleepy town on the west coast of Tasmania. It didn't really offer us anything except serving as a stopover on our road trip through the Southwest National Park on our way towards the famous Cradle Mountain.

The drive to Cradle Mountain was about 300 kilometers, but we were climbing to higher altitudes, so it was yet again another long drive. We had the opportunity to stop at Montezuma Falls, the highest falls in Tasmania, but decided that seeing Nelson Falls yesterday was good enough. Falls are falls, water gushing down rocks. However, I would like to see Angel Falls in Venezuela - highest uninterrupted falls in the world. 

We finally arrived at Cradle Mountain at 11am. The Cradle Mountain area is very tourist friendly equipped with a visitor's centre and most attractions within a 2km distance.

The one thing we had to do in Tasmania is see the Tasmanian Devil. Sadly, this marsupial is highly endangered with only 15,000 existing. The species has gone through population highs and lows, but recently the reason behind their 50% decline is due to Devil facial tumour disease (DFTD). The disease is a transmissible cancer caused by devils biting each other in defense. The devil itself has low levels of genetic diversity, so they can't seem to fight off the disease.

One way to improve their condition is to do research through field monitoring and sanctuaries. At Cradle Mountain is Devils@Cradle, a conservation facility dedicated to preserve the species and educate the public.

For $16 AUD each, we could walk around the facility, see Tasmanian Devils and quolls, watch a video and pet one of the more tame devils!

Hey Fella!

The Trainer

Scurrying Around

The Devil Up Close

The devils were so cute and it was heart breaking to know their population is in decline because their bodies can't fight the disease. Inside the centre were images of the cancer around their mouth. I'm so glad we got to visit the centre and learn more about such a unique animal and know that there are preserves like this one all over the state. We left the centre with warm fuzzies.

After the devil sanctuary, we took the shuttle to Ronny Creek, a 2km distance from our Dove Lake, our final hiking destination.

Enjoying A Packed Lunch Overlooking Cradle Mountain

Cutting lunch short because of the wild birds creeping closer to our picnic, we decided to get started on our hike to and around Dove Lake.

On the boardwalk, we noticed a big furry animal roaming around like a hairy hippo. It was a wombat!

What's That?!

Wombat's Look Like Giant Hamsters

A Peek of the Cradle Mountain Peak

After 30 minutes, the nice wooden boardwalk disappeared and we had to walk on wet rocks and sand on rugged irregular ground. I was looking for a leisurely stroll. This was a nightmare.

Thankfully, at the end of the 2k hike, we ended up at the breathtaking Dove Lake with Cradle Mountain in the back drop.

At Dove Lake With Cradle Mountain in the Background

We continued our hike circumnavigating the lake. Thankfully, the wooden boardwalk returned and I got the leisurely stroll I wanted.

Taking It All In

I Kind of Like Hiking.

Dave's Postcard Pic

Panoramic View

The Grand View

Boardwalk Pathways Are Perfect For Hiking

Happy Hikers

It took us another 2 hours to walk around Dove Lake. It was cool day where even a few sweaters kept us warm, but not sweaty. Dave loves hiking and I did this for him, even though I prefer beaches or the city. But after seeing the beautiful views, I can appreciate why he loves hiking so much.

We finished hiking at 4pm and hit the road again. I got my wish and we headed east towards Launceston that night.

Who Goes West?

Hobart > Strahan

300 KM

Exhausted from all the walking and outdoor fishing, Dave and I were happy to be leaving Hobart to venture out west. When visiting Tasmania for a few days, rarely do people go west, but we had some extra time... an entire week! If we were doing Tasmania, we'd do it right and hit up as many of the major spots as we could - this included going out west through the National Parks that cover a third of the island.

First order of business was breakfast. We went to Jackman & McRoss, a famous bakery Dave's colleague told us about. We had one last meal with Kyle and Alison. Today would be their last day in Hobart and they were back to work the next day.

After breakfast, we split off and Dave took our little purple car westward to our first stop of the day, the Salmon Ponds in New Norfolk, 30 minutes out of Hobart.

I was expecting a salmon farm where I could observe salmon farming practices. Instead we found a finely manicured park with pools separating different species of salmon and trout. For $2, a vending machine would spit out about 2 cups of fish food. We weren't disappointed. With every handful of fish food thrown in the water, the fish thrashed on the surface exposing their bright colours.

Large Pools of Salmon and Trout

Lovely Day For a Walk in the Salmon Ponds

Every Pool is a Surprise. What Will We See Here?

Why Are They So Rowdy When They Get Fed All Day?

Spring Has Blossomed in Tasmania

Pink Salmon

The entrance fee not only included the salmon ponds, but also the Trout Fishing Museum. It was great for Dave because after yesterday's fly fishing excursion, he understood the history and background of trout fishing including lure and pole types. The museum itself looked like my grandparent's house filled with lures, fishing poles, news articles and creepy mannequins.

Trout Fishing Museum

He Knows What He's Talking About

The rest of the grounds was stunning. Beyond the salmon ponds was the rivulet that fed the ponds and more manicured lawns surrounding the property. This would be just a taste of all the mountain hiking we had planned for out west.

Manicured Lawns

Ready to Conquer Tasmania

One cabin on the property did give me some salmon fishing education. In a far corner of the grounds was the hatchery. Inside were vessels holding different types of salmon and trout explaining the breeding and fish hatchery process.

Cribs for Baby Salmon and Trout

After a good hour at the Salmon Ponds, we got back on the road because Strahan was 300 kilometers away and it wasn't going to be a straight shot going through the national parks.

We knew we were entering the park because the roads curved as we climbed to higher altitude. Surprisingly there was still snow on the ground! 

Snow on the Ground

Road trip Are Never Complete Without a Meal Inside the Car

No Sauce, But Still Good

Bread, Spinach, Edam, Salami

Like our South Island, New Zealand trip, we learned that on any road trip, you must have a meal inside your car and always follow the signs. First sign of the day featured the Nelson Falls, which was right off the highway and a 20 minute return walk.

Into the Rain Forest

Getting a Waterfall Spray

Nelson Falls marked the half-way point of our journey. The rest of the way was out of the Southwest National Park, the largest park in Tasmania. The drive from Hobart to Strahan was the longest of our journey, but we didn't mind. It was a relaxing drive bringing us back to the landscape we saw in New Zealand. 

We arrived in Strahan around 6pm. We checked into Motel Strahan, a cute motel run by a gay couple. From the outside, it looked like we were staying inside a storage unit, but inside was a large king size bed with down comforters, a flat screen TV  and furnishings in a modern blue, grey and black palette.

Our sandwiches in the car were good, but we were wanting a hot cooked meal. When you're in the country, you're best bet for food will be at a pub. Popular pub food items are fish and chips, schnitzel and steak and every meal always comes with chips (or french fries). We were craving fish and chips and we went to every restaurant in Strahan (about 6) to look at their menus. They all had fish and chips, but surprisingly expensive (about $18-$22). For a town on the coast, we expected seafood to be cheaper, but like Sydney it wasn't. We settled with where the crowd was...at the RSL (Returned and Serviced League of Australia - like the VFW in the States).

Seeing the large crowd, we assumed this was the restaurant to go to. We ended up waiting more than 1.5 hours for very plain fish and chips. Definitely something you wouldn't write home about, but in this case, I have to because this is the only thing we did in Strahan.

Strahan is known for its river cruises, but we had already done so many of these in New Zealand and we were ready to see the city again. Tomorrow will be a long drive, but we the Tasmanian Devil, Cradle Mountain and Launceston awaits us!