A getaway in Tasmania

yping88

So long, Melbourne!!!

yping88

Here we are in your arms, Tasmania!!!

yping88

Haaahaaa!

Devonport is upside down, unfortunately, there is nothing I can do about it!

Further treatment for your neck problem, @retirement @littleharry @Tbaussie

MICHELLE07

My lady, this is spectacular! ...reminds me of <Titanic>...

yping88

MICHELLE07 发表于 4-11-2014 21:04
My lady, this is spectacular! ...reminds me of ...

It does, doesn't it! I had the same thought too the moment I had a glance at it!

littleharry

yping88 发表于 4-11-2014 19:49
Haaahaaa!

Devonport is upside down, unfortunately, there is nothing I can do about it!

太棒了！！我等着treatment！！

yping88

5 days into the west coast trip in Tasmania, I got the internet access for the first time. Just drop a line letting you all know that we're doing great here. But, I have been missing you all an awful lot. To tell you a secret that a life without FreeOz sucks!!!

Good thing is that the terrific scenary helps me with my FreeOz--sick symptoms!

yping88

@serin

I finally got the chance to delete that photo that might be sensitive to someone in the introduction! Thank you for bringing that up to my attention!

yping88

We have made it to Launceston tonight, but I am still in awe how excited Hobart people have been about XiJinPing's upcoming visit to this island!

I have been asked in Hobart so many times on the street, cafe, information center and shops about what I have expected out of Xi's visit to Tasmania. People kept telling me how significant his Tassie trip will be, and how much both China's and Tasmania's economy will be mutually benefited from the promising trading deal!

I told them that XiJinPing's connection with Tasmania went way, way back when he was the governor in FuJian province! FuZhou city and Tasmania have been in a brotherly bond for years. And I do believe their talks will be going smoothly and the mutually beneficial trades will be put in place!

Heeeheee, I never thought I could be this diplomatic as far as the politics is concerned! I felt I was forced to grow up fast politically in Tasmania!!!

yping88

Another thing I got from those chats was that about 50 special police personnel have been deployed to Tasmania for about half year now to work together with their Tasmania's counterparts for Xi's safety during his visit in Tasmania!  

yping88

Thank you for highlighting this topic, Yearshappy! I will definitely follow this up with so much more. please bear with me!

yearshappy

yping88 发表于 14-11-2014 23:04
We have made it to Launceston tonight, but I am still in the awe how excited Hobart people have been ...

a rare opportunity to pass the positive messages about China and its people to the locals
seize it to make the most of it
well-done, yping, i'm proud of you

yping88

Back to Melbourne from the 13-day trip around the coastal route around Tasmania! Felt exhausted but absolutely excited and impressed! I will take a few days off, and then get my itinerary reorganized. Hopefully, I could tell you all the stories about Tasmania/Tasmanians from my point of view, and do my best talking about this trip to complement what you have experienced, heard or read!

Please stick around!  

yping88

Personal impression on Tasmanians:

1. Friendly

   Wherever we went, we have always been greeted by people--Locals, tourists and hotel staff...Later on, I will give the examples in the relevant locations!

2. Better driving manners

   When we got lost in the directions, we sort of stopped in the middle of the traffic, not knowing which direction we should be heading to. We never got any driver behind us horned angrily. The drivers definitely showed their patience and tolerance while we were figuring out our should-be route.

3. A boat captain is way, way more than a captain, while they took us for a ride on the lake, or the sea, they well know their city, the city's history, forest, vegetation and some anecdotes of their ancestors. A zoo keeper is way, way more than a feeder or a carer. She could be very knowledgeable about that animal's (Take Tasmania Devil for instance) breed, lifestyle, what that animal's level is in a food chain and what research is being carried out to pull that animal out of the endangered list, etc.

In one word, we have been very much in awe how much they know what they are doing and how dramatically our stereotype about those professions has been turned all the way around.

4. Information center is a very crucial resource for us in terms of the major attractions we could visit based on our time frame. The staff would even create a list of main attractions in order depending on the weather and sunshine!

More to follow, please stay tuned!  

yping88

Itinerary:

03/11/14---Port Melbourne to Devenport, Tasmania by Spirit of Tasmania

04/11/14--Queenstown, Tasmania

05/11/14-07/11/14 Cradle Mountain

08/11/14--Lake St Clair

09/11/14-10/11/14--Hobart

11/11/14--Port Arthur

12/11/14--13/11/14--Bicheno

14/11/14--Launceston

15/11/14--Launceston to Devenport, board Spirit of Tasmania to Melbourne

PS: I made a big mistake booking the accommodation in Queenstown for the first night, because I thought our accommodation was sitting in between Cradle Mountain and Franklin-Gordon national park. But actually, Cradle mountain is the north border of Cradle Mountain national park, and Lake St Clair claims the south border of it, Franklin-Gordon national park extends southwards from the lake!

Because of my misunderstanding of the geography, we did a bit extra traveling. But we make the best out of this unfortunate ignorance!

But if our itinerary could be of any reference at all, I suggest you to make the first stop at Cradle Mountain's north border, then, go southwards!

yearshappy

yping88 发表于 18-11-2014 19:51
Itinerary:

03/11/14---Port Melbourne to Devenport, Tasmania by Spirit of Tasmania

A trip down to the far south is always somewhere in the back of my head.
You took the ferries. What about flying in, and then hire a car, do a half circle the stays? Would refer to your itinerary

yping88

Believe me, Yearshappy! This trip is so worthwhile, I have rated the most joyful, most adventurous and wildest experience I have ever taken myself through!

Yeah, we have met some people who flew in from somewhere, hired a caravan locally and completed their adventure! But, we took our car over there by the ferry!  

yping88

yearshappy 发表于 18-11-2014 20:58
A trip down to the far south is always somewhere in the back of my head.
You took the ferries. W ...

Believe me, Yearshappy! This trip is so worthwhile, I have rated the most joyful, most adventurous and wildest experience I have ever taken myself through!

Yeah, we have met some people who flew in from somewhere, hired a caravan locally and completed their adventure! But, we took our car over there by the ferry!  

yearshappy

yping88 发表于 18-11-2014 21:09
Believe me, Yearshappy! This trip is so worthwhile, I have rated the most joyful, most adventurous ...

seated and I'm all ears - the people you met, the talks between you and the locals, the history and geography of the Apple Isle, all stories behind, do  bring them on if you don't mind

One thing for sure, tassie wouldn't be coloured in brown and red like the outback of Queensland. Would it?

yearshappy

yping88 发表于 18-11-2014 21:09
Believe me, Yearshappy! This trip is so worthwhile, I have rated the most joyful, most adventurous ...

What i've known about Tassie is the island from a long time ago and its indigenous tribes
the display veggie patch from a TV program named Gardening Australia that's all

yping88

yearshappy 发表于 18-11-2014 21:54
seated and I'm all ears - the people you met, the talks between you and the locals, the history  ...

Thank you for lending your ears to my Tassie story, Yearshappy!

yping88

Courtesy reminders:

1. Be well-prepared in terms of wear--Mountain boots, water-proof coat, even winter coat are indispensable, because in Cradle mountain, MT Wellington and open sea of Port Arthur, the weather could unpredictably wild all year round.

2. Fill up your car-tank whenever able to if you travel in west coast, because somewhere in the high mountains, it is barely populated. There are might be no gas-station at all within hundreds of kilometers' radius.

3. Visit the information center first wherever you are interested in touring around, no matter how well prepared you think you are. Because the way you are traveling depends on the different weather and different seasons!

4. Put your details down in the registration book provided in the entrances to the national parks, just for the safety record.  And make sure to sign yourself off on your way out to show the park rangers that you are safe. I will talk about this a little bit further in the relevant events in the following posts!

yping88

My supposed-to-be perfect tour route: (Counter-clockwise)

Devenport-->Cradle Mountain (2 days)-->Queenstown （1 day）-->Lake St Clair (2 days)-->Hobart (2 days)-->Port Arthur (1 day)-->Bicheno (2 days)-->Launceston (1 day)--Devenport

yping88

All of our accommodations in Tassie were booked through this company, which offers the best possible deals all year round everywhere in the world!

http://www.wotif.com/

Of course, if you hire the caravan, you won't need this information. But, please be aware, if you travel in the caravan, you need to book for a spot in the hot seasons long before your travel. In a relatively less popular season, you have to make it to any caravan parks before 1800 within the business hours, otherwise, your overnight stay would be highly unpredicted!

yping88

03/11/2014--Port Melbourne to Devenport by Spirit of Tasmania

We went to the information center onboard and sought advice on the Tassie tour! First thing we were advised to buy was the general pass to all national parks in Tassie, which costs only $60 but covers the parking fee for the vehicle that travels with you and the admission fee for people who travel in the vehicle (regardless of the number of the people within the vehicle's carrying capacity), and this pass will be valid for up to 2 months.

It turns out to be our first wise purchase even before entering Tassie, because later on during the trip, we came across some tourists who got parking infringement ticket ($50), who had to buy their entrance ticket for $16.5 per person which is valid for 24 hours.

yping88

Our 1st stop: Emu Valley-Rhododendron Garden

This garden is run totally by the volunteers who love the gardening and are willing to devote their time and wisdom to maintaining this garden. This is constantly blossoming for all seasons, and the plants have proved the agricultural diversity---including Himalayas, China, Japan and north America.

Hopefully, the photos below would give you the real sense of agricultural diversity!

yping88

This kind of loneliness and tranquility have always hit me up with the untold beautiful stories, I could stay in it forever doing nothing but purposeless thinking!

yping88

Could it be me living in somewhere unknown surrounded by nothing but the red dirt and natural beauty!

yping88

Dip falls--On the way over to Stanley from Devenport, right after Wynyard, turn off to the left from the highway. The water presents with the rusty color, meaning the rich contents of minerals!

During this tour, I heard a very touching story of a family!

When we asked a couple about directions, we were given a very detailed information about almost the whole region: Where the main tourist attractions are, which route to take to get there, etc. After our tour around these falls, they were still there, seemingly not very impressed by the scenic views with the lady focusing on her knitting task! I asked them:

"You two seem to know your way around very well here, do you live here locally or you just take a break from your tour?"

"No, we live about 50 kilometers away. We are just here waiting for our son to knock off from his duty!"

"Where does he work if you don't mind me asking?" Apparently my wonder goes beyond what I asked!

"Remember you driving past a honey factory on your way over here? It's a factory providing a job for the handicapped people, our son is intellectually challenged and he works there. In order to support his independence of living, we drive him here to work 4 days a week because he is unable to drive himself. After dropping him off every time, we just come here and stay in the forest for hours until he gets off from work!" Said the gentleman.

"Wow, that's a long day on a daily basis for you two. Don't you have to work?" I went on throwing them with more questions.

"We have both retired and just have to support our son's independence all the way through. It is very important for him to earn his living on his own, and he wins confidence in his ability as well!"

Here, I would like to acknowledge again the courage that boy has shown to stand up on his own, to salute the couple again for the sacrifice they have made for their son to become and stay an independent man with grace!

They are definitely unsung heroes who would set the perfect examples for those who unfortunately fell handicapped for whatever reasons, for those parents who unfortunately have have an under-privileged child!

yping88

Random snapshots on the way to Wynyard--a little north coastal town of Tasmania!