Touring Tassie

03 Jul 2014

The Probus Club of Donvale Hill recently went on a wonderful tour of Tasmania.

On arrival in Tasmania, the group was greeted by the coach captain who quickly set about developing a relaxed feeling and harmony within the group. This was one of many qualities this person displayed throughout the tour as he had a wealth of knowledge relating to Tasmania. Nothing was a problem to ensuring that the tour was completely worry free.

It was evident on arrival that there had been recent rains that had made the country side nice and green which added to the beauty of the early autumn tones in the trees. This extensive colour contrast was one of the many highlights of the chair lift ride in the Cataract Gorge.

The group’s next taste of Tasmania was a visit to the delightful Swiss Style village at Grindelwad. The delightful layout stimulated thoughts about how relaxing it would be to retire to this sort of setting.

It was amazing how enthusiastic the staff of Seahorse World were about development and marketing of their seahorses and dragons into the world and local markets.

Many old colonial buildings and bridges dot the countryside some of which date as the earliest in Australia. The property, Woolmer’s Estate, settled in 1816 and the historical town of Richmond which was proclaimed a township in 1824 are typical examples.

The next big bite was to the wallet. A visit to the amazing Salamanca Markets where there was an extensive range of local products awaiting to be purchased.

A well-known local product is the Huon Pine and there is no better way to view these amazing trees and numerous other species than from the Tahune Forest Airwalk which is high in the tree canopy. Huon Pine is one of the longest living organisms on earth with trees dated over 2000 years. Its rot-resistant properties make it an ideal timber for boat building and this was recognised when a shipyard was established on Sarah Island Tasmania’s first and most brutal penal settlement.

Tasman Island Cruises provided the next taste of Tasmania as it showed off how rugged and spectacular the south coast between Eaglehawk Nest and Port Arthur is and the abundance of water birds and marine life that inhabit the Tasman National Park.

No visit to Tasmania would be complete without visiting Port Arthur historical site, which is the greatest tourist attraction in Tasmania and serves as a reminder to all about the living conditions endured by the staff and convicts at this settlement.

The group then enjoyed a cruise to the Gordon River to view the fish-farming operations in the Southern Ocean and the magnificent forests which line the river banks.

A guided tour of the ruins of the Sarah Island Penal Settlement provided some idea of the conditions under which the convicts were housed.

Cradle Mountain National Park was the last World Heritage classified area members visited and it is fortunate that people like Gustav Weindorfer saw the beauty of these parks and helped to preserve them so that future generations may also enjoy their beauty.