The temperature was perfect as we pulled into port. There was a cool breeze and sunny skies.
Hobart is the state capital and was founded in 1803. It is Australia's second oldest capital city after Sydney. As we have found in all the other ports we've visited so far, the area's original inhabitants, the natives, had bloody encounters with the Europeans and the effects of diseases brought by settlers forced away the aboriginal population.
Tasmania is nowhere as beautiful as New Zealand was. I can't explain why but it is just not as pretty.
More timber has been cut in Tasmania, I guess because Hobart was a major shipbuilding area but it is not even because that, the air itself is not as crisp although the temperature was about the same as New Zealand and the grass was not as green either.
We had a tour scheduled to go to Bonorong Park a wildlife refuge for abandoned and injured animals.
Everyone on the bus talked about seeing a Tasmania Devil, us included. (Too many cartoons I guess)
Although the tours are great, their stops are not long enough!
Well the Park was everything we had imagined and more. Len took more than 250 photos - here are some.
We went through an old town of Richmond which had so many building standing from the 1800's. The first bridge 'ever built in Tasmania was in Richmond and built by prison labor. Most of the prisoners were between 20 and 30 years old and were brought to the island by the English for as little a reason as stealing a loaf of bread.
Here is the sandstone bridge.
Here is a picture of a Wombat. They burrow in the ground a point their butts toward the entrance of the burrow. Their butts are super muscular so if something tries to bite at them they have a really hard time piercing the skin. I pushed on it and it is hard like a rock.
There were Kangaroos all over the place. Their were either hopping or just lazing on the grass. We were given bags of Kangaroo food and they warned us that they will snatch the bags out of your hand so just put a few pellets in your hand and hide the bag. A big one did snatch the bag from my hand - he/she ate the bag!
Their claws are quite sharp!
They are tame enough to pat!
You can just see the baby in her pouch. Not sure what part of the baby but still.......
This is a Tasmania Devil. They are all over the country. They will attack and eat everything. The sheep farmers, when they are shearing the sheep have to fight off the devils who gnaw under the floorboards at the sheep's feet!
They make awful growling sounds when they are fighting for food. Here is a pix. Sorry there is no sound with it!
The Koala bears are adorable. They move about 2 hours a day to forage for food. The rest of the time they sleep. There are about 40 (I think) different varieties of eucalyptus but they will only eat 7. Eucalyptus is deadly poison to humans but Koala's have an enzyme in their stomachs that does not allow the eucalyptus harm them.
After I patted one, I smelled my hand and it smelled of eucalyptus!
This is a Wallaby. They had a few penned off and we were not allowed to touch one!
Final picture that Len took was in an IGA food store. Cadbury' Chocolates main plant is in Tasmania and they had a display of every kind of chocolate bar they make! Looked yummy but we didn't buy any.
We spend tomorrow on the ship and following morning, Saturday we arrive in Sydney.
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