Tasmania: CNN Top Rated, Ideas??!!

[TLCOhio]

From the CNN cable news network yesterday, they had this headline: “19 best places to travel for the summer of 2019”  with these highlights focused on Tasmania: “If you want to avoid hot, crowded destinations, take advantage of Australia's winter and head to Tasmania, a scenic island just south of Melbourne.  Road tripping is one of the best ways to experience it, and while the route, known as the Lap of Tasmania, isn't new, it now has a dedicated online presence. The new Lap of Tasmania resources now make it easier than ever to plan a leisurely road trip.  The entire route is just over 900 miles and takes about a week to complete; even better, it's designed to incorporate 12 of the best points of interest. While the capital of Hobart is the most well-known destination, the trip introduces road trippers to Tamar Valley's wine region; Tasmanian devils on the Tasman Peninsula; and the East Coast's famed beaches. Among them is Bay of Fires, famed for its orange-tinged rocks, and Binalong Bay, a pristine curve of white sand that's worth visiting even if it's too chilly to take a dip.”

 

YES, we super loved our time in visiting Tasmania.  Very interesting, historic and charming city.  More details as to what we did can be seen on my live/blog connected below.    

 

Full story with these many, different travel ideas/options at:

https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/summer-travel-places-2019/index.html

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Sydney to NZ/Auckland Adventure, live/blog 2014 sampling/details with many exciting visuals and key highlights.  On page 23, post #571, see a complete index for all of the pictures, postings.  Now at 220,459 views.

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

 

 

Here is one visual featured by this CNN profile to highlight that road tripping is one of the best ways to experience this Australian island.  While the route, known as the Lap of Tasmania, is not new, it now has a dedicated online presence. :

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see these pictures larger/better!)

[iancal]

We spent eight days in Tasmania this past March.  It was so different than other parts of Australia...and colder too.  You do need a car, in our opinion, to really see the island.  We could have spent another week there.  We flew into Hobart and flew back to Sydney from Launceston.  There is so much to see outside of these cities.   We enjoyed every day.  So glad we went.  Highly recommend it.

Edited May 25, 2019 by iancal

[GUT2407]

We spend about 10 days last time we did a road trip to Tas, think we could have had a moth easily

[TLCOhio]

9 hours ago, GUT2407 said:

We spend about 10 days last time we did a road trip to Tas, think we could have had a month easily

 

Appreciate this above follow-up from GUT2407, plus the added details from iancal about "It was so different than other parts of Australia...and colder too."    Great sharing and helpful added information.  Keep it coming!!  Personally, I have always just loved the name of Tasmania.  That sounds so interesting and exotic!!

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

SE Asia/Mekong River, Etc.!  Live/blog from early 2018, first adventure through SE Asia, stops in Hong Kong and Bangkok, before exploring all over Vietnam and Cambodia, seven days sailing on the Mekong River. Now at 46,736 views.

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2591474

[GUT2407]

Hard to pick the best parts of Tas,

 

Port Arthur is a must visit, but so many miss out and don’t do the tours to the Isle of the Dead or Point Puer.

 

Cradle Mt is stunning.

 

The West Coast, the North Coast, and South of Hobart are all so different and each accessible from a Cruise Port, (though getting too far down the West Coast, can be a stretch from Burnie).

[TLCOhio]

13 hours ago, GUT2407 said:

Hard to pick the best parts of Tas,  Port Arthur is a must visit, but so many miss out and don’t do the tours to the Isle of the Dead or Point Puer.  Cradle Mt is stunning.  The West Coast, the North Coast, and South of Hobart are all so different and each accessible from a Cruise Port, (though getting too far down the West Coast, can be a stretch from Burnie).

 

Appreciate this above follow-up, plus these wise comments and observations from GUT2407.  YES, Port Arthur is a "must visit" in order to understand much of the history of Australia.   From Hobart, it takes some to get there and back.  But, worth it in my opinion. 

 

Below are some of the visuals from one of our Hobart, Tasmania, port stops in early 2014. This included driving some distance to Port Arthur, the famed British penal colony on this island. We saw in traveling there, the check-point of dogs to keep prisoners from escaping this somewhat remote location. Conditions were not good or ideal in these facilities, but many also viewed conditions at this time in London to be very bad or much worse. Remember Charles Dickens’ Tale of Two Cities? 

 

Our guides were very good in helping us understand the historic context and the realities for life at this time in Australia. Will provide later more details later our private tour, etc. 

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For latest live/blog, see “Holy Lands, Egypt, Jordan, Oman, Dubai, Greece, etc.”, with many visuals, details and ideas for the historic and scenic Middle East.  Connect at:

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2607054-livenautica-greece-holy-lands-egypt-dubai-terrypix’s/

 

From Port Arthur, the historic Tasmanian penal colony seen during our stop in Hobart, here are a series of view of the sights there. First is an overview for a portion of this camp with our group ready to commence our visit. Second, shows our tour guide, Murray, giving an overview on a model for how the camp looked at the time of its operations. Third is a view from some of the old building remains towards to the nearby water area and the location where the prisoners would arrive from England for this “visit”. It took six to nine months to make the journey from England to this distant part of the world. Fourth is an interior view as some members of our Central Ohio group tour and learn more about daily operations here.:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see these pictures larger/better!)

 

 

 

 

Port Arthur was the location for the “worst of the worst” with these prison camps down under. Here are some more architecture examples from this site with many of its buildings made of native sandstone and classic designs.:

 

 

[TLCOhio]

Here is more from our stops during our private tour from the port of Hobart, Tasmania with our group of seven couples from Central Ohio.  More info and background on the live/blog connected below. 

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Sydney to NZ/Auckland Adventure, live/blog 2014 sampling/details with many exciting visuals and key highlights.  On page 23, post #571, see a complete index for all of the pictures, postings.  Now at 220,681 views.

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

 

 

Here are four additional views from in and around the Port Arthur penal colony grounds, including this sample of the on-site church with the remains of its tall tower that was made out of the native sandstone. And, of course, built, with skill, by convict labor. You will also see some interior samples, including from the inside of a cell in the “silence” section to which those prisoners with more behavior problems would be sent. Here, they could not talk or interactive with another prisoners or guards, etc. Another view shows some of the nice-looking flowers on these grounds as they look these days. Clearly, we enjoyed perfect weather, sun while doing this tour day.:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see these pictures larger/better!)

 

 

 

 

Part of the value for traveling to Port Arthur from Hobart is seeing some of the coastal and countryside views. Here is one example, with, if you look closely, a bird soaring in the sky.:

 

As we traveled to Port Arthur, this was one of the scenic beach/shore views. Like this weather? Look like an attractive location?:

 

In the Tasmanian historic town of Richmond, here are two visuals of interest. First is their historic stone bridge, built by convict labor, that goes back to 1823. We drove across it. Still works. Second is the interior for the old historic Catholic church there in this town. Not as old as the churches in Europe, but it gives a sense of Aussie history. Lots of interesting shops there in this town. Didn’t have time to do stops in the shops. Good news!! Saved money and kept my wife’s buying habits in check.:

 

 

In Hobart, one of the hot new attraction is this art museum built along the water in Hobart. We did not have time to stop here, but we drove by. It has free admission and was built by a local “rich guy” with unusual art tastes. Very popular, according to our guides.:

[TLCOhio]

In these pictures, it summarized much of what we experienced at the Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary with wombats, emus and the famed Tasmanian devil, plus plenty of Kangaroos and other birds and animals of interest. We only had a short time here, but it was a “rich target zone” to see so many different creatures. This park is located nearby to Hobart, but still out in the “country”. The pictures speak for themselves on these various animals. 

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For latest live/blog, see “Holy Lands, Egypt, Jordan, Oman, Dubai, Greece, etc.”, with many visuals, details and ideas for the historic and scenic Middle East.  Connect at:

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2607054-livenautica-greece-holy-lands-egypt-dubai-terrypix’s/

 

AFRICA?!!?: Fun, interesting visuals, plus travel details from this early 2016 live/blog. At 45,603 views. Featuring Cape Town, South Africa’s coast, Mozambique, Victoria Falls/Zambia and Botswana's famed Okavango Delta.

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2310337

 

Here is one of the Tasmanian Devils with the unique identification stripe showing on its back. That stripe is like their fingerprint, different on each one, according to the park expert. Not a big creature. Didn’t get to see its teeth, but you have to admit that their names are a little scary. Don’t put your fingers too close to their teeth!:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see these pictures larger/better!)

 

Here is a full view of an emu at the Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary. Next is Susan from our group getting ready to feed an emu, but becoming a little surprised by how aggressive this unique animal got by putting its head under the fence. Finally, a really close-up view of their heads. Susan thought they seemed fairly oily on the tops of their heads. Not all animals are cute and perfect in their looks!:



 

 

 

Here is a little wombat. Did you think they look like this?:

 

Here is a masked plover or masked lapwing. Per lyndarra: "They're quite common hereabouts and can be quite aggressive during nesting time. Actually, these birds don't build a nest, they usually lay their eggs on the ground in clear, grassy areas like parks. The local council workers learn where they are nesting and mow the grass around them."  This bird looked very different and interesting. Don’t see these in Ohio or in the U.S. Midwest!:

 

How can you not love seeing the Koalas up close and personal? Unlike at Kangaroo Island, we did not see this one in the wild, but here we got closer. What a face? So, so super cute!!:

 

Here is a mother Kangaroo with the baby “Joey” in the pouch. We saw two different mothers carrying babies in their pouch.:

 

Here is Karen from our Central Ohio group finding a cute Kangaroo for feeding. And, surprise!!, this mother has an even more lovable baby in the pouch. This is getting really up close and personal.:

 

Here is a larger group of Kangaroos. Quite a wide range of ages and sizes. :

 

Here is our long-time friend, Dennis, with Janet’s help, taking a picture, up close, of the Kangaroos.:

[GUT2407]

Many cruises (mainly Carnival family) actually stop at Port Arthur, I’d struggle to get Mrs Gut on a Tasmanian cruise that didn’t.

 

[TLCOhio]

On 5/27/2019 at 4:47 PM, GUT2407 said:

Many cruises (mainly Carnival family) actually stop at Port Arthur, I’d struggle to get Mrs Gut on a Tasmanian cruise that didn’t.

 

 

Appreciate this great above comments and follow-up. Funny and interesting.  Great sharing!!

 

From the CNN cable news network this morning, they had this headline: “Why Hobart is Australia's new capital of cool” with these highlights: “A heart-shaped island state just south of mainland Australia, Tasmania is home to farm-fresh produce, world-class art and jaw-dropping landscapes.  Tassies are sometimes called 'Taswegians,' both for the fact that many residents claim Nordic heritage and for their relative remoteness (in the geographic sense, not the social one).  But its biggest city, Hobart -- Australia's smallest capital -- is in the shadows no longer.”

 

Many interesting options, pictures, details, etc., are included in this profile.  Lots to eat and drink there!!  Here are a few more highlights: "Hobart may be a challenge to travel to, but don't worry -- once you're there, you won't want to leave.  If you're looking for a postcard of Hobart, odds are good that you'll find one featuring Salamanca Market. Open on Saturdays, it's the most-visited tourist spot in all of Tasmania.  Whether you're after a snack, a souvenir or a sweet new outfit this open-air space is the place to go hunting for it -- vendors change constantly but include locally made and grown products from ginger beer to glassware."

 

Full story at:

https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/hobart-australia-things-to-do/index.html

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Sydney to NZ/Auckland Adventure, live/blog 2014 sampling/details with many exciting visuals and key highlights.  On page 23, post #571, see a complete index for all of the pictures, postings.  Now at 222,458 views.

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

 

From this CNN profile on Hobart, below are a couple of the many visuals used to illustrate this story.  The second picture shows Salamanca Market, the bustling Saturday outdoor market that is Hobart's most iconic attraction.:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see these pictures larger/better!)

 

Edited July 4, 2019 by TLCOhio

[GUT2407]

I try to avoid going when Salamanca markets are on, or hide Mrs Gut’s cards.

[TLCOhio]

On 7/4/2019 at 7:31 PM, GUT2407 said:

I try to avoid going when Salamanca markets are on, or hide Mrs Gut’s cards.

 

Super smart idea as to hiding your wife's credit cards.  BUT, how successful have your efforts been?  Does that plan really work?? 

 

Have been traveling.  Where?  First, during our recent travels, we encountered many different, wonderful people from BOTH Australia and New Zealand.  It's always fun with those from "down under".  

 

Just completed yesterday, for our first time, flying into Calgary, seeing Jasper/Banff National Parks, doing the Western Canada Rocky Mountaineer rail adventure, having three days in Vancouver, then sailing up to Alaska, doing a post-cruise excursion to Denali, etc.  As mention earlier, next on our priority list is a first-time trip for exploring in early 2020 various South Pacific islands, including Fiji, Samoa, Bora Bora, etc.   Would commence this 18-day cruise in mid February from Auckland.  We plan to get there a week ahead in order to explore more of New Zealand's North Island and be escaping from the Midwest winter cold.  In 2014, we did Wellington, Napier/Cape Kidnappers, Tauranga/Rotorua and Auckland/Waiheke Island, etc.  Will welcome all good suggestion for other exciting opportunities and fun locations in NZ's North Island.  More good photo opportunities??

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Just completed Calgary, Jasper/Banff National Parks, Western Canada Rocky Mountaineer rail adventure, Vancouver, sailing up to Alaska, post-cruise excursion to Denali, etc.  Lots of visuals and details!!  That live/blog is at: 

www.boards.cruisecdritic.com/topic/2682584-live-terryohio-silver-muse-alaska-canadarockies-pix’s/

 

Or, you could simply do a quick Google search with these terms: 

“Live Terry/Ohio Muse Alaska”

[GUT2407]

Sounds like a nice trip to Canada with a nice plan for next year.

[TLCOhio]

9 minutes ago, GUT2407 said:

Sounds like a nice trip to Canada with a nice plan for next year.

 

   13 minutes ago,  BarbinMich said: 

Terry, there's a typo in the link you posted:  a "d" in the midst of cruisecritic in the link.  I'm just now catching up with your travels.

Appreciate this nice follow-up and Barb catching of this "goof".  Have corrected and will update the other posts with this better link.

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

CORRECT LINK: 

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2682584-live-terryohio-silver-muse-alaska-canadarockies-pix’s/