Australia, Tasmania – On the Other Side of the Planet VII.

Before we go there let’s tell you some interesting facts related to Tasmania. You must have already realized this is the place to get lost in nature. Perhaps you don’t know that there are more than 2000 kilometers of tourist trails on Tasmania and 18 national parks. Tasmanian wilderness covers more than 1.38 hectares, i.e. 13 800 km².

The Bay of Fires is situated in Tasmania’s northeast. The name comes form the 1870s. Tobias Furneaux, a British captain, saw the bay when sailing nearby. He saw camp fires made by Aborigines. Today only little evidence of the Aborigine presence remained. However, the bay is the main tourist attraction around and the main sight if you take a four-day trip.

A climb atop Cradle Mountain is true adventure and a look at the mountains will remaind you of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. The highest of four summits (1 545 m) looms above Dove Lake. Harsh wind lashes the summit of Cradle Mountain which is wrapped in mysterious fog. Around the lake there is mostly alpine vegetation. Also, don’t expect here some stable weather. It constantly changes. At one moment it could be nice and shiny and after a minute there can be thick snowstorm.

Experienced tourists can try to make it through 80 kilometer, five-day trek to Saint Clair lake in the south. All participants must take their own food and tents. Still, there is an option to make it more comfortable and spend nights in cozy cottages.

Another place we take you to is not a nature’s sight but a work of men. You will feel there like Lemuel Gulliver in Liliput. We talk about the famous Tasmazii, a great amusement park located by the tourist trail to Cradle Mountain. Tasmazia contains eight mazes and some are the largest in the world. Also, there are other attractions such the Embassy Garden . There are scale models (not always politically correct) representing various nations. For instance, the Icelandic embassy looks like a fridge.

Sure one gets hungry when trying to get out of all those mazes. They are prepared for such situations there and one of the best things on their offer are all kinds of pancakes.

GPS: 41°40'47.9"S 145°56'25.5"E (Cradle Mountain) 

Text: Maxim Kucer

Photo: Wikipedia.org: Bjorn Christian Torrissen, Bjorn Christian Torrissen (2), Bjorn Christian Torrissen (3), Peripitus, Diego Delso