We came over to this island for two main reasons- to see the scenery, obviously, but also to see some animals we hadn't seen yet. Did you know that Hobart, the capital, is 600 km from Melbourne? We flew over as the alternative- boat, then bus- would be too long a journey.
First, the animals. We went to the Hobart Wildlife Sanctuary that helps animals in need (lost their mother, in distress, sick, etc). We wanted to see the Tasmanian devil which is only found in Tasmania (there are only 10- 20k in existence):
These are by no means cuddly or cute. They are the size of a small dog and have powerful jaws and long, sharp teeth:
A sanctuary staff was feeding this 'devil' a part of a wallaby leg; the tug of war is always won by the devil as they never let go. They eat everything including bones and fur.
Another type of animal found primarily in Tasmania and parts of southern Australia is the wombat, somewhat related to the koala but larger in size and weight:
Although they are cuddly for the first two to three years (this female is 20 months old), afterwards their natural instincts kick in and they become vicious to humans and have to be placed in their natural habitat.
What we really wanted to see was a 'joey' kangaroo (baby) in their mom's pouch. What a treat to see:
This baby kangaroo will stay with its mom for about 18 months. When we were there, it jumped in and out of the sac for nibbling food.
Next, we ventured out to see the Tasmanian countryside. We found a lot of rolling hillsides with houses dotting the landscape, really beautiful:
The downside of living here is the weather as it is closer to the Antarctic. Today it's 16 degrees whereas up in Sydney it's 29 degrees and up in Cairns it's 32 degrees. But it's quite beautiful here as can be seen outside our hotel room:
You've got to weigh everything before saying the weather's too cold. I'll take Sydney though!!
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