We got up around 8:30 and ate some simple breakfast before realizing that our bags were not going to hold all of our stuff plus the additional things we've gathered on the way (extra hat, shirt, puzzle, souvenirs, etc). We are now thinking that buying an extra backpack that we can check will be useful. So we walked around looking for a place to buy a new backpack, but today is Thursday and all of Hobart is closed for the Hobart Show, which is a large carnival with rides, shows, booths, etc. It's actually a national holiday. So no luck with the bag. We left Hobart around 10 after checking out and getting our car. We drove about an hour and a half before stopping in Swansea for lunch. We couldn't find a good cafe so we settled on a little restaurant next to a motel. D had spaghetti bolognese and I had a ham and cheese toasted sandwich with chips (fries). Both turned out to be quite good and we complimented the chefs while we were there.
We stopped a bit north of Swansea at a beautiful beach for a bit, then continued all the way into Freycinet National Park and into Freycinet Lodge. The Lodge was originally built as a chateau for someone before the place was turned into a National Park and the government has allowed it to be used as accomodations. We're staying in room 32 (the same number as in Cradle Mountain coincidentally) and it's gorgeous. 30 steps from Richardson beach, which isn't the nicest beach here, but a beach nonetheless.
Then we made our way into town to determine activities for tomorrow and to get to our twilight paddle in Coles Bay. We figured out that we're going to go on a cruise tomorrow morning and then be back in time to take quads to the Friendly beaches (gorgeous white sand supposedly). A full day to say the least, but doable we hope.
We got down to the beach, got the obligatory kayak lesson, and pushed out into the water. D and I have gotten pretty good in double sea kayaks so we gave the other couple (Simon and Sarah) a few pointers. They seemed to appreciate it and thanked us later. Sarajane was the only other woman there (it was her birthday) and she was in a double with Sam, the guide. The paddle took us around Coles Bay, seeing a few marine birds, and right near our room to hear about the Hazards (the mountain range) and the history of the area. The going was tough in the beginning going against the wind, but the way back was fairly easy since the wind was at our backs and we drifted a good bit of it.
After the paddle, we talked with Simon and Sara a bit and then drove across the street for dinner. We saw Sarajane sitting alone and Denise, out of the kindness of her heart, asked her to join us. So she did. We talked for a good hour about Tasmania, its oddities and the differences between here and the states. There are plenty! She'd been to the states, so she had a pretty good idea and gave us a few pointers about things in the area to see and do. It was a great dinner.
Afterwards we made our way back to our room around 9:30 at night. It was the first real night driving we've done and I drove about 30 km/hr (~20 mph) the whole way. When we got near the lodge, D saw something move to the side of the car and after some car maneuvering, we saw a small dark furry animal with seemingly white ears. Looked kinda like a fox, but with a smaller snout and shorter legs. We'll ask about it in the morning. It didn't walk like a devil, so we're thinking it was a Quoll. Quolls are the other marsupial carnivores on Tasmania that compete with Devils for food.
Speaking of marsupial carnivores, we heard, read, and saw alot about the Thylacine. That's the scientific name for the Tasmanian Tiger. It's a carnivorous marsupial like the Devil and Quolls that was prolific in Australia through the 19th century. There hasn't been a documented sighting of one for decades, but occasionally there are reported sightings throughout Tassie. Supposedly a local paper is offering an enormous reward for documented proof, but Sarajane told us that most Tasmanians wouldn't tell. They wouldn't want everyone going after it to find it if they did see one. She thinks they're out there in the thousands and thousands of miles of wilderness that exists here. I believe her. If you look at a map of Tassie, you can see how many area there is that is simply wild. No people, no planes, no nothing, just wilderness. I have no doubt that there are many species out there that we don't know about. I also agree with her that I wouldn't tell if I did see one. It's like the Giant Squid. Now that we know about it, we hurt them, like the one who lost a tentacle trying to get away from the camera last year. Let the animals live in peace. One day, we'll have the technology to see them in their natural environment without affecting them. Like the motion sensitive cameras they use to track Devils and Siberian Tigers. They don't do anything to the animals. They simply track them when they are nearby. Okay, I'm done griping.
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