Tasmania, Great Walks

Tasmania, Great Walks

Tassie as the travel industry calls this island, is an hour’s flight from Sydney.

Try to arrive on a Friday, so you can go to the Salamanca street market on Saturday morning in Hobart, which is the capital. Wonderful arts, crafts and food. Fly into Tasmania. The overnight ferry from Melbourne into Devonport goes across the Bass Strait which is the roughest journey I have ever done. Their summer is December to February, when the average temperature is 70 degrees.

This is the only State in Australia which has four seasons, and where I let clients drive if they want to. It takes you four hours from top to bottom of the island, little traffic, and two lane roads. There are only 400,000 inhabitants. One third of the island is National Parks, and my two favorite are Cradle Mountain and Freycinet. Great lodges to stay at.

Tassie has the purest air in the world. It lies south of the 40^th line of latitude in the path of the world’s cleanest winds. It is unique, amazing wildlife, wonderful seafood and local produce. Steeped in convict history, and Port Arthur’s historic prison site is worth a visit.

This is my favorite place in Australia to take a walk. I don’t like hiking when it is hot and humid, and Tasmania is a maritime climate, which is good for walking. There are dozens of short and easy walks and many smashing multi day walks throughout Tassie’s spectacular coastal or alpine scenery.

The best way to enjoy Tasmanian walking is to take a fully guided walk on which you will be accompanied by experienced guides with specialist knowledge of the flora, fauna and natural heritage of the area. Some have accommodation at comfortable private huts and standing camps, others tent based. At my age, I don’t mind getting dirty and wet, but I prefer a bed at night instead of a sleeping bag on the ground.

Karen Stotz is the Tasmanian Tourism Board colleague I work with and she is a dream to deal with. Hard working and extremely knowledgeable about the island. She just sent me a box of Tasmania’s Great Short Walks www.parks.tas.gov.au This is an outstanding book giving you excellent details on each hike whether it is fifteen minutes or several days

Take one of Tasmania’s five unhurried walking packages offering one, four to six night journeys along the east coast or through the western wilderness. Put energy into your soul and inspire your spirit.

Cradle Mountain Huts, The Maria Island Walk, Bay of Islands Walk, The Freycinet Experience Walk, and the South Coast Track are the most popular. One I want to try is the Walls of Jerusalem Experience. You must be a bushwalker to enjoy this park. The only way in is a four hour walk. The names of the main features say it all. Herods Gate, Lake Salome, Solomons Jewels, Damascus Gate.

www.discovertasmania.com/walls- of-jerusalem-national-park

Here is what I always have in my backpack:

Pen and paper

Whistle

Waterproof matches

First aid kit

Pocket knife or multi-tool

Extra clothing

Flip flop sandals

Sun screen

Sunglasses (2 pair)

hat

Water

Compass (a GPS device does not replace a compass)

GPS device

Fire starter or tinder kit

Pocket flashlight(with spare battery)

Extra food

Space blanket (lightweight emergency shelter)

Insect repellent

6” little brolly (umbrella) (don’t laugh – remember I am British)

Poncho (this is a huge one, must have been made for a 6.6” tall 300lb man.

It covers me and my pack, and keeps me completely dry

Remember – cell phones wont work in many parts of the world so you cant rely on one.

Boots are a priority. I am amazed at people who want to hike in tennis shoes.

Never hike in denim levis – they are impossible to get dry when wet.

A word of advice about boots. I wore mine 18 hours a day in Western Australia for 3 weeks on a camping trip. I got foot fungus. Horrible, painful, I learned a lesson. You should take your boots and socks off regularly and air your feet. When on a bus, I take my boots off and put my flip flops on.

Think of Tasmania if you are a hiker. A unique place to visit.

Maureen Jones

All Horizons Travel/Frosch

825 Santa Cruz Avenue

Menlo Park, CA 94025

650-=961-2340