Bushwalking in Tasmania

Wow, I can't believe the trip is over and done with. I am back in Melbourne for the day before we board the train at 8pm tonight for our 24hr ride -part 2- back to Byron.

But the trip was excellent. Last Wednesday morning, we got in the van with our guide -Geoff Mosely, here on the right- and drove to Maydena. This was about an hour or so northwest of Hobart. It is a small logging town on the border of the huge southwest conservation lands that are a huge chunk of the entire state. It is the last town before the forests. we stayed at these nice houses for 2 nights, (this is a picture of them) and spent the days hiking in the national parks.
After Maydena, we drove to Lake St. Clair where we stayed in cabins for the night (this is friday night now) and did a big hike that morning in Mt. Field National Park. Saturday we where in Strahan, a port town in the southwest where we had a wallaby dinner, and the next day going on a boat trip down the Macquerie Harbor to the old convict islands in that area.

Sunday night we stayed in Cradle Mountain national park, hiking around Dove Lake in the morning and driving back to Devonport for our ride back on the Spirit of Tasmania last night.

Here is a picture of one of the 'tree sits' we saw at a protestors camp near Maydena. They are protecting the last remaining eucalypts in this area. The road that is bening built to bring logging trucks in has literally stopped maybe 20 feet from this area. This was one of the most interesting and craziest things we had seen on the trip.

So I guess that's it from here. I've been hanging around Melbourne all day, and have a few more hours until I need to head back to the train station. We get to Byron tomorrow night, and then Saturday morning we start our homestays. Should be interesting!

For a few more pictures: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=32404383&l=98bb2&id=9803563