Exploring Australia - 2014: 28 - 29 November 2014

We drove the 100 km to Hobart and checked into the Seven Mile Beach Caravan Park about 15 km from Hobart. We had a quick lunch then set off to the visitor centre. After chatting with one of the staff members about what to do we set out to drive to the top of Mount Wellington but ended up at Mount Nelson which was used as a lookout and signal station in the very early days. They used a semaphore pole to relay messages visually to the town and to Port Arthur. There is a lovely cafe and restaurant in the old signalman's house nearby but we did not stay as we wanted to get to Mount Wellington. We drove up some very steep hills before getting to the main road to the top of Mount Wellington. The main pass is a 12 km long winding, steep and narrow road to the summit which is 1200 metres above the city. The views were spectacular but the temperature was 6 degrees which is about 10 degrees colder than Hobart due to the altitude. After doing the normal photo shoot we headed home for home-made burgers for dinner.

Next day we visited Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary which has many animals including about 20 Tasmanian Devils. The sanctuary is not a zoo but a sanctuary for sick or injured wildlife. There was even an echidna which had one foot bitten off by a dog! We had a wonderful time petting young hairless nosed wombats, koalas, birds and kangaroos. We chatted with the keepers and even said hello to a sulphur crested cockatoo which was over 100 years old who had a letter from the queen congratulating it on this milestone. It has to be said the bird was in remarkable condition.

After the wildlife we did some grocery shopping and headed to the Cadburys chocolate factory but it was closed! Next came the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens which were quite extraordinary. We will let the pictures tell the story.