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  Hobart >

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  Hobart ist tasmania´s capital city and is beautifully located on the hills around the Derwent River.
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  With only 180.000 citizens and its nineteenth century heritage it has an open and comfortable flair.

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  Tasmania has the highest proportion of land reserved for recreation and conservation – at 33 percent. This picture above is the populated part next to and over cambridge.
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  Tasman Peninsula and Tasman National Park >

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  Beach on the Forestier Peninsula. The first beach we have seen in Tasmania. And it looked like caribbean.

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  Tasmans Arch. With the Blowhole an devils kitchen the must see (at least in travel guides).
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  Over Tasmans Arch.
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  Next to the Blowhole

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  Next to the Blowhole
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  North West Bay (Cape Hauy Track). A rough, but interesting track. The outlook is unbelievable. But you have to be giddiness-free.
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  North West Bay (Cape Hauy Track)

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  Fortescue Bay. Looks like a bay from the pirates movies.
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  Fortescue Bay
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  Night at the Eaglehawk Bay. A look you will not get in the most of the hotels.

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  Our first echidna. Or better: Our first sight of its behaviour when it feels itself endangered.
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  Tasman Devil Park >

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  The Tasmanian devil is a meat eating marsupial found only on the island of Tasmania.

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  Devils have jaws of biting power as strong as a dog about 4 times their weight. So a 10 kg devil has as powerful a bite as a 40 kg dog.
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  It is nocturnal and was named by early European settlers because of its eerie growl, which starts as a kind of whistle and ends in a bark.
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  Tasmanian devils are scavengers eating anything from grubs, lizards to dead wallaby and other larger marsupials as well as carcases of dead domestic stock.

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  The devil used to populate the Australian mainland but was probably wiped out by the dingo.
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  Devils are well known for their aggressive behaviour when feeding, body language and vocalising helps to establish the more dominant members of the pack.
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  Mating takes place in March and up to 4 young are born a month later. They are carried in a pouch which, like that of the wombat opens to the rear.

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  They leave the pouch in August as fully formed but small copies of the parent, and remain in the den for another three months or so, first starting to venture outside in November before becoming independent in January.
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  Devils have a body length of approximately 2 feet (60cm).
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  A small but powerfully built animal.

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  The kangaroos in the park are used to humans.
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  Wallabies are marsupials which, at first glance, look exactly like small kangaroos. Like kangaroos, they carry their young ('joeys') in a pouch, have a strong tail and hind legs, and smaller front paws used for foraging.
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  The Forester kangaroo is also known as the Eastern grey kangaroo or grey kangaroo).

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  This is a cape barren goose.
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  A baby common wombat. It is a fairly large, solidly built animal with a squat, round, bearlike body, small ears and eyes, and a large naked nose.
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  Only one young is born 30 days after mating. The juvenile remains in the pouch for 6 months, after which it stays with the female up until it is 18 months old.

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  Freycinet National Park >

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  You can discover many beautiful beaches at the east coast.
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  It seems that here were not many shell collectors before us.

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  I still do not know why these sheep prefer the hot rocks to the shady areas.
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  A beach next to the "spiky bridge". Must be the spiky bridge beach....
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  A foggy morning.

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  The friendly beaches.
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  It was less deep than I thought.
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  A lovely morning after the night on one of the free camping areas at the friendly beaches.

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  Okay, they beaches were not always friendly.
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  But this coastline is unforgettable. We spent at least 5 nights there.
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  A little Superb Fairy-wren. He came almost every morning to meet his friend in the side mirror *g*.

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  The Wineglas Bay. Surely the most photographed beach in tasmania.
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  The Wineglass Bay
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  One of the lakes on the way between Wineglass Bay and Hazards Beach.

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  The first sea eagle I have ever spotted.
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  A proud black swan with offspring.
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  We preferred the Hazards Beach to the Wineglass Bay. Everyone spent its time there so the Coles Bay was almost deserted.

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  Hazards Beach
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  Hazards Beach
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  If you like to collect shells, you should visit the Hazards bay.

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  A Pied Oystercatcher
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  The Pacific Gull. Some of them attacked me when I got to close to their breeding area. Attacked means that they flew some dive attacks against me and pulled up in the very last moment.
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  Some rocks on the way from Hazards Beach to Coles Bay.

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  Natureworld >

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  An Australian Pelican. I think its Name was cpt. Jack.
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  The rump of the wombat is covered by a very tough, thick skin. If threatened, a wombat will dive into a nearby burrow or hollow log, using its rump as protection from the teeth and claws of its attacker.

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  Also the front feet of wombats are surprisingly flexible. They can pick up vegetation with one foot and 'hand' it to the mouth!
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  The tasmanian wombats grow to a length of about 85cm and weigh approximately 20kg.
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  The diet of the wombat is composed entirely of plant material. Its main food is native grasses but shrubs, roots, sedges, bark and herbs are also eaten, while moss seems to be a particular delicacy.

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  It became boring to the last one in the queue and it fell asleep.
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  The dream must brought him an idea.
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  Devils seem to have an excellent sense of smell.

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  Their ears are red when they are stressed or very excited because the ears flush with blood.
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  This one is called "snapper".
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  Devils can stand on hind feet to gain a better view of their surroundings. This one tries to catch a stick.

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  A forester kangooroo. Scratching.
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  Katja feeds a black swan.
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  The tasmanian native hen.

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  At Bicheno we made a pinguin tour (16$). You can see penguins in south bruny park for free, but here you learn how to behave between penguins. And you also learn a lot about them. The one thing is not to use a flash because they have very sensitive eyes.
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  Bicheno >

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  The fairy penguin is the smallest pinguin, but also the noisiest. They spend the days at sea and come on shore at dusk.

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  Shells in Bicheno. That must be enough as a description.
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  Middle of Tasmania and Craddle Mountain >

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  On the way from freycinet NP to Cradle Mountain NP. It started with sun.

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  There must some hobbits live.
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  Usually we have seen raven next to every roadkill.
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  While we were driving up the mountains the weather changed. It was raining cats and dogs in Cradle Montain NP. Therefore we decided not to stay and to head to the western coast.

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  2 hours later we had the sun back.
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  A look at the top of the clouds which cover the Cradle Mountain area.
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  In Tasmania lives the short beakened echidnas. They have little beaks and also little eyes.

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  In Tasmania, echidnas are most often seen waddling along the side of the road.
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  Queenstown and Franklin - Gordon Wild Rivers National Park >

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  This is Queenstown. Because of the agressive mining sulphur came up to the surface and killed the vegetation. Although it looks like a mars colony the people were very friendly in this town.

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  Some kilometers away the vegetation came back. This was the beginning of the Franklin-Gordon NP.
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  Gum tree (Eucalyptus) forests
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  The Nelson Falls. Not the biggest falls we have seen, but worth to see them.

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  Nelson Falls
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  Nelson Falls
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  Mt. Field National Park >

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  Possums, not to be confused with opossums found in the Americas, are Australian marsupials.
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  Possums are nocturnal and eat small plants and flowers, and sometimes insects. Brush tailed possums are common in most Tasmanian bushlands and in the suburbs of Tasmanian cities.
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  Echidnas are small mammals found throughout most of Tasmania. They are monotremes, meaning that they lay eggs despite being warm-blooded.

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  Echidnas are known as spiny ant-eaters.
  
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  Echidnas use their long snout to feast on ants and termites.
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  The Tasmanian Pademelon is a stocky animal with a relatively short tail and legs to aid its movement through dense vegetation. Pademelons are solitary and nocturnal, spending daylight in thick vegetation, mostly in rainforest and wet forest.

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  After dusk, the animals move into open areas to feed, but rarely stray more than 100m from the security of the forest edge.
  
  And they are. like this baby pademelon, not really shy.
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  The bark ist the stongest part of a gum tree. It is the last part that rots.
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  The "Tall Trees Track". The gum trees were up to 90 m high.

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  The huge ferns looked like from the time before the dinosaurs conquered the earth. Especially for us, who are not used to ferns taller then 1 m.
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  The Russel Falls are another "big" attraction of tasmania.
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  The Russel Falls.

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  But I would recommend the smaller Horsshoe or the Lady Barron Falls.
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  Horsshoe Falls
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  Horsshoe Falls

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  Lady Barron Falls. These smaller Falls are not often frequented and invite to take a bath.
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  We stayed for two nights at the Mountfield NP camp ground. In the river next to it you can spot platypusses at night and in the morning. But unfortunately we did´t see anyone.
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  At Lake Dobson you can also spot some platypusses. And even if you did´t see a platypuss, you have spent a beautiful day up there.

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  South-West National Park >

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  Although we don´t like mountains, we liked this Park and its mountain ranges.
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  It is maybe because they look like hills covered with rocks and not like massive mountains.

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  This is the sentinel range.
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  If I would like horses I would like to ride them here.
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  Ghostly

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  Something Wild >

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  Koalas are not native of Tasmania. You can find them only in wildlife parks.They spend most of their time in the trees, eating and sleeping.
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  They hardly ever go to the ground, even for water. This is because the water they need is provided by the leaves that they eat. Even their name, "koala", means "no drink" in the Native Australian language.

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  Devils often climb rocks and logs to be able to see over low scrub and grasses when searching for food.
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  The tasmanian Wildlife Parks are also wildlife rescue centres for orphaned and injured animals.
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  They only greet each other.

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  Devils like to bath. They can swim very well.
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  The devil is normally a shy animal seldom seen by people even when they are out walking in Tasmania's bush.
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  Devils are known for the variety of savage frightening noises they sound at night. The noises range from fierce screeches to snarls and coughs.

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  Devils travel in a strange characteristic way but can sprint quickly if frightened or when running after prey.
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  Tasmanian Devils have some of the strongest jaws out of any animal, and usually eat the entirety of their prey.
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  They eat everything including bones, fur and feet.

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  South Bruny National Park>

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  The island is virtually divided in two, with "North Bruny" and "South Bruny" connected by a narrow strip of land.
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  There is a viewing platform on the isthmus which provides not only a view of the land- and seascape but also serves as a lookout for the penguins and muttonbirds which frequent the area

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  First the sky is covered with the muttonbirds, then little groups of penguins run - sometimes very clumsy - to their nests.
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  One Part of Cloudy Bay seems to be muddy. But that´s only a kind of seaweed.
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  Northern Tasmania >

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  Two masked Lapwings. They are common everywhere in Tasmania.
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  An old myrtle tree.
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  The driver of the tassi rail must enjoy his job.

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  The daisies are used to make pesticide.
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  Table Cape is possibly the best-known Wynyard landmark. On top of the cape, visit the historic lighthouse.
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  Penguin has the most wonderful landmark a town can have

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  Narawatapu National Park >

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  A spotted Tail Quoll, which we met on a bridge in the morning. After a while he decided to let us pass through.
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  Wombats generally eat grasses and leaves in bush clearings.

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  Wombats are efficient diggers, and their burrows can be from 3 to 30 meters long and up to 3.5 meters deep. The burrow's diameter is about the same size as the wombat and can be up to 20 inches wide, large enough for a person to crawl into.
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  The Narawntapu NP is famous for its wombats. If you want to see a wild wombat, you should go there and you will see a bunch of them.
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  Wombats are mostly nocturnal, usually coming out at night to graze when temperatures are lower.

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  They are fast of foot and can run at 40 km/h.
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  Not only many wombats live in the Narawntapu NP. If you enter the bush you will see wallabies and pademelons every few meters.
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  This bug looks exactly like the big ants in tasmania but it is blue metallic. Unfortunately I doesn´t know its name.

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  After the sunset.
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  I did´t have the equipment to make pictures of the tasmanian sky at night, but there was the double number of stars of Germany.
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  Rocky Cape National Park >

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  Rocky Cape National Park
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  Rocky Cape is known as a good place to dive.
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  Rocky Cape National Park

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  Rocky Cape National Park
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  Rocky Cape National Park
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  It was difficult to climb up that mountain (you can see the cars next to the beach). I still wonder wheather it was a regular track.

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  Mt. William National Park >

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  A nuclear explosion in the morning.
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  Followed by a wonderful sunrise.

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  The eastern coast of Mt. William NP is covered with long white beaches.
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  Walking along the beach.
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  Unfortunately this rocky island was a breeding colony of pacific gulls. I never have been swimming so fast away after they attacked me.

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  A sooty Oystercatcher
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  It was a great fun to ride the turtles
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  Mr. and Mrs. Sooty Oystercatcher like it thrillingly.

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  Here are also the rough days on the beach enjoyable.
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  A Pelican colony.
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  Only after 45 minutes we climbed up to Wellington. And it is the highest mountain in the park. 218 m or so.

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  Far away you can see Flinders Island.
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  Blooming blue gum tree.
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  The Kangaroo drive goes through the meadows where the Forester Kangaroos live. A drive or stroll along this road at dusk is most rewarding.

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  This evening we took our supper with the Kangaroos.
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  First I tried to behave like a wombat and get to the Kangaroos, but after they realized that I am not a wombat I had to use the zoom.
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  The Forester kangaroo is restricted to north eastern Tasmania and small areas in central Tasmania.

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  The Mt William National Park provides the best opportunity to see Forester kangaroos.
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  Forester kangaroos can reach over 2m in height when fully upright, and can jump 8m in a single bound at high speed.
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  Foresters often feed mostly in the early morning and evening. They are usually seen in family groups of three or four, but sometimes in mobs of more than 10 animals.

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  Douglas Apsley National Park >

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  This is not a waterfall but the rest of the Douglas river in the summer. It left little pools in the gorge perfect made for bathing.
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  We spend this day testing the waterholes in the park.

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  This one was very comfortable. And without leeches.
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  Bonorongo Wildlife Park >

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  The powerful legs and long claws are excellent for digging up roots and yams to eat and for digging burrows.

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  Its thick, coarse fur varies in colour from sandy brown to grey and black, and is sometimes flecked with fawn.
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  Often their true colour is obscured by the colour of the dirt or clay in which they have been digging.
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  It is unbelievable how stretchy the pouch of an kangaroo is.
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  Echidnas powerful claws are good for digging, and breaking open ant hills in search of food.
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  Koalas diet (Eucalyptus) makes the koala smell like very strong cough sweets. We liked it very much and were sniffing them as long as possible.

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  The koala eats 4 hours on day, 20 hours it sleeps. The rest of the day it is walking around.
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  Striking the typical pose.
  
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  Devils live for about seven years in their natural habitat of dry bush and scrub land.

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  Males are usually about one quarter as large again as the female. A typical adult female would weight 7 or 8 kg, a typical adult male would weight 10 or 11 kg.
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  Here you can find a Devil FAQ.
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  Noisy Miners

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  An Eastern Rosella
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  We spotted this lizard in wildlife, but there are lizards in the park, too.
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  Sydney and Sydney-Aquarium >

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  Look from our window.
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  Chinatown. I never ate so much chinese food before, because it was so cheap here.
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  The Sydney Opera House.

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  The Sydney Opera House as seen from The Rocks, a quarter of Sydney.
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  The Harbor Bridge.
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  Botanic gardes

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  Sydney Opera House at night.
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  Harbor Bridge at night.
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  City skyline from the circular Quay.

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  Here we found our friends the fairy penguins again.
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  They are clumsy and awkward out of the water, but graceful under water.
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  Finally we have seen a platypuss!

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  An I-sleep-all-the-time crocodile.
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  The oceanarium is a basin in the Sydney darling harbor with 2 tunnels at the bottom.
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  You can see sharks, sting rays, turtels and more fishes there.

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  Nurse sharks
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  This jaws can only catch small fish. Nevertheless they look dangerous. But not as dangerous as jaws of a tasmanian devil.
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  A ray shark.
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  Blue Mountains >

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  After the weeks in tasmania the blue mountains seemed almost overcrowded to us.

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  The eucalyptus oil evaporating from the many gum trees creates a blue haze which gives the region its name. The day we were there it was very cloudy so the mountains were grey not blue.
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  The "Three Sisters". Obviously it is a nice place, but I would´t visit it again. This place full with people who only go there because all the travel books say you have to. Okay, we did it, too. But not again.
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  After I left our digital camera on a rock we had to come back from sydney at 2 a.m. to look for it. Knowing that there is an abyss below but seeing nothing made this trip really exciting. Therefore I recommend the blue mountains at night.

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  In the Blue Mountains we met parrots and cockatoos.
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  Our Quantas plane.
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  Flying back home.

In November and December 2003 me and Katja traveled through tasmania in a camping van.
We chose tasmania instead of australia, because it has many different sceneries on a small area (You can cross it within one day).
And with only about 450.000 citizens living in this part of Australia you find a lot lone places.
Also the time from November to December was perfect, because it was late spring and early summer and the holidays in australia did not start, yet.

Click at the thumbnails to open the pictures. They are about 60kb, so it could take time to load them. Click the big pictures to close them.
Most of the pictures were made with a Canon 1000 FN camera and were (badly) scanned. The others were made with a digital Ixus compact camera.