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Tasmania
Fisher's Researcher:
Gabrielle Morgan
Fisher's Editor:
Elliot Cartledge
Fisher's Managing Country Editor:
Elliot Cartledge
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Airports:
Hobart Airport (HBA)
Currency:
Australian Dollar
Time Zone:
GMT/UTC+10
Language:
English
Attractions:
Port Arthur, Tamar Valley, Franklin-Gordon National Park, Salamanca Market, Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens, Cascade Brewery, West Coast Wilderness Railway, Richmond Gaol, Battery Point, Coal Valley vineyards, Maria Island National Park, Heritage Highway
Local Resorts:
Cradle Mountain, Tamar Valley
General Information:
There is little chance of encountering criminal activity in Tasmania, which is somewhat ironic given its colonial roots. Indeed, the dumping ground for convicts from the United Kingdom is one of the most charming and beautiful destinations on the planet. Precautions should be taken to ensure personal safety in times of mid-summer heat (bushfires are a real danger) and mid-winter cold (roads can be treacherous). When bush-walking in remote areas always carry sufficient clothing and water and leave your plans with a local authority. Swimming on non-patrolled beaches can be hazardous due to changing currents. As an aside, the ferry crossing from Melbourne to Devonport can be a somewhat unsettling experience; the waters in Bass Strait rank as among the most dangerous in the world. Hundred of vessels have been wrecked over the last two hundred years although modern shipping has little difficulty navigating the huge swells.
“If there is a more beautiful and wonderful place on Earth, I have yet to see it…” said John Humphreys from the Sunday Times a few years ago and we agree; Tasmania is beguiling in character, landscape, architecture, history and climate. The convict sites at Port Arthur, Eaglehawk Neck, Sarah Island and Richmond are a history buff’s delight. The sandstone buildings of Hobart and Launceston are rooted in turbulent times yet now stand as proud reminders of the state’s early 19th century origins. The countryside in the east abounds with rolling hills and seems more English than Antipodean whilst the rugged wilderness in the west attracts hikers, kayakers, nature-lovers and botanists the world over. Fresh food markets are plentiful, Tasmanian seafood and cheese is world-famous and wineries abound. Human settlement actually dates back over 40 000 years although in relatively small numbers; some 5 000 aboriginal inhabitants were living in Tasmania when Europeans arrived in 1803. Just 30 years later, their numbers had been reduced by over 90% due to disease, alcoholism and murder. The last full-blooded Tasmanian aborigine died over 130 years ago.
