A Day in Tasmania

Tasmania is an island state of Australia and Hobart is the state capital and most populous city of 200,000.  The whole island has a population of around 500,000.  Tasmania was founded in 1803 as a penal colony.  Today Hobart is the financial and administrative heart of Tasmania and also serves as the home port for both Australian and French Antarctic operations.



Tasmania exports fish, abalone, oysters, fruits and vegetables, wheat, oats and 40% of the world's opiates for pharmaceutical use.  There is an active wine industry with more than 100 Cellars.

Our tour began at the Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary.  "Bon-a -rong" is an Aboriginal word meaning "native companion". It was established in 1981 as a sanctuary for injured and orphaned wildlife.  It is home to many animals including wombats, koalas, Tasmanian devils, quolls, echidnas, and free roaming kangaroos who enjoy a scratch on the chest and some hand held food.  A group of kangaroos is called a "mob".

The Tasmanian devil cannot be mistaken for any other marsupial. Its spine chilling screeches, black colour and reputed bad temper led early European settlers to call it "the devil." The devil is mainly a scavenger and eats whatever is available.  Its powerful jaws and teeth allow it to completely devour its prey - bones, fur and all.  Sadly, in the last ten years, a cancer has decimated the population. Large tumours on the neck and face affect the teeth, inhibit feeding and those infected die within 6 months.  Scientists are isolating healthy devils to breed in captivity to maintain the species.





After a short drive through the countryside we went to the municipality of Richmond.  We drove across the oldest bridge in Australia "still in use" which fortunately was able to hold two busloads of tourists at one time,  We also saw the oldest Roman Catholic church and school still in operation.  The early settlers used convict labour on their farms and had the convicts build a jail to house them at night.



For such a small population, Tasmania has a thriving economy and is also becoming popular as a tourist destination.  Three of four people own some sort of watercraft.  From our balcony we can see sailboats, sea-doos, kayaks, kite powered surfers, powerboats, ferries, tug boats, fishing boats and cruise ships.  The Holland American Noordam is docked next to us.