Today was just the perfect day. Went for a hike in the morning up to Wineglass Bay lookout and in the afternoon walked along a couple different beaches. For dinner we had a BBQ on the deck overlooking the bay. Gorgeous sunset and warm breeze --wonderful! After dinner, I went for a short walk and then sat outside gazing up a the stars -- very little light pollution here -- so just amazing.
Wineglass Bay was named one of the "Top 10" beaches by Conde Nast at some point -- it takes 2 hours to get to the beach from the closest road access -- so not something you would do everyday! (or at least I wouldn't) The walk up to the lookout wasn't too bad - it's 1.5 km straight up on a groomed trail. Only 10 of us from the tour went on the walk -- 9 of us made it up to the lookout -- 1 person dropped out about 2/3rds of the way up (the last 1/3 of the trail was steep steps). The view at the lookout was beautiful -- and the views along the trail itself were good -- lots of interesting rock formations and views to Coles Bay on the other side of the peninsula.
Weather: sunny - gorgeous blue skies, 65 - 83F
Miles Walked: 6.7
Tasmanian Fact of the Day: Tasmania has the cleanest air in the world (recorded at Cape Grim on the NW coast -- about 20 minutes from where we stayed in Smithton) -- the air quality is helped a lot by the "Roaring Forties". The only countries in the Roaring Forties are Australia (Tasmania), New Zealand, Chile, Argentina.
Pic Notes:
Wineglass Bay was named one of the "Top 10" beaches by Conde Nast at some point -- it takes 2 hours to get to the beach from the closest road access -- so not something you would do everyday! (or at least I wouldn't) The walk up to the lookout wasn't too bad - it's 1.5 km straight up on a groomed trail. Only 10 of us from the tour went on the walk -- 9 of us made it up to the lookout -- 1 person dropped out about 2/3rds of the way up (the last 1/3 of the trail was steep steps). The view at the lookout was beautiful -- and the views along the trail itself were good -- lots of interesting rock formations and views to Coles Bay on the other side of the peninsula.
Weather: sunny - gorgeous blue skies, 65 - 83F
Miles Walked: 6.7
Tasmanian Fact of the Day: Tasmania has the cleanest air in the world (recorded at Cape Grim on the NW coast -- about 20 minutes from where we stayed in Smithton) -- the air quality is helped a lot by the "Roaring Forties". The only countries in the Roaring Forties are Australia (Tasmania), New Zealand, Chile, Argentina.
The Roaring Forties refers to the belt of ripping westerly winds, aided by the Earth’s rotation, between roughly 40 and 50 degrees latitude in the southern hemisphere. Winds rage in this region as it sits in the transition zone between the more tranquil, balmy subtropics and frigid polar vortex zipping around the South Pole. Pressures and temperatures change rapidly here, driving the winds frequently over 30-40 mph, and give rise to storms. The winds in this area are uninhibited thanks to the absence of continents or mountains that might slow them down via friction, instead flowing over the relatively smooth Indian ocean surface. The winds in the Roaring Forties belt are some of the fastest in the world, but topped at times by adjacent latitude zones to the south known as the Furious Fifties and Screaming Sixties.
Pic Notes:
- 1: the view from my cabin
- 2: pear cider -- very tasty -- especially after a long hot walk (strangely, it's served over ice)
- 3 - 10: Richardson's Bay & some other bay
- 8: Freycinet Lodge
- 11 - 23: Wineglass Bay Lookout walk
- 21: a skink - they can shed their tail if grab by a predator (and then regenerate it)
- 24 - 26: Richardson's Bay & some other bay
- 27: sunset from the lodge
- 28: a baby possum - joined us at the end of dinner
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