Tasmanian devils and the Platypus

But we still were not ready with discovering Tasmania. Except diving, there are loads of other things to do on this island. Top side Tasmania appears to be as beautiful as under water. The different protected nature areas all have their own characteristics. Tasmania is known for its moderate climate rain forest. Such rain forests are different from the real tropical rain forest. You will encounter no palms or climbing plants. What you will find are enormous trees which stand close to each other. The bottom is covered with all kinds of mosses, and between the trees it nice and cool.

Our first choice was the nature park of Russel Falls. This park is world-famous for its splendid waterfalls. The most important water fall, the Russel Falls feels already very mysteriously, but just a bit further down the track the horse-shoe waterfall exceeds his big brother. The fabulous green surroundings are bewitching. The park accommodates enormous ferns which, on their high tribe, try to catch some daylight under the big trees.

During the Tahune Forest Air Walk you can enjoy the view from the top of the trees. Because the trees in this park are really enormous they made a bridge between the top of the trees. This way you get you a good impression of the trees. For hikers who want to make long walks the nature park Craddle Mountain is a real must. At sunset the beauty of Craddle Mountain is breath taking. In this park you can make multiple-day walks or short walks along the different lakes.

Except nature parks Tasmania offers a multiplicity of wildlife parks. In fact in almost every village there is a small or larger wildlife park. During our tour through Tasmania we were also told several times that there are small penguins on the island. At day time the penguins live in the sea. They come to shore at night to rest in their nests. We saw the first signs of these penguins already short time after we arrived. At different places we saw traffic signs that warned us for crossing penguins. We undertook several attempts to spot the animals in the south west but unfortunately we were not lucky. In the northeast we went to a special nature park. The area has been closed entirely for the public and is only accessible with guided tours. This is done to protect the penguins optimally. Exactly after sunset the penguins climb a tough road along the rocks. As it is dark when they make their way up you will hear the penguins first. With a weak pocket lamp the guide shows us the penguins. The usage of strobes or bright light is not possible because the penguins have no protection on their eyes against it.

Possibly the most particular animals you can meet in the Tasmanian wildlife parks are the Tasmanian devils and the platypus. In several creeks and rivers the Platypus is found. They are really bizarre animals; it is just like several animals have been combined into one. It seems just like an animal from a fairy tale. His mouth resembles the one of a duck; the tail seems to come from the beaver and legs from an otter. It is the only mammal that doesn’t give life birth to their cups. No, the platypus lay eggs in their nests along the banks of rivers. To protect themselves against attackers the platypus has a poison-tooth besides the back legs. Enough poison to wound an attacker considerably. For many years the platypus has been hunted for its fleece. Fortunately at this time this animal is protected, but unfortunately the animal is still very vulnerable and very sensitive for pollution of its environment.

The Tasmanian devil has even less luck. In the wild there are not much Tasmanian devils left. The animal is threatened by a strange disease. The devils appear to have some sort of contagious cancer. The moment the animals bite each other they transmit the sickness to each other. The first signs of the disease are wounds in the face, which become continuously larger. It is impossible to recover and shortly after infection the animal will die. To prevent the animal from extinction many initiatives has been developed. In wildlife parks groups of devils are brought together which have not yet been infected. By keeping them separated they hope to preserve the animal for the future. They are even discussing bringing some animals to an American park. If you decide to visit the animals wait then for the feeding time! Then you can really see where the animal got its name from. A piece of prey is eaten with skin and bones. A real devil!

Looking back on our tour through Tasmania one word always comes up: Enchanting. The splendid life in the sea, the fabulous nature parks and the unique animals ensure that you will be fascinated with Tasmania for always.