Hobart Outskirts

This is a view from Mt Wellington, looking back on Hobart.

Lunch view from Coal Valley Vineyard. Great Pinot wines are produced here, some of the best in Tasmania. Nice clear winter day, eating lunch and drinking wine outside.

Richmond bridge, built in 1825, that's nothing compared to structures in Oxford, still cool though.
Tried to capture the Eucalyptus treeline, reminded me of photographs seen from Africa.


Sunsets have intense colors here in Tasmania, I finally had my camera with me, and captured one.

Mystery Creek Cave

Tasmania is noted for its deep limestone caves, and a few guys were 'keen' to get me out in one.
This is the hike out to Mystery Creek Cave.

These are called man ferns, which can be up to 100 years old. Entrance to the cave, that's Allen from work.

Just beyond the entrance, there are glow warms all over in the cave. After turning out your headlight, they look like stars in the night sky. If only I could have captured that in a picture, but I did get there web. The glow attracts insects flying in the cave, thinking that it is the way out, and they get caught in the web.


Ken, Tom, and Allen, the comforting part here is this section fills with water during heavy rain.
Lots of stalagmites and stalactites, you could sit for days in one section of these caves, and they go for miles.
Difficult to see in this picture, but we are overlooking a 50ft cliff, and its a huge cavern.

Underground waterfall, nice cave suit Tyler

Another feature in this section of the cave, this rock where we are standing is overhung, and it drops into a deep hole, 40 ft, maybe a 100, my powerful caving light didn't reach the bottom.


Some other cavers we met up with, exploring a new section of the cave, mapping it along the way.


These stalactites are called soda straw stalactites, a few were laying on the ground, and yes, they looked exactly like a straw.

We made it out alive, Tyler, Tom, Allen and Ken

Australian Bush

Gavin's view from his house, he is the mechanical engineer I have been working with the past few years.
Gavin, Claire, Nelly and Tiger
This was my first experience out in the Australian bush, entrance to cave in Florentine Valley.
Winter cave, I think this cave is 220 meters deep, just nearby, Gavin has discovered the now deepest cave in Tasmania, at over 375 meters deep. One pitch is 170 meters, now thats a black hole.



Lots of wilderness in Tasmania, and no people. Something like 40% of Tasmania is protected forest.
Lots of old growth trees, reaching heights of 300 feet

After my first full day out in the Australian bush, it ended with Kangaroo meat cooked on my stove, with a local Cascade Brewery Lager.

Tasman Island

Decided to be a true tourist for the day, and signed up for a cruise viewing the east coastline of Tasman Peninsula. Not the normal activity that interests me, joining a boat of tourists, but it is the only way to see this coastline, and it was highly recommended.
The headwalls were quite impressive up close, rising over 300 meters (1000ft) from the sea.



Look closely at this silhouette outline, there were lots of these guys.

Candlestick Rock, yes its climbable, but too difficult for Tyler.


Souther tip of Tasman IslandTasman Island lighthouse supply pulley. At this point, the sea was too rough to continue our boat trip to Port Arthur, so we had to back track. Difficult to see in the photos, but there were sections of sea that had 20ft swells, I was counting 2-3 seconds of near weightlessness as we went against the swells, sitting in the front of the boat. After the second time the boat came out of the water and landing flat, we had to turn around. Half of the tourists were having a great time, half were scared to death, but nobody got sick, impressive.
My tourist friends in Tasmania

Three finger rock.

This is Port Arthur ruins, once a penitentiary, see link for you people interested in history
http://www.portarthur.org.au

Hobart

Hobart, Australia is Tyler's new home for the next four weeks. He is visiting a company for the machining and first build of the new 'project'. Just 20hrs of flying from London, Tasmania is a little bit off the beaten path.
This is a view from the pier looking back to the city, with Mt Wellington being the highest point in the background. Tyler will soon get to that summit on his recently borrowed bike :)
First weekend at Hobart, discovered the Salamanca Market. A typical market with arts and crafts, organic veggies, music, etc... but was a great cultural experience.

Hey, there is Mt Wellington again, just waiting to be conquered.
Salamanca courtyard in downtown Hobart.

Unfortunately it is late fall right now, but so far the weather has been great, clear and crisp. Only downfall has been that it is dark by 5:30, so not much adventuring after work. Endless outdoor activities in Tasmania, with most of the island being untouched wilderness.

Singapore