The Low Down on Tasmania

Tasmania holds a special place in the heart of anyone who has ever watched a Warner Bros. cartoon. Simply mentioning the word “Tasmania” immediately, at least for me, evokes the image of a ravenous beast consuming everything in its path.

Such a thing as the Tasmania Devil actually does exist, as does Tasmania itself, but the reality is slightly different than what is portrayed in cartoons.

I didn’t realize just how little I knew about Tasmania until I came across a wonderful article about the place in yesterday’s New York Times.

All I knew before reading the article was that Tasmania was off the coast of Australia. I therefore assumed that it has similar topography and climate. The article’s first paragraph, however, was an eye-opener. I’ll pluck just a few words out of it for you to mull over: mountainous, rainiest, wind-lashed, dolerite cliffs, rain forest, glacial valleys, boulder-strewn.

Intrigued?

So was I.

The article, written by Darcy Frey, paints Tasmania as “one of the world’s last wild places.” The entire country, she tells us, is about the size of Ireland, yet has 19 national parks. In addition, the Tasmania Wilderness has been designated a Unesco World Heritage Area. It is also blessed with alluring names like the Labyrinth, Styx River and Valley of the Giants. And, of course, there are wallabies and wombats if you’re into that sort of thing.

If you’re not a fan of the great outdoors, Frey assures us that the capital of Hobart is up-and-coming and even slightly hip. Oh, and, the people are wonderful.

Looks like I have yet another destination to add to my list!