The amazing island of Tasmania is located approximately 250 km south of Australia, where the warm greenish waters of the Indian Ocean merge with the blue cold waters of the Pacific Ocean, at the latitude of the Roaring Forties.

If there is heaven on earth, it is Tasmania. Australians call it the Island of Relaxation.

And indeed it is. Literally everything in Tasmania is created for relaxation, and permanent residence here becomes just a fairy tale.

History of the discovery of Tasmania

The area of ​​the island is about 68 thousand square kilometers and almost all types of southern landscapes are represented here. There are sharp mountain ranges and pampas, green valleys and plateaus, savannas and deserts, impenetrable jungles and rain forests, bottomless blue lakes, beautiful bays framed by white sand beaches and rocky fjords.

A wonderful climate, low rocky mountains covered with emerald forests, crystal waters of rivers and lakes, small cozy bays and coves, rare animals and birds make this place unique.

The history of the discovery of the island is amazing; since ancient times, this place on the globe has been notorious among sailors due to the fact that it is here that destructive storms most often occur.

But it was precisely to the sailors of the sailing fleet, who often escaped from destructive storms in the quiet bays of this island, that Europe owes the discovery, in the mid-seventeenth century, of this paradise, named after the Dutch navigator Abel Tasman, the first European to set foot on this shore.

This fertile land has been inhabited by aborigines since ancient times. The warm climate, abundance of edible plants, game and fish allowed the indigenous tribes to live here for many years, “Like Christ in his bosom.” But with the advent of civilization, everything changed radically. The Europeans who came here rightfully appreciated all the advantages of this fertile island. The aborigines were first forced out from the comfortable places they lived on the coast to the mountainous places, and by the beginning of the 20th century they got rid of them altogether. The Tasmanian tribes for the most part were simply exterminated by the British colonialists. They were hunted like wild animals. The remnants of the aborigines died on the reservations themselves, due to diseases brought to the island from which the aborigines had no immunity. Here is a surviving photograph of the last Aboriginal people of Tasmania.

For settlement, the British brought convicts to the island. This served two purposes: they got rid of bandits in Great Britain itself and received free labor in the new colony. More than 75 thousand convicts were brought to the island, plus security for them. Prisoners plowed lands and developed agriculture, harvested timber, built cities, developed seaports, extracted copper from mines and built prisons for themselves. The convict labor was simply terrible. Without any equipment, often even replacing draft animals, these people uprooted trees, plowed virgin soil and did everything they needed to turn the wild island into a place where they could live well and comfortably.

Of course, the question of preserving nature was not raised at all, especially when copper was explored on the island. As a result, many of the most beautiful places on the island were disfigured, and the slopes, once covered with virgin forest, were turned into waste dumps. To restore all this to its original form will require many centuries, great efforts and funds. Even under ideal conditions, forests can be revived no sooner than in 500 years.

All convicts were kept in special settlements, the remains of which have survived to this day. Or in prisons, such as on the west coast in Port Arthur, which even now reminds the current generation who were the builders of New Tasmania.

Convicts who tried to escape from places of detention were generally kept in underground prisons, which were carved into the rocks, from there there were only two roads: to the cemetery or to the insane asylum.

But the terrible hard labor was not in vain. Within a few years, well-equipped towns appeared on the island, good roads with original bridges over numerous rivers.

Sights and nature

At the beginning of the twentieth century, Tasmania became a full state of Australia. And its capital is the city of Hobart, now a major seaport and tourist center. The seaport of Hobart is the second deepest port in the world after Rio de Janeiro and serves as a base for maritime communications with Antarctica, where Australia has its own considerable possessions.

Tasmania has excellent highways and highways, along which you can quickly get to any corner of the island, especially since public transport is very developed. There is also rail transport connecting the 4 main cities, as well as areas where timber is harvested and minerals such as copper, zinc, tin and iron are mined. The old cogwheel railway along which the train runs, built back in 1898, has also been preserved.

Despite the fact that during the development of the island, the attitude towards the unique natural features was barbaric, the flora and fauna of modern Tasmania remained very original, which serves as its main attraction. Most of the flora and fauna that live here can only be found here, on this small piece of land. Now this unique nature is protected by the state. More than half of the island's territory is occupied by seventeen national parks.

Many of Tasmania's unique animals are on the verge of extinction, or even completely exterminated. The reason for this was the thoughtless attitude of mining companies. So the marsupial wolf was almost completely exterminated by settlers only because it hunted sheep and poultry. And the symbol of the island, the Tasmanian devil, is also practically disappearing, although they say that this is not the fault of people, these marsupials are simply susceptible to a unique oncological disease - a facial tumor. Today, conservationists are waging an irreconcilable struggle against those who destroy the fauna and flora of the island. In addition to national parks, to preserve wildlife in Tasmania, the huge Bonorong Nature Reserve has been created, which is home to many wild animals in natural conditions. Koalas, wombats, and echidnas live here. Yes, it’s impossible to list them all.

And there are an incredible variety of birds in Tasmania. Moreover, among them there are such rare ones as the slender-billed petrel, which makes an amazingly long flight in a year - around the entire Pacific Ocean, returning each time to wintering in nesting grounds on the island. Another unique bird living in Tasmania is the little penguin. Its distinctive feature is the ability to “fly” under water.

In recent decades, the tourism business has been intensively developing in Tasmania. Getting to Tasmania is quite easy. There are many local airline flights from Australia. The second way is a ferry from Melbourne and Devonport, which is a kind of northern gateway for tourists from the mainland. Both in Devonport and in any other city, many hotels of various levels are available to tourists, from the cheapest to 5* SPA hotels.

Tasmania's second largest city is Launceston. The city will surprise you with its Victorian architecture and abundance of parks. Here you will see the picturesque Georges Cataract Gorge and visit the original Penny Royal World amusement park.

Most of the tourist routes organized on the island involve viewing natural wonders, as well as visiting historical places associated with the period of British colonization. Usually, all tourists heading to national parks do not pass by the small town of Queenstown, which is a kind of transit point. Once upon a time, this town was the center of gold mining in Tasmania, which is still reminiscent of the distorted landscape around it.

The natural beauty of Tasmania is represented, first of all, by the unique relict rain forests, which have been recognized as a World Natural Heritage for thirty years. Among these forests you can see beautiful waterfalls with the purest mountain water. Some of them even have their own names. This one is called "Hogarth Falls"

And if you head along the coast of Pirates Bay, you can see bizarre cliffs on its southern side. Over many millennia, the rocky shores, washed by waves and blown by cold arctic winds, began to look like hand-made sculptures by artists.

There are also peculiar narrow gorges that resemble the ruins of huge structures. One of these is called the Tasman Arch. It looks like these are the remains of a huge cave, once washed by the waves of the ocean.

And then there are those that make terrible inhuman sounds when there is a strong wind. The most famous of them is the so-called “Devil's Kitchen,” which was so named because during storms it makes powerful, frightening sounds that scared sailors to death when passing ships.

You will probably be surprised by the man-made structures on the island, built using the most modern technologies. These are several artificial reservoirs, the dams of which are considered real works of engineering art. The power plants located under these dams fully provide electricity to the small industries of the island and its city.

It is interesting to see the lavender farms that exist here. Having spent just a few minutes in this field, you will remember the incomparable smell of Tasmanian lavender for the rest of your life.

Holidays in Tasmania

In addition to the usual tourist holidays in Tasmania, you can also enjoy active holidays. Tourists can enjoy surfing and diving, rafting and rock climbing, mountaineering and speleology, paragliding and mountain biking. There are excellent golf courses here, and excellent horses are at the disposal of horse riding enthusiasts. Fans of water skiing and the new water sport of wakeboarding, a unique type of snowboarding on a wake wave, can also try their hand at it.

We haven't forgotten about fishing enthusiasts. You can rent any gear and test your luck in catching brown trout, black bream or huge crayfish.

And cruises to nearby islands are one of the most exciting activities for tourists of all ages. By the way, on Flanders Island you can see how semi-precious stones are mined. If you wish, you can also buy some jewelry here.

After a busy day, it’s nice to sit with a cup of coffee in a cozy street cafe, which is very popular in Tasmania.

Having visited Tasmania, you will not regret the days spent here, especially since they will fly by completely unnoticeably. But you use this time by combining business with pleasure. You will learn a lot of new things for yourself and receive a huge charge of life-giving energy.

South of mainland Australia is the island of Tasmania. This is a separate Australian state, distinguished by its picturesque nature, mild climate and unique flora and fauna. This is an ideal place for tourists: here you can engage in mountain and water tourism, relax in comfortable hotels and enjoy the views of nature in nature reserves. Many natural, cultural and historical attractions make the island of Tasmania very popular.

History of the island

This place was discovered in 1642 by the Dutch traveler A. Tasman. He initially considered the island to be part of the Australian mainland and named it Van Diemen's Land. But it was only in the 19th century, when Europeans began to settle on the island, that it was named after the discoverer. At that time, about 10 thousand local residents lived in this place, which was more than in all of Australia. But wars, persecution of the Aborigines and diseases almost exterminated them, and some ethnic groups completely disappeared from the face of the Earth. And by the end of the 19th century, only three hundred local residents remained. And the island began to be populated by Europeans. The first colonists were supposed to develop industry and agriculture on the island. At first it was prisoners, guards and military personnel.

Tasmania Island: Australia

Detailed information about the geographical location of the island is available in all reference books and encyclopedias. This very famous place, popular all over the world, is one of the Australian states. The island is known as the "green state". Residents of the mainland love this place and appreciate its unique natural resources, affectionately calling it “the island of inspiration”, “holiday island” or Tassie. But holidays in Tasmania are popular not only among Australians. Tourists from all over the world come here to enjoy the picturesque nature and get acquainted with unique attractions.

The island of Tasmania is located 250 kilometers south of the mainland. It is separated from Australia by the Bass Strait, which at its narrowest is at least 210 kilometers long. The area of ​​the island is about 70 thousand square kilometers. Almost 500 thousand people live here. The island is connected to the mainland by a regular ferry and rail line that runs from Melbourne to Davenport, as well as by air.

Description of the island of Tasmania

About 40% of the island's surface is protected by the World Heritage Committee. Despite the presence of large cities and a small territory, the nature of the island is preserved and valued, which is why there are many nature reserves and national parks. Tourism activity is very developed on the island and is one of the main directions of its economy. In addition, agriculture, the production of merino wool, as well as the mining of iron, copper and tin are developed here. Now the island of Tasmania is thriving. You can only get here by ferry or plane from major Australian cities.

Most tourists strive to get to the island of Tasmania because of its unique nature. Information on national parks and reserves is contained in the World Heritage Committee. The island has two nature reserves, 4 large national parks and two conservation areas. It is no coincidence that Tasmania is considered the standard of natural nature and the “lungs of the planet”.

Nature of the island

Tasmania has become popular among tourists largely due to its unique picturesque nature. The island is almost completely covered with evergreen forests, which have no analogues. There are many relict species here, long extinct in other places. About 10 thousand years ago, the island of Tasmania separated from the mainland, and therefore retained its unique nature. Huge rain forests, relict trees not found anywhere else in the world, beautiful waterfalls and clean fresh air - all this attracts guests from different countries.

The description of the nature of the island of Tasmania is very interesting. Large areas are covered with tropical forests, and there are huge heather deserts. Many trees reach a height of about 100 meters and are more than 2000 years old. The following rare plants are found here:

• southern beech;
• anthrotaxis;
• evergreen eucalyptus;
• euphoria tirucalli;
• many species of myrtaceae;
• efcrifia;
• Dicksonia antarcticus

The water resources of the island of Tasmania are also unique. Many lakes with crystal clear water, numerous streams and beautiful rivers. Many rushing waterfalls attract tourists with their beauty. The coastline of the island is intricately indented, forming bays and bays. The east coast is especially famous for its beaches.

Animal world

The island of Tasmania is famous for its many endemic species not found anywhere else. The animals are also protected and interesting to meet. What species are common on the island?

• The Tasmanian devil lives in wild forests. This small predator with very sharp teeth is protected and protected from extinction. In contrast, the unique Tasmanian wolf disappeared at the beginning of the 20th century.
• The Orange-bellied Parrot is rare, even in Australia.
• Dingo wild dogs are common here.
• There are many marsupials that live only in this region: kangaroo, bettong, red wallaby.
• The slender-billed petrel, flying almost entirely across the Pacific Ocean, returns annually to nest in Tasmania.
• The little penguin is also unique. It is no larger than a cat and has a short beak.

Climate

One of the hottest places with unfavorable climatic conditions for recreation is Australia. The island of Tasmania has a milder temperate climate. Although storms often occur here on the coast due to the meeting of cold air masses from the south and hot air from the north. But the climate here is more temperate than the rest of Australia. There are even clearly defined four seasons. In summer, which lasts from December to March, it is warm, not at all hot, with an average temperature of 21 degrees. The coldest winter month is July. But thanks to the proximity of the ocean, the temperature here never drops below 4 degrees.

Tourists often wonder when there is a lot of rainfall on the island of Tasmania. In fact, compared to the rest of Australia, there is little rainfall. Thunderstorms are possible in early summer, and rain in winter and spring. Snow is found only in the mountains, very rarely in lowland areas.

Cities and population of the island

About 500 thousand people now live in Tasmania. This suggests that there are no large cities here. The capital Hobart is inhabited by about half of the total population. But the island of Tasmania still greets tourists with modern cities. The population has spoken English since the days of colonization, so guests from all over the world feel comfortable here. Tourists are offered to visit the main settlements of the island.

Ways to get around the island

You can get to Tasmania by ferry from Melbourne, the journey time is from 9 to 11 hours. Or by plane, which is faster - you can fly there in an hour. Travel on the island is carried out mainly by car or comfortable buses. But a seat on the bus must be booked in advance. There are also well-developed air connections between the largest cities. If you are traveling on your own, please note that traffic in Tasmania is on the left, and the speed limit is 100 km/h, as the roads wind heavily. Cycling is very popular among local residents. On the west coast, a railway line remains between the towns of Streham and Queenstown. But it is now used more for tourism purposes.

Holidays on the island of Tasmania

The best time to vacation here is from November to April. At this time, the island is warm and you can visit most attractions without problems. But this place is not for those who like to fry on the beach. Even in the warmest months, the temperature here does not rise above 24 degrees. But still, the island of Tasmania attracts tourists. It is especially popular among lovers of a relaxing holiday or extreme mountain and water tourism.

There are comfortable hotels and resort areas on the island where you can have a good rest. In addition to comfortable hotels, vacationers can enjoy cycling, surfing, diving, boating and horse riding, rock climbing, fishing and many other entertainments.

Natural attractions of the island

The unique nature of Tasmania is what attracts many tourists from all over the world every year. The most popular and interesting excursion is by ferry around the island. What other attractions can you visit here?

Cultural and historical sights

There are many places on the island that are interesting to see. Even ordinary cities retain the unique atmosphere of the last century combined with modernity. There are many painting and decorative arts galleries on the island, where you can purchase unique handicrafts. There are also cultural and historical attractions here. Residents remember the history of the island and carefully protect it.

• The most famous and frequently visited attraction is the prison in Port Arthur. This is a kind of prison town that existed until the end of the 19th century.
• The coal mines and Cascades Women's Factory are also worth a visit.
• The unique Tiagarra Museum, located in Davenport, tells the history and culture of the Tasmanian Aboriginal people, now almost extinct.

Shops and restaurants on the island

Tasmania was formerly an English colony. Therefore, mainly English cuisine predominated. Now here you can try dishes from all over the world. Local delicacies include seafood: lobster, salmon, the unique Tasmanian bighead fish, as well as a variety of shellfish. The town of Hobard is home to the Cadberry Chocolate Factory, and on Spicy King there are popular cheese factories. The island of Tasmania is also famous for its local beer and soft, fragrant wine. And you can taste the aromatic honey produced from the pollen of the rare Eucrythia lucidum shrub only here.

You can find many unique antiques in the shops on the island. The largest antiques market is located in Hobart. Here you can find furniture made from exotic woods, antique silver and interior items, books, and unique dishes. Tourists are also advised to purchase items made from locally produced merino wool, which are famous all over the world. And unique handmade items can be bought at the Salamanca Market in Hobart.

What makes the island unique?

Many people have heard of the Tasmanian devil, but not everyone knows where the island of Tasmania is located. Those who have visited this place call it a real paradise on Earth. Indeed, a warm mild climate, a relaxing holiday, picturesque nature - all this makes Tasmania unique. In such a small area, almost all types of natural landscapes are represented: tropical forests, jungles, savannas, deserts, mountain ranges, valleys, lakes, beaches and fjords. The unique flora and fauna, the preserved atmosphere of 19th century cities - these are the features of Tasmania that attract tourists.

• Read: Nature of Australia

To the south of mainland Australia is the island of Tasmania, which is washed from the west by the Indian Ocean and from the east by the Tasman Sea. The island of Tasmania is separated from mainland Australia by the Bass Strait. This fairly large island, with an area of ​​about 68 thousand km, was discovered by Abel Tasman in 1642. Somewhat later, in the mid-19th century, the island was named after this Dutch navigator - Fr. Tasmania.

About 250 million years ago, Tasmania, together with mainland Australia, New Zealand, Antarctica, South America, Africa and India, was part of a single huge continent, which was called Gondwanaland. At that time, a significant part of it was covered by rain forests and it occupied more than half of the globe. The formation of the fauna and flora of Australia and Tasmania is associated with the peculiarities of the formation and existence of this continent. There are still many very rare species of animals and endemic plants that have long since become extinct throughout the world. And impenetrable forests still occupy about 70% of western Tasmania, which are one of the last places on our planet where they have been preserved, and at the same time they have not yet been fully studied.

Tasmanian forests are inhabited by such exotic animals as dingoes, koalas, platypuses, echidnas, kangaroos, opossums and other interesting marsupials (Tasmanian devil, bettong, red wallaby, marsupial wolf). Among the trees in the vast expanses of Tsmania, southern beech, spinous atrotaxis, cypress antrotaxis, eucalyptus are often found, rare species of mosses and lichens also grow here. About 150 species of exotic birds fly in the forests, including Australia's rarest brightly colored orange-bellied parakeet.

The flora and fauna of Tasmania are very original and unique. Among the species of fauna and flora, a large number are endemic. That is why everyone arriving on the island from mainland Australia undergoes additional environmental control in Tasmania, similar to that of those arriving in Australia.

44 percent of the island of Tasmania is forested, and a quarter (21%) is a national park. This is a very high percentage of protected areas compared to other countries in the world, and such ratios are rare. Lakes, rivers and waterfalls, literally teeming with trout, are replenished mainly by rain or melt water. They feed the forests where such interesting plants grow as: euphoria tirucalli, eucalyptus, myrtaceae, black acacia, sassafras, eucryphia splendor, phyllocladus alpine, antarctic dixonia and dacridium franklinii. Therefore, environmentalists are constantly at war with the destroyers of unique natural ecosystems: miners, paper manufacturers and hydroelectric power station builders. The barren desert of the mining town of Queenstown serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of thoughtless waste of natural resources.

The island fauna has also suffered from human activity; the most famous species is the thylacine, or marsupial wolf (Tasmanian). This animal had a basic gray-yellow color, resembling a dog in appearance, and was called a tiger for the dark stripes located on the back and rump. Unfortunately, this lean and rather shy carnivore got into the habit of carrying poultry and sheep. Therefore, rewards were given for killed thylacines, which led to the complete disappearance of this interesting species from the face of the earth in the first third of the 20th century.

If you drive out onto a country road early in the morning in Tasmania or Australia, you are sure to meet some animal that died at night under the wheels of a car. And this, despite the almost universal presence of hedges along the road and not very intense traffic - East Coast of Tasmania. And it won’t necessarily be everyone’s favorite kangaroo. There are many other animals here that are very rarely seen during the day.

Scientists consider the flora and fauna of Tasmania to be unique. Due to its island position, many of its representatives are endemic - i.e. living only in these places. That's why we had a tough check at customs in Devonport, despite the fact that we flew to the island from mainland Australia.

The government wants everything in the local nature to remain in its place and nothing new to be introduced into the vastness of Tasmania - not a single new seed, not a single new species of animal. Actually, the authorities of Australia and New Zealand have the same policy.

Now animal protection is widespread here after scientists realized that as a result of human activity, not only representatives of flora, but also fauna can disappear. Thus, the thylacine, the marsupial wolf, completely disappeared.

He was even nicknamed the tiger for the dark stripes on his yellowish back, although in reality he was more like a dog. And the reason for the disappearance of the marsupial wolf was his exorbitant passion for hunting poultry and livestock. This is how they exterminated it almost 80 years ago. And for good rewards too.

In general, the fauna of Tasmania is not very rich. Apparently, the isolation is taking its toll. By and large, the same is true for the fauna of Australia and Papua, which were once a single continent. What they have in common is “marsupialism” - carrying babies born underdeveloped to term in special pouches on their stomachs. This can only be found here. Most of us only know kangaroos as such, but in fact they include almost all mammals that live on these lands. How did this happen? Mystery of Nature.

It’s very difficult to see animals in the wild in Tasmania just like that. Therefore, having left the town of Scamander and moving to the south of Tasmania along the Pacific coast along the picturesque Tasman Hwy, we stopped at the small East Coast Natureworld National Park. Before turning into the park there was a large enticing sign: “Natureworld. Tasmanian devils here!” - “The Tasmanian devil is here!” And an image of him with his mouth terribly open.

The park is located on the shore of a large lake and is quite picturesque - tall trees, large green lawns, and many black swans swimming in the water near the shore.

At the entrance to the park, various food items for animals and birds are sold in bags. Those who wish can buy all this and then enjoy closer communication with them.

In this park you can meet all the marsupials that live in Tasmania: kangaroos, wombats, possums and others. And the first thing we saw, of course, was a kangaroo. There are many of them and they do not sit in cages, but walk freely throughout the park and everyone can approach them and calmly chat. The kangaroo is perhaps the most famous marsupial on our planet.

We approached a group of mothers with babies, who were either sitting in their bags, looking at us, or jumping on the ground themselves, getting under our feet and their mothers. How long does the baby sit in his mother’s bag and is he comfortable there?

It turns out that he is born completely helpless after just 33 days! pregnancy. The mother, having licked it, puts it into her pouch on her stomach and it tightly sticks to one of the two nipples located at its bottom. And so on until a year. If a second one is born, he gets the second nipple and they huddle there for some time together. And what’s interesting is that milk in each nipple will be produced differently in composition - depending on the baby’s age! How did Nature do it?

The bag is also designed in an interesting way - inside it is smooth leather and without fur - so the mother easily cleans it with her long tongue. And the top is covered with fur and with the strength of her muscles she can close it tightly - so the baby won’t escape from it when jumping!

Apparently, the baby kangaroos are not very eager to leave such a comfortable and cozy warm place. We see in what an awkward position a rather adult child is sitting in a bag - the whole child no longer fits into the bag, but everything is in the same place - both the head and one hind leg are sticking out of it.

Little kangaroos are trusting like children and all the women caress them with tenderness.

It should be noted that the attitude towards the kangaroo - the symbol of Australia - is ambiguous. They are proud of them, and at the same time, they can be served as a roast (the meat, however, is a bit tough - this is not crocodile meat for you!). Thousands of them are crushed on the roads at night.

Despite loud protests from wildlife advocates, the Australian government sets a quota for killing kangaroos every year. And sometimes the count goes into millions! Australia's kangaroo meat and leather industry is thriving. Farmers consider kangaroos to be pests and complain that they eat sheep and poison crops.

According to statistics, there are almost four kangaroos for every Australian resident! According to experts, up to 500 kangaroos live in one square kilometer of forests and meadows surrounding Canberra (the capital of Australia)! Can anyone imagine so many goats, moose, or even hares around our capitals?!

There really are a lot of them there. There was even an incident with one of my friends. Driving by car, they stopped to rest near a small herd of kangaroos. One (one?) of them came very close to them and seemed tame and even sick. To take the original photo, he took off his jacket and put it on her, putting her front paws through the sleeves too! And it took it, and it went off into the bush! The jacket had all the documents! He had a lot of trouble later!

After fiddling around with the kangaroo, we go to the enclosure behind which there is a local Tasmanian celebrity - the Tasmanian devil or marsupial devil. Tasmanian devils are now very rare in the wild. But they say that 10-15 years ago there were plenty of them all over the island and many of them died on the highways from cars.

Scientists are also concerned about the decline in their population due to some kind of cancer that affects their snout and face. They are also not visible because they are mostly nocturnal animals and like to sleep during the day. Well, you can see from their faces that they are not fools when it comes to eating either. And they even eat the corpses of animals, grinding their bones with their incredible fangs.

And so, while he stands calmly, he’s even quite handsome. But when it opens its mouth, its appearance immediately changes and then it fully justifies its name. Their jaws and teeth are designed for killing. And the first thing he does is bite off the cervical vertebrae of his victim.

Because of their evil disposition and blood-chilling screams, European settlers called these animals devils.

However, some Tasmanians keep it as a pet. And they say that he becomes so attached to his master that, unable to bear his loss, he dies of melancholy.

I also read somewhere that in order to create a healthy population of them, the Tasmanian government relocated several healthy individuals of these devils to Mariah Island National Park. The entire island is an isolated national park with its own ecosystem - that’s where these devils belong.

Possums are small, about the size of a cat, and have large and long claws. They are often confused with opossums, which live in America. But these are different animals.

Australian possums are also marsupials. Like most Australian animals, possums are nocturnal. At night they can be found in many city parks and just in gardens. Some even claim that the possum is the most harmful Australian animal - they eat a lot of foliage on trees. I once even saw an advertisement on the road - “killed a possum - saved a tree.”

There were also other marsupials in the park, but for the most part they did not show themselves to us, but curled up and rested in the shade away from the public. These were a marsupial mole and a marsupial anteater. They are all nocturnal animals.

The koalas, having climbed a tree, were also sleeping, but in our sight.

There were also all sorts of local birds and parrots in the park, which themselves climbed into our hands.

After leaving the park, we go to spend the night in Bicheno, but at the entrance to the town we see a strange sign - “Penguins”! Are they really here too?

Indeed, there is a population of penguins living on the coast near Bicheno. These are the smallest of the penguins - dwarf penguins, they are also called blue for their characteristic color. They live mainly on the remote islands of the Tasmanian coast (for example, Bruny Island), New Zealand, but there are also several populations in Tasmania itself.

And one of them is right in our Bicheno. Here this is the main local attraction and all hotels and hostels in the town organize tours to their habitats. And they live right on the coast, digging burrows in the sandy slopes.

We were offered an evening excursion for 30 AUD, but, by and large, it was a scam. Arriving at the shore, we stood about 50 meters from the surf in which penguins no larger than an average cat were spinning. It was dark, there was no lighting or even a moon, and besides, you couldn’t use a flash.

We stood and looked at, as they say, penguins. Well, at least they didn’t violate the environment. Yandex ❤ started selling air tickets! 🤷

Today, having sufficient funds, any avid traveler, or simply an inquisitive tourist, can go on vacation in any direction: to any part of the world, to any continent, to any country. And while some choose, for example, travel to exotic Thailand, virgin Vietnam, bright Greece or sunny Turkey, others, having carefully studied the world map, head to less popular, but no less wonderful places on our planet. One of these places can safely be considered Australian island of Tasmania, to which, due to its uniqueness, we decided to devote a separate article, despite the fact that in one of our previous materials we told you about Australia.

Brief information

Tasmania is an Australian state located on the island of the same name, 240 km to the south from the mainland of Australia and separated from it by the Bass Strait. The area occupied by Tasmania is 68,401 km², and the population living on it is just over 495 thousand people. The capital of Tasmania is Hobart. In addition, the island is divided into five regions: the capital and surrounding areas; Western Territories; North West Coast; Tamar, Launceston and northern; East Coast.

Where is Tasmania on the world map? You can see where the island of Tasmania is located on the world map below:

Climate of Tasmania- the golden mean for those who do not like to freeze and cannot stand the heat. The difference between the warmest and coldest temperatures is a maximum of 10°C. Warm winter, cool summer. Average temperature in summer: 17-18°C (in the highlands 7-8°C); in winter - 8-10°C (there are frosts in the highlands). Such climatic conditions allow you to relax and live in Tasmania all year round and feel very comfortable.

A little about the history of the island

Tasmania was originally inhabited by Tasmanians (Tasmanian Aborigines), as evidenced by numerous finds dating back more than 30 thousand years. By the time the first Europeans arrived in Tasmania, Tasmanians were divided into nine ethnic groups and their number by the time of the first settlers from Great Britain (1803) was from 5 to 10 thousand people. But by 1833, due to infectious diseases brought by Europeans, as well as war and persecution, the number of the indigenous population had dropped to 300 people, and in 1876 the last native of the island died.

As for Europeans in Tasmania, the first among them was the Dutchman Abel Tasman, landed on November 24, 1642 at Blackman Bay. It was he who gave Tasmania its first name - Van Diemen's Land(in honor of the man who sent him on the expedition). A huge number of other Europeans visited the island after him, and in 1798-1799. Matthew Flinders and George Bass proved that Tasmania is an island. The island and the strait are named after them, respectively.

In 1803, the first British settlement was founded in Tasmania near the mouth of the Derwent River, called Risdon Cove. In 1804, another similar settlement was founded a little to the south - Sullivans Cove. Today, Sullivans Cove is the capital of Hobart, and the settlement of Risdon Cove is abandoned. It is also worth noting that the first settlers in Tasmania were mainly convict laborers and their guards who came to develop agriculture and industry. In the period from 1803 to 1853. About 75 thousand prisoners were transported to the island! And the official name from Van Diemen's Land was changed to Tasmania in 1856. This year marks the beginning of the British colony of Tasmania, which existed until 1901, after which it became part of the Commonwealth of Australia along with other Australian colonies and was declared an Australian state.

Today Tasmania is an island with a well-developed infrastructure, all the necessary conditions for a modern and comfortable life and fantastically beautiful nature.

Natural attractions of Tasmania

Tasmanian nature is unique in itself and is the main attraction of the island. National parks occupy more than 40% of the entire territory, many beautiful lagoons, bays, coasts, nature reserves, canyons and other unforgettable places. And the fauna of the island amazes with its diversity and splendor. One gets the impression that you have traveled in a time machine to a time when nature was pristine and the planet was not desecrated by the harmful activities of man.

So, the main attractions of the island of Tasmania include (let's look briefly at):

Freycinet National Park

It is located 125 km from the capital on the Freycinet Peninsula. The oldest national park on the island. It features a coastline and bay with some of the best beaches in the world. Beautiful landscape, azure water, warm sand, many amazing animals and birds. For tourists there is the possibility of diving and snorkeling, as well as camping and booking sightseeing tours.

Ben Lomond National Park

Located in the north-eastern part of the island, 50 km from the city of Lanseston. This park is a huge plateau on the rocks. Here is the second highest point of the island - Ledgers Tor Peak (1572 meters above sea level). In addition to the richest flora and fauna, this park is famous for the fact that the main ski resort of the island is located here, created taking into account the most modern technologies.

Southwest National Park

This park is the largest in Tasmania - it covers an area of ​​618 thousand hectares. Located 93 km west of Hobart. It is best known for its pristine nature, extremely changeable weather, lack of people, inaccessible areas with hiking routes for almost two weeks, stunning views and lakes.

Naravntapu National Park

One of the most tranquil places on the planet, full of plains, moorland and low-lying marshes. The park is located near the city of Port Sorell between Bakers Beach and Greens Beach. It attracts tourists and local residents with a variety of landscapes, eucalyptus forests, a variety of animals and birds, clean beaches, water activities and local wine produced in the Tamar Valley.

Other interesting places

Of course, the Tasmanian parks discussed above are not the only ones and serve only as an example of what the island can boast of. In addition to them, one can note:

Among other things, Tasmania, with all its features, offers its guests not only the opportunity to contemplate fantastic beauties, which have no equal almost anywhere in the world, and not only many options for wonderful active recreation, but also has all its nature to engage in spiritual practices. It is for this reason that many people come here to practice meditation, reading mantras, and esotourism , channeled , ho'oponopono or anything else.

Try to find the time and opportunity to visit the amazing island of Tasmania and enjoy all its beauties. This trip will be one of the best of your life!