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@ Greens Beach, Tasmania
Francy begins her walkabout in Tasmania!
Greens Beach, Tasmania
At the mouth of the Tamar River lies Greens Beach, a starting point for the Narawntapu National Park, in Tasmania. There are easy trails for walking and stunning views, with plenty of wildlife to take photographs of.

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@ Forest Walk, Cradle Mountain

Purple Flower Power Egg
My pets are in awe of these beautiful eggs—they would love to try to paint their own one year. Easter and spring are times of joy as the earth awakens, plants are pushing forth from the soil, and the days are becoming warmer. Many baby animals are born in the spring, and life is burgeoning. May these eggs bring you joy and be a reminder of the earth renewing itself.

Forest Walk, Cradle Mountain
Weindorfers Forest Walk, Cradle Mountain

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@ Dove Lake
Did you know Tasmania has the largest tracts of temperate rainforest in Australia, Francy? No wonder I'm feeling a little chilly!
Dove Lake
Found in the Cradle Mountain National Park, this is a beautiful scenic lake, shown here shrouded in mist on a grey day, while the waves gently lap the shore, and with a picturesque little boathouse at the forefront.

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@ Crater Lake
Errol Flynn, Hollywood actor was born in Tasmania.
Crater Lake
This beauty spot is found in the Cradle Mountain - Lake St Clair National Park. The walls of the "crater" were carved out by glacier ice thousands of years ago. The water is deep blue, as tannins from tea trees lining the banks leach into the water. It makes for an extremely scenic walk so don't forget your camera!

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@ Blue Lake at Cradle Mountain
Tasmania has the largest privately owned lavender farm in the world, called Bridestowe Lavender Estate, located in Nabowla. It is open everyday and entry is free.
Blue Lake at Cradle Mountain
It must be well worth every step of the hike through the forest trail to be able to gaze down on this peaceful blue tree-fringed lake.

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@ Spooky Train Tunnel, Zeehan
"It says in our brochure that Tasmania exports tulips to Holland!" remarked Tassie.
"That's incredible! Can we see the tulip farms?" queried Francy.
"Sadly the season ended last month, in October. The Bloomin’ Tulip festival at Table Cape Tulip Farm is held annually on the north-west coast of Tasmania. It sounds amazing!"
Spooky Train Tunnel, Zeehan
In former times steam locomotives ran regularly in Tasmania but now they are used as tourist services in a few places only.

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@ West Coast Wilderness Railway
"Just smell the air, Mitsy!" enthused Francy. "Do you know what makes it so special?"
"No, what?"
"Tasmania has the cleanest air in the world!"
West Coast Wilderness Railway
If you fancy a train trip drawn by an old steam engine, you've come to the right place! These special services run for tourists to view the West Coast Wilderness.

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@ Macquarie Harbour
The only public transport on Tasmania is buses, although there are a few privately owned restored historic steam and diesel trains, which offer rides through the Tasmanian wilderness and coastline.
Macquarie Harbour
Near Strahan on Tasmania, this white lighthouse has been standing guard over the harbour and preventing ships from going aground in fog for many years. The harbour was named after a former governor of Tasmania, Lachlan Macquarie, who was born in Scotland.

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@ Red-Necked Wallaby
"Why do they call Tasmania The Apple Isle, Francy?"
"Just look around you, Faith! There is almost as much orchards and market gardens here as there is temperate rain forest."
Red-Necked Wallaby
Australia has an amazing variety of unique wildlife! This is the red-necked wallaby, also known as Bennett's wallaby - macropus rufogriseus.

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@ Shrieking Tasmanian Devil
"Why do they call Tasmania The Apple Isle, Francy?"
"Just look around you, Rosie! There is almost as much orchards and market gardens here as there is temperate rain forest."
Shrieking Tasmanian Devil
These animals have an extremely powerful bite, so you wouldn't want to get on the wrong side of it! They are strong swimmers, can run at 15 mph for an hour without stopping, and when young, they are excellent at climbing trees!

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@ Tasmanian Devil
"Next trivia question, Butterfly Lady! Name the highest mountain in Tasmania?"
"That's easy, Francy, it's on our itinerary, or we're going nearby, at any rate. Mount Ossa, at 5305 feet (1617 m)."
Tasmanian Devil
Tasmanian Devils are named after the scary screeching noises they make. The first European settlers on Tasmania would hear unearthly, blood-curdling screams and growls from deep within the bush, making them imagine that demons were surrounding them in the wilderness!

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@ Tasmanian Beech Tree
"Gotcha hiking boots ready, Francy? There's over 1250 miles of walking trails in Tasmania!"
"Oh gosh, Choose a name, we'll have to take it in easy stages!"
Tasmanian Beech Tree
In mid-autumn these trees produce a myriad colours in Tasmania's high country. The crinkle-cut leaves turn from bright gold to orange and dark red and orange. The colours reach a peak around the end of April and usually stay vibrant until May. The Latin name for a beech is fagus. ??In Celtic mythology, Fagus was the god of beech trees. The tree was thought to have medicinal properties and its leaves were boiled to make healing poultices.

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@ Shipwreck, Derwent River
"There are 69 golf courses on Tasmania, Francy, and Australia overall comes third in the list of the highest number of golf courses per capita in the world."
"I bet Scotland tops that list, Night Wing!"
Shipwreck, Derwent River
The sad, derelict remains of the Otago, a three-masted barque which had had a very busy life. It was built in the Glasgow shipyards in 1869, sailed from Scotland to New Zealand, Thailand, Singapore and then Australia, where it was put to use hauling coal before being abandoned in the Derwent River, Tasmania, in 1931.

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@ Shell collector's paradise
"Did you know Tasmania was once connected to mainland Australia, Signet?" said Francy.
"What, there was a 300-mile bridge over the sea?" scoffed Signet.
"No, silly! It was all one land mass before the Ice Age, inhabited by Indigenous peoples, but when the ice melted 12,000 years ago, what is now known as the Bass Strait was formed, separating Tasmania from the mainland."
Shell collector's paradise
A beautiful little sandy beach in Tasmania. Who knows what treasures will be turned up by the tide?

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@ Better in Kettering
Oh look ... you won a pet!
Better in Kettering
This coastal town is noted for its orchards of apples, pears and cherries. It is situated on the D'Entrecasteaux Channel opposite Bruny Island. It haa sheltered harbour full of yachts and fishing vessels.

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@ Snug, North-West Bay
"Gotcha hiking boots ready, Francy? There's over 1250 miles of walking trails in Tasmania!"
"Oh gosh, Whalerus, we'll have to take it in easy stages!"
Snug, North-West Bay
An aptly named little bay! It looks so cosy, having the beach to yourself and relaxing with the view to the far side while the sun sinks further down.

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@ Driftwood Debris
"When we're in the Cradle Mountain area we're going to have a visit to Leatherwood apiary at Mole Creek to sample some natural honey, Wisper!"
"That sounds like a very sweet treat, Francy! If their bees roam over all this amazing scenery, I bet the honey tastes just great! I'll get a souvenir jar to take home."
Driftwood Debris
The action of wind and tides and waves washes ashore pieces of wood. Once ashore, driftwood can provide shelter for birds and plants. Artists often like to work with driftwood for its decorative qualities.

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@ North West Bay at Sunset
The six main languages spoken in Tasmania in order of frequency include English, Mandarin, Nepali, German, Greek and Italian.
North West Bay at Sunset
The world at peace: water laps lazily against the jetty, yachts bob gently to and fro having moored for the night, and the clouds show a pinky glow as the sun sets. Thus ends another beautiful day in Margate, Tasmania.

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@ Tasman Peninsula
Watch out for snakes! Many dangerous snakes live in Tasmania. The lowland Copperhead Snake and the Tiger Snake are the two most venomous and can cause harm to humans. In fact, be more wary of ants… a stinging ant presents a greater problem than snakes in Tasmania! The Jack Jumper Ant is said to cause roughly one death every four years, though its attacks are also said to cause plenty of discomfort. And the ‘animal magic’ doesn’t stop there… wood scorpions also live in Tasmania. Their stings are painful, but not known to be fatal.
Tasman Peninsula
This area of south-east Tasmania is known for its beautiful beaches, bays, large surf, soaring cliffs and abundance of wildlife.

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@ Wetlands, Australia
"Gotcha hiking boots ready, Francy? There's over 1250 miles of walking trails in Tasmania!"
"Oh gosh, Scaredy Cat, we'll have to take it in easy stages!"
Wetlands, Australia
Australia has a variety of wetland areas, marshes, peatlands, lakes, rivers, and floodplains. Wetlands have a significance that extends across national borders. Australian wetlands are found mainly near the coast. Precious and beautiful wetlands help prevent flooding and are used, by animals and birds in part of their life cycle. Twenty percent of the bird species in Australia depend on wetlands.

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@ Pacific Gull
"Next trivia question, Icicle! Name the highest mountain in Tasmania?"
"That's easy, Francy, it's on our itinerary, or we're going nearby, at any rate. Mount Ossa, at 5305 feet (1617 m)."
Pacific Gull
The Pacific gull is a native of the coasts of Australia. It is a very large bird (the picture is of a juvenile). It monitors the shoreline, either on its own or with a companion, flying high up.

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@ Lime Bottlebrush Tree
"Gotcha hiking boots ready, Francy? There's over 1250 miles of walking trails in Tasmania!"
"Oh gosh, Peridot, we'll have to take it in easy stages!"
Lime Bottlebrush Tree
Only found in Tasmania, this plant grows spiky yellow or yellow-green flowers in early summer.

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@ North West Bay, Tasmania
"There's loads of wineries here, aren't there, Francy? We'll be going to one called Puddleduck Vineyard—what a lovely name!"
"Sounds quirky! And look, Icicle, it's near the Wicked Cheese Company! I think we're going to have a very good time this afternoon!"
North West Bay, Tasmania
The perfect scene! A beautiful place to relax as the sun sets over the water of this rush-fringed bay. North West Bay opens out into the Tasman Sea which is part of the South Pacific Ocean.

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@ Tasmanian Red Bottlebrush
Do you suppose we could take a wine and cheese tour while we are in Tassie, Francy? All this sight-seeing is making me feel a little peckish!
Tasmanian Red Bottlebrush
Callistemon are evergreen shrubs with aromatic lance-shaped leaves and bottlebrush-like spikes of flowers in which the long colourful stamens are prominent. Tasmania has many varieties, and this is one of the most striking.

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@ Lavender Farm
Francy has now completed her walkabout in Tasmania! As she prepares to go home, she receives a wonderful gift!
Parachuting Sugar Glider, Green
Gliding, going gliding, whee! This new parachute enables me to glide much further than I usually can. I love this feeling of freedom. I just need help attaching it to myself, though it is always more fun to glide with someone else. I like to sprinkle seeds or flower petals when I am in the air. Please join me, and we can make a day of seeing just how far we can glide.

Lavender Farm
This huge lavender farm, one of the largest in the world, is situated in Nabowla, in the northeast of Tasmania. Just imagine walking down paths in between banks of waist-high lavender with its glorious scent! There is a gift shop selling a cute lavender teddy bear to help soothe sore muscles!
Francy has enjoyed her walkabout in Tasmania, but it is time to go home now! Please select another pet as visitor, so it can also enjoy an Australian Walkabout!