Tasmania, part 2 - into civilization?

As I mentioned in my last post, Queenstown, TAS is nothing like Queenstown, NZ. Or Queenstown, Maryland either. It was mined for gold and copper and the trees in the surrounding hills were all cut for lumber. It doesn't look very pretty, but it is a convenient stopping place when you are driving the west side of the island. And they have a good Pub there, as a beer was much needed after my prolonged driving "practice".  Had we planned this better, we would probably have headed a little to the west and stayed in Strahan, (pronounced STRAWN) a pretty town on a protected harbor. But no.
Hoping for better scenery out of Queenstown we turned east, climbing through some impressive hills and cresting along a gorgeous plateau with this view:

From there it was all downhill to Derwent Bridge and Lake St. Clair, the southern terminus of the Overland Track. This is not just some day hike, but a serious 7-10 day trek through the heart of Tasmania. My cousin (who leads treks in the Himalayas) had recently completed it and said it was "challenging".  Not for us!

From here it got increasingly less wild and more farmed, and we assumed more populated by wildlife as we saw these signs often -

We were now on the outskirts of Hobart, the largest city in Tasmania. It has an incredible history: of a penal colony, a trading post, and a jumping-off point for Antarctic exploration. We however were there for the wine, the cider, and the farm-to-table food.There are many "farm gate" produce stalls and eateries in the Huon Valley, south-west of Hobart, well worth the one hour drive. Well, it would be one hour, if we didn't stop at almost every stand...

Tasmania - not QUITE the edge of the known world

Since I now live in Australia, I thought I better explore this massive country/continent some more. Next stop? Tasmania! It sounds so exotic, and no one I know has ever been there, including my Aussie husband. Since it is an island there are of course only 2 ways to get there. Airplanes, or car ferry, which we chose. "We can drive around the island!" I said. "We'll see a lot, I can get more practice driving and it will be an adventure!"
What I failed to take into account was that a lot of the roads - especially on the wild west side - were, shall we say, rustic. And we had a 'city' car; white, low riding, no 4 wheel drive.  It was an adventure, all right.
It started out quite pleasantly with a smooth sailing on the Spirit of Tasmania across Bass Straight, which is on the edge of the "Roaring 40s", a maritime region known for its fierce winds. But not that day!

As soon as we disembarked in Devonport, I started searching for places where I could get up close and personal with a real live Tasmanian Devil. I knew they really weren't like the cartoon character but they still have an awesomely ferocious reputation. There are several wildlife parks and rehab centers on the island, fortunately one was just a few kilometers down the road. With my trusty Aussie navigator in the passenger seat, I pointed the car towards Wings Wildlife Park. After several detours down tiny winding roads, and a bit of time stuck behind cattle that were being herded to a pasture across the road, we arrived and found that we had the place almost entirely to ourselves. It was fabulous! They had Emus! They had Wombats! They had kangaroos that I could hand-feed! And they had Devils!!! We got there in time for feeding so got to see their incredibly powerful jaws at work. They looked a lot cuter than I expected...

After staying overnight in the quaint town of Wynyard we set out west, along the coast. Near Arthur River is a plaque on the coastal rocks that tells you there is nothing between you and South America but open ocean. It really made us realize how remote this was! Things really started to feel even more remote as we drove inland from that tiny town; the road was no longer paved, it had narrowed down to one-plus-a-bit lanes wide, and there were no signs at all. Fortunately it is the only road through this region so we weren't going to get lost, we hoped... 
After what seemed like days and days on this road (did I mention that I was driving, to get "practice"?) we arrived in the settlement of Corinna, on the banks of the Pieman River. There were two signs, one that pointed up a road saying that the bridge was 30+ kilometers away. The second sign looked more promising as it said there was a car ferry from that point. Just go into the Pub and inquire at the bar; if the bartender is not busy he will take you across. That's what I call service! And this was the ferry -

The road improved on the other side of the river and soon we arrived in Queenstown, which sadly is nothing like the place with the same name in New Zealand. We probably should have spent a little more time there though, as the history of mining in the area is quite interesting.
Next post - On to Civilization!