Another stunning week of beauty this week with most of our time concentrated on the Tasman Peninsula. We continue to be blown away with how amazing Tassie is. The fishing proved to be quite fruitful and as a result we are being spoiled with fresh seafood every other day. The fish tastes almost sweet and it just melts in your mouth. It is like nothing else we have tasted before (this could be due to the 'ikea effect' but hey).
While the scenery is outstanding, the locals talk a lot about the absence of work and the tough economy in Tassie. There are dozens of houses for sale everywhere we go and people are not typically optimistic about the immediate future.
We have seen really interesting industries such as salmon farming in the Huon River, and there are loads of oyster racks and fishing trawlers about the place. Forestry is nowhere what it used to be but you still see the odd truck loaded to the hilt with tall timber rumbling by and there is no shortage of grey nomads on the road spending the kids' inheritance.
I suppose the absence of built up industry is good for the wilderness. We are constantly surrounded by wildlife which more often than not is scoping out our lunch or leftovers. They are game little buggers, you can't leave anything out or it will be gone in two seconds flat. The forest grows right to the coastal waters and is so thick that you would be hard pressed to walk through it without a track to follow.
We are starting to get a bit of cooler weather now but the majority of the time it is still shorts and t-shirts. Perfect time to be in Tassie during Autumn. I strongly recommend it!
Animal encounters: Australian fur seal, bandicoots (very cute and not afraid of humans, see below), wallabies, bloody possums, a snake, parrots, currajongs, and a mackerel and a few flathead (which became supper of course).
Thanks for reading everyone. Speak with you next week!
Matt and Kelly
