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Tasmania: World's Cleanest Air!!?? Dramatic Coast!!


TLCOhio

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In the November 2012 edition of National Geographic Traveler magazine that just came to our home in the past week, this edition features a very interesting story on "Tasmanian Adventure: Chasing the World's Cleanest Air". So far, this story is not yet up on their website, but you might check back later for being able to read it on-line.

 

There are lots of great visuals in this lengthy story. The sub-head says "A quest for singular purity leads to a lonely cliff in Tasmania." He reflected flying into Hobart, Tasmania's capital, and what he says is "one of the world's most southernly landfalls." Tasmania is this writer's boyhood home, but he was coming back for the first time in twenty-five years. While in Chicago, a waiter had given him a bottle of water that noted on the label that it was from Cape Grim, Tasmania. It was claiming to be "Home of the World's Cleanest Air and Water". Cape Grim is at the far northeast tip of Tasmania, about 230 miles by air from Hobart. Not many on cruises can go there via a one-day port stop in Hobart. There are other key highlights of Tasmania, however, cited, including the Styx Valley of Giants, about 45 miles west of Hobart. It is a unique valley of giant eucalyptus trees and lots of fresh air.

 

This story backs up the details for why and how Tasmania has such excellent air and water quality, plus its unique coast lines, scenery, etc. Looking forward to our Jan. 23, 2014, visit to Hobart on the Celebrity Solstice. Wish we'd have more time there. BUT, that's a good reason to want to go back. Below are three pictures I pulled up from Bing.com to make the point on what is unique and special in Tasmania.

 

Reactions and added thoughts from those who have already explored on Tasmania??

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 107,584 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

 

 

To illustrate the drama of the coastal areas in Tasmania, here are three different views pulled up from a web search. Hope to have my own visuals after January 2014. Below includes a view from a speed boat that does water tours in Tasmania National Park and an air view of a dramatic beach/mountain area in this part of Australia.

 

TasmaniaCoastRocksWater.jpg

 

 

TasmaniaRockDramaBoatView.jpg

 

 

TasmaniaBeachAirViewMtns.jpg

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Fantastic place, Tasmania, we go there often. Next visit in Feb on Rhapsody. Most mainland Aussies would allow 10-12 days to do justice to a Tasmanian holiday. You could divide the state into quarters and go 4 times and still not cover everything. The topography and climate is so vastly different between west and east and north and south. NZ is much the same.

You could just about do that fast speedboat trip on your visit - that would be awesome. I believe that would be Tasman Cruises that you are reffering to that leaves from either Port Arthur or Eaglehawk. You would need to hire a car to get there early enough for the morning cruise or maybe organise a small group tour.

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While we enjoyed Tasmania, we also found another gem in Kangaroo Island. It's not a cruise stop but if you plan on spending some time in Australia, you might want to put it on your itinerary. I have information about it on my Australia travel pages along with lots of pics.

 

I love Australia. Been there 5 times now and would go again in a heartbeat.

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While we enjoyed Tasmania, we also found another gem in Kangaroo Island. It's not a cruise stop but if you plan on spending some time in Australia, you might want to put it on your itinerary. I have information about it on my Australia travel pages along with lots of pics.

I love Australia. Been there 5 times now and would go again in a heartbeat.

 

MMDown Under: Tasmania is special' date=' Terry. You will want to come back and spend more time there. [/quote']

 

Appreciate the follow-up and added good information from cassamanda and the others quote above. We are very aware of how super is Kangaroo Island and would like to do that, along with the Great Barrier Reef, prior to starting our Sydney to Auckland cruise. We'll see how things work and are possible as we get closer to our Feb. 2013 airline booking period.

 

Keep the good info and background rolling along. Very helpful!!

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 107,645 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

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The Volendam visited Burnie and not Hobart. And, initially, I really did not expect much out of this port stop. Well, I was wrong! My tour to Cradle Mountain and Dove Lake showed us beautiful scenery and the clouds cleared just as we got to the Lake/Mountain and we saw it in all its splendor. We stopped at a town called Sheffield which reminded me of the town of Broome on the Australian mainland. Its interesting feature is that many of the buildings have murals painted on them depicting some of the history of the area.

 

If you find any cheese made by the King Island Dairy, a Tasmanian company, be sure to try it, particularly the Brie and the Smoked Cheddar. I have tried to find this cheese in my community and all I get from the cheese managers of the stores I have visited is "why would you want cheese from Tasmania?"

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The Volendam visited Burnie and not Hobart. And, initially, I really did not expect much out of this port stop. Well, I was wrong! My tour to Cradle Mountain and Dove Lake showed us beautiful scenery and the clouds cleared just as we got to the Lake/Mountain and we saw it in all its splendor. We stopped at a town called Sheffield which reminded me of the town of Broome on the Australian mainland. Its interesting feature is that many of the buildings have murals painted on them depicting some of the history of the area.

 

If you find any cheese made by the King Island Dairy, a Tasmanian company, be sure to try it, particularly the Brie and the Smoked Cheddar. I have tried to find this cheese in my community and all I get from the cheese managers of the stores I have visited is "why would you want cheese from Tasmania?"

 

Pleased that you enjoyed your cruise visit to Burnie, northern Tasmania.

Cradle Mountain is possibly Tasmania's No.1 tourist attraction for people who love the outdoors.

 

http://www.kingisland.net.au/

 

King Island is an island north of Tasmania. Some cruises pass this island en route to Melbourne, Victoria.

 

I agree it has the most delicious cheeses, yoghurt, etc. Next time the cheese managers of stores you visit ask, answer "because Tasmania has the world's cleanest air". :)

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Be sunsmart. The air is so clean as is the ozone layer, so remember to use protection against sunburn, even if the weather is cool. Tassie is lovely and the food is now very good too.

 

Super great point on the air being so clean as to create more of a sunburn potential. I have copied and saved your note in my computer file for our Jan. 2014 adventure. Great to read these wonderful comments on this interesting part of the world. Keep the good info flowing!!

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 107,698 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

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