Well then, Tasmania. The Island is like nothing else I have seen and I love it! I arrived on the 19th Feb and toured the capital of Hobart which is a charming port town nestled on the Derwent River estuary. The next day I went on the Cadburys chocolate tour which has been the best smelling yet and I was pretty hungry walking round and with no tasters I had to wait for the freebies at the end.

Next day I made way in my car (Merv Landor the Mitsubisi Lancer) to Port Arthur on the South East tip of Tasmania. This is an old convict settlement which was open to Britains scum from 1833 to 1877 and the place was fascinating to see how convicts in the Victorian era were transported to this new land, punished and put to work. It was nothing short of staggering how bad it would have been to live there and no-one successfully escaped the place.

That night I went on a ghost tour round the place and boy does it all change at night! All the building take on a new spooky personality and even though the ghost stories were a load of bull it was strange to see the place at night.

Next day I made my way to my first hiking location of the Mt Field National park which about 2hrs west of Hobart but before I did I had a little run in with a furry animal. as I left Port Aurthur a rabbit jumped out in front of me, I swirved in time and looking in my rear view I would see this black this rolling up the road as it got caught in my slip stream. After a few seconds it picked itself up, hoped to the verge and back out into the road for its next thrill!

I arrived in a little place called Maydena just outside the national park for the night and as I has a walk round there was not a sound to be heard. Total silence which is nothing I have ever encountered. Bliss.

Next day was a big day as it included a hike up a mountain and a drive to Strahan. The hike was brilliant and saw a whole heap of wildlife including a Bennetts Wallaby, a pink chested robin and a Platypus. The view from the top was also brilliant and well worth the steep climb up.

After a run down and food I made the most challenging road trip of my life to Strahan. The roads winded through dense mountain ranged and woodland and took 4hrs to do. At the end I was so mentally and physically drained I went straight to bed.

Next morning I got up for a cruise on the Gordan river and this was one I was looking forward to as it meant no driving! The area around Strahan like everything else in Tas was amazing and we visited another old convict settlement on the little Sarah Island in the estuary area. This place closed on the opening of Port Arthur and boy were the convicts happy about that! This place was no picnic by any means and life was hard, brutally hard. After this we set off down the river to look at the dense forests that engulf the area. The cruise was a real rest me and really enjoyable and relaxing and set me up for my trip the next day up to the far north of the island to the industrial cirty of Burnie.

In Burnie there isnt a whole heap of stuff to do but there are some nice natural area to explore and I thought was a good time to get my car dirty by going onto the unsealed roads. Great fun! I also paid a visit to the local cheese factory for some free cheese.

Yesterday I headed to Tas's second gateway of Devonport where the ferry stops. THe small city is a nice place and ideal to make journeys to the rest of the island which for me is to Cradle Mountain. I had a walk round the city and watched a film in the local cinema. Nothing straining. Today I'm going to look round the area here before heading to Cradle Mountain and do another big walk into the wilderness.

Well that is me up to date and I'd like to thank everyone who has left me messages and comments on here. Its good to hear from everyone and what they think so keep em coming!