Spring is here and already it feels very different from the winter hibernation period; the break from the usual buzzing activity that possesses the Rock for most of the year. Last winter I was also on an island, but a remarkably different one. I was adventuring on the opposite side of the world; right around and to the bottom if you spin your finger around a globe: Tasmania. It is difficult to get further away from Malta than that, so I must admit it is not the average quick get-away.

Tasmania enjoys only 30 days of sunshine in a year, and most of them occur during January and February. Because it is found in the southern hemisphere, these are the peak summer months of course, but since Tassie, as it is lovingly known, is so far south, its climate tends towards the constant drizzle, overcast skies and cold temperatures not to mention the snowy winters. Then what is the big attraction?

I flew to Tasmania from Brisbane on the east coast of Australia, although most travellers make the trip across by ferry from Melbourne in the south. The whole island, by bird’s eye view, appeared to be one single clump of forest emerging out of the ocean. The cleared land where men had settled, and either developed or farmed, was a very small percentage, and that also seemed out of place somehow. I also noticed some geometric shapes that were cleared right in the middle of nowhere, which appeared very strange… but I was soon to discover what they were all about.

Like Australia, Tasmania is strewn with Backpackers’ Hostels which provide cheap but clean shared accommodation with cooking facilities, at an average of AU$12-15 per night (about Lm3-4). They usually provide plenty of information and assistance regarding places of interest, work opportunities (mostly in harvesting; for those with a working-holiday visa wishing to subsidise their travels), and are an excellent place to meet other travellers from all over the world.

More upmarket guest-houses and hotels are also available of course, but even while I was on the shuttle bus from the airport to Hobart city centre, I found myself invited by a local chap to feel welcome to spend a night or two at his family’s home if I was passing that way… and I found this mood to prevail among most of the local people I met.

On one occasion, towards the end of my stay in Tasmania, I found myself treated to a much longed for hot bath, complete with candle light, and a tasty pizza straight out of the oven waiting for me as I emerged, to be treated further to a free slide show of the host’s treks in south-west Tassie, which is a lesser frequented area.

Although I had just met the man a couple of hours before, at the Wilderness Society in Hobart, at no time was there a hint of any intention other than pure hospitality, and I was touched by the personal welcome I was given despite being a total stranger.

The treatment I received from several people I met gave me the impression that I was perceived as a much-welcomed guest to their remote corner of the earth, respected and appreciated! It makes all the difference doesn’t it? Not to imply that caution should be dropped altogether…

On first arrival to the city, my first stop was at the Tourist Information Office which could provide me with options on how to spend the 12 days I had available. Keen to get out into the wild, I was toying with the idea of renting a car to drive myself around to experience Tasmania, since public transportation was not very regular and I had little time. I learnt that places of interest were far between, and sometimes a bus would go only twice a week to and from a given place, so I could be stuck there for three days. Although the car-rental was relatively inexpensive, I still could not afford it on my shoe-string budget, so eventually I decided to go a step at a time: 1) find a Backpackers’ for that night, 2) enquire from people, 3) decide what I want, 4) make it happen somehow, whether alone or with some people I might meet… go with the flow!

Within two days, I packed a small bag with some change of clothes, a sleeping bag and a packet of Muesli, and leaving my possessions in custody of the Backpackers’ manager, I hitch-hiked to the Huonville Environment Centre accompanied by an English traveller. By some well-timed coincidences involving a telephone call to a friend of an acquaintance I had met during a New Year’s festival near Brisbane, I had been invited to go on a blockade mission in the Weld Valley, where I was about to experience first hand the “Save Tassie’s Forests” Campaign. Those empty squares in the forest I had seen – they were the result of Tasmania’s unrestrained logging industry.

We drove out to the middle of nowhere and proceeded to stealth walk guerilla-style for four hours, “bush-bashing” at times, to reach the location where for the next three days I would participate in the building of tripods and sits to rest 50 metres up in the trees. These would become the temporary abode for some of the organisers, and the means by which the loggers would be forced into retreating from that part of the forest.

It was a memorable time – living in the most basic of ways in a forest not unlike a scene from The Lord of the Rings, miles from any modern development, with not even a mobile phone connection – an experience which is not readily available to any tourist. By some good fortune, I had the opportunity of learning very closely about how the logging industry had been exploiting such a beautiful natural environment, and helping to stop it.

Tasmania is the home to some of the tallest hardwood trees in the world. More than 400 years old, several trees reach heights up to 85 metres (taller than a 25-storey building) and a base diameter of about 12 metres (about 20 people or more to hold hands around it). These treasures of the earth are bulldozed in favour of the woodchip industry. The replanting projects usually see different species of trees, thereby shifting the ecological balance.

While the Weld is not readily accessible, the famous Styx Forest campaign was on the news for several months in 2003-2004 during a similar blockade mission, and now a base camp remains, with some people, backed by environmental organisations, still running an operation aimed at attracting the public to see for themselves. It is possible to walk around the forest via footpaths designed to minimise the impact on the environment, as well as see the remains from previous felling and burn-offs. One can volunteer to help, and live on-site free of charge in own camping arrangements, while sharing a communal kitchen area and bonfire every night.

I learnt the hard way that despite the warm, even hot days, the nights out in the forest drop to freezing temperatures. I spent three shivering nights in the spectacular Weld, where I made some contacts and got a ride to spend two more in the Styx (thankfully somebody there lent me an extra sleeping bag!)

Back in Hobart I had a wonderful cozy evening with my afore-mentioned hospitable hosts before setting off on another hitch-hiking adventure in the opposite direction, due north on the east coast towards Freycinet National Park and the famous Wineglass Bay.

Fortune had it that I should catch a ride with a friendly German fellow who had just arrived in Tasmania, had three days ahead of him, just rented a car and had no plan whatsoever. The perfect match since I also had three days ahead, and great ideas of how to spend them! We shared a wonderful time in the National Park, which can be accessed for a small fee, although if you intend to visit several of the numerous National Parks, it pays to get a Pass from the Tourist Information Centre for a one-time fee.

One can also find accommodation there, but we both slept in the back of the car, unfettered by the apparent discomfort considering the long mountain treks we undertook, energised by the sheer beauty of the surroundings. I even couldn’t resist a swim in the light blue ocean, cold as it was.

Tasmania is full of delights, although I have experienced but a few. I could have seen more in ten days, but I like to feel places rather than see them, believing that less is more… anyway I could have spent months given the chance! Surely I will return, to continue my magic discovery of this mysterious land of Tasmanian Devils and “the-world’s-most-famous-chocolate” factories. Apart from the attraction to the spirit of the land, I wish to reunite with all those friends I have not yet met.

For more general information about Tasmania visit:

http://www.discovertasmania.com.au/

For more information about National Parks visit:

http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/natparks/

For more information regarding the “Save Tassie’s Forests” campaigns visit:

http://www.wilderness.org.au/regions/tas

http://www.greenpeace.org/international/photosvideos/slideshows/tim-georgeson-photos-of-styx-v

For more information on how to experience the old growth forests visit:

http://www.wilderness.org.au/campaigns/forests/tasmania/styx/styx_walking_guide/