Tassie Devil auditions for The Blair Witch Project 2
Here’s a spooky photo of a Tassie Devil taken by night vision cameras at the Devil Island facility at Bicheno.
Devil Island was opened 16 months ago as another measure to protect the endangered species against the deadly facial tumour disease.
Our devils have been battling Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD) – a fatal condition, characterised by cancers around the mouth and head.
The night vision cameras have shown that the devils are adjusting well and behaving as they would in the wild – which is good news for the breeding program.
The night vision is also being used to monitor the devils’ health and see who is expecting babies.
Devils have a three week gestation and usually two to three survive in each litter.
So here’s hoping all efforts will keep the devils around for generations to come.
Tonight I saw local personalities Mouse and K.G. who run the Arthur River cruise boat MV George Robinson.
They told me that weather permitting they will be back from their winter break next Monday.
I recommend the cruise to guests staying with us. It is a really lovely way to spend a morning and see the beautiful Takine wilderness.
The cruise is a also a must for animal lovers. On the George Robinson you might see platypus, kingfishers, or a host of other bird life as well as sea eagles.
I think the sea eagles are very special. They are wild and nest on the bank of the river. They have been fed tidbits from the vessel for the last twenty-five years.
The cruise departs Arthur River just near the bridge at 10am daily. It returns at 3:00 pm. A short guided walk in the forest and a barb-b-que lunch is part of the cruise experience.
To book your seat here is a link to the George Robinson Booking Page. Tell them Sally says hi!
The Parks and Wildlife Association estimate there to be about 80,000 seals off the coast of Tasmania.
You can check out some of our own local seals by taking a cruise on the Sylvia C from Stanley.
Between 150 – 600 seals can be seen during the cruise playing in the water or sunbaking on rocks. On occasions Bottlenose Dolphins will also make an appearance.
The Australian fur seals living at Bull Rock make the top four rare seals of the world. This makes them pretty special and they are well worth the visit.
On the seal cruise you will also see some of the feathered locals including Crested Terns, Blackface Cormorants, Pacific Gulls.
The seal cruise leaves from the pontoon at the fisherman’s dock at the wharf in Stanley.
It lasts abou 80 minutes and also takes in spectacular views of the Stanley Nut, the township of Stanley, the old burial ground and Godfrey’s Beach.
I just came across this promotional video for the folks over at Tarkine Trails. They have done a lovely job showing off the neighbourhood. You can check out their website atTarkine Trails
In the meantime treat yourself to this virtual tour of the Arthur River and the Tarkine Wilderness.
The Tarkine is an important habitat for the Tasmanian Devil, particularly now that an epidemic of viral cancer has hit some populations particularly in Eastern Tasmania.
It is good news that the local Tasmanian Devils in the Tarkine continue to be healthy and unaffected by the disease.
Devils are cute and pretty timid. To get a good look at one of them, I recommend that you book yourself on the Kingsrun Devil Tour.
In the meantime I think you should check out this very dramatic video I found on youtube. It’s more like a horror movie trailer – The Bite of The Devil.
Tasmanian Devil photo courtesy of jamesstrewart at Flickr Creative Commons.
It is not surprising that a wilderness as wild and magnificent as the Tarkine is an important habitat for birds.
This is especially true as the Tarkine offers our feathered friends a fantastic choice of landscapes, treescapes and places to forage.
Tarkine is home, at various times, to more than 130 different species of birds, throughout its variety of habitat types and landscapes. This includes eleven of Tasmania’s twelve endemic birds. The two migratory species that breed only in Tasmania, the Swift Parrot, and the Orange-bellied Parrot, forage in the Tarkine. The latter, a critically endangered species, breeds in south-west Tasmania but migrates along the west coast and forages on coastal plants. Consequently the Tarkine’s coastal vegetation is extremely important habitat. The endangered Swift Parrot breeds predominantly in south-east Tasmania and feeds on the nectar from the Tasmanian Blue Gum, and in the Tarkine, the Swift Parrot forages on these trees during the post-breeding dispersal and migration season. Tarkine National Coalition
If you are a bird lover, I recommend you visit the Tarkine National Coalition website for a full run down on the important role the Tarkine plays in the lives of many of Tasmania’s most endangered birds.
For more information and photos of Tasmania’s birds visit Alan Fletcher’s wonderful blog Birds of Tasmania.
Swift Parrot photo courtesy of ianmichaelthomas at Flickr Creative Commons.
I just came across a review of the National Australian Wave Sailing Titles that was run in Tasmania’s north west beaches back in February.
All week saw Marrawah bathed in sun with little to no swell (shoulder to head high); however, spirits were still high as there was always plenty to do; surfing, diving, SUP boarding, four wheel driving, beach volleyball, ultimate frisbee, table tennis -the list goes on and on. Oh! Did I mention the pub! The sponsors and organisers had done a fantastic job, every night there was a social event to go to, be it the local bands, Nationals table tennis tournament, a huge spit roast and crayfish night or just a gathering of friends for a few quiet drinks.
If you would like to read more about the titles and see some more great action shots go to Tim’s blog at Word On The Beach.
Sally Collins has worked on fishing boats as a cook, driven a road train and built a couple of houses. She has bush walked half of Tasmania.
Dan Sutton is an Agronomist for Northwest Tasmania. Dan is keen diver, snorkler, fisherman (and local snooker champion, so don't be caught out).
Dan and Sally have two boys, Bronsen and Hunter and a baby girl Hannah.
If you are looking for an adventure during your holiday you might consider taking a helicopter tour of the Tarkine region with Tom at Heli-Tours.
The Parks and Wildlife Association estimate there to be about 80,000 seals off the coast of Tasmania.
