Our good mates at Arthur River Cruises have just launched a new website with some great new photos of the cruise.

Whenever we have family or friends here we always get them a booking and they just love it.

You can check them out at Arthur River Cruises.

There are usually all sorts of animal footprints in the sand – usually wallabies and birds.

We came across an interesting set of prints which I reckon belong to a Tasmanian Devil.

Like the rest of us the little devil was probably interested in the bits and pieces that get washed up along the waters edge.

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!

He runs a 30 minute flight that explores Stanley peninsula and off-shore islands, the wind farm and the historic Woolnorth property.

You can arrange a longer trip that goes over the Tarkine wilderness.

To keep costs down to can always get a group together.

These flights are available during the best conditions from November to June.

If you are interested you can call Chris or Janette on 03 645-81350 or email helitours@beachsideretreat.com.

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.

To find out about cruise times or how to book go to Stanley Seal Cruises.

For some more great seal photos you can also visit Monsura’s blog The Nature of Tasmania.

Australian Fur Seal photo by John Catsoulis, Wikimedia Commons

In the meantime treat yourself to this virtual tour of the Arthur River and the Tarkine Wilderness.

Tasmanian Devil

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.

The Swift Parrot

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.

MV George Robinson

The folks at MV George Robinson are now on their winter break.  They will be back on board around the beginning of September.

If you are planning a trip to the Arthur River or the Tarkine region in the Spring I can recommend booking yourself on the cruise.  It is a relaxing way to pass the morning and see the Arthur River as well as the Tarkine forrest.

It is also a chance to meet some of our delightful local personalities and hear a few amusing stories. Any time I have friends or family visiting I make sure they fit a cruise into their holiday plans.

You can find out more at Arthur River Cruises.