Scary cliffs

The cliffs at Cape Raoul and Cape Pillar are reputedly the highest in the Southern Hemisphere with dizzying verticality of 300metres.
The track on occasion walks inches from the edge...no Occupational Health and Safety issues out here.
In the top photo you can see rock climbing protection for the more adventurous.

Port Arthur

The feeling in Port Arthur nowadays is not the one of a bustling convict settlement from the 19th and early 20th centuries but is pervaded  by an eeriness, perhaps a reminder of the 1996 massacre, where 35 people were killed and a further 23 more wounded, and act which led to a national ban on semi-automatic shotguns and rifles, thank god.  The killer is serving 35 life sentences plus 1,035 years without parole.

Tessellated pavement

The burnt out forest in the back ground only highlighted the beauty of this aptly named rock formation.

"The pan formation is a series of concave depressions in the rock that typically forms beyond the edge of the seashore. This part of the pavement dries out more at low tide than the portion abutting the seashore, allowing salt crystals to develop further; the surface of the "pans" therefore erodes more quickly than the joints, resulting in increasing concavity.
The loaf formations occur on the parts of the pavement closer to the seashore, which are immersed in water for longer periods of time. These parts of the pavement do not dry out so much, reducing the level of salt crystallisation. Water, carrying abrasive sand, is typically channelled through the joints, causing them to erode faster than the rest of the pavement, leaving loaf-like structures protruding."
Wikipedia

Bush-fires in Dunalley

 The devastation of a bushfire cannot be underestimated...
This was very evident as we drove towards Dunnalley through kilometres of blackened forest...from a fire so hot only ash remained on the ground.

The fire in some areas  had burnt all the way to the sea and we could see people camped by the remnants of what once was their home

The Pub became the hub...and still is. The school, still a hive of re-building activity as we drove to Cape Raoul, and fully functioning with kids back in classes, by the time or our return a mere 3 days later.

Burn out houses like this one scattered throughout the town, filled us with sadness.

Precipitous

The spectacular finale at Cape Raoul looking down the 100s of feet to the seal colony below.

   

Spineless

Whale vertebrae decorate the "conveniences" on the wat to Cape Raoull

The feast of Trimalchio

Check out this extraordinary cinematographic and musical feast!

When you feel gratitude, express it!

Celestial Happenings 2013

Carafe Art

Even the wine carafes are art at "the Source" restaurant where we enjoyed a sumptuous lunch in salubrious settings.

Fiery end to the day.

The fires, a mere 20 kms out of Hobart filled the sky with smoke and a haunting beauty.

Mirrored facade

Love this funky mirrored building entrance reflecting "life as art".

God and his mistress.

Somebody thinks highly of themselves...

Eclectic art collection

 The variety of old and new art at this Tassie highlight, didn't fail to impress, particularly this piece of talking water droplets.

and the pullout out record collection that told spoke of love in100 different ways.

Wooden boat festival

 This amazing wooden viking ship has sailed all the way from Russia traditional wooden pulleys cleats and all...just like the old days.









the other end of the spectrum was this snazzy speedster.

Tall ships

The Tall ships were also busy all weekend funding their journey to tassie by taking the tourists out for a jaunt.

Man of the mountain

These two slog it out over the final 25 metre fore a split second finish after 180 kilometres of gruelling riding along the coast and up Willunga Hill.

The Tour Down Under is Back

A giant bike in the city square highlights all the cycling activities happening in the city for the week of the Tour Down Under. Very exciting.

Australia's next top model

A teenage boy's dream to see while shopping at Chadstone. 100s of hopefuls lined up to be our next long-legged, waif thin, tall (minimum height 5'10", and very famous model.

Ghostly!

Surreal coastal scrub.

Sapphires and sand

Looking along the sapphire coast to Wonboyn.

Spectacular coastline, and incredibly cheap real estate, with the demise of the whaling station and the chip mill. Snap up a coastal bargain today.

Under water patterns

Patterns on the brilliant red rocks in only inches of water look like a modern painter's canvas.

Beautiful Bittangabee Bay

Strolling in the bush

Someone must have got really pissed off with pushing their pram along the bush track so just dumped it!
Luckily there's no sight of a child.

Can't wait for winter.

Andrew's just desperate for the snow, so gave the ski lift ski off a dry, summer, test run.

Recycle your skis

A clever and comfortable rest stop on the top of the Aussie world.