Wheelchair Holidays : Tasmania

Wheelchair Accessible Tasmania

Just ten years before Dutch settlers landed at the Cape Of Good Hope one of their countrymen, a navigator named Abel Tasman, sited the rugged west coast of what he then named ¯Van Diemenês Land². It took another 156 years before that island was circumnavigated, and yet another five before it was colonised by the British. Itês later role as a penal colony so tainted the island that, when the last prisoners were released, it was renamed Tasmania, in recognition of the navigator.

My wife and I tackled Tasmania with only two expectations, that it was both rural and scenic . . . and turned out to be correct on both counts. It also came with a reputation for inclement weather, but that always appears to be a gamble in places of great beauty! Much like mainland Australia, it is a deceptively large island. At the time of our landing in Hobart from Melbourne a story was doing the rounds of two intrepid tourists who arrived at the airport armed with mountainbikes, intent on ¯just cycling around the island². They were quickly encouraged to trade in their pedals for a hire car! We realised that ¯Tassie² was going to be different when we were ushered from the arrivals room to collect our case from a large pile heaped on a trolley off the tarmac.

Hobart makes a good base from which to make a variety of day trips. The shortest is up Mt. Washington with its wonderful views of Hobart and surrounds. On a clear day you can almost see forever and it provided a great scene setter, putting the area, with its many inlets, bays and peninsulas into perspective. Our next route was down the Tasman Peninsula to Port Arthur and its infamous penal colony museum. It is a large rambling complex incorporating a central exhibition hall, walking tours through the dungeons and cells, and a boat ride around the islands. Along the way be sure to look out for the ¯tessellated pavements², a fascinating volcanic creation resembling some enormous tiled floor reaching into the sea. South of Hobart is Hastings which offers access to the southern-most tip of the sub-continent, forest boardwalks, and hot springs. It was during this drive down through the fruit growing Huon Valley en-route to Hastings that we encountered the ¯honesty box² system. These are un-manned stalls, on the roadside, stocked with local fruit where you deposit your money in a tin can, and take your bag of apples, relying entirely on you to transact the deal honestly. Itês a throwback to times gone by and incredibly refreshing to see. If wildlife is on your agenda then north of Hobart is the Bonerong Animal Park where you can see emus, koalas, possums and wombats, feed the wallabies and kangaroos, and best leave the tasmanian devil to go about his bad tempered business! The Tasmanian koalas are amongst the largest in Australia, often growing to double the weight of their northern cousins. If the Hobart eveningês are warm and calm you canêt do better than to take a long walk around Hobartês harbour front, and enjoying fish €n chips in a cone and a glass of wine whilst sitting on the edge of Elizabeth Pier.

The Lyell Highway out of Hobart is the only road leading into the western portion of Tasmania. It takes one deep into a rain-forested land largely untouched by man. Steeped in controversy over the use, and abuse, of natural resources, it is now a huge World Heritage Area. Mt.Fields NP and its Russell Falls was our first stop, presenting a fascinating landscape, with the dark, damp ferns and falls in the valley contrasting sharply with the short, snow-stunted trees and clear mountain lakes of the mountaintop. Further down the road is Lake St.Clair which was particularly beautiful and peaceful, helped by there being so few people around. Indeed we almost felt like intruders when we disturbed a gentleman who was quietly reading a book down at the lakeês shore. It was classic chocolate box stuff, with crystal clear lake waters, tree lined shores and blue skies! We should have overnighted there, but we had a room waiting for us in Queenstown so we pressed on. The drive into Queenstown is spectacular, not because of the town, but because you come out of the pristine forests into the manmade desolation of a mining town. The surrounding lands have been deforested, polluted and poisoned to the point where Queenstown markets itself as an example of manês mismanagement of natural resources!

The drive into Queenstown serves as an excellent model of the Tassie winding roads, with a fabled 99 bends leading into the town. Our bed might have been in Queenstown, but our destination was the picturesque seaside village of Strahan and the famous Gordon River Cruise. This daylong ferry ride in this Franklin-Gordon Wilderness NP takes one out to the sea mouth, up the river basin, and into the upper reaches of the river. It is a must do, and includes two stop-offs to walk a boardwalk into the forest and tour one of the islands. On your return to Strahan we took time out to stretch our river legs on a forest walk just off the Peopleês Park on the edge of the town. Strahan has a couple of brilliant little restaurants overlooking the quaint harbour, and what better way to end a unique day than over a glass of wine and seafood pasta with the sun setting over the Gordon River basin!

The drive north took us into the Cradle Mountain region, which is linked to Lake St.Clair to form a vast national park. Busy by Tassie standards (meaning that there were a couple of dozen cars!) it offers something of everything for lovers of fresh mountain air. The lake, rivers and waterfalls can be appreciated via casual boardwalk strolls, or the serious backpackers can don their gear and head for the three day Overland Track. The region is also an attraction for trout fisherpersons thanks to its icy cold mountain rivers.

Although Tasmania forms part of Australia, it really is a world apart. It has a farming community feel, serious about their daily business, but relaxed, with little desire for designer brand clothing, and the only people talking on cellphones are the tourists. This culture makes Tasmanians the source of a good deal of ¯mainland² jibes, but they need not worry, theirs is an enviable lifestyle in a beautiful landscape.

We allocated seven days to Tassie in February, we should have given it ten. The reasons for this are twofold . . . one that Tasmania is something of a hidden treasure for those seeking a scenic destination, and two, that the travelling times are deceptive. The latter is unusual, and therefore worthy of an explanation . . . your travelling time between centres should not be calculated using the mileage and roadspeed since they twist and turn so much. The speed restrictions are higher than the actual possible road speed! In short, there is a lot to see, and it takes a while to do it. Our clockwise journey clocked up over 1600km on the hire car, allocating three nights to Hobart (Best Western Valley Lodge), two to Queenstown/Strahan (Flagês Westcoaster Motor Inn), two to Launceston (Flagês Balmoral Motor Inn), and one more to Hobart before flying out . . . we should have overnighted in Russell Falls, Lake St.Claire, and Cradle Mtn. Next time. š

Hilton is permanently based in a wheelchair through spinal muscular atrophy. Together, Hilton and his wife have repeatedly proved that travelling in a wheelchair need neither be daunting, nor limiting, and hope their experiences will be of benefit to anyone who is may be planning such a tour.š

Reproduced with kind permission of Hilton Purvis
P O Box 371,
Noordhoek, 7979,
South Africa.

Wheelchair Holidays : Tasmania