Across the Pacific

My final few days in Tassie gave me the chance to visit the old penal colony of Port Arthur and Bruny Island - yet more pristine beaches. Also some more good food and wine, though I reckon Launceston was better than Hobart for food.

Arrived in Buenos Aires at 10am Monday morning (having left Sydney at 11am Monday). Airport was slow with immigration, money changing and waiting for taxi but everything worked fine. A quick look round BA that afternoon and the following day included a visit to some subterranean discoveries made under an old house in the city. This was very interesting and very different from the usual type of museum.

Then my 17hour bus journey to Iguazu to view the waterfalls. The bus (first class - there are 3 types of bus) provided a seat which converted to a fully flat bed and food (basic airline standard but OK) and wine also provided. Worth doing for the experience but would not want to do it too often. When I went to pick up my ticket I initially went to the wrong counter (1 of over 200 counters at the long distance bus station - which has about 80 platforms). This was the international counter and I saw they offer services to place as far afield as Lima!





Arriving just after midday in the pouring rain I did not bother with the falls that day but the next day took a tour to the Brazilian side. That started with a visit to the world's second biggest hydro-electric scheme (recently knocked off number one by China's Three Gorges). This straddles the border between Brazil and Paraguay and the plant is accessed from Paraguay - which is noticeably third world as you drive across the border from Brazil. It supplies 25% of Brazil's power and 80% or more of Paraguay's.


Then to the falls - very spectacular and the previous few days rain had added to their power. Also quite a bit of wildlife including racoons and an anteater to be seen on the path.





The next day I did the Argentinian side before returning to BA. By now the weather was sunnier though with a lot of spray and mist in the air this was not always apparent. Saw turtles, caymen, iguanas and lots of birds as well as more butterflies than I've ever seen. Many different varieties and hundreds at a time in places.




I fly south to El Calfate tomorrow and it sound as if it's going to be cold - max about 10 and min around zero for the next few days, but it is 2000km south of here so guess it's a bit like flying from Scotland to the north of Norway.

Tasmania

After a few days visiting friends in Melbourne and Ballarat I headed south to Tasmania where I've been busy hence the delay in getting blog updated.






Tassie is a great island with lots of superb walking. I started with a 2-day trip in the Freycinet National Park. I walked into Cook's Beach, camping there amongst very tame wallabies and annoying possums. I'd carefully put all food in my (very small) tent overnight but that did not stop the possum taking the loo roll out of the vestibule. I heard the rustling and managed to retrieve it.

The return route took me over Mt Graham (a mere 569m but great viewpoint) to the famous Wineglass Bay. The weather was perfect blue skies.

The following day I paid a short visit to the Bay of Fires, further up the east coast, with more beautiful white beaches. Not quite swimming temperatures yet, especially with a cool wind.

I returned to Launceston, Tassie's second biggest city and got things sorted out for the Overland Track. This is a walk of around six days and is rated as one of the top walks in the world, which it proved to be.

The actual walk is around 80km, but there are plenty of side trips which is why it normally takes six days. There are huts along the way though you are advised to take a tent in case these are full or you are caught out by the weather. Most of the huts are quite small, sleeping about 12-16 and fairly basic though comfortable; no sleeping mats, just sleeping platforms/bunks. From 1st November you have to book (and pay $160 - £90) to do the walk so leaving on 28 October as I did made it quite a popular start date.



The weather remained good for the start of the walk but cloud was beginning to come in so not quite so good for photos, though most of the time it was execllent walking weather. Just one day when there was light rain for a few hours, until the final night (when I was camping) when it poured most of the night.

With the combination of cloud to restrict views at times and quite a lot of soft snow on boulder fields on higher peaks I did not end up actually getting to the summit of either Cradle Mountain or Mt Ossa. However I did get some extra time to divert to Pine Valley and visit an area of lakes known as The Labyrinth.

Overall a great week. I am now in Hobart seeing some local sights, and even came across an evening orienteering event by pure chance. I think it's the first time I've been round a course in jeans!