Tasmanian Devils

It’s been a very busy few days, so I’m far behind and this will hopefully be the first of two or three entries today! 

Thursday brings us to Hobart - another beautiful harbour. We spent Christmas in Tasmania four years ago, and fell in love with this gorgeous island state. Much as we loved it, we had never considered a return visit, but Silver Muse’s first port of call allows just that. 

The weather’s beautiful for our sail-in, flat calm waters, sunshine and majestic Mount Wellington clear of clouds - though fluffy white cumulous tower above adding to the beauty. 

We opt for a ‘Story Teller’ walk this afternoon; we’re familiar with Hobart of course, but this small walking tour with our animated guide (ex-teacher - we’re always pretty good at telling stories!) focuses on bringing the city’s history to life - the boy of convict stock who ended up running the IXL jam factory - now the hotel we stayed in on our last visit (IXL - I excel - being his motto for life! ); the depressions in the sandstone wall of city hall where the abattoir workers would sharpen their knives….. And we all carry low-tec View Masters with reels of old photos so we can see what each place looked like in the past - surprisingly effective! 

As this is an overnight stop, I’ve opted for a nocturnal tour of one of Tasmania’s wildlife sanctuaries - Bonarong. We’ve visited previously, so G opts to stay on ship, but I’m keen to get some good shots of the Tasmanian Devils which are more likely to be active at dusk. 

There are only about thirty of us who have the whole sanctuary to ourselves, guided around by delightful animal keepers who introduce us to the various creatures and explain the work done by Bonorong. Primarily, it is a rescue centre, dealing with injured wildlife and aiming to get as many as possible back out into their natural environment. The animals that remain here are those whose injuries mean this would be impossible. 

We are allowed to feed the kangaroos who are delightful - soft and gentle, taking food from the outstretched palms of our hands. A magical moment comes when one approaches me and places her paws on my arm while she eats from my hand - such a lovely encounter. 

There’s much to see amongst this hillside setting as the sun goes down and the sky turns to gold. There’s a large flock of incredibly noisy cockatoos wheeling around the gum trees, and there’s a lovely sighting of a lone kookaburra perched nearby. 

But it’s the Devils I’m really interested in - decidedly cute until you see those teeth!