Pagoo's Tassie wildlife tip of the day

For those of you responding to Tassie questions a few more gems I picked up this week. I stayed at the Giant's Table Lodge in Maydena ( 16 km from the Mt. Fields Park visitor centre). They have several wild platypus living in ponds and a stream right behing the cabins. The ponds are private- you need to either eat dinner there ( $30 prix fixed and very yummy ) or stay there ( 120-150 for a cabin that sleeps 4-6 people ). But one would almost definitely see platypus except for August-mid October ). I also took 2 night drives on the road in Mt. Fields park, one night I saw 4 Tassie Devils and a spotted quoil, the other night just possums, wallabies and a mouse. I saw a guy with a head-lamp/torch thingy- now that is what I needed !!

Off to the Daintree tonight, sobs at leaving Tassie

I reckon the wild life can be the best part of travelling, as long as it has legs (get enough snakes in my backyard thankyou). When my kids were about 3 and 6 years old, we stayed on Magnetic Island in a little cottage that was the last in the street, beside the bush. We went out in the evening and there were dozens of what looked like baby wallabies, except that they had pouches with their own tiny joeys inside. We went out every night and fed them bread, which of course attracted the possums, but my kids loved it. That was the first time I'd ever seen a koala in the wild, just snoozing in a tree beside the track. We also encountered a cassowary near Mission Beach, standing in the middle of the road. Fortunately we were in a car, they can be dangerous.

<blockquote>Quote<br><hr>I reckon the wild life can be the best part of travelling, as long as it has legs<hr></blockquote>I think in some of the hostels in Airlie Beach, even the legs are optional.<BR><BR>But it sounds great Mr Pagoo - seen more kosher fauna than a lot of dinky di's would have. We loved the Mt Filed NP as well. See if you can find a cassowary up north - fabulous (but dangerous as julie1 notes!). Happy trails!

Oi, Pagoo!

Are you coming back round to finsh your cuppa tea and genuine half-eaten North Hobart Mormon Tabernacle Ladies Guild Lamington? If not would you like me to forward it on in a postpack?

wow! you managed to see a mouse - they are such a rarity!!!!!!!

glad you have enjoyed Tassie, imo it is the best holiday state.

Hi pagoo - thought you may have fallen into a lake or down a waterfall. V v impressed at your (non road-kill) wildlife sightings.

Stay in touch!

So Pagoo, did you really have afternoon with DD? Is he really the grizzled curmudgeon that he comes across as on TT? Or could you possibly not comment on that?

Nice one, julie.

That would be afternoon TEA. God this wine is good.

Yes he did, Julie and I distinctly recall his first words to me post handshake and exchange of grunts on my part at the front door were - Shit! Where's the webbing. And - is that your mother or your sister settled at the hob cooking?

<blockquote>Quote
<hr>So Pagoo, did you really have afternoon with DD? Is he really the grizzled curmudgeon that he comes across as on TT? Or could you possibly not comment on that?<hr></blockquote> I was indeed shocked at his lack of webbing !! And great stories of his days at sea as well. ( Insert any jokes now...) I was impressed that i noticed the mouse on the road at night- maybe smoking doesn't make one go blind as the packs say ( or was that ermm...oh never mind).

Hindsight being 20-20 I wish I had alloted a month for Tassie vs. 18 days, of course now I am going to the Daintree for 6 days and am sure I will regret not having more time there to go on the elusive cassowary. After kicking myself for not bringing my telephoto lens with me ( I only brought a 35mm wide angle lens , leaving the others in Septo-land ) I managed to buy a used Nikon 80-200 zoom in Hobart today for $150 AU, so now I can actually photograph the fauna without waiting for it to be within 20 feet from me. The platypus obligied , and I am sure that the salties would too, but a telephoto may be better for the crocs.

And DD, please do forward the Lamington to me in Port Douglas. Also I heard that pantyhose are usefull for keeping the box jellies from biting, if you still have that spare pair of black fishnets you told me about please forward them as well.

Not the fishnets DD. You promised Lord Downer solemnly (after that team-bulding weekend up the Tamar - remember?) that you would cherish them forever. Now you toss them to any sweet-talkin' snake oilin' Seppo that wonders into North Hobart! Have yo' no style?

Well that's charming, pagoo. You open your door to offer up hospitality in the guise of your best, thrice used Lipton jiggler and your mother's handcrafted Lamingtons and what do you get in return? I'm painted up as a zimmer-frame bound, cross-dressing Popeye.