At OUR age, getting high usually means getting to the top of a mountain, using whatever means available to us. But admit it, the title got your attention.
And, to be honest, some of the scenery we encountered around Cradle Mountain reminded me a bit of a different kind of trip that I took in my youth. No passport required.
We were warned that Cradle Mountain temperatures could be in the 30’s (that’s F, not C) with the possibility of snow.
We were not misled!
A trip with so much variation in temperature demanded that we make hard packing choices. Do I bring my waterproof hiking boots or my Keen Sandals? I didn’t want to lug one while wearing the other. My decision? The snow and cold weather should only last a day or two, so I decided that my keens, fortified with two pairs of wool socks and hotel provided shower caps would do the trick, and they did!
I’m pleased to report that my feet remained warm and dry during all of our treks. I WAS going to bring my silk long underwear, but forgot it but two pairs of pants worked quite well. As Laura, our Patagonia guide, stated, “There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing choices”.
We hiked to the top of that white rock in the distance, then down to the water’s edge. The views were spectacular!
We also earned bragging rights for “experiencing” one of the great walks on this planet: The Overland Trail. Well, at least we posed by the sign…
Our final Tasmanian destination was Launceston, where we visited The Platypus House, Seahorse World and Cataract Gorge.
The platypus were smaller than I expected and challenging to photograph, so I resorted to video. The echidna, however, were quite fearless and were content to waddle among us.
I had mistakenly thought that after visiting the wonderful Aquarium in Monterey, I wouldn’t be impressed with Seahorse world, but I was wrong. Seahorse World breeds and supplies these wonderful creatures to aquariums throughout the world.
But my favorite was this Sea Dragon.
We will be boarding our flight to Melbourne shortly, so I only have time to upload a shot or two of Cataract Gorge taken during our hike, before we say goodbye to beautiful Tasmania.
No time to proofread for typos!
Destination NOW 
Did you see all the wombat poo on the Trail? Where is there is wombat poo, there are wombats close by – a lot of them! We lucked out on our visit to Cradle Man – it was just rainy and cool – no snow. You could hardly see the mountain, but we did catch a few glimpses! Hubs and I totally loved Tasmania (we were there for 5 nights) and really want to go back! The wine there was AMAZING!! Can’t wait to hear about the rest of the trip!
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I did indeed see wombat droppings and was quite fascinated by their rectangular shape. One of the gift shops sold chocolates shaped like wombat droppings. Had we not been traveling to warmer areas I would have bought a package for the little girls in my life. I loved Tasmania too, however I don’t know that I would endure another flight to go back. I’ll have to be happy with my memories and photos.
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So much smarter to layer up for one or two circumstances rather than pack additional clothes that will weigh you down for the rest of the trip. That sea dragon is fantastic… they are currently featured at our local aquarium. I could sit and watch them for hours.
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We are heading into the very hot areas next. I don’t know about you, but it seems like my body isn’t the only thing that gains weight as we travel. It was hard stuffing everything into my luggage tonight.
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