AUSTRALIA
T
o understand Tasmania, you must
first understand its past. Its
geological history is a complex
one, involving the world’s largest
exposure of Jurassic dolerite and
prehistoric glaciers, whipped and ground
into shape by fierce westerly winds and
monstrous waves. The results, however, are
stunning – the Painted Cliffs of Maria Island
with their mesmerising iron-oxide bands of
red, orange and yellow; the staggering
columns of Cape Raoul whose knife-edged
cliffs seem to jut violently from the seabed;
and the polished calm of Dove Lake
juxtaposed against the untamed peaks of
Cradle Mountain.
Then came its colonial era. For much of
the 19th century, Tasmania was known as
Van Diemen’s Land, a name whispered in
fear for its reputation as a notorious prison,
filled with Britain’s least desirables, sent to
serve out their sentence as far away from the
motherland as possible. Tasmanian society
today, you’ll find, is far a far cry from its
torrid past. Now it is filled with enterprising
farmers, ardent conservationists, and jolly
good folk who love their land – and love
sharing its bounty. From award-winning
micro-distilleries and the freshest and
cleanest seafood in the region, to its
endearing local critters and spellbinding
auroras, Tasmania is a no-brainer addition
for your bucket list.
SAVAGE BEAUTY
It was a love story for the ages. In 1906,
Gustav Weindorfer fell in love with and
married Kate Cowle, who was a botanist
and 11 years his senior. They discovered
Dove Lake and Cradle Mountain, and
together with Gustav’s partner Charlie
Sutton, spent the rest of their lives
fighting to make the area a national park
for all to enjoy. In 1922 his lifetime vision
finally came true when the 158,000 acres
from Cradle Mountain to Lake St. Clair
were declared a Scenic Reserve and
Wildlife Sanctuary. His accomplishment,
however, was marked with tragedy, as
Kate passed away in 1916, the same year
Gustav lost successively lost his mother,
brother and father. Gustav himself died of
heart attack in 1932 while starting up his
motorcycle one morning.
Cradle Mountain is so named because
the silhouette of its peaks seems to form an
image of a baby in its cradle. Gustav and
Kate never had any children of their own.