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 The Charming Island of Tasmania |
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| ' The island of Tasmania is generally famous due to Taz, the beloved cartoon character representing a Tasmanian devil. This "devilish creature" is in fact a carnivorous marsupial which lives only in this country. It has the size of a little dog, but still it is quite muscular and chubby, having its fur black with white spots. This animal makes a quite disturbing sound, a sort of screeching growl, and can get pretty loud. Its temperament is considered to be vicious. The cute little creature is in fact nothing but a scavenger. The Tasmanian Devil actually managed to survive the European colonization and was seen as widespread all throughout Tasmania up to this day. Like in the case of many other wild animals, a great danger for them is fast vehicles, many devils being killed in car accidents.
Apart from fast cars, another lethal threat to the life of Tasmanian devils is a strange kind of tumorous disease, spread through the devils' biting each other.
There are some other animals typical for this island. Such is another marsupial called Thylacine. This is quite similar to a wild dog, also resembling the tiger due to its striped back. The animal was also found in Australia but became extinct because there was a competition with the dingo, so the Thylacine did not succeed in making friends with the good old dingo. Because farmers tried to destroy this species, it seems to have been exiled to Tasmania, and exterminated. The last animal known under this name lost its life in 1936.
There are also about 11 species of frogs on the island. Of these eleven, three types can be found solely in Tasmania, like the Tasmanian Tree Frog (Litoria burrowsae), the Tasmanian Froglet (Crinia tasmaniensis) and another species discovered quite recently, Moss Froglet (Bryobatrachus nimbus). All the species of frogs there in fact originate in the mainland. Also, in Tasmania lives the greatest breeding population of Litoria raniformis, also known as the Growling Grass Frogs, which is a rather fragile and vulnerable species.
Apart from its unique animals, there are also many lovely places to see in Tasmania. There are about 19 national parks. An example in this respect is Ben Lomond, a magnificent peak with and imposing cliff area. It is over 1300 meters high. Legges Tor, a summit on this area, stands for the second highest Tasmanian peak. Ben Lomond is in fact the main touristic attraction when it comes to skiing.
Splendor is also to be found in the lovely Cradle Mountain. The wild feeling is pointed out by the combination of colored beaches with the alpine area, where ice-cold streams flow through wild peaks, covered in pine forests, and also glacial lakes to complete the picture.The Cradle Mountain is where the celebrated Overland Track starts, which is an unforgettable 6 day hike through some of the most beautiful mountain areas in the world.
Still another national park is the Maria Island. Here are elements that satisfy the tastes of many. There are some historical ruins, some nice bays, mountains and cliffs together with interesting wild creatures and vegetation. Maria Island can be accessed by ferryboat, and is ideal for those who want to escape civilization and technology. There are no vehicles, no motorcycles, no stores or shops.
An intriguing place there is The Walls of Jerusalem National Park, which is quite far away and cannot be reached by road. Casual visitors have no facilities provided for them, and those who want to go there need to have a good equipment and be familiar with the difficult conditions that can be typical of Tasmanian areas. This area is made up of mountain wild zones with peaks of dolerite and alpine flora.The weather there can get quite unpredictable.
Tasman is an amazingly beautiful place, which makes possible the best walks in the Australian region. The southern part of the national park hosts the most stunning scenery of spectacular cliffs in all the country. There are also rare vegetation elements and marine species in this area.
There are many other surprises for those who want to visit this captivating part of the world. Another great aspect is for sure the character of the island's inhabitants, which are although rather scarce, extremely friendly, peaceful and joyful.
By Claudia Miclaus
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