"Tazzy" Times Two

After criss-crossing the northern end of the "Little Apple" for nearly two weeks, I finally made it to Hobart. Considering the existence of Gould's Country, say three hours northeast of Hobart, I was very pleased to see that my people had branched out and brought the wonders of the bush to the big city. Aside from naturopathica stores, Hobart was home to dozens of other wonderful attractions... or should I say breweries and pubs.

While Cascade Brewery may be the most widely recognized, Hobart definitely has an assortment of delicious local brews that will make you forget the cloudy weather. While I found the Iron House porter (run through the "hopinator" at New Sydney Pub on Bathurst Street) to be particularly pleasing, I am certain others would be satisfied with a stout from Moo Brew or a Pale Ale from Seven Sheds, or perhaps a golden ale from James Squire. Unfortunately, the backpacker budget didn't allow for me to sample all the brews simultaneously (bad for the wallet and the brain). Regardless, I had my fair share, and decided to leave Hobart for fear of things "getting worse."

After the short city stint, it was off to the western wilderness, and Cradle Mountain National Park. Essentially, I got back to rainbow chasing. Found in the most conspicuous places, from Hell's Gates to Dove Lake, they could run, but they couldn't hide.

But rainbows never last. Instead clouds tended to take the sun by surprise, and afford everything below with a thorough drenching. And, it just so happened that one of the best rainstorms occurred while Jessie and I were on the "Face Track" in Cradle Mountain National Park. The trail, if you can even call it that, quickly turned into a brook. Fortunately, Gore-Tex shoes, rain pants, and rain jackets, helped save the day. To keep things simple, the hike was we'll say "strenuous..."

Wiendorfer Tower Cradle Mt. National Park - doing it's best Everest impression.
Emergency Shelter in Cradle Mt. National Park.

Ice and Clouds in Cradle Mt. National Park