Blog for Friday 30th March, 2012

Every day seems to have a theme, today it was wildlife. When I left Devonport his morning, my intention was to drive to Hobart. The sky was cloudy, there was a little rain; it looked like being a lost day. This should have been my day to visit Dove Lake, but the blanket of cloud over the mountains said otherwise. But, near Deloraine the cloud seemed to lift, so I decided to at least drive towards Dove Lake.

Not long after I committed to the road to Dove Lake via Mole Creek, the cloud closed in and it started to rain. Even so the drive was pretty, and I knew there are caves I could visit at Mole Creek. Shortly before Mole Creek I came upon Trowunna Wildlife Park, with pictures of Tasmanian Devils. Why not, I thought.

Trowunna Wildlife Park is a rather sad place, it's a wildlife rescue park running a quarantined breeding program for Tasmanian Devils. (For those who don't know, Google Tasmanian Devils and read about the disease that is wiping them out).  All the animals and birds at the park are Tasmanian. Of those they have, I saw Mountain Kangaroos, Wombats, Tasmanian Devils, Wedge Tailed Eagles (three in an enclosure!) a range of sad looking caged birds (Magpies, Kookaburras, Owls and white Cockatoos). It really wasn't a happy place, all the birds I saw looked depressed, and one wombat gnawed at a fence post at the gate to its enclosure. Clearly it knew there the exit was, and it wanted out so badly. Poor thing, I wished it to dig a burrow and escape like any self respecting wombat.

Free to roam were Kangaroos and Black Swans, there were also a range of migratory birds, mostly ducks and Cape Baron Geese. The staff were all wonderfully positive and obliging. One young man let me know he was about to feed the Tasmanian Devils; that was something to see. He also told me where to see platypus in the wild.

Two hours was enough of Trowunna, even though they are doing good work breeding Tasmanian Devils. I drove on into Mole Creek, stopped to buy something for dinner, and pushed on to a creek where I was told platypus could be seen. The caves were no longer an interest.

I found the place easily enough, and saw there was a camping ground beside the little creek. I went into the camping ground to look for platypus, and spoke with a few people who said they had seen platypus that morning. That was enough for me, I booked into the caravan park and scored a site right at the edge of the creek.

Everybody here is very friendly, platypus viewing is the only game in town. A fellow traveller spotted a platypus late this afternoon and came to fetch me. Others gathered around, and we took photos of it swimming and diving in the creek. I got a few shots, but nothing fantastic, they're a difficult and well camouflaged subject..

Apparently mornings are best time for seeing the platypuses; there are four of them along the stretch of creek fronting the caravan park. I'll be there tomorrow morning, bright and early.

Mole Creek is a quiet dairying community nestled in a valley surrounded by mountains (The Great Western Tiers). I was warned that my wireless internet wouldn't work, and it's true. This blog entry was written Friday night, and posted Saturday morning at a stop along the road where I got a signal. I'll not post any photos now, but wait until you see tonight's blog...