We were coming back from a walk to the Alum Cliffs close to the Western Tiers. In the forest we were protected from the winds. It was beautiful, warm almost; there were wallabies in the bush, and jaw-dropping views down into the Mersey valley. Back at the carpark, the wind blew so hard that it was difficult to open the car door. We wanted to try another walk but the wind had us hurry back into the car. At that stage of our time in Tasmania, we still thought that this would be an exception.
We arrived in the middle of November with summer supposed to start in December. Instead we had the coldest days in 50 years. Snow on Mt Wellington, snow on Cradle Mountain, and on the Western Tiers. Even locals were shaking their heads. Last December, they were walking around in shorts and t-shirts we were told.
Rugged up with thermals and rain jackets, we spent quite a lot of time in coffee shops just to escape the dark rain clouds, the sudden hail, the driving wind. In Ulverstone we ended up at Crusty’s Bakery where we had pies. See the Christmas decorations in the window? In Queensland where we used to live, Christmas was in the middle of the never-ending summer.
In Penguin on a particularly dark and wet day, we found a whole market under cover in halls, similar to the Fremantle Market. It was great fun exploring the stalls and listening to the live music.
Even Harry Manx mentioned the weather in his concert in Ulverstone. Tasmania was a really nice place. Maybe he would come back in summer.
What’s good about Tasmanian weather, though, it’s changing constantly. It can be sunny, hot, cold, windy, and rainy all in one day. And when the punishing wind stops, it is such a relief. You welcome any little bit of warm and/or sunny weather as if it is your long lost friend. You are in heaven.
Liz Mike Travels 