10/21 - The Drive, a Platypus Walk, and Wooden Boats

10/21/2012 - We extended the drive we did recently and headed down and around the coast.  Weather still 'off and on' to start.

The entire drive... went south from Blackman's Bay to start

We got to a little town called Cygnet and they were having a "Saturday Market".  We bought some herbed goat cheese right from the farmer for 'nibbles' this afternoon.  






The drive to the Hastings Cave Visitor Center was quite muddy and steep... it wouldn't have been bad without the rain, but it made the car a tad slippery.




We missed the cave tour, dang it, but the ranger said we might be able to see a platypus in the stream next to the walkway - so we went on the Platypus walk.

No platypus so far so we also did the Hot Springs Circuit to see if we might catch sight of one on that path.  The springs in the area are warm, but not like Yellowstone.

Fascinating art work

Very Large Gum tree (Eucalyptus)

The platypus never got the memo that we were going to be coming by for a visit.  The plaque marks the spot they favor, but no sign today.

So the ranger took out the stuffed platypus and let Lee hold it.  The bill is fleshy, not hard.

Fascinating fact, the males have sturdy spur on the back legs that inject Venom.  So the platypus is a venomous, egg laying mammal!

We headed back up the road to Huonville.  We were going to do the Tahune Forest Airwalk except that the visitors center was at the end of a 26 kilometer unpaved road and it was pouting down rain... We have to save that for another visit.

So we stopped at the Wooden Boat Center where they have a small museum and give classes on boat building.

The wood that is best for boats is the Huon Pine since water doesn't affect it and bugs hate it.  Problem is that the pine grows very slowly and it was almost logged out of existence.

Blackwood is also good for boats; however, its' dust particles have tiny barbs so it almost acts like asbestos - once in your lungs, it digs in and in.   The wood is gorgeous.

The boat in these 3 pictures has an interesting interior... this wood is planed pieces of an aqueduct that was dismantled in Strahan, Tasmania.  Re-purposing wood is great and this will be a beautiful boat.











This is one of the student creations... seems like this is the same wood.  









They do other work on boats, too, like working on the set of batteries in this boat.

Our tour guide carved this after visiting Seattle and seeing Gary Larson's cartoons.

This was yet another fascinating day in Tassie.