Flying to Southwest Tasmania
Wednesday, 11 May 2016The ‘getting there is half the fun’ line certainly applied to my recent trip to Southwest Tasmania. In both direction. We flew down from Hobart – departing from the smaller Cambridge Airport, just a km or so away from Hobart’s main airport – on a Par Avion Britten Norman Islander. I’ve flown on lots of these neatly utilitarian little twin-engined aircraft over the years. Here’s one of them landing at the Meleleuca airstrip. ▼
▲ Departing from Hobart we were still climbing as we flew directly overhead the city.
◄ We didn’t climb particularly high, here I’m looking across – rather than down – at the iconic (and tough to climb) 1224metre Federation Peak.
After our three days of diving and walking in the Southwest we boarded our Islander to fly back to Hobart. ▼
▲ This time we took a more southerly route, flying just off the dramatic Southwest Coast. The South Coast Track only runs right along the coast in a few places where walkers can trek along the beach. But the country is so dramatic it’s easy to see the walk’s attraction.
▲ Approaching Hobart we saw many circular salmon-farming sea pens. There’s a degree of controversy about the salmon farming business, but there’s no denying it’s a big business. The sheer number of those salmon cages we flew over certainly underlines that.
