Finding John's office the next morning in order to arrange our tour turned out to be a little more difficult than we had expected. At the address we had been given, there appeared to be nothing more than a pharmacy waiting for us on the corner. We went in and wandered around, wondering if we were supposed to go up the stairs at the back of the shop, but suspected that doing so would result in all sorts of people running in our direction thinking we were druggies ...

Getting from Launceston to Hobart, the capital of Tasmania and our final destination in the country, wasn't as simple as you might expect given the usual ease with which backpackers can get around Australia. For a start, Tasmania seems to consider itself to a certain extent to be a separate entity from the rest of the country and has its own companies supplying public transportation - companies which don't seem to be affiliated with the equivalent networks in the...

Cataract Gorge is a good example of somewhere which you will only fully appreciate if you leave the car at home and arrive on foot. This is because the entrance for walkers is positioned at the north end of the gorge where the bridge crosses it and the South Esk River and the Tamar River meet. There is a small car park next to the bridge for a handful of cars, but most people arriving at the gorge by car will drive in through the large purpose built road on the o...

When we arrived at Launceston Airport, the first thing we did was find the familiar bank of phones and cards advertising local accommodation and arrange somewhere to stay for a couple of nights. We settled pretty quickly on the imaginatively named Launceston Backpackers, although to be honest I can't remember whether this was because it particularly stood out from the description and photos on its card or simply because we were tired from our flight and picked so...

The Penguin Parade, for many the highlight of the island, simply has to be seen to be believed. However you look at it, this is one attraction which you are going to tell all your friends about, and it certainly goes on my list of things you must do before you die - but just how far do these people have to go to make a natural wonder such as the march of the penguins on Phillip Island attractive to the Disneyland set? Seen from the air, the site of the Penguin Pa...