Australia and Oceania

My Team, Papuasia

Pictures:

Papua_2009__my_Team_1.jpg — (2.48 mb)

Well, mosquitoes... You know...

Pictures:

_____________________.._1.jpg — (2.67 mb)

Only the hand of the ambassador trembled,
I was issued a visa
, I fly to faraway lands,
Tasmania is calling now.
Today, November 20, 2011, I'm opening the familiar weather site in Australia again. For tomorrow, they broadcast quite warm weather and some drizzly. I look up the translation of an unknown word in the dictionary and get upset, because it rains so often there. And there's still some drizzle? Where am I going? But nothing has been decided yet, all the documents for a visa are at the Australian Embassy, and I may be refused to receive it. With bitterness in my heart, I close the site, but my thoughts still draw colorful pictures of an unknown island.
The list of documents for visiting Australia is impressive: photos of a strictly defined size, a certificate from the place of work ( with translation), a trip plan ( with translation), all the necessary reservations , a bank account at the rate of 200 CU per person per day. I was planning a trip for 25 days, and I deposited about 7,000 Yandex units into the account, more than was required for the trip ( in order to prove my financial worth to the embassy). And in order to convince the embassy that I do not plan to stay in Australia, I attached photocopies of documents for existing real estate to the above-mentioned pieces of paper. But the trip had to take place anyway, and to top it all off, I provided the embassy with my best photos of previous trips to exotic countries.
Everything was packed and laid up in the embassy for the third week. My phone was still silent. I almost lost hope when suddenly, on November 26, I got a call and a man's voice told me that my visa was ready and I could collect my documents. I was thrilled! All that remained was to buy a ticket.

He lives everywhere, lives in silence
And calls to visit deep into his wilderness.
He will light a fire and pour tea,
and he will certainly find a clearing to sleep in.
And in the morning he will wake up with water from the stream
, He will hurry along the paths of animals,
And there would be such grace forever,
Thank you-Forest Man!
…... dedicated to the still-living Tasmanian forest.
Moscow-Urumqi-Guangzhou-Melbourne-Hobart-Southwest rainforest of Tasmania such a difficult journey was waiting for me. And now our plane touches the runway. I'm in Melbourne. All around you can hear a peculiar English speech with a hard accent. I don't really understand anything, I'm trying to tune in to a new wave. I go through a rather humiliating search, if you can call it that (in our understanding, this is a search). The officer empties the entire contents of my luggage onto the table. Asks what it is, what it is. I'm responding. First of all, the generator is checked. The inspector is shocked ( apparently this is the first time he sees a tourist with a generator, and even in disassembled form). / What is it? / he asks in surprise. I explain to him that I am a tourist, I live in a tent in the forest, and I need a generator to charge my phone, batteries for my camera, and cook food. He drags it to the examination table, and like a skilled gynecologist inserts a device into all the available slots of my generator, while peering at the monitor screen. He turns the generator, turns it around, runs it through the CT scanner, calls for another specialist, but finds nothing, and finally returns it to me. The officer's face shows an unpleasant expression of disgust. I don't pay any attention as I calmly pack the checked items back into my backpack. The first test was completed successfully. I'm waiting to board the last flight to Tasmania.
Melbourne to Hobart is an hour away in summer. And here I am at the goal. Welcome to Hobart, the capital of Australia's southernmost state. I leave the baggage claim hall and immediately look around for the coveted word Rentals Car.Fortunately, there are many such companies. I run to the first company I see. I ask what it costs how much. Prices are quite high ( compared to the whole of Southeast Asia). Everything seems to be fine, to hell with these prices. I collect my luggage and return to complete the dialog with one of the selected companies. I'm about to negotiate a lease, when I suddenly discover one very unpleasant circumstance. All these ugly companies charge for car rental only through a credit card, which I don't have. I try to persuade him, but in vain. This is popadalovo. I'm desperate.
You need to go to the city and find a place to live. Maybe tomorrow I'll get lucky? I go to the bus to Hobort. The bus driver asks me for my street and house number. I'm confused, why would he do that? I ask him stupidly to take to the city and drop off somewhere. But, and this, as it turns out, is not possible to do. In Australia (in Hobart in particular), all Australians go strictly to a certain address, and the bus driver will not take the passenger if he goes like me – to nowhere. What to do? I go back to the car rental pavilions and ask the young man I just talked to to help me find at least a place to live instead of a car. ( The hotel at the airport is monstrously expensive-125 avstr. Dollars that I don't have yet). The boy turned out to be human and easily booked me a room in one of the Hobort hotels ( later in Tasmania I was helped and prompted exclusively by some men, women at the reception in Tasmania turned out to be extremely uncommunicative and indifferent).
I return to the bus driver and silently hand over a piece of paper with the address, pay for the trip ( 15 km. it costs 15 avstr. d.), he asks something, I don't understand anything, I just tell him that I'm very tired and want to sleep. He nods his head, and soon a half-empty bus with a luggage trailer is taking me to new challenges. On the way to Hobort, I wake up completely, blinded by the eerie reality. I try to pull myself together.
At the hotel, I pay for my room and am escorted to my room. I open the door, and a new little shock fills my mind. As it turned out, for 26 Austr. d, I got not a room with a bed and a shower ( as for example in Thailand), but just a bed with a bunch of all sorts of neighbors (African-Americans, Chinese, Europeans). There is no place to retreat - you will have to accept it. Terribly thirsty and hungry, I ask at the reception for water or tea, to which I am told that a glass of tea costs 3.5 avst d , I have only two left in my pocket ( and a bunch of useless US currency in the amount of 5000 pupaars). It's too late. There is no place to change the currency. I wander through the deserted streets of Hobort, looking at the bright shop windows. Almost all of them are closed. Around the corner, I run into the open door of the SubWay, which has not yet closed. I hand the seller the rest of the local currency and ask for something to give. I have enough money to buy a dry sandwich with a load of garbage stuffed in it. I eat a dry sandwich that is at home, but I didn't even give it to the dog. On the way back, trying to swallow a piece, I see a group of local residents happily eating the same mess as me . Where did I end up? I'm getting more and more terrified. When I get back to the hotel, I muster up the courage to insist on giving me at least some water. The bartender pointedly takes an empty bottle, fills it with tap water, and hands it to me on a tray. I sit down at one of the empty tables. Well-fed customers are sitting nearby, eating, drinking beer, and watching me curiously. I'm sipping a nice Hobart Water Company cocktail with a smile on my face.
If you have a lot of cash in your pockets and no credit card, then you've come to the right place. Welcome to Hobort, the capital of Australia's southernmost state.
In the morning of the next day, I start exploring the city's surroundings. I wander into the nearest city park. To my surprise, the first people I meet are colorful parrots. There are at least three types of them here. There are almost no insects. There are two types of diurnal butterflies. It is very cold, despite the fact that the sun is shining brightly. The mood is bad, you need to look for a car. By the end of the day, luck comes to me, and from the company Bargain Car Rentals I manage to rent a three-door Hyundai Getz, for a fairly high price ( 75 avst. d. per day). The owner of the company asks to return the car not as I want – in 15 days, but in 10 days, and even requires a deposit in the amount of the cost of renting a car. Thus, I change 2000 rubles in the bank.US $ 1,900 d. Australia ( Australian banks change cash with a huge commission : 14% falls for free into the bank's pocket if you change a small amount). In my case, the commission was only 5%. Then I pay for my car, find out the address of a grocery supermarket, and set a course for Southwest National Park.
The roads in Tasmania are good, only narrow. The drivers are well-mannered, but they drive painfully fast on winding roads, despite the warning signs. As soon as I leave the city, I am immediately upset by the huge number of downed animals. In my opinion, local services do not even clean up the downed carcasses, they are useless to anyone, lying on the roadsides emitting the smell of decomposition. Among the carcasses, you can see a complete list of animals living in the forest: most of all, of course, kangaroos, followed by echidnas, some small marsupials, wildcats, and other animals that I have not seen in my eyes. Once there was even a wombat lying on the side of the road. All animals of Tasmania are nocturnal, and at night they go out in search of food and are in deadly danger of dying daily under the wheels of crazy drivers ( I confirm the unhealthiness in the drivers ' heads – I saw it with my own eyes not only outside the city, but also in the city). If I had my way, I would ban night driving in Australia altogether. Personally, after driving more than 2000 km, I did not hit a single animal, although sometimes I moved to the place of night fishing with a delay. (When traveling through national parks, my speed was no more than 70 km/h.)
My first day in Tasmania was drawing to a close, with no more than three hours left until dark, and I still needed to build a generator, put on a screen, and get something to eat. The surroundings of the National Park were not far from Hobort, and within an hour I entered the strange forest. Eucalyptus trees, various conifers, and huge ferns flashed by, and my foot on the gas pedal relaxed more and more, gradually reducing the speed of the car. /Yes, there's definitely a woodcutter in this forest, I thought. The slight gloom cast by the dense formation of trunks evoked a little fear and anticipated the presence of relict insects. I stopped the car, and a deathly silence instantly filled the space. A harmonious, slightly sweet smell of flowering mixed with the smell of flattering bedding came to me. Well, here I am.
I decide to check one of the exits from the highway. (In Tasmania's National Parks, the main asphalt road has many dirt exits, but many of them are locked. I checked almost all the road exits that I encountered along the way. The main successful places for night fishing were located just behind these gates, as well as on abandoned adits, and viewing platforms that were far from the trails) . After walking two hundred paces, I scare off a couple of kangaroos, which are carried away like rockets into the dense undergrowth. I don't even have time to remove the cover from the lens, everything happens completely unexpectedly. As I look around, a Tasmanian hedgehog - an echidna-jumps out from under my feet and hurriedly disappears into the forest. I just have time to focus on the rapidly disappearing ass of this funny animal. As soon as I was in the car, I set foot on the ground and immediately got to the parade of animals and birds ( I'll tell you about birds later). This congress turned out to be a dead end for night fishing, despite such a warm welcome. A little later, I find an abandoned tunnel nearby, and there, behind the broken rocks, I find a decent clearing for the night, clearly visible from all sides of the forest. Here I slow down.
Then everything goes according to plan: while I pour oil into the generator, the water boils. I put up a screen, a test run of the generator, everything is OK. Fifteen thousand kilometers, plus four transfers, and the generator works like clockwork. It's already getting dark on the clock, local time, only at fifteen minutes to nine in the evening. I eat a quick meal, wash down my tea with delicious Australian cupcakes, and move to the screen. The first hour after the generator starts, there is almost nothing interesting: scoops of different colors and wing shapes, moth of Asian appearance and all sorts of small things. Years straight to say dead about, as in the Moscow region in early May. I sit down not far from the screen, occasionally glancing around. I turn my head and there's a kangaroo standing next to the screen. I didn't immediately understand the situation and, to be honest, I was pretty scared. The animal also stopped in its tracks, blinded by the bright light, and stared at me intently with its small black eyes. All I could say was: Shhh. The kangaroo stood for a few seconds, and then, as if nothing had happened, balanced its tail and galloped off into the forest. That's the meeting. So you can lose the power of speech. Only then, after taking a deep breath, I realized that I shouldn't have scared the animal away, I should have at least taken a picture of it. In the future, I often met this peaceful and shy animal at night, and I was lucky to photograph it in Cradle Mountain Lake National Park. Just as the kangaroo disappeared from view, a very large butterfly appeared on the back of the screen. I grabbed the net and hurried to meet the unusual butterfly. It was a beautiful, large peacock's eye. I saw her almost everywhere on the island, males more often, females less often. From place to place, the variability of its color was really surprising, I even thought that they were different species.

The next day, I decide to duplicate the night fishing, and find the second point three kilometers from the previous one. In the afternoon, by car, I explore the daytime entomofauna, and climb into the heart of Southwest National Park , in Hartz Mountain National Park. Among the lepidoptera, I meet a small greenish sailfish (possibly Graphium macleayanus), which occasionally sits on fresh shoots of an unknown plant . Quite warm, compared to the night. I count one species of diurnal butterflies. I photograph everything else that comes along the way. The forest has an abundance of various small birds, singing of any key can be heard in the area. The vegetation is absolutely stunning : fancy ferns, from small to giant, unusual shrubs, flowers, mosses, lichens. The day passes like a blink of an eye. At night, I fix the species diversity – everything arrived the same as on the first night.
On the third day, I move forty kilometers south ( towards the city of Southport), this time I drive slowly along the dirt road, inspect all the exits. There are no cars to meet me, I am alone for many kilometers of the road. I find an interesting closed Gate, try to open it, it lends itself. I continue driving for about five kilometers , the forest takes on a completely frightening appearance, and I'm nervous: What if the loggers come back and close the Gate? How will I travel then? I drive a little further and find a nice place to spend the night. I decide to go back and check the gate carefully. I think that if the loggers don't show up before dark, you can safely return to the point you found.
Australians, although rich people, are also pliable for free. Tasmanian loggers often look into the relict forest, leaving ugly bald spots, which are later planted in even rows of coniferous vegetation. Even so, and that's good!
I'll explore the entire area up to the gate before dark. From the new nothing. The small green sailboat is found almost all over the island. As it flies quickly along the edge of the forest, it sometimes flies up to my car, thinking it's a big, blue flower. In general, the color of my car, for many local insects is interesting. A huge fur bumblebee constantly circles around the car, trying to find a suitable burrow. In the evening I go to the found point. The forest in this place is special, somehow old, and as I later realized, has the highest trunk height on the island. As it gets dark, the Tasmanian forest begins to sing luxuriantly, here you can hear the thin tone of a lone shepherd's pipe, periodically interrupted as if by tapping on an empty eucalyptus trunk, and the unusual cries of a pair of birds that start with soft sounds and shout over each other, like macaques sharing bananas, bring themselves to ecstasy, turning into cackling and gradually subsiding. Sounds are heard now near, then at a distance. The daytime forest is getting ready for bed. Although it's a pity to interrupt this natural orchestra, but it's already dark, it's time to start the generator.
At the third fishing point, new species appear: a female of the great yellow peacock-eye, a bearded barbel, several new species of scoops, moths, and cocoonworms arrive. I catch it until one o'clock in the morning, then the weather worsens, it becomes cool. I go to bed, to the music of the night band.
In the morning, after having breakfast, as it seemed at night, in a terrible forest, I set a course for the southernmost point of the island, the city of Southport. I don't plan to catch anything here. I decided to visit this place just to wet my feet as a souvenir. On the way I take pictures, breathe fresh air.
My next point to explore is the vicinity of Lake Pedder. This place I had to visit as the centerpiece of a huge forest area lying between two National Parks: Southwest National Park and Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers Park. The road to the lake lay through picturesque desolate highlands with dry-loving vegetation. There were no exits at all. I found a place for a night stop in the very depths of the lake, and even then by accident. As in the previous places, the point found was deserted, and I had enough time before night fishing, swam in the lake, and washed my clothes.
Despite the fact that the vegetation has changed significantly, the mountain slopes surrounding the lake were covered with low-growing trees, almost the same insects flew to the screen as in previous fishing spots. From novy, a large female cocoonworm arrived, and I met her later, as I moved north. The variability of its color also took place.
In the morning, I decide to explore the surrounding area, and closer to lunch, I plan to take a course to Queenstown, passing through the Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers Park. On the way to the planned point, I stop for a picnic. In Tasmania, all National Parks have places to relax and eat. Australians and visitors who come to Tasmania are very fond of traveling, for which they rent "mobile homes". So I decide to stop by for lunch. The picnic is empty, and I'm settling in for a meal when I find that the local inspector is there. Just as I pull out a delicious Australian bread, a large yellow-eyed raven flies up to me and stares intently at my entire kitchen. There is one I do not dare, I have to share. Raven eats with me together, is kindly given to be photographed. The surroundings in this place are magnificent, downright fabulous, babble. I don't want to leave, but I have to get to the Victoria Pass before dark, driving through the entire Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers Park. I bow to the inspector and pour him some banana chips. As I write these lines, the picture of that day is drawn in full detail. Well, just imagine; this clean air, a lake with water the color of tea, a blue sky, slightly exposed mountains, and even a romantic dinner with a yellow-eyed handsome man.
The winding route called the A10 passes through the fabulous Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers Park forest, where the real kingdom of water is here, small rivers permeate the Park like a spider's web. The road is very dangerous, many turns do not allow you to relax and look around. I still stop, take pictures, and breathe the fresh, richly saturated air. For tourists, there are independent hiking trails, open-air nature museums, and places to relax. There are practically no exits, and if there are any, it's too much for my car, but I stop and check everything. I find the place almost on the pass itself, the passage is closed as always, and even equipped with a warning sign: Danger Bees. At the top of the mountain, I find a kind of helipad. That's where I decide to put the screen at night.
I'm going to have dinner in the royal park below, on a specially equipped playground. Today I have for dinner New Zealand mackerel in oil, fragrant rice and tea with Australian pastries. I would like to mention the highest quality and taste of Australian products. A tourist who decided to visit Australia, and even more so Tasmania, should not worry about this topic at all. In supermarkets, you will find everything your heart desires. Food prices are about the same or slightly higher than in Russia.
Dinner is ready and I start to eat, but suddenly, there are uninvited guests here. A bunch of big red-bellied Tasmanian flies are attacking me from all directions. I'm confused. I don't enjoy eating, so I have to take action. I take the net and start catching them. But it looks like I'm just adding fuel to the fire, and the flies are quiet for a moment, perching on the branches of the bushes. And only one of them takes off, the others join in as if on cue, and once again there's nothing but buzzing around me. I don't get in the car, just finish my dinner in a hurry, and dump the rest of the rice into the bushes next to me. And lo and behold, the flies, like hungry dogs, pounce on this rice. I'm surprised. It turns out that they didn't really need me, they just had to share it. While the tea cools, I take pictures of Tasmanian flying wolves and calmly finish the rest of the mackerel.
I can't fish in that place at night. The wind rises and heavy rain begins to fall. Annoyed by the weather, I get back in the car and fall asleep.

The next morning, everything is as scheduled. I do not plan to stay on the pass, although I did not manage to fish, I am moving towards the city of Strahan, which is located on the coast of the Southern Ocean ( we call it the Indian Ocean). On the way to Queenstown, I look for suitable exits. In the city, I replenish water and gasoline supplies, and decide to finish off to the coast. Not far from the town of Strahan, I find an abandoned tunnel. It'll do for the night.
Ocean beach, doesn't greet me kindly. A strong wind blows out all the brains, you have to hide in the coastal vegetation. I'm exploring the woods here. On the beach I find horned, small copra, beautiful little beetles. I'm logging everything. In the forest, I stumble across pieces of the body of a beetle, and soon I find the beetle itself. Small dragonflies, flies ( there are plenty of them everywhere in Tasmania), and a microscopic fathead fly fly in the bushes.
By lunchtime, the air warms up and I walk along the deserted beach, looking for interesting shells. After a walk, alone, I have a snack by the ocean.
In the evening, I move out to night fishing, but the hunt fails, heavy rain begins. I can't even get out of the car to make some tea. I fall asleep on an empty stomach.
In the morning I decide to go on. My way is to Cradle Mountain Lake National Park. The road gradually goes up. Tall trees are replaced by low-growing shrubs and unusual conifers. I look at the navigator, it shows a rise of 900m. To the right of the traffic, a large red animal takes its feet off the road, I stop the car, pull off the lens cap on the way, but I'm obviously late, the fur ass disappears into the hole. It's a wombat. I turn left, and the road goes deeper into the Park, but very quickly ends at a barrier. I look around and see a large crowd of people below the building. This must be the Park's office. I don't dare go in, it's completely absurd to catch fish at night in such a crowded place. I drive off a little and look around the outskirts of the Park. This is clearly a different climate zone. Very cold, even when the sun is shining. Microscopic pigeons , bees, and flies with an elongated body flutter around coniferous bushes.
I gradually move deeper into the forest. A sleepy kangaroo jumps out of the bushes, and I shoot it with my camera without any problems. A little higher up, I meet another kangaroo with a cub. I try to get closer, but the animal keeps its distance and won't let me get closer than three meters. I'm trying to feed him. I throw in a piece of grain bread, but the kangaroo isn't even interested in my handout. The cub climbs into the bushes. I decide not to injure the animals and leave them alone.
I'm moving on. I go out into a sunny clearing and notice some unusual butterfly. She flits through the conifers, hides in them, reappears in another place, and disappears again. What is the Tasmanian UFO? I approach the conifers and wait for her to appear. It does not appear immediately, it flies only in sunlight, but as a cloud covers the light, it disappears as if it never existed. I notice it from afar, follow the trajectory, the swing of the net, and an unusual butterfly beats in my net. I press it down a little and take it out . About a miracle! This is an endemic species of the Tasmanian Mountains – Leprea brown! It is found only in Tasmania and is found in two subspecies. I'm staying here for a while. While the Leprechaum is gone, I take a couple of pictures of an interesting-looking grasshopper. In two hours, I manage to catch five individuals of this butterfly. All the freshest, just started flying. After lunch, the weather turns sour and all the insects disappear.
I'm going in search of night fishing. We have to go down to Lake Cethana. Here, fortunately, you can find a deserted viewing point. I'm having dinner, getting ready for the night. At dusk, on the pleasant-smelling bushes, I collect small emerald beetles. The night air begins, as it does everywhere else, and I think about curling up, but a few more drops fall on my head. I hide the generator under the film, cover the lamps, and wait. The light rain is getting heavier, so I put on my raincoat. There are more insects at the lamp, and I don't have to sit down anymore. An hour after the rain starts, a lot of insects are hanging on the screen, large peacocks, scoops, and barbels are lying under your feet. I'm already throwing insects into the bushes to avoid crushing them. My bags are full of butterflies and beetles, there is nowhere to put them, everything is wet. On the asphalt road, towards the light, on foot, like pedestrians, there are woodworms. Even large snails have crawled out of their daytime shelters. Drenched to the skin, no longer swinging the net, I use my swollen hands to remove the insects that interest me from the screen, dry them under the warm currents of the generator, then put them in envelopes.
On that magical night, it seems that all the insects living here came to the light. The hawk moth also arrived in one copy, which I had never seen before. Only the most important guest, the eucalyptus woodcutter, was missing.
Three weeks earlier, I was sitting at my computer at home, watching the Tasmanian weather report, and who would have thought that I would come face to face with this drizzly. And who would have known that he would give me such a fabulous gift of Tasmanian insects, and leave such an unforgettable impression of that night. Earlier, in similar weather conditions, I have already observed a crazy year in West Irian (about.Papua New Guinea), but there, a powerful tropical downpour contributed to this, and here, in Tasmania, the sky sprayed the smallest drops of water. It is impossible to predict the appearance of such weather conditions, I will only note that the most important components for the occurrence of such fishing are: a warm night, no wind, and of course, the most important component is precipitation (of varying intensity).
More than half of the planned route has been completed, and there are still three National Parks left. In the morning, I move to Ben Lomond National Park, but first I stop in the second most populous city - Launceston. There, I replenish my food and water supplies. I decide to approach Ben Lomond National Park from the north. When I drive up to the park, I don't find any convenient exit ramps, I spin around, give new tasks to Yandex.Navigator, but all in vain, the road circles around populated areas. I turn around and drive slowly in the opposite direction. I descend a little, and I see a saving sign on the secondary road: Closed. I immediately turn onto this road. And as it turns out, not in vain, after half an hour the primer leads me to a dense forest. On the way, small ungulates hide from the noise of rubble on car tires in the forest thicket ( very similar to our spotted deer, only of a single color). I go up to the 800m mark and stop. Then I go on foot. The forest is very interesting, old, and has mostly deciduous cover. The water that flows from the mountains, unlike the western part of the island, is crystal clear. Mountain hand trout live here ( quite large carcasses were thrown away every time I approached the backwater). Rising higher, I scare away some nymphalid, it quickly takes off into the crowns of trees, and hides somewhere there. I've never seen such a butterfly before. I walk about two kilometers , then go down. I don't find anything else. Yes, the Tasmanian forest is in no hurry to give up its riches, and piece by piece throws out, as if teasing, more and more new species. In general, I got the impression that Tasmania is full of everything, but to get this access, you need to be in the right place on time.
While it's still light, I go down to eat and wash my clothes. In the clearing that I passed an hour earlier, I stop, change my T-shirt, pants, when suddenly I see a small dark butterfly, chaotically fluttering around a prickly, annual plant. I grab a net and try to catch an unusual butterfly. The butterfly I caught is more likely to belong to the Heterocera group, subfamily Agaristinae, which I caught during the day in Thailand and Laos. In half an hour, I manage to collect about five such specimens, of different quality, but all quite fresh. Two days later, I catch another butterfly from this subfamily in Freycinet National Park, but in very poor condition. It looks like they've been flying around here for a long time. In Tasmania, nothing is clear at all, it rains almost every day in the west, everything is dry in the center, and on the east coast, like on the Black Sea, it is hot and cicadas are cracking.
Night fishing in this dense forest is not possible, as soon as it gets dark, I notice a significant drop in temperature. The sky opens to reveal a beautiful southern starry sky pattern. Butterflies fly sluggishly, and those that have flown up hang motionless on the screen gauze. After eleven o'clock in the evening, it gets cold even for me, I'm dressed in cotton pants and a jacket, in which I walk in the winter in the Moscow region. I decide to go to bed.
I'm heading for the Pacific coast in the morning. There are still two parks to visit : Douglas-Apsley National Park and Freycinet National Park. On the way, I pass a village with a cool name-Shiner, stop by the local supermarket, everything is there, I didn't even need to stop in Launceston.
The east coast of Tasmania, unlike the west coast, is densely populated, and I have tried unsuccessfully to stop somewhere for night fishing. There are places, but the probability of being discovered is high. I dare not tempt fate, besides, the container is already full, and the conditions for crossing the border with insects in the opposite direction are a complete mystery.
Moving along the coast, I look for an exit to the ocean. The navigator takes me to a small coastal village. I stop by, feed and take a picture of the beautiful horse, and go down to the noisy beach. There's no one around, and I'm comfortably settled in for dinner. Walking nearby, I find the remains of a rather large beetle (similar to our rhinoceros beetle), an insect flies past at great speed, periodically hovering in the air. At first I think it's a local variety of bumblebee. I take out my net and manage to catch a fast insect. This fast flyer is a large earth wasp, with an elongated body. Almost before sunset, on the rocks, three meters from the coastline, I come across the brown beetle whose remains I found in the sand under a bush. I search the rocks further, then find another one. It's getting dark. This evening I decide not to fish, but just relax and take a walk along the coast.
On my way back, I meet two men. One of them comes up to me and asks me what I'm doing here. I do not immediately understand that the place where I stopped by car, and the beach where I walk, is private property. Realizing that I got into a mess, I apologize, say that I didn't notice the warning sign, and to avoid a conflict , I say that I will leave immediately. The man relents, asks where I'm from. I answer and show you my photos. After a brief conversation, the Australian millionaire kindly allows me to spend the night on his property. That day, I fell asleep sweetly, like an uninvited guest, to the lulling sound of the Pacific Ocean.
I only surveyed the Douglas-Apsley National Park during daylight hours. Here, as elsewhere along the east coast, there are no night fishing grounds, and if there are any, they are too close to the road. I transfer my night fishing to Freycinet National Park. Douglas-Apsley National Park seems to me to be the most interesting place for medium-and small-sized beetles, flies, dragonflies, and three species of cicadas. Walking through the park, I meet an echidna in its natural habitat. The animal is very shy, has a good sense of smell, and sees well even during the day. Downwind, he kindly lets himself be photographed.
The last point of my route Freycinet National Park, it turns out, is crowded with people, there are a lot of rich Chinese, Japanese, Koreans. However, I do find a place for an afternoon walk and photo hunt. Night point literally "give birth" and very successfully. This is again a closed road to the adit. The playground here has a classic location, surrounded by a forest, and in the center a football field cleared by a loader.
The final night was another gift from the Tasmanian Forest. It was warm and windless, and just like last time, the sky was beginning to sprinkle fine water dust. This time, new species of scoops and moths arrived. The hawk moth that I was looking for all over the island got stuck in the marl ( In Tasmania, I came across only, and only one type of hawk moth).
The time allotted for the trip around the amazing island was running out. Tomorrow morning, my sky horse was supposed to be parked at Bargain Car Rentals in Hobart. That night, before going to bed, I listened to this unique nature orchestra for the last time. The sounds of birdsong that I heard for the first time were exactly the same here: the same lonely shepherd, the same restless macaques with their bananas. The occasional rustle and patter of an animal. There is no way to convey all these amazing sounds. You can see how a skilled conductor changes the sound of one instrument to another, then removes, then brings the orchestra closer, then suddenly fills it with silence, and again waves his musical wand, starting everything all over again. I am falling asleep.

East or West home is best-an old English proverb
In Hobort there is one quiet place, where, in December, under the sound of a fountain and the sweet intoxicating aroma of a flowering linden tree, you can comprehend every minute lived on this amazing island. And if suddenly, the "daydream" is too long, then you don't have to worry , the local Big Ben standing nearby will strike a new hour, announcing new, unknown journeys. I'm not saying goodbye to Rainforest of Tasmania, I'm saying goodbye to Hobort, the capital of Australia's southernmost state.
This concludes my report on my trip to Tasmania. In conclusion, first of all, I would like to thank Bargain Car Rentals for providing me with a car for cash, contrary to the existing rules of Australia, all those Tasmanians who helped and suggested me, as well as my wife, who coordinated the movement from Moscow, and of course Ozon Travel, which quickly provided me with a car for cash. reacted to changing travel plans.
December 2011

Australia. Southern Territories

Pictures:

_________956.jpg — (416.86к)


_________971.jpg — (206.04к)


_________987.jpg — (473.96к)


_________997.jpg — (334.11к)


_________1033.jpg — (576.26к)


_________1050.jpg — (265.26к)


_________1066.jpg — (307.27к)


_________1067.jpg — (655.38к)


_________1070.jpg — (1.24 mb)


_________1072.jpg — (507.09к)


_________1074.jpg — (678.14к)


_________1076.jpg — (547.84к)


_________1080.jpg — (279.14к)

Australia. Southern Territories

Pictures:

_________1083.jpg — (410.39к)


_________1085.jpg — (169.4к)


_________1093.jpg — (393.87к)


_________1101.jpg — (472.37к)


_________1104.jpg — (1.31 mb)


_________1110.jpg — (297.51к)


_________1112.jpg — (425.85 k)


_________1113.jpg — (518.7к)


_________1114.jpg — (726.22к)


_________1115.jpg — (931.11к)


_________1122.jpg — (1.29 mb)


_________1124.jpg — (686.12к)


_________1137.jpg — (709.23к)

Australia. Southern Territories

Pictures:

_________1138.jpg — (1.22 mb)


_________1140.jpg — (185.54 k)


_________1141.jpg — (364.73к)


_________1143.jpg — (231.23к)


_________1144.jpg — (226.94к)


_________1153.jpg — (545.13к)


_________1156.jpg — (564.84к)


_________1163.jpg — (450.12к)


_________1166.jpg — (453.76к)


_________1169.jpg — (631.6к)


_________1174.jpg — (702.95к)


_________1183.jpg — (744.8 k)


_________1185.jpg — (457.48к)

Australia. Southern Territories

Pictures:

_________1186.jpg — (551.13к)


_________1199.jpg — (815.39к)


_________1207.jpg — (995.98к)


_________1216.jpg — (699.53к)


_________1222.jpg — (573.25к)


_________1226.jpg — (1015.7к)


_________1239.jpg — (450.38к)


_________1240.jpg — (487.8к)


_________1247.jpg — (762.5 k)


_________1256.jpg — (561.01к)


_________1257.jpg — (633.62к)


_________1258.jpg — (524.57к)


_________1260.jpg — (697.19к)

Australia. Southern Territories

Pictures:

_________1261.jpg — (892.34к)


_________1266.jpg — (836.5к)


_________1272.jpg — (641.08к)


_________1274.jpg — (685.72к)


_________1275.jpg — (631.17к)


_________1277.jpg — (984.54к)


_________1283.jpg — (584.65к)


_________1294.jpg — (340.07к)


_________1316.jpg — (883.43к)


_________1324.jpg — (466.86к)


_________1326.jpg — (863.17к)


_________1331.jpg — (902.12к)


_________1336.jpg — (979.61к)

Australia. Southern Territories

Pictures:

_________1338.jpg — (920.25к)


_________1351.jpg — (624.48к)


_________1355.jpg — (679.1к)


_________1360.jpg — (983.45к)


_________1363.jpg — (262.68к)


_________1370.jpg — (246.03к)


_________1372.jpg — (300.71к)


_________1374.jpg — (931.97к)


_________1383.jpg — (416.66к)


_________1389.jpg — (936.81к)


_________1414.jpg — (624.53к)


_________1419.jpg — (1.01 mb)


_________1420.jpg — (796.28к)


_________1426.jpg — (313.71к)


_________1451.jpg — (346.34к)


_________1479.jpg — (334.57к)


_________1481.jpg — (400.24к)


_________1487.jpg — (627.57к)


_________1489.jpg — (266.56к)


_________1491.jpg — (845.97к)


_________1499.jpg — (360.08к)


_________1515.jpg — (533.78к)


_________1516.jpg — (542.96к)


_________1521.jpg — (1.46 mb)


_________1522.jpg — (974.75 k)


_________1523.jpg — (489.07 k)

Australia. Southern Territories

Pictures:

_________1530.jpg — (554.25к)


_________1557.jpg — (643.37к)


_________1561.jpg — (175.53к)


_________1564.jpg — (956.39к)


_________1569.jpg — (362.49к)


_________1572.jpg — (447.6к)


_________1575.jpg — (322.3к)


_________1576.jpg — (425.28к)


_________1579.jpg — (928.68к)


_________1584.jpg — (498.41к)


_________1585.jpg — (647.01к)


_________1592.jpg — (744.49к)


_________1593.jpg — (737.14к)


_________1595.jpg — (743.03к)


_________1597.jpg — (509.16к)


_________1605.jpg — (627.69к)


_________1608.jpg — (521k)


_________1609.jpg — (621.23к)


_________1613.jpg — (574.36к)


_________1622.jpg — (375.05к)


_________1732.jpg — (390.42к)


_________1736.jpg — (374.43к)


_________1742.jpg — (299.57к)


_________1743.jpg — (341.27к)


_________1758.jpg — (473.7 k)


_________1767.jpg — (560.83к)

Australia. Southern Territories

Pictures:

_________1902.jpg — (431.58 k)


_________1855.jpg — (687.35 k)


_________1791.jpg — (424.84к)


_________1769.jpg — (447.59к)


_________1790.jpg — (383.87к)


_________1798.jpg — (568.4к)


_________1805.jpg — (514.6к)


_________1809.jpg — (388.89к)


_________1814.jpg — (361.98к)


_________1816.jpg — (340.15к)


_________1817.jpg — (298.42к)


_________1818.jpg — (415.45к)


_________1822.jpg — (246.71 k)


_________1825.jpg — (280.8к)


_________1831.jpg — (401.96к)


_________1833.jpg — (865.57к)


_________1834.jpg — (576.99к)


_________1837.jpg — (634.24к)


_________1849.jpg — (747.15к)


_________1857.jpg — (570.3к)


_________1862.jpg — (182.48 k)


_________1873.jpg — (428.96к)


_________1874.jpg — (326.7к)


_________1875.jpg — (492.64к)


_________1876.jpg — (443.23к)


_________1880.jpg — (417.07к)


_________1884.jpg — (560.96к)


_________1889.jpg — (612.22к)


_________1891.jpg — (658.85к)


_________1893.jpg — (668.51к)


_________1895.jpg — (788.8 k)


_________1896.jpg — (702.69к)


_________1897.jpg — (588.22к)


_________1914.jpg — (374.29к)


_________1916.jpg — (309.39к)


_________1918.jpg — (352.24 k)


_________1922.jpg — (499.27к)


_________1925.jpg — (535.97к)


_________1931.jpg — (889.31к)


_________1941.jpg — (411.61к)


_________2021.jpg — (426.46к)


_________2022.jpg — (498.48 k)


_________2027.jpg — (690.57к)


_________2034.jpg — (376.72к)


_________2062.jpg — (447.29 k)


_________2081.jpg — (232.79к)


_________2082.jpg — (242.67 k)

The most interesting insects in the latest report undoubtedly lie under the Russian passport. A little less interesting are insects enclosed in vacuum packaging.

Cockroach - most likely Polyzosteriinae. You didn't collect them?

And with the export, how???

And with the export, how???

I think that taking into account the complete craze of Australians on the topic of nature protection, then for export - execution on the spot...

The most interesting insects in the latest report undoubtedly lie under the Russian passport. A little less interesting are insects enclosed in vacuum packaging.

Hehe, well, given that Tasmania is a kind of Middle Zone of the Southern Hemisphere, the animals there are modest in appearance. The devil is in the details...

I think that taking into account the complete craze of Australians on the topic of nature protection, then for export - execution on the spot...

You answered this question quite correctly. So I took out the minimum and shoved it into hidden places.

Romyald, suuuuper!!!

You answered this question quite correctly. So I took out the minimum and shoved it into hidden places.

So did you also search your luggage?

to Romyald:
This leads to the best (in terms of submission) report.Bravissimo!I respect you for your healthy adventurism.

So did you also search your luggage?

Of course, yes, but not as thoroughly as the first time. I managed to turn the inspector's attention to the generator.
In general, the most important thing is that no one sees you with a net. Especially at night in the National Park.In the park. That's why I went so deep into the forest. I didn't take any unnecessary risks.

to Romyald:
This leads to the best (in terms of submission) report.Bravissimo!I respect you for your healthy adventurism.

In terms of collection, everything is also in order. I left a lot of things out of the picture. To intrigue some intellectuals.

to Romyald:There are no words. Awesome! Well done!!!
I fucked up and went into depression.

I wish I hadn't come in.

I'll add it by the number of spades...

Australia. Southern Territories

1169 Hypobapta diffundens
1174 Euphronarcha luxaria
1183 Crypsiphona ocultaria

Australia. Southern Territories

1186 Epidesmia hypenaria

Australia. Southern Territories

1585 Thalaina selenaea
1592 Oenochroma vetustaria
1605 Oenochrominae sp.
1608 Geometrinae sp.

Australia. Southern Territories

1889 Melanodes anthracitaria
1896 Eucyclodes buprestaria
1897 Onycodes traumataria

Yes, the Romuald report is something beyond good and evil... I kneel down

to Romyald: dragonflies in the photo:
Austrolestes psyche, male
Orthetrum caledonicum, female

If I have managed to give you a piece of Tasmania's soul in my report, then allow me, as an exception, to supplement my report with a short photo sketch from Melbourne on New Year's Eve. Perhaps one of our forum members will decide to rush to Australia, and then Melbourne can become an intermediate point for exploring the south-eastern and south-western territories of the continent. And believe me, there is enough interesting material there for more than one year of research.
Fate threw me to Melbourne for only two days, during which I managed to visit: the world-famous Royal Botanic Gardens and Melbourne Zoo (after all, there is a butterfly park there).

Pictures:

_________2088.jpg — (501.54 k)


_________2089.jpg — (537.26к)


_________2106.jpg — (807.86к)


_________2110.jpg — (808.89к)


_________2116.jpg — (1.06 mb)


_________2153.jpg — (678.65к)


_________2162.jpg — (992.58к)


_________2183.jpg — (1.15 mb)


_________2198.jpg — (526.92к)


_________2202.jpg — (1.06 mb)


_________2224.jpg — (1.01 mb)


_________2259.jpg — (519.18к)


_________2266.jpg — (650.88к)


_________2267.jpg — (367.93к)


_________2268.jpg — (389.96к)


_________2272.jpg — (302.16к)


_________2280.jpg — (192.1к)


_________2282.jpg — (208.53к)


_________2287.jpg — (530.06к)


_________2288.jpg — (321.47к)


_________2310.jpg — (236.6к)


_________2311.jpg — (368.37к)


_________2312.jpg — (308.45 k)


_________2313.jpg — (261.62к)


_________2331.jpg — (589.16к)


_________2337.jpg — (273.21к)


_________2338.jpg — (287.88 k)


_________2364.jpg — (762.68 k)


_________2368.jpg — (412.12к)


_________2386.jpg — (1021.03к)


_________2388.jpg — (4.89 mb)


_________2399.jpg — (305.92к)


_________2402.jpg — (447.61к)

Melbourne beach on the Bass Strait side. It, like all points of the suburb, can be reached by tram ( a one-way trip costs 3.8 avstr. d.).

Pictures:

_________2409.jpg — (768.03к)


_________2411.jpg — (751.79к)


_________2416.jpg — (651.47к)

Further

Pictures:

_________2429.jpg — (698.86к)


_________2432.jpg — (439.9 k)


_________2434.jpg — (409.38к)


_________2437.jpg — (420.19к)


_________2438.jpg — (367.65 k)


_________2443.jpg — (683.95к)


_________2457.jpg — (406.01к)


_________2462.jpg — (767.79к)


_________2463.jpg — (349.14 k)


_________2468.jpg — (298.77к)


_________2469.jpg — (393.79к)


_________2470.jpg — (294.65к)


_________2473.jpg — (338.43к)


_________2474.jpg — (301.67к)


_________2477.jpg — (565.13к)


_________2480.jpg — (236.54 k)


_________2481.jpg — (310.19к)


_________2482.jpg — (372.42 k)


_________2484.jpg — (219.28к)


_________2486.jpg — (246.17к)


_________2488.jpg — (366.41 k)


_________2490.jpg — (447.13к)


_________2491.jpg — (448.52к)


_________2493.jpg — (483.37к)


_________2494.jpg — (463.54к)


_________2498.jpg — (430.75 k)


_________2500.jpg — (582.02к)


_________2501.jpg — (488.64к)


_________2502.jpg — (458.24 k)


_________2503.jpg — (469.64к)


_________2504.jpg — (636.97к)


_________2516.jpg — (783.71к)


_________2524.jpg — (234.26к)


_________2535.jpg — (777.47 k)


_________2540.jpg — (536.54к)


_________2547.jpg — (455к)


_________2558.jpg — (795.01к)


_________2575.jpg — (359.41к)

Back view of the mighty shoulders of the Forest man.

Pictures:

_________2523.jpg — (297.14к)

Roman, just fly away! Congratulations on such an eventful trip!

Mantises:

_________2337.jpg,_________2338.jpg - Nympha Orthodera sp.

_________2501.jpg-female Archimantis sp.

Further

And this is probably a monument to a tourist who got fucked up by Australian prices!

Pictures:

2432.jpg — (230.92к)

Roman, there are simply no words.
super!!!

barbels: 1584-Uracanthus triangularis; 2280-Syllitus sp.
and what is the coveted eucalyptus barbel? Someone from Phoracantha?

Someone from Phoracantha?

Google says-Phoracantha semipunctata. But he has already reached Europe, and in Syria his rights are not respected, and he is officially a quarantine object there. Apparently, this is why Syria will be bombed.