Ramble
Quest - Penguins Instead of Whales (Bicheno).
I take the first bus out of Freycinet, which turns out to go to Bicheno. This was once a whaling town, one of the many bases for the incredible slaughter that went on with this industry. The Whaler's Lookout on the hill near the coast was where they would watch for the whales coming along the coast and then sound the alarm for the ships to give chase.
Some of the river estuaries in Tasmania were the breeding grounds for the whales. At one time the rivers were so thick with whales you couldn't get a boat down them in breeding season. Of course the whalers figured out where all of these places were (Bay of Islands in New Zealand was another spot) and simply waited for them to come in. They would then proceed to slaughter them all. The southern oceans were once teaming with seals and whales but they pretty much wiped them all out.
Since the whales are gone now, Bicheno is a quiet little tourist town. The Foreshore Walk follows the shore, providing great views of this rugged coast. A great blow hole shoots water up through the granite rock, like a geyser. I'm staying at the town's only backpackers, where once again I get the last bed. Amazing how many times that happend to me in Tasmania! Fortunately it is quite a good place. One of the main attractions here are, once again, penguins. This time they are fairy penguins, the fourth different type of penguin I'll see on this trip. I have to say that these rank among the best, first because they are so easy to find. I just walk slowly along the Foreshore Walk at night and the little penguins appear in the rocks and woods, just like their namesake fairies. Other than penguin watching and taking long walks along the great coastline, there isn't much else to do here. After a few days I decide to once again head for Hobart, this time taking buses. I have to transfer in some very small town, and as I get on the next bus, someone greets me. It's Nori, that Japanese guy again. We have a short chat and he gets off in Ross. It's still not the last time I'll see this guy.