A Place Like Heaven – Tasmania
Bill Lin spends one week in Tasmania exploring the secrets of it – but what will he find?
“Just from looking at the map of Tasmania it surprises me even though I have already been he a couple of times,” said AngelaYumi.
Tasmania has a landmass of 68,401km2 and is located right in the pathway of the notorious "Roaring Forties" wind that encircles the globe. The island is surrounded by the Indian and Pacific Oceans and separated from mainland Australia by Bass Strait. Tasmania is the only Australian state that is not located on the Australian mainland.
AngelaYumi also said: “The nature and beautiful scene is unique in Tasmania and can’t be seen anywhere else.”
Tasmania is a treasure trove of natural wonders with stunning landscapes, unique plants and animals and a rich diversity of sea life. Being a compact island, it's easy to access its many diverse environments - from alpine ranges, wetlands and grasslands to coastal heaths and vast temperate rainforests.
The island's glaciated landscapes were shaped by previous ice ages and many of Tasmania's plants and wildlife are living evidence of the breakup of the super-continent of Gondwana, millions of years ago. This natural wonderland supports a population of mammals, birds, frogs, reptiles and invertebrates, many of which are ancient in origin and endemic to Tasmania including the Tasmanian Devil, Eastern Quoll, Pademelon and Bettong.
Its large variety of habitats has resulted in a diverse and unique array of plant species that includes flowering plants, conifers, mosses, liverworts, lichens, fungi and algae. In Tasmania you'll find some of the most ancient plant species on Earth, the tallest flowering trees, the oldest plant clones and a high proportion of