- down under Down Under -
A lot of people ask me about Tasmania when I tell them where I am from, so I decided to create a page on it. This information is going to be pretty generalised, but I guess for most people that is enough.
Here's a surprisingly common scenario for me:
Foreigner: so where are you from?So, to dispel 'myth', here is a little info on Tas. Tasmania is part of Australia - one of six states. Uniquely among the Australian states it is an island - you can see it highlighted in light blue on the map. Tas has a population of approximately 450 000 people, a large majority of which live in the capital city, Hobart (pop. approx. 180 000). Most people probably live on the coast..I read somewhere that four out of five Australians are coastal dwellers. We're all pretty laidback in Tas, like other Aussies. We enjoy spending time outdoors, at the beach, having fun etc.
Me: Australia.
Foreigner: what part of Australia?
Me: Tasmania.
Foreigner: What? Really? I always thought that Tasmania was a mythical place. How exotic!
Tasmania experiences a temperate climate. We're 42 degrees south of the equator, quite far compared to others parts of Aus, yes, but the climate is mild because of the influence of the sea. It rains a tremendous amount in some parts, yet hardly any in others. Day time temperatures in winter generally range from 10-15degrees celcius (50-60F). Summer temperatures vary more...averaging probably about 20-28celcius (70-85F) and sometimes but rarely go as high as 38c (100+F).
Tasmania is a very beautiful island. The scenery here is spectacular. To get an idea of the landscape (look at the pictures) imagine rugged mountains and highlands in the central regions and west and south-west. In these mountain areas you will find alpine plains, temperate rainforest, sheer rock faces, waterfalls etc. Large areas of northern Tas are farmland; it's very green and pretty. The east coast experiences the warmest climate, and has some of the nicest beaches - white sand and pale blue water. One of my favorite things about Tas is the coastline though, rugged in parts, with stormy seas and cliffs, but the finest(and often unihabited) stretches of beach in other parts.
Farming, mining, fishing and forestry are probably our major industries...in other words primary industry. We also have an extensive hydro electric power system. Australia, and Tasmania, has a lot of cool little critters too. Kangaroos, Tasmanian Devils (unique to Tas), Wombats, Wallabys etc etc! Most are marsupials. Anyhow, that's enough for now. Got any questions? Email me
-
--
