Shhh… don’t tell anyone

Last week, a visitor to our beautiful island state shared a heartfelt ode to Tasmania.

We were delighted by her reflections and thought they were too lovely not to share. Enjoy her words below.

Shhh…don’t tell anyone

She’s an island gem
Tucked under a giant wing
Isolated, pristine, safe
She makes your heart sing.

Her east coast is a Pandora’s box
Treat with care for what awaits
For around each breathless hairpin bend
Landscapes transform, changing states.

Lush rainforests furbish fishbone ferns
Farmlands intersperse like a patchwork quilt
Stripping the land to its naked form
Long lost ancestors baring guilt.

Explore the many national parks
Savour the beauty of Wineglass Bay
Enjoy the Peninsula’s crystal clear waters
Stroll sandy beaches late in the day.

‘Come down for air’ the adverts say
To the cleanest air you can breathe
Mix it with Southern Ocean spray
It’s a recipe that’s hard to leave.

Summit the mighty Mount Wellington
Stand silent amongst the clouds
Fill your lungs and clear your mind
Find space and calm from the crowds.

Visit the one and only Mona
To assuage your cultural fix
Then visit Salamanca Markets
Hobart’s Saturday morning Ritz.

Head north west to the Mother of Mountains
Where Dove Lake sleeps quietly below
Beneath granite paths and waterfalls
Her Cradle sets the mirror aglow.

Hike endless old forest trails
You may meet an echidna or two
Stand in awe among towering giants
Feel their eyes following you.

When you think of a place
Where nature thrives in human care
Forget its chequered history
Celebrate its beauty, a gift so rare.

The spirit of Tasmania
Is a secret, untamed place
Shhh….don’t tell anyone
It loves it’s lonely space.

By Rachele Goodey.