Sustainability in Tasmania, Australia
Hello from me and my jet lag!
We just returned from our Honeymoon in Australia! Our first night back we couldn’t fall asleep until almost 5 AM so we watched The Mask of Zorro (classic) on our couch until we were tired enough to sleep. It wasn’t until several days later that we forced ourselves awake before 11 AM, bought big coffees, and stuck it out without napping. Then the time change happened… so, still adjusting but getting better!
Enough about my insane sleep schedule though, it’s time to talk Tassie! Yes, after two weeks in Tasmania I’m allowing myself to use their nickname. (One of my favorite parts of Australia is how everything is given a shortened nickname, usually ending in -y or -ie. Breakfast = Brekkie, Toasted Sandwich = Toastie, etc.) Instead of a traditional recap of our time in Tasmania though, I want to focus on what was one of the most surprising as well as most exciting things we noticed about traveling there. They are GOOD at sustainability!! From the moment we arrived and dropped off our suitcases at the Airbnb in the historic neighborhood of Hobart, we noticed the recycling bins outside were about twice the size of the garbage bin. Basically the reverse of how it is in the US in most places, if they have recycling at all, that is.
When we walked to the 300 stall Saturday Salamanca Market by the wharf, we started to notice even more sustainable touches. The plate/bowl we were served super fresh oysters in was compostable and the forks were wooden instead of plastic. When we bought some fresh raspberries and cherries from a farmer’s booth, we were handed recyclable packaging in a compostable plastic-like bag. All the food served at the market was locally sourced or produced, all the packaging and shopping bags everywhere were compostable and/or recyclable, and all the items sold came from local business owners and artists. There were compost, recycling, and landfill garbage bins all over so there was no reason to litter, and we saw farmers’ booths even displaying their produce in reusable baskets and muslin bags rather than cardboard or plastic boxes and bags. THIS WAS JUST THE FIRST HOUR WE WERE THERE. Color me impressed.
We also noticed drinks are mostly sold in glass bottles or aluminum cans. We were typically able to avoid buying plastic in most shops and cafes and it seemed like every restaurant we ate in got all of their produce, meat, and seafood from just down the road. Even things like cheeses and alcohol were made nearby. We truly got a taste of Tasmania from their fresh briny oysters, to tender roasted lamb, to beer from Hobart Brewing Company and Cascade Brewing, and a local specialty, the curry scallop pie. In the process we also supported locally owned businesses, farms, and fisheries.
Another highlight was visiting the Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary just outside Hobart. Bonorong focuses on rehabilitating injured and sick animals from the area with the goal of releasing them back to the wild. Those animals that aren’t able to thrive in the wild any more are given a home at the sanctuary to live out their days. You can do animal encounters to meet some of the rescue animals and learn more about them and the challenges they face today. We met a wombat named Rhonda who will likely be released back into the wild in just about 6 months. Seeing the animals native to Tasmania like the Tasmanian Devil (yes, they’re real, no they don’t spin around like Taz), wombats, echidnas, kangaroos, and lots of different birds and snakes was so much fun and it was nice to know our entry fees and dollars spent in the gift shop went towards conservation and keeping endangered species in Tassie alive and well.
One of our most delicious stops was at Tasmania’s first 100% off-grid winery called Moores Hill Estate. Their 108 solar panels provide enough power to sustain their winemaking and tasting areas. We tasted 8 wines (8!!!) and loved them all! We left with two bottles, one of their pinot noir and one of their blanc de noir, a tasty, summer-y sparkling wine that was our favorite we tried. Their vineyards were beautiful and the tasting was interesting and fun. How could you not have fun tasting 8 wines though? Impossible.
One thing that somewhat surprised and impressed us was the intentional recognition of aboriginal peoples as the original stewards of the lands where tourists often visit now. From doing a tour of the Sydney Opera House all the way to each stop on our multi-day hiking track we did in Tasmania, guides and rangers acknowledged the Aboriginal groups who originally inhabited and took care of the land. They were very conscious not to say “owners” of the land, because Aboriginal peoples, as well as many other indigenous groups around the world, don’t believe in “owning” land. The land belongs to everyone and it is the responsibility of humans to take care of the land since it takes care of us. This kind of land acknowledgment was surprising considering Australia’s sordid history with Aboriginal peoples, but still good to see and to get people thinking about it.
However, the only problem I saw with these land acknowledgments is that doing so isn’t always enough. It started to feel a bit performative at times since other than those land acknowledgments, we saw almost no mention or inclusion of aboriginal art and culture. The National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne’s largest art museum, had no aboriginal art displayed at all, relegating it to a smaller venue off-site in only a temporary exhibit. Art galleries in Hobart typically didn’t display aboriginal art either and most historic markers we saw around Tasmania and Sydney were only marking their European history, not the history of how aboriginal groups used the land before European settlement. Even in the last few months, people in Australia have been calling for the government to take more advice from Aboriginal peoples on land conservation and fire prevention because of the horrible bushfire season this year. Aboriginal peoples have been doing controlled burns and preserving land while preventing bushfires for thousands of years. I will say the acknowledgments are a step forward and still definitely more than what most people and places do in the US, but they still have a way to go before they can really show they have respect for Aboriginal peoples.
A welcome marker from the Aboriginal peoples near Cradle Mountain at the newly built and recently opened Cradle Mountain National Park Visitor’s Center.
Environmental sustainability is important and exciting but sustainability also includes social sustainability and responsibility. Part of that is recognizing indigenous cultures and uplifting marginalized groups, educating visitors about all the history of a place however difficult or embarrassing it might be. At least talking about it and acknowledging it shows you recognize it’s an important part of your country’s history and identity and Tasmania is definitely beginning to step up and do this.
Overall we loved Tasmania and the efforts they’re making to be more sustainable, to contribute to environmental conservation, and in beginning to recognize aboriginal cultures. We loved that we were able to travel sustainably while not sacrificing any comfort or ease, it felt effortless. We also loved the mass amounts of fresh food we ate and gorgeous scenery. From fiery lichen covered boulders on their beaches, to the sun-drenched eucalypt forests with white tea-tree flowers sprouting up between trees, Tasmania felt like a magical breath of fresh air and we can’t wait to go back.
Sami
