geospyder wrote:Which zoo, nature park, etc. would be recommended to see a Tasmanian Devil and a Platypus?
I don't know if you would see both in the same place (I'm waiting to be corrected here guys!) but you would see a Devil @ the Tasmanian Devil Park at Taranna (on the way to Port Arthur), Bonorong Park (Brighton), maybe Zoo Doo (Richmond). A platypus would be found at The Platypus House (I think thats what its called) at Beauty Point which is long way north of Launceston. They can sometimes be found in rivers in the wild. A check of my logs in GSAK produced 13 caches where platypii have been sighted. The majority are in the north and north-west of the state.
Is American Express widely accepted?
If it goes through an EFT terminal then yes - if it is an old manual imprint then maybe not. Asking first is always the best option, although VISA and MasterCard are widely accepted.
My wife is talking of driving up to Launceston - I said if we do I have to visit the James Boag's Preminum Brewery to compare it to the Cascade Brewery in Hobart
Is it worth the trip?
Dunno, I don't drink. You would be looking at a leisurely 3 hour drive (tourist speed, coffee stop) to get to Launceston. You would be better off staying the night to take in the sights, try to catch a platypus/seahorse etc.
Any special rules of the road that we should be aware of? OK OK I know I have to drive on the 'other' side of the road
Watch the speed limits. We don't drive on the 'other' side of the road, we drive on the left side.
Any special "do not miss" things that we should see or do on our visit?
Take a visit to Eaglehawk Neck - do the caches around there, including the earthcache. They will take you to some excellent geological areas. Do some trig point caches (on this website!), as they will take you to some places with remarkable views.
Caches where platypii have been seen:
Caffeine, Tyenna Platypus, A Platypus Walk, Stag (Beetle) Party, A Hole For Ducks, Drive the Flume (GCA cache), The Lost Scrolls of the World (Singapore), LAURIE, The Humerous Cascade, Boing Boing, Howarth Wares, Cundle's Cache, Duck Filled II: Electric Boogaloo (GCA- disable), Terrific Forest, GARDEN #2, Let's Go Fishing #1, Upper Natone Reserve (GCA cache), the Guide has fallen, Plattacat Returns, O-F-R-PICNIC.
A small warning. Watch out for drop bears whilst caching in Australia. Google is your friend....