Postcards from Tasmania – Meet Photographer Robert King
When you’ve photographed some of the most beautiful places on Earth, where do you go next? Tasmania, of course. Join photographer Robert King as he shares his adventures in the Apple Isle for Coastbeat.
49 Passport Stamps
‘Insanely beautiful’ really means something, coming from Australian photographer Robert King, who has made his career photographing spectacular places. King is referring to Tasmania, where he is spending a month traveling around the island, experiencing the Tassie lifestyle and photographing the amazing landscape.
King has explored and photographed 49 countries across the globe in the past six years, missing out on claiming his 50th passport stamp thanks to COVID-19. But there is a silver lining to the COVID-cloud, he maintains, when he calls in for a chat from the wild Tasman Peninsular, on the south-east coast.
“It’s really cool to be exploring my own back yard,” he explains. “It’s reminded me of how amazing our landscape is.”
First Impressions of Tassie
As much as the dramatic cliffs, pristine beaches and green rolling hills have impressed Robert, it is the wildlife that really blows him away.
“I’m trying to see Tasmania as someone from overseas might. The bird life is incredible: hawks, eagles and ibis. In this landscape of rolling hills and big, blue skies, the birds are striking. Tasmania reminds me of the Scottish Highlands, or New Zealand. And there are wombats and bandicoots, and these cute little wallabies called paddymelons – they’re so friendly. We Australians might take our wildlife for granted, but we shouldn’t.”
Robert is impressed with the Tasmanian human too, also friendly, who have embraced tourism at its best.
“Tasmanian oysters – amazing,” Robert says. “I’ve just been on a Tasmanian Oyster Company boat. They pulled the oysters fresh from the water and shucked them for us on board.”
Other culinary treats he recommends are the Gulf Pie in Hobart and some Bruny Island Cheese from dairy cows, which he describes as the friendliest cows he’s ever met. A recurring theme for Tasmania, it would seem.
Photography Adventures
Robert usually starts his day before dawn, hiking in to the landscape to capture the sunrise.
“I did the 20-kilometre hike to Cape Raoul on the Tasman Peninsular, starting at 4am. That way I capture the landscape without anyone in frame to distract from its raw beauty. I’ve photographed some of the most spectacular places on Earth, but if someone showed me shots of the Tasman Peninsular, I’d drop everything and go there.”
Robert relies on word-of-mouth from locals and fellow travellers to find the best places to travel to. You can rely on Coastbeat and Robert’s reportage as he tours Tassie. Watch this space for regular updates and samples of Robert King’s fabulous photography. And after Tasmania?
“Australia!” he says. “Home is my 50th country.”
Keep an eye out for week two of Rob’s Tassie adventure!