Thursday, March 15

This was a bit of a “wetlands” day, some disappointments, but ended up well.  It was very cloudy this morning and we decided to visit the Tamar River Wetlands.  We were there about 20 minutes and it started sprinkling.  A duck hide was nearby, so we sheltered in there, waiting for the rain to pass.  It never did, so we explored the rest of the wetlands in the drizzle.  The visitor center was open when we headed back and it was nicely set up and the docents were very helpful.  We even found out what the pretty little blue bird was we saw while in the duck hide.

West of Tamer River is an area with cheese and chocolate places.  I had also read about a “Raspberry Farm” that appeared in many itineraries.  The Raspberry Farm was really a café and gift shop and ended up being a huge tourist trap and disappointment.  The cheese place missed the mark with me as well.  It was nothing more than a big gift shop with some plates of cheese for tasting in the back.  There was no one to explain how the various cheeses are made or why one cheese tastes different from the other.

At least the chocolate shop didn’t feel so touristy.  So we were 1 for 3 on that excursion.

We then went to Narawntapu National Park and did the short Springlawn Nature Walk.  The walk meandered along the shore of a lake and ended up at a duck hide.  We saw wallabies and pademelon along the walk and the shoreline had some really interesting trees.  It reminded me of the bayous (not that I’ve been to the bayous).

Next, we went to the Platypus House.  It’s a tourist attraction with Seahorse World next to it.  They are both housed in large buildings on a wharf on Tamar River at Beauty Point.  We made it just in time for a tour and it was really interesting.  They have both platypuses and echidnas (looks a bit like a porcupine or hedgehog).  These two animals are the only two monotremes (egg-laying mammals) on the planet.  Male platypuses have a spur at their hind legs with venom that can leave you in agony for months.  There is no antivenom and the pain doesn’t respond to morphine. Don’t mess with them!

In contrast, the echidnas are very docile.  We went into their enclosure and sat on the ground with them as they walked around us, often over our feet.  We watched them eat and their tongues are like earthworms shooting out of their mouth.

The trip to Platypus House was a win for us and we learned a lot.

Before heading back to Armalong, we stopped for wine tasting at Wines for Joannie.  It was located back in the hills, off the main roads. The wine tasting is done in a huge shed with a large dining table in the middle of it.  We were the only ones there and the woman hosting the tasting offered us a seat and we did our tasting there.  It was a very nice way to do tasting, like friends relaxing at the table, talking about wine and travel.  It turns out that the woman was from Tennessee!  She told us about the history of the winery and history of the wine-makers.  Joannie was the mother who motivated the wine-maker to open the winery.  She passed away before it came into fruition. The entire property was refurbished historical buildings.  You felt a connection to the wines hearing about its history and philosophy of the winery. So another win to finish up the day.

Friday, March 16

Time to leave our lovely winery apartment and head to Cradle Mountain.

Right near the central area of Launceston is Cataract Gorge.  It is probably the #1 thing to do/see in Launceston.  There are things to really love about the gorge, and things not to love.  I loved the natural beauty.  I didn’t love the swimming pool and chairlift in the middle of it.  There are a few hiking trails along the gorge, but no map of them – neither online nor posted there.  I loved the suspension bridge and our hike to Sentinal Lookout.  It got away from the school groups and tourists at the main area and was beautiful.  We enjoyed our morning there only because we got away from the commercial area.  The other end of the gorge is at an adventure park, hotel, and cafes, so it could have been worse.  I think you should leave nature natural.

Our journey took us east and we did another one of the “60 Great Short Walks” at Alum Cliffs.  This was an easy walk along a ridge, ending at a viewpoint of the gorge and cliffs.

Then we went to do the tour of Marakoopa Cave.  Cave tours leave almost every half hour, so no need to prebook.  This was a very well preserved cave with huge chambers and loads of straws, stalagmites and stalactites.

Then up the mountain road to Cradle Mountain.  We found the Highlander Cottages, checked in, and were assigned Pademelon Cabin.  A short walk away is the visitor center, where we obtained (it comes free with the park pass we purchased for all the parks on our first day) a shuttle bus pass.  We would make good use of the pass the following day.

That night we had reservations for “Dine with the Devil”, which included wine and cheese, and roasted marshmallows while you walked around the reserve.  The Devils are endangered, as there is a rare facial tumor disease dwindling their numbers.  They can be noisy and ill tempered towards one another, but really sweet towards humans.  Our guide held one while we pet it – how cool is that!  There was only one other couple on our tour and we had a great experience.

Saturday, March 17

This morning, as we headed out the door, a pademelon sat right at our doorstep.

We took the shuttle to Dove Lake carpark and did the Dove Lake Circuit in a clockwise direction. Even though it was cloudy, we had beautiful views of Cradle Mountain.  We passed some interesting landscapes and even a waterfall.  Once at the famous boat shed, we started running into lots of people, whereas before, we pretty much had the track to ourselves.

At the boat shed, we took a different trail to Lake Lilla.  The track started out a bit rough, with many tree roots and a stream to cross.  But then it turned into a boardwalk across some wide open tussock fields.  (The panorama photo at the top of this page is of this area) Wombat poo was everywhere.  We passed another group and asked if they had seen wombats. They hadn’t, but then hollered from afar a few minutes later, as they spotted one.  We quickly headed back and took lots of photos.  I was told this particular track was known for wombats, but I believe they are more prevalent in early morning or dusk.

From Ronnie Creek, we took the shuttle to the Ranger Station and Interpretation Centre.  We walked the Enchanted Walk and King Billy Walk. These walks were a lot more up and down and we finally found a bench to sit on.  The shuttle brought us back to the Visitor Centre.  For a “free” shuttle, we certainly got our money’s worth!

The Adventure Continues>>>