Sunday 24 February 2013

Tasmania: Day 4 & 5

Day 4 we spent most of the day in Launceston (this is the northern part of Tasmania). It was the most beautiful little town I had ever seen and I wanted to buy a house and move my family there! We spent most of the day in Cataract Gorge. There were hikes, a chairlift, lakes, pools and cute little antique looking cafes and houses all built along this gorge. Here are a few pictures off the internet!

 We swam in this pool, which I thought was so stunning with the hills as a backdrop!
Here we are by a giant redwood tree in the lovely manicured gardens at the Gorge.

Miss Mary and I


Thomas on the chair lift

From Launceston we headed toward Cradle Mountain.  On our way Stan took a minor unplanned detour and we found a beautiful lake to picnic at called Lake Barrington:



After some sandwiches and cherries we got back on the road.  Driving around sunset we came across some wildlife.
Found a little echidna crossing the road while we were driving!
and a wombat!

We got to cradle mountain just in time for the night feeding of the Tasmanian devils. They are nearly extinct now and are under a very secure breeding program where they are tracked and reintroduced into the wild. We got to pet a baby devil and after hearing the statistics, I am pretty sure that will be the last one is see, unless it is in a zoo.
The second closest relative to a Tasmanian devil is the quoll. It is very similar but it can climb and hunt in the trees and is quite a bit smaller.  
In the morning we went on a few hikes around cradle mountain. Here we are at Dove Lake; it was so peaceful!



This second hike to Crater Lake was covered in moss- I LOVED it- everything seemed very magical and I wish I had more pictures!

After a morning at Cradle mountain we started to drive south back to Hobart to get my dad back on his plane (He flew out a day ahead of us). We were lucky to go through some old historic towns where early convicts had built many infrastructures. Here we are in Richmond near the old bridge.   We also stopped by a raspberry farm for some delicious lunch eats!





2 comments:

Harry and Suzanne said...

And....we want to live with in Launceston next door to you, or at least a few blocks away. What an enchanting place and what great pictures. We are happy you keep your blog updated. Love you!

Harry and Suzanne said...

And....we want to live with in Launceston next door to you, or at least a few blocks away. What an enchanting place and what great pictures. We are happy you keep your blog updated. Love you!