We took our children to visit Tasmania Zoo in Launceston, Tasmania. The zoo has a large variety of wildlife — apparently the largest collection of native and exotic animals in Tasmania. While my photos do not show it, birds are a large part of the zoo’s collection of animals. The animals of interest to my family were the Tasmanian Devils. The zoo has a breeding program aimed at combating the Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD), which … more »
We decided to drive from Launceston to Green’s Beach, taking in some of the local tourist attractions along the way. Several people had told us that we just had to take the kids to see the echidnas at Platypus House located on Inspection Head Wharf in Flinders Street at Beauty Point. We joined a tour and saw the platypus. I did not manage to get any photos of the platypus. We then entered the Echidna Garden. We were all … more »
After eating a simple picnic Christmas lunch at Cataract Gorge Reserve in Launceston, we decided to drive to Ben Lomond National Park, which is about 50 kilometres from Launceston and includes the second highest peak in Tasmania — Legges Tor at 1,572 metres. We did not realise that the Tasmanian Government charges a Park Entry Fee to all its national parks. Day-visit National Parks Passes can be purchased on entry to the Ben Lomond National Park, … more »
Being a couple of thousand kilometres from home for Christmas day had certain advantages — we did not need to spend Christmas with family! Instead, we packed a Christmas lunch of turkey sandwiches, fruitcake and some drinks, and made our way to Cataract Gorge Reserve. This is a lovely location and very popular with the locals. The water in First Basin is deep and very cold. However, there is always the heated swimming … more »
After settling in to our accommodation, we went for a walk around the Launceston CBD, including The Quadrant and The Mall. My three year old and six year old easily managed a leisurely stroll around the CBD — Launceston is a small city. A recurring theme in Tasmania is the lack of children’s play equipment in parks. There was a play ground in Queens Park and a few swings in another park, but apart … more »
I was looking forward to crossing Bass Strait on the Spirit of Tasmania from Melbourne to Devonport. Bass Strait has a reputation for being rough. I was disappointed to find that on the day I crossed, Bass Strait was an effective mill pond with tiny one metre swells. Even so, several people became queasy with the slow rocking motion of the boat. The boat had obviously been through some storms over the years … more »
Day 3 of driving the Newell Highway was to take me from Narrandera to Melbourne. To read about my road trip from Brisbane to Tasmania and back, follow the Tasmania trip tag. I had stayed at the Midtown Motor Inn overnight after the caravan park I was booked to stay at had flooded. I was quite happy with the standard of accommodation. Before starting my drive for the day, I took the opportunity to take a walk around Narrandera. The town had … more »