L a u n c e s t o n 1

We spent the last 2 nights of our stay in Tasmania at Launceston. From here, we would fly into Melbourne for a couple of days before we end our holidays in Australia. Being the tail end of our trip, I try not to do too much. I wanted it to end with us resting enough from the exhaustive travelling from earlier on. We would visit a couple of nature sites and spend the rest of the time shopping. I know the girls are itching to shop.  

 Before they could spend money, we have some places to visit. One of it is Tamar Island Wetlands, which is 10min from the city. 

 This wetlands presented us an opportunity to enjoy a leisurely Saturday morning walk. The cold fresh air accompanied with bright sunshine make the walk pleasant.

 The wetlands are paved with proper timber boardwalk of 4km long. The 2 hours return offered us time to explore and stroll in a relaxing mood.

We spotted many black swans, which are natives to this wetlands. 

They build their nest up daily on the reed to protect their eggs from rising water levels.

Catching my reflection.

  Other inhabitants of the wetlands. 

The purple Swanphen is another common bird here. 

Taking flight to a new ground to settle-in.

 A community lies beyond the field of reed. 

 The dense reed beds create pockets of moist, still air in which insects thrive. This provides food for fish, small mammals, reptiles and birds

 The reed can grow above 2m and completely block off the surrounding view.

The quiet environment is sometimes broken by calls from the birds.

The waterways are connected by the same boardwalk, which is very well maintained.

Tamar River and beyond.

Not surprisingly, there aren't many visitors here in winter.

A picnic bench that probably would be occupied in summer time.

Selfie is truly understated.

Catching a silhouette.

A good thing about travelling with others is, we get to have our photos taken together.

Our signature pose.

Our next stop is to Cataract Gorge. 

Alexandra Suspension Bridge, first built in 1904, was rebuilt in the First Basin after the original bridge was washed away during a flood. 

Anyone fearing of height might not want to cross the swinging bridge.

The river gorge is Launceston premier tourist attractions. Visitors with time to spare could take the King's Bridge-Cataract Walk that run along the gorge.

We gave it a miss as we have done enough walking in this trip. 

The swimming pool is popular with the locals, especially in summer. It is free to use and a relaxing swim to beat the heat.

Launceston's Basin Chairlift is the longest single chairlift span in the Southern hemisphere, with total length of 457m.

Sun setting behind the hill, and that signaled the end of our visit. Time for shopping!!

Considering that Launceston is a city, it appears less crowded than any other cities that I have been to. To compare it with Hobart, which has more eating places, historical sites and nightlife, Launceston offers the opposite of a quaint, peaceful & quiet but charming city. If you plan to retire in Australia, and Perth being too popular, Launceston is your next alternative.

And another travel trip awaiting....