Cruising on the River

It pays to look at the vouchers on the back of your supermarket docket...you never know when one of them will be handy! We got a voucher for the Tamar River Cruise - buy one get one free, which meant we could treat ourselves to a trip.

So Saturday 17th (April) saw us joining a group of other tourists (most of them from a tour bus and predominantly in their 70s!) on the MV Tamar Odessy for a 4hour river cruise. The cruise takes you down the Tamar river as it meanders its way down the Tamar Valley for about 20miles to the Batman Bridge.

Along the way there were lots of impressive homesteads to look at along the way. As Launceston is one of the 3 oldest cities in Australia there is a lot of history around - the skipper seemed to know most of the history, pointing out things like the oldest church, the first vineyard, a little town created by one of the first Dutch settlers - to mention a few.

The river has a big silt problem - with the topsoil from the surrounding farm land washing off into the river. As the river is tidal, the silt just gets washed up and down the river. We left on our cruise at low tide - when most of the river is mud, but when we came back the river was full of water.

We also saw a sea eagles nest - apparently there are lots of them along the Tamar river, unfortunately we didn't see any!

We got great refreshments on board - including tasting local wines & beer, and some of the great locally made cheeses.

Both of us loved being back on the water - even if it was only a river, and the boat had no sails!

Easter Adventures - Day 3

Despite waking up to find I'd caught Ollie's flu bug, we were in the car early (the change of daylight savings helped here!) and on the road again. The first stop was Christmas Hill's Raspberry Farm for breakfast. I already knew this was a favourite of mine (having experienced their cheese cake at Festivale, and going there for coffee with Janie on the way back from the yoga retreat) but it was time to introduce Ollie to it.

We had great breakfasts - focussing around raspberries of course. I had the best french toast ever, and a raspberry latte, and Ollie had the big breakfast - including raspberry infused sausages. Was hoping the Vitamin C count in the raspberries would help get rid of the bug! The cafe is in a lovely setting, by a little lake that you can walk around, with the raspberry canes up the hills around it. So after breakfast we had a wander round the lake, before climbing back into the car. Saw a bird that looked quite like a weka...but I don't think it was!

We were heading to Cradle Mountain - one Tasmania's tourist spots, and natural wonders. Along the way though we ducked off the main highway and drove through the little villages - they have some great old buildings in them. We also went via a look out point up on one hill - unfortunately the trees blocked a lot of the view to be had.

Lots of interesting sights along the way as well - including a beautifully clear river with great reflections (and a dam further up the river), interesting road signs, and the change in landscapes.

Cradle Mountain is in one of Tasmania's largest national parks. They have now stopped you from driving into the park to help prevent damage to the place. You must park at the visitor centre carpark, buy a park pass, and then catch the park bus into the park - there are various stops along the 20min drive, depending on where you want to walk. It is also the start of one of the main tramps in Tassie - The Overland Track, a 65km track that most people walk in about 5 - 6 days (a bit like doing the St James Walkway for those of you who like tramping) and also like the St James, some people do this track much faster - in about 7hrs, as part of an adventure race!!!! Both of us being a bit under the weather, we took it easy with a short walk around part of Dove Lake (which was formed by a glacier many many years ago), taking in the view of Cradle Mountain. We also got to see some local flora and fauna, including a wombat!

There was still daylight left (and the last day of having the car) so after a quick bite, we decided to cram in a few more sites. We headed over to the west coast, driving down through the sand dunes til we reached Strahan (pronounces Strawn). Another lovely place by the sea :)

A nice dinner before a drive in the dark home. Ollie managed to squeeze in a trip to the supermarket the next morning to make the shopping easier before he returned the car, and then it was time for Ollie to start studying again, and both of us to rest a bit and get rid of our bugs!!!

Easter Adventures - Day 2

Saturday of the Easter weekend, saw us up and in the car bright and early. We were heading to Hobart for the day (more sea to see!). We stopped in Campbell town on the way for a yummy brunch, before heading down through the centre of the island to Hobart.

We had chosen Saturday for our Hobart visit, so that we could go to the Salamanca Markets - big markets that Hobart is known for. So after juggling our way through the one way system and finding somewhere to park, we set off to explore the markets...which seemed to go on for miles!

Then we explored the waterfront, looking at all the interesting yachts and fishing boats. We even managed (with the help of the camera zoom!) to look at the Sea Shepard boat.

After lunch in a little cafe behind the market, where we ate some yummy  local food, we hopped in the car again and drove round the coast a bit (looking at other marinas!) and then headed across the river to look at the other half of Hobart. Got some good views of the harbour bridge, and looked at some more boats :) found a lovely little cafe for a yummy hot choc & cake, before heading home.

We went home via the East Coast - very beautiful coastal drive. We definately made the most of being able to see the sea! Stopped in Swansea for dinner - however by this time it was dark so we didn't see much of the place, or of the drive home after that.

Hobart is a lovely vibrant city, with a great waterfront scene. We definately hope to visit there again, and spend some more time exploring the East Coast.

Easter Adventures - Day 1

We hired a car for Fri, Sat & Sun of the Easter weekend. We had a very vague plan of places we wanted to see during that time, otherwise we just wanted to explore Tassie...we managed to see quite a bit - clocking up 1600kms over the three days!

Friday morning after picking up the car, we headed north along the western side of the Tamar River. We stopped in to visit our friend Ruth in Deviot for a quick cuppa before heading to Beauty Point, where the AMC has another campus. A quick look at the boats before continuing on to Devonport.

Devonport, built on the mouth of the river Mersey, is where the ferry to Melbourne departs from, so we had to have a look there to see the ships (unfortunately the ferries weren't in when we were there!).

We stopped for lunch in Burnie, another town on the coast - lovely golden beaches. From what we could see (and what the guide book says!) Burnie is quite an industrial town, though they are showcasing more of the local makers and crafters now. Being Good Friday though not much was open, so we kept driving along the coast. We went out to Table Cape - we'd spotted a lighthouse to visit....but we couldnt get very close to it :( We did get a good view along the coast though.

 

We continued on as far as Stanley - a very cute old town, an a headland called "The Nut"

Ollie enjoyed driving again (despite having a chesty cold) and it was great to be adventuring...we got home in the dark, ready to have more adventures the next day.