After two nights in Bicheno, the Flys and Andy were off to our final stop of the road trip before heading back south. Launceston is the second most populous city in Tazzy, and we decided to take the scenic route to get there.
We drove northward up the coast before heading inland onto winding roads. Our first detour to explore was Pyengana (don’t ask me to remember the pronunciation), home to a waterfall and dairy farm. Down another long and serpentine road, we parked at Saint Columba Falls State Reserve. The rainforest here was reminiscent of New Zealand, though the fauna wasn’t - we were lucky enough to watch an echidna nosing around in the underbrush thanks to some keen-eyed walkers ahead of us.
I didn’t get any echidna photos, but more to come on that.
After the falls, we stopped in at the Pyengana Dairy Farm for some cheese and a chance to look at the Tazzy cows, using automated milking technology and huge brushes to scratch their itches. Pretty entertaining, though we won’t add them to our native fauna list.
Our next stop was at a river known for sapphires, where Andy was especially keen to do some fossicking. It was definitely off the touristy path, so we didn’t encounter anyone else there. Though we didn’t find any gemstones, it was a really beautiful spot to cool off.
Here’s one of many views along our drive, looking out over northern Tasmania.
When we hit the city of Launceston, we made our way to Cataract Gorge, known for its scenic chairlift. It was a hot, sunny day, so lots of visitors were there, either using the chairlift, hiking or swimming in the very tempting pool. We got tickets for a one-way trip on the lift so we could walk back, which ended up being perfect.
It had been a full day, and it wasn’t even dinner time yet! We checked into our hotel and had a good rest before a delicious steakhouse meal later on. The historic section of Launceston was beautiful to walk through, especially lit up in the evening.
The next morning, it was time to see some native critters. We made the drive to nearby Beauty Point to visit the Platypus House. It happens to be right next to Seahorse World, but because of the tour times and cost, we opted for just one. We had breakfast at a nearby cafe and then it was time to see some monotremes!
We learned a lot from our tour guide - they’re pretty incredible creatures (platypuses, not tour guides)! Apparently, “platytpi” isn’t really used since it’s pseudo-latin, and if we went by the Greek roots of the word, it would be “platypodes.” So, platypuses it is. Anyway, all of the animals residing here have been rescued for various reasons and this is their best chance at a full life, including plenty of meals and activities. It was great watching them dive for their food and cavort in the water.
After some quality time spent with these unique critters, it was on to the echidna area. Three of them moseyed around while the humans sat on the floor. No cuddles allowed, understandably, but it was awesome being so close and watching them eat with their long skinny tongues.
As the tour ended, we said farewell to our new friends and headed south.
Our last destination was historic Richmond, conveniently close to Hobart Airport for the super early flight the next morning. We had adjoining rooms in the Coachman’s Rest, which was right in the center of town.
After checking in, tooling around town and of course visiting the local pub, Andy and I set out to see the historic sights in the golden evening light.
The Richmond Bridge was built in 1825 by convicts, a common form of labor in Australia back then. Talk about not having to pay your workers.
With the overlooking mill house, it was a beautiful and peaceful spot. Even spotted an Andy on the historic bridge! He said the area reminded him of parts of the UK, which I can definitely see.
The contrast between the greenery of town and the dry, brown landscape just beyond was stark.
As the shadows lengthened, we turned back toward our retreat for the night.
Charming Richmond was the perfect place to spend the last evening of our epic Tasmanian adventure. We had to get up well before the sun, avoiding roadside wallabies on our way to the airport before heading back to Wellington. We were tired but happy after a wonderful week away, where we definitely fit in our fair share of exploration, history and native animals. Thanks for coming along on our journey!
Up next, Andy and I head out on our last hurrah before baby, to Lake Hawea on the South Island.
FlyAllOver 