Launceston
Next destination is Launceston and it is big day to get there starting with a stop at St Columba Falls,and our first sighting of a tiger snake.
Huge ferntrees aplenty, and epiphytes
We continue with a real detour on single lane gravel road through hilly and steep terrain. At the top of big climb, we go through some logging clearing, just regrowth but very ugly just the same.
We stop and get out at the stone lined walk to Raph Falls which is through a dense forest of Mytle.
Suddenly, the sky opens up with a view down the valley from a platform jutting put, the falls just a white trickle down a granite cliff face.
We spent two nights in Launceston at well renovated place that backed onto a cliff beside Cataract Gorge. Launceston is well down the Tammer River and just below where the river is still tidal. We spent the following day near the mouth of the Tammer River at a place called Beauty Point where we visited the Seahorse Breeding facility.
They also had alot of other local aquatic life, including the rare giant Tasmanian freshwater crayfish and giant Tasmanian crab (from a depth of 500m). This is the only place on earth which can sell seahorses to aquariums. They breed all sorts of seahorses but only the Tasmanian ones were on display for the public as they are less susceptable to disease. Then onto Monostreme world with brief tours of breeding facilities of both platypus and ecihdna. On the drive back up the Tammar Valley, we stopped by a large wetland with lots of boardwalks and bird hides.
On the morning we left Launceston, we walked up the gorge, finally.
The gorge was high on my list as I was in Tasmania was 12 years ago attending an AusWIND conference in Launceston and failed to see it then.