If it got to 9am we were also searching for a place to buy a charger for two mobile phones, one ipod and an e-reader! the last one got left in Bicheno.
Found a cafe and got directions to "Hardly Normal", but couldn't find it.
We gave up and set out for the docks where we going to begin our luncheon cruise of the Tamar.
On the way we found these Tasmanian Tigers. Yes - the living, breathing ones may well be extinct, but trust me, there are many, many other varieties to be found down here.
We made it to the wharf with 40 minutes to spare and discovered that Harvey Norman was just across the road.
Done!!
There were only 15 people on the cruise, so it was very cosy.
Unfortunately the very strong, but warm wind that we had woken up to had now turned a little cooler and decidedly wet!
Never mind.....
The boat went into the Cataract Gorge, which I was very happy about as I had been very curious about this as it is so close to the city. We more or less entered the gorge as we went under this bridge
There was something 'hysterical' about this house, but I can't remember what it was, however if you can make out the wire fence below the house (I think there is a person standing there too) you are looking at a walk that stretches along the gorge. It is lit until midnight. Fantastic. i imagine it would be a great walk.
There are some lovely Victorian and Federation style houses on the hillside that slopes down toward the estuary.
Please note that I called the Tamar an estuary. Even though lots of people refer to it as a river it isn't. It's the longest navigable estuary in Australia.
If you can make out the grandstand in this photo then I can tell you it is used as a grandstand for regattas and the like, but it's primary role is as a levee bank to save Launceston from flooding.
Spot the sea eagle............
Somewhere along the Tamar this church appeared. It was built privately by the owner of the land to appease his wife and keep the peace after moving to the area. Apparently it worked because they had 11 kids.
The cruise went as far as the Batman Bridge. I recall thinking as I drove over this bridge yesterday that it was a bit odd - asymmetric.
There's a reason for that. apparently on one side the bank is rock and on the other soft soil. The bridge was designed so that the rocky side takes three quarters of the burden of the bridge.
On the way back Mr. S. Eagle has been joined by the Mrs.
Ray also spotted some Boobies. No - that is not a reference to anything other than feathered wildlife!
This boat, in spite of looking pretty ordinary in this photo, has a very famous relative. It's called the Wyuyna and it has been said that it is a copy of the Royal Yacht Britannia. In actual fact it was built at exactly the same time as the Britannia, pretty much side by side in the ship yard, so it can't be a copy. What's more the Wyuna's plans were drawn up earlier than those for the Britannia, so it seems the Wyuna can lay claim to having been copied by the Britannia!!
Launceston was once called Pattersonia, named by a bloke called Patterson who was given a very large land grant here. There is still a place called Pattersonia nearby, but it is much smaller than Launceston.
There was some lovely landscapes along both sides of the Tamar, but it was rather wet and rather cold and we retreated to a warmer part of the boat that was not conducive to taking photos.
Back on dry land we visited the Old Umbrella Shop, then retreated to the warmth and comfort of a hotel room for our last night in Tasmania.
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