Today we did a self-driving tour of the Tamar Valley. It was a pleasant day but despite all the creative marketing, most of the areas along the route have a ways to go to become really viable attractions. Having said that, we might have a different take on it if we were here in spring when the hills and valleys are lush and green rather than the late summer scorched brown which look more like the drought ridden California we left behind. Also, today was cloudy and overcast which probably attributed to our lack of enthusiasm for the region.
The hi-light of the day was unquestionably the Platypus House at Beauty Point where we got to meet Jupiter and his pals and learn more about these fascinating monotremes and if that wasn’t enough, once the platypus tour was over, we were taken to a door which when opened, revealed 3 echidna’s waiting to greet us and scurry around our feet. These were far bigger than the ones we’ve encountered in the wild and it was brilliant to have the opportunity to watch them up close.
After hanging with the monotremes it was time for lunch and the sun popped out long enough for us to enjoy eating at an outdoor table at the River Café overlooking the Tamar River. Another delicious lunch; I had a Buddha Bowl with roasted pumpkin, fried chickpeas, spinach, grilled mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, hummus and dukkha. Dukkha seems to have been on almost everything I’ve eaten so far on this trip and I’m not complaining, this combination of toasted nuts, seeds and spices sprinkled over the meal just before serving really adds a delicious kick.
We continued the loop heading over to the east side of the river which took us through some very run down and industrial small towns. George Town was a recommended stop as one of the first Australian settlements and a rich maritime history but all we saw was a sad solitary town with an abandoned smelt plant and the weirdest monument ever which we later learned was carved from a dead tree by Tasmanian chainsaw artist Eddie Freeman and featured 3 fisherman a whale, a whale calf and five penguins…Google it!
At the end of the road and the mouth of the Tamar River was Low Head Pilot Station overlooking the Bass Strait; a picturesque area with some nice coastal paths to penguin colonies and another photogenic lighthouse.
On the way back to Launceston, we stopped at a really nice food store called Alps & Amici to pick up some meat and cheese, next stop a traditional greengrocers for some veggies, then finally a bottle shop for some wine, all in preparation for a delicious feast tonight. It was really nice stopping at these independent neighborhood shops rather than going to a big supermarket.
Dropped our dinner goodies back at the accommodation and had a quick cuppa before walking down the zig zag trail to Cataract Gorge a unique natural formation only a few minutes walk from downtown with hiking trails along the South Esk River.
In hindsight it might have been nicer to spend the day here and do a hike and a picnic but I guess then we wouldn’t have experienced the platypus and echidnas or seen the staggering work of the chainsaw artist.