Launceston is like Barrie, only nicer and and with hills. Situated at the end of a very long fjord-like river emptying into the Bass Strait, the city is set on rolling hills and is second only to Hobart in size. Walking the streets last night looking for good Chinese food, which we found, I was again impressed with the way Australia's smaller cities and towns are so clean, vibrant, and seemingly "economic-downturn" free. This was a place to raise your kids, walk to the corner store, wave at your neighbour and feel as if everything was indeed right in the world.
Our second day's agenda had not really materialized by the time we had checked out, but Linton had read about a "gorge" kind of place in the middle of town with a chairlift and a cafe - enough said! Upon arrival we were stunned by the sudden beauty. Tucked at the end of a non-descript street the Launceston gorge is a bizarre but wonderful combination of touristy kitsche and outdoor activity. A suspension bridge, chairlift, walking trails, lake, swimming pool and cafe combine together to make a perfect place to spend a few hours outdoors with kids.
After some thick toast and cocoa puffs, we boarded the very rickety and very high chairlift and began to creep our way across the gorge. This thing claims to have the longest single span of any chairlift in the world - I might add the longest and the scariest. As the chairlift was almost 40 years old, I was sure we were only one or two revolutions away from plummeting onto the rocks below - especially as we passed some very large bikers in the chairs heading the other way.
Safely on the other side, we visited with a few resident wallabies and skinks while negotiating which paths to partake in. After a wonderful lookout and a wobbly walk across a suspension bridge, we waved goodbye to the gorge and Launceston and set our sights on Bicheno and Wineglass Bay about a two hour drive away. Once again we patted ourselves and the kids on the back for finding and enjoying a natural, outdoor activity. That may sound a bit weird, but we continue to be pleased with the way the kids have embraced our travels and have found fun away from the usual distractions. It is always more interesting and exciting when you feel like they are running with you versus being dragged.
After a very rare wrong turn which found us having lunch in a playground in a place called Swansea, we picked up a few groceries and headed north to Bicheno and our lodgings for the night. As luck would have it, the more campier retreat we thought we were staying in, turned out to be a much nicer resort with just maybe the best view of any place we had yet stayed in Australia. It was high fives all around as we soaked up the view, the pool, the table tennis room and an incredible beach, complete with its very own penguin tour.
Not content to simply soak up the great spot however, we drove back into town to check out the local blow hole which turned out to be a fabulous decision. This thing was amazing. Huge swells would pound into the shoreline, travelling down a narrow chute in the rock, and then explode out the end. You could walk right up to it and be drenched by the towering spray. We weren't quite that bold - something to do with dad's vice-like grip on their arms - but the kids had fun running away from the water as it raced back into the sea. This was nature teaching them how amazing it could be and truly one of my favourite Australian family moments so far.
The night was stunning and we took turns back at the resort wandering the fenceline by the beach under a gorgeous full moon looking and listening for the little penguins making their nightly return from a day's fishing. There we were, on the very eastern edge of Tasmania, a long, long way from home - maybe the furthest away yet - but the beauty of the place and the quality of the day sent us all to bed with the sense that this life, right now, was very, very good.
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