Launceston to Hobart - 8th January 26

We had a lazy start and after breakfast at the hotel we checked out and drove a short distance to Launceston cataract gorge. This is a large natural pool at the end of a gorge which has been turned into a public recreation area with a swimming pool (as well as the lake), chairlift, walks, bbq's and plenty of grassy areas to relax in. The car park was pretty busy when we arrived but we found a space and spent some time wandering in a circular loop walk.

For us it was time to move on and we drove about 30 minutes south west to a pretty town called Westbury for a quick stop to see some of the older buildings.

We carried on south with our eventual destination being Hobart. Next stop was Longford, a town about 30 minutes from Westbury. Another short wander and we then drove about 5 minutes to the Brickendon Estate. This is an old settler estate owned by the 7th generation of the Archer family. There are lots of old buildings from the early 18th century and some amazing views across the valley to the Woolmers estate - originally owned by another branch of the Archer family but now in public ownership.

At the Brickendon Estate we learned about the family history by watching a film but also the role of convicts in the establishment and running of the farm when it was first established. We then spent some time wandering around the buildings, including outside of the impressive family home.

Our next stop, another 40 minutes south was Ross, a small town with lots of well preserved buildings but still very much in use today. We had a snack at one of the bakeries before another short stroll though the town.

Our final leg of the journey saw us initially rejoin the Midland highway towards Hobart. The journey took about 90 minutes before we arrived at Jak and Corinne's house just after 5pm where we're staying for the next three nights. We met Jak and Corinne back in 2012 on a trip to Brazil and Bolivia.

After welcoming us in to their home and having a tour of the house we had some drinks in the sunny garden after which we had my first Aussie BBQ. We decided to eat inside mainly because although it was still sunny the wind off the sea had picked up.

We spent a lovely evening reminiscing about our time together in South America and also each others various travels since then. We eventually turned in to bed just after 11pm.Leggi altro