Day 2 - Northern Tasmania

One of the best things about holidays is the sleep in. Even Jen slept past 8am!

The plan was to head to Cradle Mountain and then take it from there, and that's exactly what we did. There wasn't a cloud in the sky when we headed west from Launceston and it stayed like that for most of the day.

The drive to Cradle Mountain took about 2.5 hours as we travelled mostly the back roads. The set up at the national park is great. After arriving at a large car park, almost full when we got there, you proceed through the Visitors' Centre, pay your park fees, then a shuttle bus takes you to a variety of spots, including Dove Lake, giving the best views of the mountain ⛰️. Apart from the stunning views, there was plenty of beautiful flowing plants and few animals. Really pleased we took the time to go there.

Instead of driving straight back to Launceston, we decided to head back via Burnie and the coast. We stopped by mum and dad's old house 🏚 which has been let go a bit, but still commands brilliant views looking over Bass Straight.

We stopped off at Penguin 🐧 for lunch/dinner around 4.30, enjoying fish and chips overlooking the beach. We had the obligatory sea gulls hanging around, but one in particular was so determined, he was basically sitting on my foot waiting for any small offering. Not sure they'd survive in the wild without chips!

The coastal drive goes east as far as Devonport before heading slightly inland and back to Launceston. Daylight saving is great and, coupled with the southern latitude, allows plenty of sunlight hours.Read more