Tours around Launceston

What a full day I've had today! First I enjoyed a delicious cooked breakfast in a sunny and pleasant dining room at Fiona's. I then returned to the airport. A complete confusion of hire cars being returned but I happened to see the lady that had rung me about my folder and she ran in for it while I double parked.

Next the drive north to Beauty Point and Seahorse World, the reason I came to Launceston rather than Hobart. The tour through the labs was very interesting. I learned a lot about seahorses and sea dragons. Seahorse World breeds for the aquarium market worldwide. Apparently they are very expensive but they are painstaking to grow.

The newborn babies are only about 1cm long (one of the tanks had some day old babies in it amongst the adults. There had be a birth overnight. The tiny ones below are about 6 weeks old.

The aquarium also had some huge crabs, hermit crabs and lots of other aquatic animals.

Next door was Platypus House. They have some platypus and some echidnas in captivity but unfortunately the platypus were too fast to photograph. The tour was informative and of course the animals were cute.

It was lunch time by the time this tour finished but there was no lunch to buy so I had a beautiful ice cream churned with Tassie blackberries.

On the way south again I had a quick stop at Brady's Lookout with fantastic views both ways along the Tamar River.

Just before Launceston I stopped at the Tamar Island Wetlands. I walked the 1.5 km of boardwalk to the island but it was very hot and sunny so there was not much to see - a copperhead snake as it disappeared into the reeds, some purple swamphens (actually blue), black swans, white faced heron and various ducks. There was even some Triglochin but not flowering.

Time then to return to the unit and escape the heat and sit for a bit.

I decided to walk the three blocks into the city centre to find dinner. I passed Strand Bags with specials on carry-on bags like the one I have been looking for. The girl serving was aware of the size limitations of all airlines so I now have the two wheels (that I've been looking for), light weight (1.9kg), 15 year guarantee, and fits my A4 travel folder in a front pocket, PLUS it is small enough for the smallest requirements of all airlines.

I found some salad and fruit for dinner to go with the wine I bought at Platypus House. I'm a real connoiseur - I bought it for the label.

Home again to collapse after nearly 13000 steps with no stick!