Our last week in Tasmania was spent traveling through the Bay of Fires and then over the mountains to Launceston. We spent a relaxed couple of warm days surfing and rock climbing at Cosy Corner North campground in the Bay of Fires Conservation area. Our new friends, Karin and John, who we had met at Lagoons during Oscars birthday, turned up as well, so that was a bonus. The beach was of extraordinarily white sand and the rocks were that wonderful meld of orange and red. On a sunny day, the contrasts were eye catching. At Launceston ( or Lonnie ) as the locals call it, we stayed in a spot that I had been looking forward to all trip. It was called Myrtle Park and I think the story was that it had belonged to a wealthy, benevolent man who loved having his extended family camp in these beautiful, wooded grounds he had created behind his house. When he died, he willed the area to the council to be used as a camp area for the residents and visitors to the Lonnie area so the the grounds would always sing with the sound of children playing. The sting in the tail of this story, as far as the council is concerned, is that he stipulated that it should never cost more than $7 a site for people to stay! He sounds an extraordinary man, and I wish he was alive, so that I could shake him by the hand. The grounds were bordered by St Patricks creek and it was basically like camping in a botanic garden. There were two tennis courts( free), a large camp kitchen with microwaves and toasters etc, and free hot showers. We basically arrived the day before Good Friday and had to leave for the boat on the Sat pm,but I could have stayed for a week. Best camp spot I have ever seen.

Launceston itself takes out the title of Tasmania's best city for me. For starters, it has a definite Cornish flavour,( Launceston is also a town in Cornwall). It boasts a selection of wonderful, beautiful civic buildings ( the post office building, the town hall), there is a town park where Monkeys roam free and best of all, just a 5 min walk from the town centre is Cataract Gorge. Cataract Gorge is a natural geological feature, with oodles of comely walks and a rather spectacular suspension bridge over the whole thing. It has a widish river running through that detours in to a large lake over which a chairlift soars. This chairlift is apparently the longest single span lift in the world. I think it also takes out the record for the most half arsed restraints I have ever seen. Basically, you sit in the chair, and the only thing between you and accidentally falling to your death 40 ft down, is a swing arm bit of steel about 2 inches round that just rests on the central bar- it doesn't even latch. I think that it is a spit in the eye to the OH and S police who do not believe that people can be sensible and will not leap out of the chair because this lift has NEVER had any one fall out of it. Admittedly, I did hold quite tightly on to Oscar through the duration of the ride...

We spent the last couple of days in Tasmania checking out the Tamar Valley and then loading ourselves up with delicious food to take back across on the boat. We bought what is possibly the best Cheddar I have ever tasted by Ashworth Cheeses, smoked trout, and of course, heaps of Belgian easter chocolate from the incomparable House of D'Anvers. Goodbye Tassie, I am already rueing the decision not to work here for a while, but we will be back, one day.