A full day of driving and walking.

Leaving Launceston at 8.30am we drove 2hrs west to Cradle Mountain National Park. Whilst only the 6th highest mountain in Tassie, its beautiful surroundings make it a standout place to visit.

Thankfully we got lucky with the weather and despite being on the top of the mountain range, the sun was shining and we had clear skies which meant we could see the summit from the moment we arrived at the visitors centre.

We opted to do a walk around Dove Lake, at the base of the climb, having realised the walk to the 1,545m summit would involve an overnight stay!

Whilst there were a few day trippers on our coach up to the lake, there were some professional walkers with all the gear, whereas we were in shorts, T-shirts and sandals with a buttie and a bottle of juice for sustenance. Thankfully our fitnesses paid off, and a walk of 3hrs around the lake was completed in under half the time.

After the success of our first walk, we decided to do another this time to view wombats in their natural habitat. Whilst active normally after dusk, we came across these unusual marsupials who do a good impression of boulders on the hillside, so were hard to see. Aided by locals we were able to spot a couple feeding on the heath. They are native to Australia and not found anywhere else.

After our successful first two walks, we went for a third along the enchanted walkway (think it was targeted at kids) where we came across a small waterfall.

After a day in nature we hot footed back to Launceston after discovering the key lob for the campervan was faulty and needed replacing asap. After a return journey minus satnav due to lack of WiFi we made it to the garage with 5mins to spare.

Now relaxing at a camp ground in Longford about 10 miles south of Launceston next to the Macquarie River. It’s been a beautiful sunny day and nice to relax with a beer/wine and enjoy the last hour of sunshine.

Tomorrow we head to nearby Evandale, an early Victorian settlement which has retained much of its original architecture and historical connections, as well as being the host of the World Penny Farthing bicycle championship!