Devonport:    Lat, Long:   -41.1814, 146.360    : 09 OCT 2016

Launceston:  Lat, Long:   -41.4373, 147.139     : 11 OCT 2016

Ferry from Melbourne

I took the slow boat to Tasmania and arrived in the small town of Devonport.  The town is cut in half by the Mersey river. And I failed to notice when I booked my hotel that it was on the opposite side of the river from the downtown area.  So, although I was staying only 300m from CBD, it would be a bit of a cold swim to take advantage of that short distance.  So in reality, downtown was a 4km walk away because I had to cross the river on the bridge at the south end of town.

View from The Bridge

Devonport CBD

I stopped in town for a coffee and a breakfast roll and then extended my walk up to the northen edge of town to get a good view of the Bass Straight.  By the time I got there a drizzly rain had started, but it was worth the view.

Tasmanian Coastline

Devonport from the Mouth of the Mersey

Spirit of the Sea

On the walk back to the hotel I caught part of a cycling race.

Cycling Race in Devonport

Because of its relative high population, I had high expectations for Launceston (pronounced Lawn-Seston, I was corrected several times before I finally said it right).  It is the second largest city in Tasmania, but it is still a very quiet town.  There are a lot of coffee shops, but you really have to go searching to find a restaurant in CBD.  I did find a good pub though with just a little effort. 

Launceston from Cataract Gorge

Walkway along the Tamar River

The highlight of the town is Cataract Gorge on the edge of town.  It was a nice afternoon walk on some well-developed trails.

Cataract Gorge

View of the Gorge from the Clfftop Trail