Launceston, Tasmania (Part 1)

Tasmania on Day 5 : Launceston - Cradle Mountain National Park

Good morning Launceston. I woke up early in the morning to prepare for the awaited day trip, visit to Cradle Mountain National Park. I started the day earlier because I wanted to see what was Launceston city looked like. I thought it would be a little busy today, then again, it was Sunday so relatively no vehicle and no people on the street. It was really peaceful and for a moment, I thought I was in a world where no one is around, a world of my own. Huh....day dreaming eyy!! I forgot about safety precaution when walking alone in 'quiet' streets because this place looked secure enough for everyone.

Compared to Hobart, Launceston has more Victorian/ English architecture buildings being preserved from the past. I think Launceston is the most charming city in my list, perhaps due to its quietness, cleanliness and lovely atmosphere. While heading to the Launceston terminal at Cimitiere street, I looked for interesting buildings (based on my personal observation and judgement of course) along the street. The houses were simple, neat and tidy with small compounds for gardening. At the end section of this post, all pictures of lovely plants taken from various locations today have been posted so that I will not get those pictures mixed up with other pictures.

Houses within Launceston city

When passing through several streets, I just could not stop admiring the houses there. They were not big like a mansion, but each house was carefully tended to and maintained. I cannot remember seeing any over-flown rubbish bins and I cannot recall seeing weeds at their compounds. There were small terrace houses with Victorian architecture but decent looking one. There were modern houses too which were located at the hill further away from the city centre. Again, the houses were moderate in size and nicely taken care of.

My dream house maybe?

This is so Victorian and they are finely carved

Residential area on the hills of Launceston

Public buildings

With a help of map, one can easily navigate Launceston city and getting to one place to another is not a problem.  There were several churches around Launceston, several were old looking but mostly were nicely taken care of. There was also an assembly hall for god-knows-what activities, a theatre and other government buildings.

Assembly hall for the aborigins. Not sure if it is still used for such purpose today.

Old abandoned church...looks a little spooky.

Beautiful church next to the abandoned church.

I have not seen any halal food restaurant here but I'm pretty sure there is one. The size of Muslim community in Launceston was very small. I saw several Muslim men and women in Hobart, but not in Launceston.  As I have been travelling since the past few years, the only phrase that unite Muslims all over the world, regardless of skin colour, race and ethnic, is the Assalamu'alaikum (Peace be Upon You). If they are really Muslims, they will greet you first once they notice that you are a Muslim. Unfortunately, that did not happen even for once during my trips to Australia. I am dying to meet the Australian Muslims (be it aborigins or the English or Caucassians..whatever) and have a coffee with them, while sharing their life as Muslims in Australia. One thing I really respect Australian government is that, they provide facilities to the every religion in the country and seriously take care of their essential needs i.e halal meat, Congregational place and so forth.

Memory lane

Loving this a lot

This happens to be a bank.

Launceston Grand Post Office

Another Anglican church

It took me less than 30 minutes to see all of this buildings. I have another 15 minutes before the tour operator came to pick me up at Launceston terminal which was 8.25 am. But the driver cum tour guide came in 10 minutes earlier and I was the one to get on the coach. After picking up other guests  from their pick-up point, we started the journey to Cradle Mountain National Park.

We passed several small towns where population were 500-1000 people. I could not remember the names as we did not make a stop but those towns were very quiet, beautiful, and lots of historical remnants. We passed through several poppy farms. These poppies were planted for the production of opioids/opiums..whatever they call it, for the use in medical field worldwide. No one was allowed and there was strict monitoring from planting, harvesting and exporting those poppy pods. Let say these poppy seeds fell to the wrong hand, it would be a very serious problem when there would be attempt to grow poppy for the production or morphin and heroin. However, I was told that these poppies were genetically modified that when improper processing methods ie. in production of heroin or morphin, would be fatal to those drug addicts out there.

There were also huge field where cows and sheeps were happily basking under the sun (my assumption) and something even nicer was a field full of yellow flowers. It was like a bed of yellow flowers. Not sure what flower was that. Might be azalea, or might be tickseed? There was also houses by the river and judging from the colour, this river was very clean and crystal clear. Not sure what they call this river though. Why can't my country has this kind of river?

Lots of Fresian cows here

It was the flowers that made this place yellow, not the grasses.

Would love to spend some times here.

Railton

The route to Cradle Mountain was not really a short journey. However, thanks to the operator for understanding our expectation when joining this tour. We had several quick stops, photo stop and lunch stop that I personally felt this tour was worth every single cent I paid. So our first photo stop was at Railton. Railton has been  known as land of topiary, where there were lots of topiaries (almost each house has their own topiary) and there was also a space where many nice and creatively built topiaries were placed. To build a topiary, the designer needs to consider which type of bush plant is suitable for such topiary and of course, it needs a creative mind and talented hands to set the skeleton.

Cyclist

I was in Railton, Land of Topiary

Almost complete windmill

The ploughing bull..hehe

Choo chooooo!! A train locomotive

Little kid on his first day to school accompanied by his parents.

Another 'flower beds' after Railton town.

Sheffield

Sheffield is another interesting town to visit. It takes 30 minutes to get to this charming town. Something special about Sheffield is its status as Town of Murals. A visitor will find murals are everywhere and each of them has their own message. It also depicts the history of important personnel that has contributed a lot to the development of the town. For example, the famous doctor as in the picture below. Opposite this mural building is the mural park and interestingly, they have sort of mural festival every year.

I had more time to spend around this Sheffield town. It was very small and you can explore every corner of this town in a matter of minutes. I somehow felt that this town was like a cowboy town a bit. I would be even excited if this town was indeed a cowboy town. Errr...do we still have cowboy town in the new millenium?

Dr. Sender, dedicated his entire life in the field of medical and surgery. Salute!!

Murals on the park

As I was strolling looking for something nice and amazing, I met a gentleman sitting in front of a cafe (could not recall the name) across the street. At first glance, I thought I saw a huge 'dog' sat silently beside him. Later at the second glance, I thought it was some sort of huge animal teddy bear or something so I did not bother to find out about it. I headed to the cafe where that gentleman was sitting and he greeted me 'hello' in Indonesian language. I was a bit surprised but then I was happy to know someone who knew a bit about my country, and the language of course. I forgot his name (sorry sir!) but he chatted for awhile until I realised that the big, brown "thing" was not really a thing. It was an alpaca!!! OMG....I was excited to see this cute alpaca. I thought there was only white alpaca, until that gentleman told me most alpacas were white, but there were also variation of grey, brown, and light brown. Yellow too maybe?!! So I took the chance to cuddle (???) that handsome cute alpaca and took several pictures with him, with the help of his master. By the way, meet Pedro...the cutest alpaca in the whole world (as if other alpacas are not cute :p). When bidding goodbye both to alpaca and its master, I went to the cafe to get a bottle of orange juice and vegetarian puff for lunch.

Meet Pedro, the brown alpaca.

Cradle Mountain National Park

After 45 minutes, we left Sheffield and headed to Cradle Mountain National Park. It took another 30 minutes (or 20 minutes..not sure exactly how long) to get there. We passed by Deloraine, another town with its own speciality. I couldn't remember what was it but all I saw was iron/copper statues of horses and other figures were here and there. Deloraine serves as the base for those who want to explore various nature sites such as the Cradle Mountain, Great Western Tiers, Mole Creek and others. Seriously, the more I travel, the more interesting places I wanted to visit so badly. And that is why the Europeans, Americans and Australians prefer to travel for a long period of time so that they will be able to explore more places, find more new experiences and get a wider view of the world. If only I can do that....well, I can do that...hehe..with His wills.

After passing by Deloraine, we travelled at the foot of Mt. Roland, which could be seen from Sheffield town too. The view would much more beautiful if there was less clouds, blue sky and sun ray but obviously today was not really my lucky day. But that was OK because I did not have the power to control the nature. It is the works of God and no one can resist the power of nature.

When approaching Cradle Mountain National Park, the views along the roadside started to change. Before we could get to the main attraction, which was the Lake Dove, the guide stopped at the coach parking area of the park headquarters to get the pass before entering the national park. He returned in less than 5 minutes and we headed to Lake Dove. Masya allah, the view was really beautiful though it was a little foggy and drizzled a bit. However, Cradle Mountain National Park remains a perfect place for those who wish to experience the 4 seasons in a day. It was lightly drizzled when we arrived. We were given about 1 hour to enjoy this place and around 15 minutes, the sun was coming out, glowing every single plant on the ground. And it was almost raining but only for a few minutes and slowly the mist went off, revealing the lovely Cradle Mountain. Did I ever mention that Cradle Mountain National Park is a part of UNESCO World Heritage gazetted park? It is actually one the many national parks grouped under the Tasmanian Wilderness.

Along the path to the hut, it was like experiencing serenity of life when everything was really natural and void of destructive development. The summer foliage shone and shimmered the lake and this was my best experience when it comes to indulging myself with nature. I had quite a difficult few minutes to get a picture of me 'blending in the environment' as I did not bring my tripod but thank goodness I managed to have one (obviously not the best one). I knew I could always ask someone to help me out but that was not a good idea at all unless they know how to handle SLR camera. Err...I'm not boasting but quality pictures do matter to me..A LOT!! 

Foggy, windy and cold!! Brrrrr....

There is the lovely Cradle Mountain

An abandoned hut at the edge of Lake Dove,

Lake Dove

Can anyone imagine what is it like if the sky is cloudless and blue?

After hundreds of inhaling fresh air and several periods of eyes-wide-opened moment, we started to leave Lake Dove and headed to the cottage/chalet where a famous promoter of Cradle Mountain National Park, Gustav Weindorfer, lived before. This was a real history and the summary of his biography can be read here -----> Gustav Weindorfer. It was tragic the way he died but at least, he contributed a lot to the nature and remembered to the many botanists and naturalists.

The house of late Gustav Weindorfer

His mausoleum

A great view from the chalet compound.

After checking out the chalet, it was time to leave Cradle Mountain National Park. And guess what, the guide told us there was a little wombat crossing the road and he pulled over so that we could take several photographs of it. I was sooooo excited to a wombat in a wild. And this one was super-extremely-ultimately cute. The other tourists and I slowly tried to get closer to this little plush and cuddly womby to get good and clear pictures of it. What a lovely day today.

There was also an echidna crossing the road but I could not get any pictures of it as we were all too close and he was a little afraid and went off. Kill joy!!

Isn't it cute and lovely? Baby wombat

We left Cradle Mountain National at 2 pm and headed to Ashgrove Cheese Farm, located at Elizabeth Town. Seriously, I was so sleepy and felt that the ride took like forever before we arrived this farm. Would be nicer if we stopped somewhere before getting to this cheese farm. Maybe it was the effect of strong sun ray that affected my consciousness at that particular time.

I love this cheese farm as all of us get to taste various kinds of cheeses, flavoured and unflavoured. Thought of buying one for my big sister because she loves cheeses a lot. Since I was still have couple of days before flying back home, I guess that would not be a good idea because I would have problem storing the cheeses properly. Sorry sist...

Other than cheeses, other dairy products such as ice creams, fresh milks and chocolates were sold here too. But I was not into those food as I was much more interested on the flowers planted outside building. In less than an hour, we headed to Launceston and still a long way to go.

My fondness on flowering plants.

I do not bother what people would say about posting pictures of flowers because I love flowers a lot. Since it is impossible to have beautifully blooming flowers at my own house (I'm staying in an apartment) and the weather is not favourable for the growth of these flowers (Malaysia is hot and humid all year round), I guess having collections of pictures of these flowers and plants are good enough.

A bush of lavender found at one of the houses in Launceston

Another variety of lavender seen at Sheffield, The Town of Mural

Beautifully bloomed red roses at Launceston

This was found along the path to Lake Dove

Another spotted flower at Lake Dove

Lovely daisies at Ashgrove cheese farm

This is lobelia

Hybrid petunia

These are cactuses but look like flowers. Really nice. Found at Launceston

So I guess that's all for this post. In reality, there were so many things to jot but I could not risk ignoring my daily routines. Will continue on the next part on my 2nd and final day in Launceston. Ciao!!

Hobart, Tasmania (Part 3)

Tasmania on Day 4 - Hobart

On my 4th day in Hobart, there was nothing much I could do and since I did not make any booking on any day trips, so the whole day was mine. I was regret for not taking another tour, perhaps to the Cadbury Chocolate Factory or to the Freycinet Bay. But thinking that I had to do the laundry, I'd rather do what I was supposed to do, or else, I might ended up nothing to wear or stinky shirts and pants piling up.

After bathing and having light breakfast, I went out heading towards the water to see if there was anything unusual or something nice to experience there. Well, I thought I was doing the right thing when I heard a nice music in the air. Not quite sure whether that was a group or solo musical performance. The music played was one of my favourite type which is fusion music. It sounded modern but having tribal/native/ethnic elements in it. Truthfully, anyone who can compose this kind of music is truly a genius and personally, I feel that this personnel is some kind of mysterious and special in some ways. I love instrumental music rather than lyrical musics because I prefer to blend-in my mind with the musical composition. Other artists which I do love their musics are Kitaro, Enigma, Richard Clayderman & Kenny G. 

So I approached a canopy at the Brooke Street Pier, where a guy with s straw hat and white-framed sun glasses was performing with his marimba, didgeridoo, guitar & saxophone. I sat at a bench under a tree and enjoyed his music. For the first time, after several years, I decided to buy his CD. It costed AUD 25 for a CD (considered expensive if in Malaysia) but I did not mind to by this authentic and impressive piece of music. Additional info of DidgEra (artist is Dave Johnson) can be read from Didgera - Dave Johnson.

Salamanca Square

Next, I headed to Salamanca Place which was just opposite the pier to have a look there. Behind the buildings was Salamanca Square, a small, cosy place for those who would want to sit and relax. There are several cafes and bistros for those who would want to have social retreat or spending own sweet time alone. A small fountain in the square cooled off the environment. I met a nice and friendly Scottish lady and we chatted about couple of things from travelling to expensive items in Australia.

Salamanca square

Feeling that the midday heat was getting stronger, I bid good riddance to that Scottish lady and made my way to Battery Point, which was a historical suburb within Hobart city. Based on the local map, I walked uphill and downhill to see if there was anything interesting for the day. Actually, I have checked out this area on the Hobart City Tour day trip, but that was on tram and I thought I have missed something. 

Battery Point

Point was not a big area so it did not take that long to complete the navigation. The cottages here were well-tended and neat. Most of the houses compounds were planted with beautiful flowering plants and non-woody plants. Roses and lavenders were the most commonly planted here and they bloom gloriously. This suburb also was known for its extravagant houses and apartments. Mt. Wellington was visible from here and would be at its best in a cloudless sky.There was an infamous bakery among the Battery Point (and perhaps Hobart too) residents, Jackman & McRoss Bakery, which gained popularity for its freshly baked pastries and breads. In addition to that, the bakers used only organic ingredients in each recipe. There was a small convenient shop and a post office too.  There was also an Anglican church (St. George church) in this suburb.

View of Mt. Wellington from Battery Point

Blooming red roses

Do I even know what kind of flower is this?

Orang and yellow...very nice

Salamanca Place

Salamanca place is a very well-known place for its Salamanca Market. From this area, Mt. Wellington can be seen clearly. Oh..and by the way, behind Salamanca Place is where the suburb of Battery Point is. In Salamanca Place, there is also a Salamanca Fruit Market which sells fresh fruits and vegetables, and they are a lot cheaper than in Woolworth? I  dropped by at this market and bought myself fresh peaches and a bottle of mineral water. It came to my attention that bottled drinking water is expensive throughout Australia. Maybe it does not want to encourage buying bottled water perhaps for environmental-related factor. And of top of that, tap water in Australia is drinkable and treated. I was a little in doubt about that but I did drink from the tap (obviously not from the bathroom taps) and I was fine.

Mt. Wellington as the backdrop.

This was where I bought fresh fruits

I did not wish to be out of the hostel the whole day as I have planned to do the laundry and start to pack my stuff for tomorrow. Though I knew there were several places I wanted to visit, but I guess I have to gave that up and do what I was supposed to do. And on top of that, the heat and sun ray were super strong that I could feel my uncovered part of my forehead was about to burn off. So I ended my 4th day in Hobart very early.

Tasmania on Day 5 - Hobart - Launceston

Today, I was accompanied by Lu, another room-mate of mine at Central City Backpackers. We went to Salamanca Market, as early as 9 am. It was also time to check-out from the hostel and I kept my backpack and a bag at the storage room. It was free and I thought that was appropriate. Some backpackers accommodation would charge certain fees, even to the in-house guests, who wish to keep their luggages for couple of hours.

Well, spending half a day in Salamanca Market was really a fun experience for me. It was not just an ordinary market, but it was also a great place to see various product creatively crafted by the locals.   Not just that, street performances by talented individuals & groups were a value added to the environment. 

There was a performance by this gentleman in the pictures below. It was a real, authentic and no trick performance. He was gifted with a very flexible body and the best part was, he swallowed a real, metal sword. That was unbelievable but that was real. He was a really a good performer and funny too. Could it be that he used to be a gymnast before? Or was he practising yoga a lot that he managed to gain such flexibility?

Truly flexible...

Sword swallowing..really bizarre.

Besides the sword swallowing and almost impossible pinnings and stretching and twisting, we were also entertained by the instrumental country music performance by a group of youngsters who happened to be brothers and sister. I really love their performance and there was a moment where I imagined that I was the lady in the middle. Yes, I really admired violinist a lot. I did have a plan to enrol in violin lessons but due to financial limitation, I have to keep that plan aside. Tried to learn that guitar on my own too, but it is more prudent to have my own guitar and a teacher too. My youngest sister would be the best candidate, I think! :p

And there was another gentleman whom I saw performing at the Brook Street Pier the day before, Didgera or his real name Dave Johnson. There were other instrumental performances but I did not take the pictures as visitors were everywhere and blocking my view (I'm not tall enough to see those performances).

Dave Johnson performing at Salamanca Market

Beautiful bunches

It was time to leave Salamanca Market, time to say goodbye to Lu and time to leave Hobart. Lu was planning to check out a place in east of Hobart, whilst I have to return to the hostel, get my things, and head to Hobart transit centre at Liverpool street to catch the Redline bus to Launceston.  Departure time was 3 pm so, good riddance Hobart.

My little friend, Lu Wang

It took 2.5 hours to get to Launceston. The view along the journey was amazing, just like every other parts of Australia, with the yellowish-golden grasses and hundreds of sheeps and cows grazing   gently  in the grazing field. The bus passes several small towns such Oatlands (famous historical windmill and very beautiful in the spring), Ross and Campbell Town. If only I travelled by a campervan, I would be able to make a quick visit to these historical towns.

At 5.30, the bus arrived Launceston bus terminal at Cimitiere street. Launceston was really a quite town. There was not many vehicles on the road and not many people around. Maybe it was Saturday and most of them were out of town for summer vacation. After getting my backpacks, I drop by at the terminal information counter to enquire on the location of Launceston Backpackers. The guy at the  counter showed me the location on a map and the route he suggested was quite a distance. I started walking from the terminal and was a bit confused with the map, until I met another gentleman, definitely a visitor, and asked for direction from him. Thank god he knew where I should head to, or else I would be navigating the wrong way and got lost. So finally arrived Launceston Backpackers at 6.45, checked-in and bathed. Not in mood to cook as the kitchen was busy, so I had granola bars for dinner.