Start in the Tamar Valley and explore to where wildlife meets the wild north coast
There are dozens of ways to really get to know our 70km estuary the kanamaluka / Tamar River, it’s the natural meeting place of three waterways and has been a flourishing center of biodiversity and cultural significance for more than 40,000 years.
The river that stretches from Launceston to Badger’s Head on the West, the deep channels, shallow mud flats and spectacular rocky reefs provide habitat for a startling diversity of life. Including mammals, reptiles, frogs, fish, invertebrates, and more than 50 bird species. The endangered Green and Gold Bell Frog, the Glossy Grass Skink and several rare plants also live here.
Minutes from Launceston’s CBD, you can start exploring at the Wetlands Centre, from here you can enjoy the urban board walked fully accessible Tamar Island Wetlands walk.
Notley Fern Gorge is a remnant patch of rainforest above the Tamar Valley, where the wet sclerophyll forest area has a walking track and picnic area beneath towering trees. The forest is dominated by eucalypts towering above the rainforest understorey. The state reserve is well known for a burnt out tree known as 'Bradey's Tree.' It is named after the 1820s bushranger whose gang is believed to have hidden in this forest. There is a 1.5 kilometre (1 mile) track weaving past glades of mosses and ferns which takes about 45-minutes to walk. The walk requires moderate fitness and crosses the creek several times with a steady climb uphill on the return.
Explore the Tamar Valley with an array of options through to Narawntapu National park, which stretches from Greens Beach at the mouth of kanamaluka / River Tamar to Bakers Beach out to the West - this park has often been called the Serengeti of Tasmania, with the grassy clearings around the visitor centre at Springlawn filling with animals each dawn and dusk. Tick off another of the 60 Great Short Walks in Tasmania by climbing Archer’s Knob in the National park.
For our local neighbourhood walks, enjoy as we do, park the car at Gravelly Beach and walk around Swan Point, along Paper Beach and through to the Supply River. You can step into the 19th century and see firts-hand remnants of colonial establishment of bush ranging and flour milling is prevalent. a
Bringing nature under a closer eye, side by side on a pier at Beauty Point, these twin centres are filled with curious creatures. View thousands of seahorses, alongside the likes of spotted handfish and a Tasmanian giant crab, at Seahorse World, and watch platypuses swimming and echidnas feeding around your feet at Platypus House.
