#launceston

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Single's Awareness Day is often a day of mourning for this blogger. I am, after all, single. And, as the years have gone by, I have resigned myself to the fact I might never find my second half. This is, in spite of the fact, I am constantly reading a horrendous amount of smut on AO3 (please NEVER look at my tabs. Those are sacred!) and kicking my feet when a couple acts incredibly sweet in an actual published novel (though the genre cannot ever actually be romance. What romance that does exist must solely be a subplot in the grander scheme of saving the world).

Still! Valentine's Day 2026 was not without its own surprises as my family and I enjoyed our last full day in Launceston. But while I was not able to attend a pre-release event for Disney Lorcana, we did nip down to the Harvest Market, which is located in the carpark of 71 Cimitier Street.

While my stepfather remained in the hire car, me, my mother and Popo disembarked to take a gander at what was on offer. Though not as large or as impressive as the The Rocks Markets that can be found in Sydney, the Harvest Festival did have its own share of interesting produce and food options. As our family had enjoyed a hearty breakfast before venturing out, I settled on grabbing a snack for the drive ahead. This included picking up a bubble waffle drizzled in Tasmanian honey and a small hot chocolate to keep me going.

Bound to her wheelchair, Popo simply enjoyed taking in the sights and sounds of a bustling marketplace. But while I did have her try some of my bubble waffle, she was more enthralled by people-watching as we waited for my mother to return with a batch of specialised eye drops from a nearby chemist.

From the Harvest Market in the city centre of Launceston, we headed to the Bridestowe Estate - one of the world's finest lavender farms. Of course, given the fact it was February, the lavender was not quite as vibrantly spectacular as they would have been in December and January. Rather, most of it had dried out. Admittedly, there was still a dull haze in the air.

Both my stepfather and mother headed down the rows to take in the view and snap whatever quality photos they could given the season. Meanwhile, I kept my grandmother company before taking the time to peruse the items on sale - purchasing for myself a set of lavender scented soap. Once my mother returned, we bought some lavender infused ice cream to try out.

From Bridestowe, we returned to Launceston to pay a visit to a nature preserve set in the middle of a lagoon. Tamar Islands Wetlands Centre lies on the outskirts of Launceston and is abundant with plant and animal life. Though it was roughly lunch time, our family enjoyed a short traipse along the accessible boardwalk taking in the views of the tall native Tasmanian grasses. Along the way, we gawked at the gulls and swans in the distance. We even spotted a copperhead snake lying in wait though it was gone by the time we returned to the visitor centre.

The visitor centre itself was fairly small with a tiny exhibit on the wildlife of Tasmania. Though there were a number of pamphlets, it seemed like the Tamar Islands Wetlands were visited primarily by citizen scientists or birdwatchers. Tourists such as my family never stayed for long before losing interest.

By the time we returned to our car, it was mid-afternoon. Hungry, we stopped by Saigon Kitchen, a Vietnamese restaurant located on Brisbane Street. As the rest of my family enjoyed some hearty pho, I grabbed a banh mi instead. Mostly because it had been a good long while since I had one as my favourite local one closed several months back.

With our stomachs full, my mother and I traipsed over to the local pedestrain shopping mall. There, I checked out the local EB Games and debated the logistics of purchasing more Disney Lorcana cards or whether or not I ought to refrain (spoiler alert, I did not buy the Brave Little Prince Mickey playmet though I was tempted). As my mother ducked into the nearby Myers, I also stopped to have a look at a local bookstore: Quixotic Books. Though no one tilted against windmills while there, I took a gander at some of the secondhand books on display and their small section of fantasy novels.

Once I had satiated my curiosity (even though I did leave empty-handed), my mother and I returned to the restaurant to rejoin the rest of the family and head back to our accommodations.

After an arduous day out at Cradle Mountain the day before, all of us were agreed a quieter day of rest was needed to recover our spirits and prepare us for when we would be heading to Hobart the next day.

Could I have gone back to the city centre to partake in more Disney Lorcana? Perhaps. But the thought of heading back out after a big morning out felt like anathema to my state of mind. Besides, it was easier to watch the Winter Olympics on the TV and enjoy a sedate Saturday afternoon as I played more of Pokemon Legends: Z-A.

Yet as my mother and I lounged on the couch, we snuck in a movie - letting it take us on a journey to the fantastical imaginings of what it would be like to live in a world where dinosaurs had been let loose on the world in Jurassic World Rebirth (which, if I'm being honest, simply does not hold a candle to the very first Jurassic Park and fails to inject the sense of awe we all felt during that brachiosaurus scene even as it tries to emulate it to the best of its ability).

So ended our last day in Launceston. Next stop: Hobart!

An oft overlooked gem, Tasmania is often jokingly considered irrelevant to mainland Australians in favour of us taking over New Zealand. Yet with Valentine's Day creeping up on the horizon (as well as the Lunar New Year), my family thought now was an excellent time to pay a visit to the southernmost state for some recreational family bonding.

Travelling with my grandmother (also known an Popo) can be difficult. With limited mobility, it is hard for her to walk. As such, we often bring a foldable wheelchair with us when we go anywhere local. On our trip to Tasmania? We brought it along, wheeling her to the door of the plane. Virgin Australian and Qantas were quite accommodating with our accessibility requests. Popo never had to wait long for our wheelchair to be brought over so she could be slowly wheeled out afterwards. The weight and relatively compact size of the wheelchair also meant we were able to easily pack it into the hired care along with all of our luggage.

It was mid-afternoon when we landed in Launceston. After we briefly stopped at our accommodation in Youngtown, my family set out for Cataract Gorge, which sits just to the west of the city centre.

According to the brochure, Cataract Gorge was created during an earthquake that occurred when Australia broke away from the continent of Gondwana. It is believed volcanic activity dammed the Tamar Valley, leading to the formation of a freshwater lake. This later eroded over the course of 10 million years with the river system carving out a new landscape. Cataract Gorge, itself, only emerged in the last 20,000 years when ice in Tasmania's mountains finally melted.

Though there was still time for us to take the chairlift to the original Cliff Grounds Reserve, my family decided simply to take a simple walk around the Basin and over towards the great Alexandra Suspension Bridge. With Popo in a wheelchair, we weren't entirely certain how it would be brought along with us.

As we slowly made our way around the track, I spotted a peacock craning its head past some rocks. As is my want, I quickly snapped a shot. Further up, a small gathering of people were crowded around an echidna digging for insects to eat. So, of course, I snapped a photo of that as well.

The other fauna I saw included a number of guinea fowl. While I would have liked to have caught one for dinner, my family decided it would be best to try something a little different. After our walk around the basin, we headed to Pachinko located in the city centre - a quaint Japanese restaurant with a slightly limited dinner menu that was, nevertheless, enjoyable.

Friday dawned bright and early for us as we were intent on heading up Cradle Mountain. Initially declared a scenic reserve in 1922, it was later designated a national park in 1947 - a vision borne from Austrian-born Gustav Weindorfer and his wife, Kate. Given that it is also an alpine region, the weather on the mountain can change rapidly and frequently. It is due to this very reason that some people have died while hiking the mountain or have gone missing (as in the case of Belgian woman, Celine Cremer).

From Launceston, we had to first stop by the small town of Sheffield. Yet, while Cradle Mountain was the main draw, Sheffield was also its own marvel with its variety of murals on display near the visitor centre and all across the main street. These were all vibrant, with many exploring intricate themes while others were a tad silly. The ones I liked best seemed to evoke a sense of adventure.

After grabbing a hot chocolate, we hopped back into the car for our way up to Cradle Mountain. At the visitor centre, we purchased a park pass and a shuttle ticket to get up to Dove Lake. Despite the inclimate weather, there were many visitors in attendance. As we waited in line, I heard snippets of Chinese, German and even Spanish!

Once at Dove Lake, we paid a visit to the Boat Shed, which lay on the shore. Given the chill wind, my family then retreated to the shelter of the shuttle stop to have a spot of lunch (and mostly to keep an eye on Popo as the walks around Dove Lake weren't as conducive to wheelchairs as we had hoped) though I decided to take a gander at Glacier Rock.

It was not long before a shuttle came trundling up to the stop and our family hopped on to head back down to the carpark. After much hewing and hawing (my stepfather had wanted to visit Lake Saint Clair - unfortunately, it was another three hour drive around the mountain), we decided to return to Launceston via Devonport (a coastal city where the Spirt of Tasmania calls home).

Whilst I would have preferred staying a little longer at Cradle Mountain (mostly to pay a visit to Waldheim - the chalet built by the Austrians who would declare the mountain a national park), it was not to be.

Along the way to Devonport, we stopped by Waratah - snapping a shot of the waterfall located in the very heart of the town itself. Though the trek down was a little steep, the return journey was even worse. Thankfully, I had on my trust hiking boots.

Devonport, itself, is the third-largest city of Tasmania. Focused more on key sites, we headed to the Mersey Bluff Lighthouse to take photos of the coastline before stopping by the local harbour where a Spirit of Tasmania (along with a Seaport ship) was docked.

While we initially flirted with the idea of grabbing dinner in Devonport, we decided to head back to Launceston instead. There, we tried out Luz Restaurant, which was located in what felt like a refurbished waiting room of an old manor or hotel (with the entrance serving as a fire door). While I was a little puzzled by its presentation, the food was delicious (if a little light in serving size for my stepfather's tastes). Full, my family returned to the car while I vanished down a side street - paying a visit to Scenic Isle Gaming to purchase a pre-release box of Disney Lorcana Cards (Winterspell for those in the know). Which, of course, they did have. And for $30 cheaper than the usual local gaming store I do go to!

There was even a promo card attached to it (which they put in a plastic sleeve which had a picture of Raine from the Owl House. And now I'm wondering if Lorcana will ever adapt the characters FROM the Owl House into actual cards. They've already done the animated Lilo and Stitch and Ducktales. Why not Kim Possible and a slew of other iconic IP from my childhood?

Is my attachment a symptom of my Disney Adult-itis? Possibly. And yet the nostalgia is strong!

AND the next few sets will star PIXAR characters as well! Be still, my beating heart!

Thus ended my family's first two days in the island state just across the Bass Strait. There would, of course, be more adventures ahead for us. After all, we had much more to see and do. And while we would miss a few iconic sights (like the town of GRINDLEWALD), I like to think we got to enjoy a balance of history and nature.

So, while we mainland Australians may joke about Tasmania never being one of us, there's a lot more to it that meets the eye.

View of Launceston from Trevallyn, Tasmania, Australia