After breakfast, we walked to the Cataract Gorge Reserve to see the high vertical cliffs where the North and South Esk Rivers converge to form the Tamar River. A pathway along the cliff face overlooks the river and leads to a Victorian Garden (complete with peacocks). After walking the path and enjoying the view, we took the Alexandra Suspension Bridge back to meet our bus.
Later, riding up the Tamar River Valley, we saw lots of vineyards and posed for pictures at the hideaway/lookout of Matthew Brady, a notorious Tasmanian bushranger (outlaw).
We stopped at the Tamar Island Wetlands for a walk through the tidal marshes in search of birds. A nice boardwalk allowed us to cross the marsh over to the river. We didn't see any birds, but we did see a rare green frog. It didn't really matter - it was just a great day for a walk.
For yet another look at the river and the gorge, we boarded a small riverboat for a quick boat ride before heading into town to check out the local $2 store, known as "Chickenfeed." After dinner at Charco-Chicken - grilled chicken buried in peas and carrots and gravy - we wandered back to the Gorge for a little stroll and ended up watching some crazies climbing on the sheer rock walls of the Gorge. It was hard to understand why they were climbing in the dark, but everyone made it out safely.
