With no need for an early start today (and it being a Sunday) we decided on a breakfast and leisurely look around the River Tamer area of Launceston, hoping to get a feel for Tasmania's second largest city.  It is one of Australia's oldest cities (founded in 1806) and is known for its well-preserved Victorian and Georgian architecture however, our impressions, at least from the Esplanade area were somewhat lacklustre.

Moving on from Launceston, we had to option to take a detour to Tasmania's Bay of Fires, which in good light boasts orange (algae covered) rocks against azure blue seas. However this would add some 130km to the main destination of Bicheno and as the weather was overcast and ideal timing for the orange coloured rocks was near sunrise or sunset, we decided to skip this detour and go straight to Bicheno (just over 2hrs away), just stopping to see its blowhole (a rock formation on the coast through which the sea forces a plume of water at high tide and big waves.)

Our accommodation at Bicheno was just across the road from the beaches and we managed to get some orange coloured rocks there. Penguins also regularly visit a couple of the beaches at dusk on return from their daily fishing and after an early dinner we made our way to their usual spot. Unfortunately it is now moulting season when sightings are fewer. Despite waiting for over an hour beyond sunset, we were out of luck and had to return over the beach in near darkness. Sighting a possum in a tree on the way a consolation prize.

Images can be seen here.