We visit Tamar Island Wetlands Reserve

It was a beautiful Autumn afternoon ... sunny, warm and a cloudless, blue sky. We decided to have a late afternoon walk and visit the Tamar Island Wetlands Reserve. It is an important wetland area located about 10 minutes drive from Launceston on the West Tamar. It provides habitat for a variety of birds, mammals, reptiles, frogs, fish and invertebrates, as well as being an important historic landmark in the early non aboriginal settlement of Launceston. It is part of the Tamar Conservation Area which protects the Tamar river's remnant wetlands and estuarine environment.

There is a boardwalk from the carpark, with an excellent Interpretation Centre some 200 metres from the entrance gate. The boardwalk extends for 1.5km to Tamar island.

The 1890s saw a growth in iterest in Tamar island as a picnic spot. To give the island a more park- like atmosphere, the hill on the island was planted with a variety of exotic species including fir, pine, spruce and oak.

From the early 1900s until the 1950s, the island was offered as a farming lease.