cataract gorgeous and lotsa chicks

Cataract Gorge is the main attraction in Launceston, minutes from downtown, a serene public park filled with happy people.

They claim this is the longest single span chairlift in the world. 

It's really smooth and unlike the chairlift at the Nut, not terrifying. I rode across the Gorge with an Indian mom who came to Tassie to escape the smoke in Sydney. 

The reserve is like a botanic garden or Stow Lake, with info about trees and some wilder sections.

Public art

It's summer so the Esk River is running low.

Here's a familiar friend: a giant sequoia, planted over 100 years ago. It's on the national tree register.

I did a complete loop and walked over the wobbly bridge.

There are peacocks roaming around Cataract Gorge, and we were amused by a mom and her chicks by the snack bar.

The chicks are tan, but they do ruffle their feathers in a flirtatious mood.

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Country club life suits me. Lots of towels and delicious smelling soaps. Free valet parking. And the neighborhood of Cheltenham Gardens is pretty charming.

The front desk has bags of pellets to feed the birds. The ducks have lovely markings.

Word quickly gets around that I have food. .

Later I went to clean out my car, and the ducks swarmed me, not believing I had no pellets for them.

This blue-bill was my favorite. There is definitely a pecking order.

They're like a duck army.

Hungry, hungry ducks.

It's late on Christmas eve, and I'm packing for Sydney, trying to figure out how to bring the Tassie wine and salmon and all the souvenirs I've bought.

Lonnie, as Launceston is called, is a small city, where everyone is friendly. And the skies couldn't be clearer.

I'll be flying north in the morning. May your Christmas be joyful, whether you're having an Aussie picnic at the beach or making hot chocolate and watching movies under a blanket.

Hope Santa delivers everything on your list.