Tamar island wetlands centre

There are too many birds to count at the Tamar Island Wetlands Centre.

A near 60 species all up, with egrets, swamp harriers and cormorants, to name a few. 

The informative interpretation centre has bird charts, ready for use by keen watchers. Then it’s a short (500m) walk to the bird hide, with a large window at which to perch and peer. 

For an even closer look, a boardwalk runs through reed beds, where there’s a flurry of mammals, reptiles and frogs ducking and weaving through the marsh. It leads to Tamar Island, a good place to stop for a snack or two. 

The interpretation centre and the boardwalk have easy wheelchair access and disabled toilet facilities.

The story goes that many years ago Thomas Robinson, grief-stricken by the passing of his wife, thrust a plough into a tree on Tamar Island. And it’s still there, seeing as no one’s had the gusto to hoist it out. 

The Tamar Island Wetlands Centre is a 10-minute drive from Launceston.