Braeden’s travel pace is usually full throttle during all his waking hours, so the rest of the family welcome any chance to sit back and relax. And that’s exactly what we did on a scenic river cruise in Launceston, Tasmania. Pleasingly, although it is a slower pace, boat tours seem to have a bit of a hypnotic effect on Braeden and he’s as happy as can be cruising.
Tamar River Cruises offer an ‘Afternoon Discovery Tour‘ which explores the Tamar River and Cataract Gorge so we had a rare two and a half hours of down time with afternoon tea and commentary. That’s what I call ‘bliss’!
Tamar River Cruises, Launceston, Tasmania
It was lovely to be able to wheel out the door of our hotel, Peppers Silo Launceston, and take the scenic and accessible walk around to the Home Point wharf to board Tamar Odyssey for our cruise to explore the Tamar River and Cataract Gorge.
The commentary provided by our captain as we cruised up the Tamar River ensured we disembarked with greater knowledge about the area, its history and the various land owners past and present. We marvelled at the parcels of land which were purchased “back in the day” for small sums and the grand homes that were built. I am sure at the time Launceston, and Tasmania in general, was considered an untamed wilderness for new settlers. But, the Tamar River is certainly an enviable spot to have a home now.
The best accompaniment to quiet cruising is a lovely afternoon tea, which Braeden was more than enthusiastic to partake in. A variety of muffins and tea and coffee were included for guests on board as part of the ticket price.
Later in the cruise we were offered some fresh Tassie fruit and invited to participate in a free wine tasting. I love the way Tasmanian businesses support each other and the wine tasting was a great way to introduce us to other businesses in the region.
Accessibility on Tamar River Cruises
Braeden travelled around Tasmania in his manual wheelchair and we had no problem accessing the Tamar Odyssey.
There is no steep gangway to negotiate, we just popped on board with ease.
Braeden’s wheelchair, which is 65cm wide (25.6 inches), easily fitted through the entry way onto the stern of the vessel and a step-free doorway led him inside to the main cabin.
Braeden did a mixture of sitting on the booth seating and remaining in his chair so he could go outside and admire the view. There’s only so much sitting our on-the-go guy can do, even when he’s relaxed!
There is a large unisex accessible bathroom at the Tamar River Cruises’ office if you’d like to use a larger bathroom before or after the cruise, but there is also an accessible bathroom on board the boat.
The toilet cubicle on board is step-free but the circulation space is much tighter than that of the one at the rear of the cruise office.
Although we had visited Cataract Gorge earlier in our trip, we appreciated the different view offered from the Tamar Odyssey and the additional information our captain provided.
For visitors to Launceston looking for a relaxing and accessible way to spend the afternoon, a cruise on the Tamar River is a good pick. Tamar River Cruises offer a range of options, just double-check that the vessel is accessible if you are needing wheelchair access.
We were hosted for our river cruise but as always, our opinions are our own.
We stayed at Peppers Silo, Launceston during our second visit to the city. Full review of Peppers Silo can be read here.
