"Tassie" lifeguard, Cataract Gorge

Lifeguard at the ready at a huge ice cold and pristine swimming pool at First Basin in Launceston's gorge just outside town. Set amidst "Victorian Pleasure Gardens" from late 1800s, it's complete with gardens, tea house and meandering peacocks.

Black swan, Esk river, Tasmania

While the black swan was hunted to extinction in New Zealand, it survives in SW and SE regions of Australia.

Launceston, Tasmania

Launceston, the second largest city in Tasmania, was built in the early 1800s at the confluence of three rivers, and has lots of character with original municipal buildings, breweries and hotels.

Tasmania became an island 10,000 years ago due to rising sea levels. European explorers came to the island in 1700s and later the island became a colony of England. About 70,000 convicts were sent to Tasmania, but only about 10k were housed at Port Arthur, a brutal prison outside Hobart. The rest of the convicts and military guards settled the island and established agriculture, leading to redemption and freedom for many individuals. 37% of the island is national parks and reserves due to its natural beauty.

Adelaide Town Hall

Finished in 1866 as the largest municipal building south of the Equator, the structure was built in the Victorian Free Classic design. It's still notorious for the Beatles who appeared to large crowds on the balcony in 1964!

South Australian Museum, Adelaide

The SA Museum was home to Norman Tindale, the originator of the Tindale Map, documenting over 250 Aboriginal territories on Australia. The Aboriginal communities are said to have been here some 50,000 years, surviving on the continent. Their customs and tools are similar to various Pacific islanders who came in larger numbers with the advent of the early outrigger canoe. The European explorers and settlements did not occur until the late 1700s and early 1800s.

Bailey's Fig, Adelaide Botanical Garden

This huge fig tree is a native of Queensland in NE Australia.