Tamar Island Wetlands Walk...

Tamar Island was used as works station fro the dredging crews of the Launceston Marine Board in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Of the small jetty, wooden footway and three small iron buildings erected, only one remains. A number of exotic trees - oaks, firs and ornamental shrubs - also reveal the existence of inhabitants on the island. The surrounding mud flats provide a grave for the derelict dredging equipment abandoned there.

Tamar Island is an area of approximately 60 hectares situated in the upper reaches of the Tamar estuary and surrounded by the Tamar Wildlife Sanctuary. Most of the island consists of low-lying mud flats with an elevated area where there are remnants of a hut and exotic flora from days of occupation. Lucks Flats is an area of low-lying swampland of Quaternary aged swamp and marsh deposits. High tides and/or heavy rainfall flood a large proportion of the flats for much of the year.

From the car park at Lucks Flats there is a gravel track to the boardwalk. The wide, level boardwalk is suitable for pedestrians, prams and wheelchairs (no bikes), and extends over the swamps and crosses the river to two islets and finally Tamar Island.

The Tamar Island project was developed to give nature lovers the opportunity to view the abundant birdlife. A short distance further along the track, past the boardwalk, a bird hide will allow you to watch the bird life in the lagoon.