Launceston, Cataract Gorge and a bit of Evandale, Ross and Oatlands
A few days ago we decided to have a weekend city break like the English office workers do. I skived off work early and we travelled up the Midland Highway as the sun was going down, a truely beautiful experience. The orange light made the trees and the rolling hills seem even more peaceful and expansive than usual. Locals say the drive to Launie is boring but I love it. The scenery is beautiful and the towns along the way have such stories to tell.
Launceston is a cool little city. It’s got posh shops and Paris chic as well as art deco factories and stunning federation homes. We spent some time in the “Paris end of Charles Street” which was rather lovely darling!
On Sunday we went to the Cataract Gorge. It was my first visit, although Richard had only had a fleeting visit several years ago. This time he was keen to do the Duck Reach Walk which takes you further along the gorge and is well worth it, if you’re in the area. The walk is only about 90 minutes long but the scenery is absolutely picture perfect the whole way. The rocks are so smooth, they’ve obviously had water gushing over them for hundreds of years and the water is such a lovely green the whole place looks like Monet has imagined it.
We also paid a visit to the Boag’s Brewery. An event Richard very much enjoyed. We did the Saturday tour, which is shorter than the weekday ones as the factory is not operational on weekends. However, we did get to smell the yeast and see the big tanks and most importantly, sample the beers at the end! I recommend the James Boag’s Pure - I think it rivals the Steinlager version.
On Sunday we decided to spend our time getting back to Hobart. We stopped off in Evandale, which is just by Launceston airport. In Evandale you’d be forgiven for thinking you’d been knocked on the head and woken up in the Peak District. There are holly trees laden with berries, and the old pub has a beer garden surrounded by wonderful acorn trees. Then there’s the old grocer and the middle class people…..
On Sundays there is a market in the local Evandale park. I highly recommend stopping off here. We had a brilliant lunch in the Evandale Market Cafe which is in a building built some time in the 1800’s. I passed up on the scones with jam and cream, much to my regret, but the toasted sandwich was just what I felt like and apparently the chicken and mushroom pie went down a treat also. The cafe also has 1800’s prices which was great! Our whole lunch cost about $10. The market itself has plenty to offer, from pony rides to plants and old farm machinery. We scored a new palm for the front room and a plant I’ve been searching high and low for to go in the bathroom so I was very pleased.
In a few weeks time we’re off for another weekend away. This time we’ll be going past Mt Field into the South West National Park. We’ll be basing ourselves in funky col Maydena so if you have any tips or recommendations I’d love to hear them.
Look! Proof it is possible to visit Tassie!
My mum came to visit us a few weeks back. We showed her the best cafe’s, the wonderful surroundings, and every kind of weather Tassie can produce. Now all I have to do is arrange a fishing trip for some of Richard’s mates, get John over here next Summer for a tour of the wineries, get Rebecca over here for a walk with a bear, get everyone else over for the Taste Festival next Summer……
A little bit of the South-East and East Coasts…
I’ve finally found a good thing to say about working with a bunch of lawyers. A few weeks ago I announced to my work colleagues that I was going to spend the weekend discovering parts of the South-East and East Coasts of Tassie. I was amazed at the response. I had Notary Public calling me in to their offices to show me detailed maps of certain areas (not a euphemism at all) and Solicitors whose names I haven’t yet learnt, giving me insider tips on where to go and what to do.
We started by hiring a bach (shack/holiday home) in Bream Creek, which is on the South East coast, and a useful halfway stop off point if you’re going to Port Arthur. It is such a tranquil, peaceful spot I felt like I’d had a real holiday after we left there. Plus, we got to get up close and personal with Nigel, who everyone called a possum, but we suspect is actually a Pademelon. I’ll need some local guidance on that one!
On our first day we did the first half of the Weilangta Forest Road. This is a gravel (read - extremely unsealed) road that goes from Copping in the South East, to Orford on the East Coast. Halfway along is the Weilangta Forest walk. An extremely easy yet hazardous walk through the best part of the Weilangta Forest. At the end of it, a nice group of 4wd enthusiasts had lit us a fire in the shelter which was lovely.
On our way back to the shack we stopped off at Marion Bay. This beach is the site of the Falls Festival each New Years, but to see it now, when no one else is around, is truely spectacular. It is a huge golden sand beach with crystal clear blue water that is so tempting even with high winds and thunderstorms looming.
Our second day was spent exploring more of the area around us. We decided to take a back road through to Copping, which proved to be the best idea we’ve had in years. It took us over rolling hills, past a couple of vineyards and beautifully restored victorian farmhouses that’d be the envy of the Parnell set. The top of Bream Creek truely is a beautiful spot. I envy those farmers who get a gorgeous view of Marion Bay every day.
This time we travelled further along the Weilangta Road to the Three Thumbs lookout, a secret location a couple of the guys at work told me about. From here you can see out to the famous East Coast areas, Maria Island, Fortescue Bay, Coles Bay and further. Richard thinks it’s a better view than the one you get from the top of the Wineglass Bay track because it’s more expansive and there’s no baby change facility!
From there it was through to Orford, a sneaky trip to Triabunna to check the Maria Island ferry times and back along the river to Hobart. A holiday over too quickly in an absolutely stunning part of the world.
This is the link to my album of Hobart photos on Facebook. You don’t have to belong to Facebook to view the photos, just click on the link. I’ve got about a hundred photos on there from our first few days here in a slightly chilly winter, to now, in the scorching sunshine of March!
Greatest O Week Gig Ever! - Thanks to the MS Society!
Roots Manuva, Bomb the Bass, UNKLE - remember the 90’s?!
Fortescue Bay to Bivouac Bay - one of Tasmania’s Great Short Walks.
The Tasman Peninsula is one of my favourite parts of Tassie. There are so many beautiful spots. The tesselated pavement, Eaglehawk Neck, White Beach, Port Arthur, Stewart’s Bay, to name a few. Fortescue Bay has to be right up there though.
