Gorgeous Gorge

Olde worlde charm of the Grand Chancellor Hotel 🏨 in Downtown Launceston, where time has stood still since 1972 😜 greets us as we ask our Uber driver why Northern Tasmania has a public holiday today known as ‘Recreation Day’. He (and every other local) had no idea 🤷🏻‍♂️ but, believe me, when they say holiday they mean it: city a ghost 👻 town!

No problem, because we made a B-line for Cataract Gorge: UPHILL 🧗‍♀️all the way! After trekking the 2km trail on foot we were happy to sit our weary legs on the very peaceful chairlift, with a central span of 308 metres; the greatest single span of any chairlift in the world 🗺️
It takes you right across the shimmering water until we reached the other side and enjoyed the serenity of the quaint garden 🌳 cafe, with a coffee ☕️ and persistent performance from the peacock 🦚 parade… evidently highly in heat!

Wandered around the CBD & Penny Royal before heading back to the comforting embrace of a bygone era for a well deserved & most appreciated afternoon nana 👵🏻 nap 😴… after a local beer 🍺 and wine 🍷…as you do!

Happy Hour down at the bar before hitting 20,000 steps to dinner at Cataract on Patterson: Scintillating seafood 🦞 platter with fresh, succulent oysters 🦪 and pawns 🦐 mussel chowder, crispy skin barramundi, battered gummy shark 🦈 salt & pepper calamari, crumbed scallops, smoked salmon 🍣 washed down with a Devils Playground East Coast Tasmania Sauvignon Blanc. Delicious 😋 👅Lue lisää