Launceston - The Walking City

I shifted to the lodge at the end of my Cradle Mountain tour. It was a small brick-walled building owned by a middle-aged couple, situated 5 minutes from the city, with a hydro-powered windmill adjacent to it. I had a decent room to myself, complete with an attached bathroom, a springy bed, coloured TV and cooked English breakfast in the morning. From the window, I would have a full glimpse of the garden and the windmill. It was lovely. I had a good sleep that night. My friend was not wrong when he called me a spoilt brattess. But then again, Richie was right too: "You are a doctor; you don't need to stay in a backpackers".

I set off to the Cataract Gorge the next day. It was supposed to be a 15 minutes' walk away from where I stayed, but I obviously took more than half an hour to reach the entrance. The houses in Launceston were located on the mountains, stagging up in rows up along the slopes. I had to scale the steep angles amidst these abodes to reach my destination. I was lucky to be blessed with an excellent weather that day with a cooling temperature of 16 degrees and an inviting sunshine. It was another long "trek" for me but I did it at my own pace. Along the way, I managed to snap a few pictures of the beautiful houses with breathtaking autumn colours around them. I was greeted by rosy-cheeked joggers and cheery birds chirping away.

Cataract Gorge Reserve was special, in the sense that it was a piece of wilderness smacked right in the heart of the city. Between the towering granite facades, there were more walking and hiking tracks, lookouts, a suspension bridge, Victorian gardens, free-roaming peacocks, and the longest single span chairlift in the world. The suspension bridge was closed for renovations which was a pity. I took another long walk along the Cataract trail, which offerred excellent views of the dolerite columns along the cliffs. The trail ended at King's Bridge overlying the Tamar River, where I headed back to the city.

Launceston is known as a walking city, as you would have known why by now. It is the third oldest city in Australia after Sydney and Melbourne, but without all the bustling and modernisations that we see in the two latter cities. In fact, I thought it reminded me a lot more of Virginia in US. Early colonial and Victorian buildings amidst the numerous parks were common and all within comfortable walking distance. It was a pleasurable stroll for me without the heat and humidity that we experience in my hometown. In fact I acquired a mild tan on my face without realising it. Majority of the shops were closed on Sunday (reminded me of the "ghost towns" in New Zealand during Christmas) and the streets were otherwise relatively deserted with most of the population congregated in their churches. I chose to chill out inside a bookstore in the city before retiring in the lodge to rest my tired legs.