Life Down Under (Part 24): Northern Tasmania - In and Out of Launceston

- October 31-November 1, 2022, Monday to Tuesday.

- I flew to Launceston on what was possibly the last plane flight of my living life. To make matters worse, it was Halloween too. Winds were too strong for our tiny airplane and the turbulence was either bringing the plane down to earth, or bringing my spirit to heaven. Eitherway, I wasn't prepared. The plane landed anyway and the winds at the tarmac were about to blow me back to Melbourne. But at least, I arrived at Launceston after an hour's flight that felt like forever!

- Launceston is the second most populous city in northern Tasmania. Tasmania, by the way, is the only island state of Australia, and yes, it is the home of the tasmanian devil (that looks nothing like the cartoon). If you're familiar with the tasmanian tiger (thylacine), then Tasmania was its home too before it became extinct in 1936 due to overhunting.

- After riding a cab from the airport and arriving at the Pod Inn, which I think is currently the only capsule hotel in Australia, it rained so much. Thankfully, after the sky cleared, that was the last time it rained throughout my stay in Tasmania. My stay at the Pod Inn was the first time I stayed in a capsule hotel, and I absolutely loved it! It wasn't claustrophobic at all! (At least, for me.) It also made me feel like I was inside a space ship because of all the colors!

Please just imagine that I'm floating in space. This is where I slept. If I fit inside my capsule, so would you. (I'm a big guy, by the way.)

- Once the sky cleared, I wasted no time and started exploring. Launceston was a small city and most places are easily accessibly by foot. I walked all the way to George Street to visit the Old Umbrella Shop, which is a 1900s shop operated by three generations of the Shott family the made or repaired umbrellas. Although they still do this today, they also sell souvenirs. However, the most important part of the shop is the free museum at the back, which tells the story of the store and has some old umbrellas from more than a century ago!

The Old Umbrella Shop.

At the museum.

See all those old umbrellas!

The main store. (If you see a tiny door at the back, that's where the small museum is.)

- Next, I went to the city park along Tamar Street. The city park is small but charming, as it is filled with many colorful flowers. It was built in the 1820s. While Launceston's city park cannot compete with the grander city parks of Australia's bigger cities, it does have a special spot that houses several Japanese macaques. (As far as I know, no other park in Australia has Japanese macaques.) These macaques were given to Australia by Japan in 1980. In return, Australia gifted Japan with some wallabies.

Passed by the Cornwall Historic Hotel, which was built in 1824. It was renamed to Batman Fawkner Inn in 1981. However, it was renamed once more in 2019 to Cornwall Hotel. That's why I was initially confused because I saw two different names for the same hotel.

Design Tasmania. Its building, built in 1895, used to be a church. Since 1976, it has served as a house for Launceston's art community. They not only do exhibits, but they sell artwork as well.

Macaques in the park! They're inside a spacious enclosure, so they aren't free roaming. Here, a macaque is looking for insects on another macaque so it could eat the insects. One is groomed and another, well-fed!

Plant conservatory.

Reminds me of Poison Ivy's laboratory. (My age is showing. Also, if you know this Batman movie, you're cool.)

Albert Hall, located just outside the City Park.

- From the city park, I walked all the way to Queen Victoria Art Gallery, located along Wellington Street. (I swear, I had been enjoying walking around Launceston because everything was just so near!) The Queen Victoria Art Gallery is the art gallery side of the joint Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery (QVMAG). QVMAG is located on two sites, the gallery being located in the Royal Park. QVMAG was established in 1891. The gallery was a mix of historical and modern art. It felt cozy because of its size.

Passed by Launceston Town Hall.

Saw these thylacine statues at Civic Square, beside the Town Hall.

Civic Square, with a bit of the Town Hall at the side, and the Post Office (with the clock) in front.

Macquarie House Innovation Hub. Former warehouse that was turned into a co-working space.

Queen Victoria Art Gallery.

Guan Di Temple in the middle of the museum. It is both an art installation and a functioning temple. It is a reminder of the Chinese who stayed in Launceston in 1880 as part of the Gold Rush Era.

Temple interior.

Aboriginal art.

Contemporary art.

Turandot costume.

- I had a slightly difficult time walking across the North Esk River all the way to the National Automobile Museum of Tasmania. The winds were strong midday, and I swore I wasn't going to make it to the museum. Thankfully I did, and found shelter in the museum for a while. Though not a car enthusiast in any way ("I just know that cars go broommmm"), I liked seeing all the brightly-colored cars from past to present.

Old fireman's car.

Inside the museum. I was already impressed by this....until I saw the main exhibit hall!

Old cars.

Old motors.

So many cars!!

A really old Harley Davidson.

- I took a slightly late lunch right before proceeding to the museum part of QVMAG, in Inveresk (Queen Victoria Museum Inveresk). While the museum itself was a typical Australian museum that had science and history exhibits, what intrigued me the most was that it was built on an old railway workshop. Because of that, surviving parts of the workshop were also part of the museum's exhibits.

Queen Victoria Museum - Inveresk.

Dinosaurs forever.

Old vehicles.

Australian animals, and an old plane.

Colonial era train.

It doesn't look much but I liked going around this mammoth-sized old blacksmith shop.

Why is there a random Dr. Who Dalek in the museum.

- I spent the rest of my first day in Launceston doing a bit of shopping in Brisbane Street Mall. It was perhaps the smallest street mall I have encountered. Still, it had nice little shops and restaurants. What I appreciated is that despite its size, it had several public restrooms along the way (at least, as a guy who pees a lot).

Brisbane Street Mall.

Thylacine statues along the street.

- The following day I had a day trip with Discover Tasmania Tours (click here). My main goal was to visit Bridestowe Lavender Estate in Scottsdale. Unfortunately, if without a private car, it would be nearly impossible to reach the farm. My only option was to book a tour. Discover Tasmania Tours had a day tour that went to many places outside Launceston and I felt that it was best to do that so I could see more. The best part was, since no one else booked the same tour as I did, I had a private tour, but had to pay a little bit more just so my tour would push through. The one-man show behind Discover Tasmania Tours is John, and is an excellent and engaging guide!

- Bridestowe Lavender Estate was created in the 1920s, and has been producing some of the world's best lavender flowers. They're comparable to the quality of lavenders in France. Unfortunately, since it wasn't lavender season (usually December to January is the best time,) the lavender farm was green. I was warned by both the lavender farm and John that the lavender farms would be predominantly green since it isn't quite in season yet. I said it was fine since I really just wanted to see what it looked like. While the fields were not the lush violet color that I wanted it to be, the green field was still amazing to look at. (Also, I didn't feel too sad since I visited Warratina Lavender Farm in Melbourne before going to Tasmania. Warratina always has at least one row of lavenders in bloom at any point of the year except winter.)

Not violet at all.

Oak tree. Also, notice how fancy I look!   

It still looks nice right?

Not really lavenders, but still violet! They're called echium.

Lavender processing done in-house. If you could only smell this photo!

Lavender ice cream ain't half bad!

I love how I got to ride this little car around the field!

Got to take photos in right smack in the middle of the fields!

"Oh no my hat!"

- After taking some time in Bridestowe Lavender Estate, we passed by a few stops - including a brief lunch stop - before heading to Grindelwald. As the name suggests, Grindelwald is a Swiss-themed resort in the Tamar Valley, and so all the buildings - even the residential ones outside the resort - were made to look like traditionally Swiss houses. It was made in the 1980s and the conceptualized by a Dutch migrant to Tasmania. Grindelwald can be reached from downtown Launceston by riding a bus 788 from West Tamar Road (Stop 7, 39 Tamar Road) to the village. The picturesque village has nice outdoor activities and some souvenir stores. 

Batman Bridge, Australia's first cable-stayed bridge.

At Brady's Lookout, hideout of the 19th-century convict Matthew Brady. Notice how the poles look like guns!

Overlooking Tamar Estuary.

Nice little church across the river.

At Grindelwald.

I found this cool ship playground in Grindelwald!

I've never been to Switzerland so maybe Switzerland feels this way?

The gate to the magical world of Grindelwald hahahaha.

- Later that afternoon we headed closer to town and visited Cataract Gorge. Cataract Gorge became a tourist spot in the 1800s, with more tourist facilities built in the following decades. Its chairlift, which carries the pride of being the world's longest single-span chairlift, was built in the 1970s. The ride itself is calm and stable, as long as you won't think that the basin is 67ft. deep. (Yikes!) Cliff Grounds, the park's northern end, also has free-roaming peacocks that, made the whole place feel like an oriental painting. (I had never seen that many peacocks in one place before!)

Cataract Gorge. I can't believe this great wonder of nature is just near my hostel!

My colonial look. (Sort of based this look from the old photos of the British era.)

Alexandra Suspension Bridge.

The waters are wild. Really.

Free roaming peacocks. John took this photo at the right time!

Saw 2 wallabies attacking each other. So yes, kangaroos and wallabies do box each other. (Also, the energy of that calm wallaby who doesn't care about the fight.)

Chairlift. I didn't want to take photos/videos while riding the chair life because I didn't want my phone to fall. Haha. The winds were unpredictable so better safe than sorry.

- My first two days in Launceston were quite eventful. I fell in love with Launceston despite the near-death flight to the city from Melbourne. The city had a small town vibe that had everything within an arm's (a leg's?) reach that has kept its historical feel. Launceston and surrounding towns also had nature's embrace. Truly, Launceston is one of the places that will make people think how Tasmania is a distant paradise!