Launceston, TAS: Cataract Gorge Reserve

While in Longford we made a trip into Launceston with Sean’s aunt and uncle to visit the Cataract Gorge Reserve.  I thought it a funny name, not knowing that a cataract is not just an eye condition, but also a succession of waterfalls.  The view as we came into the area.  A free swimming pool right next to the water!  This is the second time we’ve run into a free public pool.  The first was in Geelong. We opted to do the Zig Zag track.  Though it doesn’t look it in this picture, the hike was strenuous in some places.  The kids were complaining, but they’d do that even if the walk was completely flat!  I started out with TurboBug but later rolled my ankle so Sean carried him the rest of the way.  (My ankle was okay- just very slightly swollen for a day or two.) We spotted more lizards on this walk than we have ever seen on any hike we’ve ever been on.  JitterBug kept track and the final count was 40 live lizards and two dead ones (because the dead ones count too when you are a seven-year-old boy!). We saw many of these beautiful beetles too, but I don’t think the kids tried to count these! You can actually take a cruise up into the gorge, it’s quite popular.  But they do have to turn around at some point, given the cataracts further in.  (Like how I use my new vocabulary word?) There were kids on the boat, so we had to wave.  Kids love to wave at people when they are on these type of things, they don’t care that you are waving at complete strangers.  So if you see some kids you better wave, People! The afore-mentioned cataracts.  {Ahem.} Plenty of peacocks in the area.  I’m not sure how they came to make this their home but they were not too shy and we were able to get close for some pictures. We even saw a mum with her chick. There was a chairlift but we were told it was $10 per person so we didn’t try it. Budding photographer.  I got a new DSLR recently so he got my hand-me-down.  He uses it quite often and I love seeing what fascinates him by the pictures he takes. These rocks were begging to be climbed on. Begging. The sign said 20 minutes, but it’s double that with kids! After a hike on a hot day, what’s left to do but go for a swim? When we left we made use of the unique lift they had.  It travelled up the side of the hill at an incline with stops along the way.  Definitely unusual.  Here we are all squished up in it with SkeeterBug taking the picture. I’m guessing it was mainly for disabled use but we didn’t see a sign indicating so.  After a lovely walk and a lovely time in the pool it was time to return to the van where the kids invented their own fun. They had to fight TurboBug for that pram.  Every time he saw them using it he would run after them screaming.  He’s learning that when you are the youngest you can’t let your siblings walk all over you! It took us a couple of days just to recover from our trip over on the Spirit of Tasmania.  We were all extra tired from our trip on the ferry.  Though we had a cabin and could catch some sleep, the night was short.  Our first night at this caravan park there was another family doing what we are doing and travelling Australia.  They had similar-aged kids and they had a ball playing together.  The next day a family arrived that was travelling northern Tasmania on their bikes.  Six kids: three on bikes, one in a bike seat, one in a trailer, one towed on a one-wheel tandem.  Amazing!  We’ve seen so many cyclists on the road here, incredible since it’s so mountainous.