You can tell we are back in sivileyesashun – cyvylisash – where other people live and where there is power, because here is another blog update just one day after the last one. At present I am sitting in the camp kitchen/dining room having a bourbon or two, and waiting for the rain to stop.
Yesterday afternoon we went in to LAUNCESTON to visit what was advertised as CATARACT GORGE with the World’s Longest Single Span Chairlift. The details are shown on the photograph. It’s not high, but is apparently as it claims, the world’s longest single span. Naturally we had to have a go.
As the chairs are only built for two people, Christel went by herself, and Cameron and I followed. It takes about 10 minutes to go across and after a walk around and looking at the views we headed back. We asked Cameron if he would like to go by himself for the return journey. He decided he would, but he had to check with the lift operator if it was OK for 8 year olds to go by themselves. Given the OK, away he went. Quite a feat of courage on his behalf. I couldn’t let on that his dad wasn’t all that comfortable about swinging across a river in a little chair dangling on the end of a rope. He was on a high afterwards.
Saturday morning we headed off to check out EVANDALE a small historic village largely built, as you guessed it, by convict labour, and after that CLARENDON HOUSE. Then if time permitted we would go to BEN LOMOND a Mountain Range with a switch back approach road known as JACOB’S LADDER.
EVANDALE is a small town built like an old English Village. Not a lot to see but it was like walking around in an old English Village. Strange that. Never mind, time for another Bourbon.
Clarendon House is shown on the tourist brochures as an historical building built in the style of an elegant English Estate Home. I had seen a photo of it a long time ago in NZ and always wanted to see it. I wasn’t disappointed, very grand with servants’ quarters downstairs and park like grounds, which unfortunately hadn’t been kept quite up to scratch. The house and its surrounding outbuildings took up about 10 acres. I was glad we had gone to the trouble to see it, but it didn’t do a lot for Christel. Cameron was quite impressed with the concept of servants, and the fact that they had to live in a separate part of the house, and use separate stairs etc.
With most of the afternoon left, we decided to go to BEN LOMOND. Like Clarendon House, again I had seen a photo of Jacob’s Ladder on the road up to Ben Lomond some time ago, and put it on my ‘must see’ list. Talk about impressive. You drive up the mountain range for about 18 kilometres, and as you come out above the bush line there in front of you is Jacob’s Ladder. A switch back road climbing up a steep rock face leading to the top plateau area of Ben Lomond Range. We stopped and took some photos before going up, but they just don’t do justice to what an impressive piece of engineering this is.
Talk about scary. I’ve been on a few hairy tracks on my quad bike, but nothing quite this high. Metal road just over one car width wide, with incredible drop offs, and nothing but bloody great rocks waiting for you below. When we got to the top and stopped to check out the view, I couldn’t get out of the car. My backside was sucked hard into the seat. Certainly didn’t need a seat belt. And we still had to come back down.
We drove across the plateau for about 2km to the ski village, and had a welcome beer in Tasmania’s Highest Pub. Reinforced with a bottle of Boags, we headed back down. This time Christel ran the video from the car as we came back down. We stopped at the bottom and took some more photos, before heading back to camp. Jacob’s ladder was a great experience and I am really pleased to have had the opportunity to travel it. Another ‘must do’ crossed off the list.
Tomorrow we will move on from LONGFORD. Not sure where to yet, but you’ll find out in the next blog.
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