Launceston Tasmania
The Tamar Odyssey
I do enjoy being on water and exploring places by boat. It then seemed a given that I would go on a Tamar River cruise during my last visit to Launceston. From the 1st of September to the 31st of May these cruises depart four times a week (Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday) I decided to do the morning cruise, it lasts for 2 and a half hours (departing at 10am) and you're served morning tea and there's a wine and cheese tasting during the trip. The timing was perfect as they also give you a discount voucher for one of the restaurants in the nearby marina. So that was lunch sorted!
The ship departs from Home Point and you can either walk there along the river or drive as I did, there is nearby paid parking.
The marina at Seaport
Ship goes up the river and there's information given about the different sites and the history of Launceston and how important the Tamar river was to Launceston's development.
The suburb of Trevallyn, lots of lovely colonial housing, Launceston and the farmland around it produced much of the mainland colonies' agricultural produce. That meant there were wealthy people around who built houses to reflect their wealth.
Colonial homestead
Vineyards
The Tamar Valley wine region is a popular destination for visitors. Something that I found interesting was that up until the early 1970s this whole area was apple orchards. Most of the apples were exported to the UK, but with the UK entering the EU in 1973, the bottom fell out of the apple industry in Tasmania. Orchardists had to diversify and they went into the wine industry, the apple orchards on the Tamar are no more (there's still orchards near Hobart) and instead a wine region was born.
Rosevears Pub
The accomodation blocks at the back of the pub are new but the pub itself dates back to the early colonial era. In 1831 the licensee was William Rosevears (The pub itself was called The Rose Inn), the pub and the small settlement was named after him. The bushland around the pub was the hiding place of one of Tasmania's most famous bushrangers, Matthew Brady. (He was eventually caught and hung!) A nearby lookout is called 'Brady's Lookout' as that was where he apparently kept an eye on the search parties that were after him.
St Matthias' Anglican Church, Windermere
The family home has disappeared but the church has remained. The church was built by Mattheas Gaunt, before he left England he made a promise to his wife that if the place they were going to had no church he would build her one. He received a land-grant on the Tamar River and in 1842 built the church. Church attendees would come by land and by boat across the river, so the there's a boat ramp. It has been restored over the years and is still in use today.
The cruise goes up the river and then turns around and heads back to Launceston and the Cataract gorge.
Ritchie's Mill
Ritchie's Mill is a former flour mill built in a prime location on the river, the original mill used water power from the nearby Cataract Gorge to turn the mill wheel. Mr Ritchie bought the mill in 1876, pulled down the old wooden mill, built a newer one with a modern turbine and then it was all converted to electricity in 1929. The concrete silos were built in 1910, the mill was sold in 1974 and the new owners closed it down. The state government eventually acquired it and it's now restaurants, galleries and craft shops.
At the entrance of the gorge are the two bridges, the more modern West Tamar Highway Bridge and the historic King's Bridge (which still carries local traffic to Trevallyn)
King's Bridge with the Lady Launceston approaching it.
The final part of the cruise is when it turns into Cataract Gorge. It goes under the West Tamar Highway Bridge and then you get a good view of the historic King's Bridge which was opened in 1864 and was the first river crossing bridge in Launceston.
Boat view of Cataract Gorge
I had walked into the gorge the previous day so it was nice to see the gorge from the water.
The upper reaches of the gorge had a hydro power station that generated electricity for Launceston from December 1895, and it gave Launceston the distinction of being the first city south of the equator lit by electricity created by waterpower. This plant operated until 1955 when the much larger Trevallyn dam was opened and electricity is provided to Launceston from its Hydroelectric plant.
The cruise was a lovely way to spend a morning, the boat staff were friendly and knowledgeable. The cruise itself was relaxing and a wonder way to explore the Tamar River. Doing the morning cruise then meant that the restaurants of Seaport were an attractive lunch destination, I wasn't the only cruise passenger sitting down at the restaurant I chose!
I wrote a more in-depth report to visiting Cataract Gorge.
Launceston's first tourist attraction
I do enjoy being on water and exploring places by boat. It then seemed a given that I would go on a Tamar River cruise during my last visit to Launceston. From the 1st of September to the 31st of May these cruises depart four times a week (Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday) I decided to do the morning cruise, it lasts for 2 and a half hours (departing at 10am) and you're served morning tea and there's a wine and cheese tasting during the trip. The timing was perfect as they also give you a discount voucher for one of the restaurants in the nearby marina. So that was lunch sorted!
The ship departs from Home Point and you can either walk there along the river or drive as I did, there is nearby paid parking.
Ship goes up the river and there's information given about the different sites and the history of Launceston and how important the Tamar river was to Launceston's development.
The suburb of Trevallyn, lots of lovely colonial housing, Launceston and the farmland around it produced much of the mainland colonies' agricultural produce. That meant there were wealthy people around who built houses to reflect their wealth.
The Tamar Valley wine region is a popular destination for visitors. Something that I found interesting was that up until the early 1970s this whole area was apple orchards. Most of the apples were exported to the UK, but with the UK entering the EU in 1973, the bottom fell out of the apple industry in Tasmania. Orchardists had to diversify and they went into the wine industry, the apple orchards on the Tamar are no more (there's still orchards near Hobart) and instead a wine region was born.
The accomodation blocks at the back of the pub are new but the pub itself dates back to the early colonial era. In 1831 the licensee was William Rosevears (The pub itself was called The Rose Inn), the pub and the small settlement was named after him. The bushland around the pub was the hiding place of one of Tasmania's most famous bushrangers, Matthew Brady. (He was eventually caught and hung!) A nearby lookout is called 'Brady's Lookout' as that was where he apparently kept an eye on the search parties that were after him.
The family home has disappeared but the church has remained. The church was built by Mattheas Gaunt, before he left England he made a promise to his wife that if the place they were going to had no church he would build her one. He received a land-grant on the Tamar River and in 1842 built the church. Church attendees would come by land and by boat across the river, so the there's a boat ramp. It has been restored over the years and is still in use today.
The cruise goes up the river and then turns around and heads back to Launceston and the Cataract gorge.
Ritchie's Mill is a former flour mill built in a prime location on the river, the original mill used water power from the nearby Cataract Gorge to turn the mill wheel. Mr Ritchie bought the mill in 1876, pulled down the old wooden mill, built a newer one with a modern turbine and then it was all converted to electricity in 1929. The concrete silos were built in 1910, the mill was sold in 1974 and the new owners closed it down. The state government eventually acquired it and it's now restaurants, galleries and craft shops.
At the entrance of the gorge are the two bridges, the more modern West Tamar Highway Bridge and the historic King's Bridge (which still carries local traffic to Trevallyn)
The final part of the cruise is when it turns into Cataract Gorge. It goes under the West Tamar Highway Bridge and then you get a good view of the historic King's Bridge which was opened in 1864 and was the first river crossing bridge in Launceston.
I had walked into the gorge the previous day so it was nice to see the gorge from the water.
The upper reaches of the gorge had a hydro power station that generated electricity for Launceston from December 1895, and it gave Launceston the distinction of being the first city south of the equator lit by electricity created by waterpower. This plant operated until 1955 when the much larger Trevallyn dam was opened and electricity is provided to Launceston from its Hydroelectric plant.
The cruise was a lovely way to spend a morning, the boat staff were friendly and knowledgeable. The cruise itself was relaxing and a wonder way to explore the Tamar River. Doing the morning cruise then meant that the restaurants of Seaport were an attractive lunch destination, I wasn't the only cruise passenger sitting down at the restaurant I chose!
I wrote a more in-depth report to visiting Cataract Gorge.
Launceston's first tourist attraction
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