Cataract Gorge
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Cataract Gorge Reserve is one of Launceston and northern Tasmania's premier tourist attractions. It has a large range of activities on offer depending on the risks you like to take. There are over 300 climbs in the lower reaches of the river below the First Basin.For some time Kayaking Slalom Championships have been held in the same stretch of the river, with water being released on demand from the dam upstream.
The chairlift crossing the Gorge is the longest single span chairlift in the world, with the longest span being 308 m (924 ft).
The chairlift, built in 1972, has a total span of 457 m. It broke down in 2001, and several sightseers were stranded 30 metres above the Gorge for several hours, but since then it has been thoroughly overhauled and is still in use today.
Before the Hydro Dam was built in the 1950s upstream, floodwaters could rise up as high as this bridge (12metres).Image:SouthEskFlood.jpg In the past, there was a power station at Duck Reach, about 2 1/2 kilometres from this bridge. It was washed away literally in the super floods of 1929, rebuilt and then decommissioned when the new dam was finished in 1955. The building remains today as an interpretive museum.
The First Basin on the southern side features a swimming pool, (despite the waters being relatively safe and clean), and an open area surrounded by bushland. A long-standing traditional event was the 'Basin Concert', which for locals was one of the biggest events of the year. Due to lack of support and funding the concert failed to continue.
There are many easily accessible tracks which wind through the grounds and are all easlily graded. Several lookouts on the way do have steep staircases and should be treated with caution as rocks in the area are reknowned for coming loose. A recommended walk is from the kiosk area across the Alexandra Suspension Bridge, a swinging pedestrian bridge built in 1895 and then on to the 'Peacock Gardens' and the Basin Restaurant, regarded as one of the finest establishments in the area. The restaurant is nestled in the shady northern side named the 'Cliff Grounds', a Victorian style garden which is complemented by the surrounding bushland on its limits, and banks of Rhododendrons and Man-Ferns in the gullies. Spectacular displays of Daffodils and other bulbs can be here in the Spring months (Sept-Nov).
At the lower end of the Gorge, the South Esk spills into the Tamar River going under King's Bridge on the way. This was the only bridge leading north out of the city for nearly 100 years. In the accompanying photo, the Gorge groundsman's watch house can be seen on the cliff side. Image:Kingsbridge.JPG
