Launceston

Photos are up!

Launceston

Monday morning I grabbed a quick breakfast at the cafe down the street from the hostel in Hobart before catching the bus up to Launceston. I was able to get to Launceston by the early afternoon, but had to wait around the hostel for a few hours before I could check in, but I was able to get some laundry done.


The hostel in Launceston would have been great in summer, or really any season other than winter. The TV room was heated, and was actually warm, and then individual rooms were "heated." So at 5:30 every night everyone congregated in the TV room right when the heater turned on and then waited a few hours to head up to their rooms before those heaters were turned on. During the middle of the night and early morning you could see your breath in the hallways and bathroom of the hostel!


Tuesday I spent the day at Cradle Mountain and had the best weather for it! It was decently warm for being winter, sunny and clear, and no wind! I was talking with a man later on the bus out of Launceston who said that the one time he has been was in summer and he got caught in a blizzard! It was about a two and a half hour drive out to the national park, and then we (I ended up on a tour as the insurance prices for renting a car to a under-21 year old are ridiculous) ended up hiking up to Marion's Lookout because the weather was so nice. It was a pretty straightforward climb up...until the last section where you had to use chains to pull yourself up the rocks. The views from the top were amazing-we were basically level with Cradle Mountain and then could see the surrounding peaks and lakes, and even out to the ocean! The hike down took a different route that took us back through the temperate rainforest before coming onto a clearing where we spotted about ten different wombats.


Wednesday morning I walked just out of town to Cataract Gorge and did a quick walk along the water. I spotted a gondola going across the gorge and immediately thought I would want to do it, until I realized that it's like a ski lift with no real bar keeping you in, just tilted back seats. Decided I wasn't up for doing this one alone and walked back along the water and back into town. I found a great chocolate cafe to warm up at before spending more time walking around Launceston in the afternoon.


Thursday I packed up and headed to Melbourne, where I am now, and will be until I head home on June 30!