Cataract Gorge

The South Esk River cuts a gorge of dolerite cliffs that reaches almost into the centre of Launceston, an unusual thing to find at the edge of a city. The First Basin at its mouth has a swimming pool built beside the river, lawns, peacocks and a Victorian-era garden laid out from the 1890s. A chairlift crosses the basin with a central span of 308 metres, described as the longest single span of any chairlift in the world, and a suspension bridge crosses lower down. Walking tracks follow both sides, the Cataract Walk on the sealed northern side and the rougher Zig Zag Track opposite. The river floods dramatically after heavy rain.

History

William Collins found the entrance to the gorge in 1804, the first known European visitor, and in the 1890s volunteers built the King's Bridge-Cataract Walk along its north bank, where the old toll house can still be seen. Duck Reach Power Station, finished in 1895, was the first publicly owned hydroelectric station in Australia, lighting Launceston's streets, and after floods in 1929 it was rebuilt in 1932 and closed when Trevallyn Dam was completed in 1955; a suspension bridge was built in 1904 and the chairlift, with its 308-metre span, in 1972 (Wikipedia, Cataract Gorge).

What you'll find

• The chairlift - the long single span crossing the First Basin.
• The First Basin - the pool, lawns and Victorian gardens by the river.
• The gorge cliffs - dolerite walls rising from the South Esk.
• The walking tracks - the sealed Cataract Walk and the rougher Zig Zag Track.

When to go

October to April for swimming and warm weather; the gorge is open year-round and impressive in flood after heavy rain. The chairlift closes in high wind and for maintenance. Evenings in summer bring floodlighting of the cliffs.

What to expect

The swimming basin is river water and cold. The chairlift is charged and weather-dependent. Flood events close tracks and the basin, sometimes for weeks. Peacocks on the lawns are aggressive toward food.

Nearby

Launceston's centre is a fifteen-minute walk; the Tamar Valley lies north.

Key facts