17 May 2013

Getting Our Gorge On

We finally worked out why people live in Launceston....... it's simply beautiful!  We woke up today and the sun was shining, not a cloud in the sky and it was a crisp 4°C.  We were headed to Cataract Gorge in the centre of Lonny, but on our way we were drawn in by the stunningly beautiful old houses on the hill and went for a little drive around admiring all the different turn of the century styles, wondering which ones had the best views and the worst driveways!

Jen and I are not huge fans of heights..... and more so that of falling to your death, so when we spotted the "longest free spanning chairlift in the world" that crossed the gorge, we just walked right past.  Jen, always thinking of others said, "You don't want to go on that do you?"    I didn't even dignify that with an answer!


This lady was happy to have a go and good on her, but if she jumped into the gorge, I wouldn't do that, so why would I do this?


I did, however, walk across the suspension bridge without any tears or whinging. 


Jen was asking me here if I wanted her to jump up and down making the bridge sway..... honestly, she's such a bogan!


She didn't really...... she was holding on for dear life as much as I was.

This was from the top of the look out.  Such a "gorge"ous day!


Walking past complete strangers and giving a smile or nod of acknowledgement when you're passing them on a track or stairs to a lookout is fine...... you might even say "hello" or "great day hey?"..... but that's it!  You then move on.  You don't know each other and let's face it, as friendly as we are, our new found friendship is going no further than this platform that we've happened upon at the same time, so really...... do we need to stand and talk for hours?  Or even minutes?


This was the conversation that we had to have with the man in the yellow t-shirt (behind the bush):

Man: You're a bit early for the flood. (so, a strange opening.  Where are we meant to go from here?) 
Shell: Oh, right.  Are we? (taking a step away from the man)
Man: Yes, they control the water from the dam. 
Jenny:  Oh, do they?
Man: Yes, and it really floods.  Oh yes, it does.  See that children's swing set over there (pointing across to the grassed area in the above photo) The water rises just below the top of the swings.
Shell: Wow, that's high. (taking another step away)
Man: Yes and the pool gets filled and see that car park over there?  That's under water.  Oh yeah.  They flood it for the canoeing competitions.
Jenny: oh, right.

So, that's enough right?  But it kept going and with every statement he stated I walked down the path away from the barrage of interesting facts..... but Jenny just couldn't get away.

Man: Well, it runs the hydro.  I mean, we're paying for it through the carbon tax.  But we sell to the mainland. (the minute anyone starts talking about the bloody carbon tax my mind switches off and I probably roll my eyes)
Jenny: oh ok.
Man: And petrol.  That's really expensive.  I mean, we really pay for that down here.
Jenny:  Well, you actually pay more for petrol in WA.
Man: No, you don't.  It's very expensive here.
Shell: (shouting from down the path in a last ditch effort to save her before the conversational point of no return) Come on Jenny!
Man: (calling out desperately after Jenny) There's peacocks in the car park.
Jenny:  Oh, ok, thanks.

She temporarily turned around again at that last comment, but luckily she had made it to a grabbing distance of me and I was able to whisk her down the stairs to safety.

A little further down the path we came across a sign.  Oh no, could the man have been right? Would we be stuck on the other side of the gorge and have to retrace our steps over the suspension bridge?

Lucky Jenny has no respect for authority.  We'll just go this way.


And look - safe as houses.


Looking back at the suspension bridge.  I do so love a reflection.






1 comment: