Suggestions for walks?

[Nobsy]

Hi, i will be visiting tasmania in a couple of weeks for the first time, & would ile to do some walking. I will have 3 days free, based in Launceston, & will only be able to day walks. I'd love to hear suggestions for walks in the area of 4-5 hours, up to 25 kms.

[Joe]

the Cataract Gorge, Hollybank, Liffey Falls, Holbrook Reserve....lots more..will do up a proper list tonight, at work at moment.

[tasadam]

Do you mean the distance of the walk at up to 25km, or the distance from Launceston?
25km from Launceston doesn't give you too many options.

What transport will you have? Where are you from?
An hour, in Melbourne or Sydney, won't get you very far. An hour from Launceston and you're well on the way to
Cradle Mountain.

The Chapman "Day Walks Tasmania" book is a good reference, as is the "Walks and Locations" are of this forum.

Do you want mountains? flat? views? snow / alpine? So much to choose from, where does one start?

[johnw]

The Chapman "Day Walks Tasmania" book is a good reference, as is the "Walks and Locations" are of this forum.

Do you want mountains? flat? views? snow / alpine? So much to choose from, where does one start?

Also what level of experience do you have? From some of the photos/posts I've seen recently the weather may be severe currently if doing the more demanding walks in the highland areas, and may not be suitable unless experienced with such.

I've used the Chapman Day Walks book numerous times and happy to recommend it (as well as the forum as Adam suggests). Chapman includes safety recommendations as to best/worst times of the year for each walk.

For less demanding options worth considering:

Narawntapu NP (coastal park, so usually expect milder weather).

Cataract Gorge can be extended into a circuit that takes in Duck Reach and Trevallyn dam.

Tamar Wetlands is worth look and only a few kms north of Launceston CBD.

Notley Fern Gorge is not much further and is a pleasant stroll.

Further afield Lobster Falls, Alum Cliffs, Leven Canyon (short version).

Many of these are really short walks but if time is limited they might suit.

Also see http://www.parks.tas.gov.au and the free booklet "60 Great Short Walks" http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/recreation/shortwalks/.

[Son of a Beach]

There's also Holwell Gorge (further north and further out of town than Notley Fern Gorge), about 40 minutes drive from the city.

I can't say if it's worth walking it or not, as the one and only time I've done it I was about 3 or 4 years old walking with my family and another family, and being a bit naive, both our entire families got stuck out there in the dark and got thoroughly lost until about 2am, when we spied the lights of a farm house in the distance.

I still have some very distinct and very warped 3-year-old-type memories of that excursion. Eg, an impossibly high cliff of about 500m with tiny waterfall, trees in the dark that looked more and more like monsters the longer you stared at them while sitting on the wet grass totally knackered, being lowered over a barbed wire fence that was in the way, only to land in a large blackberry bush, being scared witless of falling into the bottomless pits that went all the way to the centre of the earth (a 3 year old's misunderstanding after Mum told me to beware of falling into the drains that I couldn't see beside a gravel road we followed for a while), and picking off leeches from everybody at the kindly farmer's house after wards (including from inside my brother's mouth) while drinking orange juice.

On second thoughts, maybe Holwell Gorge is not such a good idea!

I'm going to have to go back there one day, and get a more reasonable adult impression of the place.

[Speculator]

Some good walks have already been suggested, others in the Lonnie area that come to mind are Mt. Arthur, the Meander cluster (heaps of walks in there), Projection Bluff, Quamby Bluff & the Ben Lomond bunch.

Does depend how far afield you're willing to go of course. 50km or so should give you a radius of enough to fill your time easily.

L8r.

[Nobsy]

Hi, thanks for replies! Just to clarify, i'm looking for walks of around 15 to 25kms distance, (depending on terrain) & yes i will have a car. I'd be happy to drive for up to 2 hours from Launceston. I've done a fair bit of bushwalking in the Canberra region & national parks, so am used to cold & rainy weather. Could consider an overnighter, but but won't have all my gear with me this time, so would have to stay in a pub/hut/etc. Happy to walk in the bush or even through towns (always nice to stop for a beer!), it will all be new to me!

[Speculator]

Hi, thanks for replies! Just to clarify, i'm looking for walks of around 15 to 25kms distance, (depending on terrain) & yes i will have a car. I'd be happy to drive for up to 2 hours from Launceston. I've done a fair bit of bushwalking in the Canberra region & national parks, so am used to cold & rainy weather. Could consider an overnighter, but but won't have all my gear with me this time, so would have to stay in a pub/hut/etc. Happy to walk in the bush or even through towns (always nice to stop for a beer!), it will all be new to me!

In that case you've got more walks available to you than you can poke a stick at.... even a big long stick with lots of little sticks coming off it! If you'd like to narrow the choices down a bit, you'd better let us know what you're most interested in seeing on your walks. Ie. terrain, weather, flora/fauna, history, natural features, man-made features etc!...

Sorry to answer the question with yet more questions, but thars tracks in them thar hills!

L8r.

[Son of a Beach]

yep, 2 hours drive from Launceston covers about half the state (including Hobart).

[wombatlover]

Hi, just to give you an update to Holwell Gorge - yes do go and visit especially now while there is heaps of water over the three falls! Beware it is a bit rough and probably a bit slippery and muddy in the middle but the north end has a good track to the first falls. The south end is the steepest so going south to north is easier. The middle falls has a big tree over it and it was drier when i scrambled over it in Feb. Might be a bigger challenge and probably only suitable for hardened walkers now!!. The walk is only a few km long but due to rugged terrain takes longer than expected. As for Mt Arthur, as happened recently when a walker got lost up there, the track deviates and unless you know where it goes you walk straight past it and go bush bashing as my friend and i did earlier this year!! It is mossy in the forests and scrambling over rocks is also required, it is a steep walk but still beautiful. Dove lake at Cradle would at least be accessible in fine weather, i did Marions Lookout two weeks ago and that only had patches of snow and the view is amazing. Cradle was in full view too!! With this wet weather we are having things may have changed!! It was busy up there and we had to wait to get up to dove lake as it was full. If you only have a few days keep in mind the road travel takes longer than expected and due to short days can limit your walk options. Ralph falls is another worthy trip - smaller walks but the falls (if no fog!!) are spectacular and cashs gorge is pretty too. There are so many options you will have to make two trips!! Enjoy your trip whatever you do!

[Tasallan]

Walked the Holwell Gorge today - a great walk with a lot of water coming over the falls,great rain forest, plenty of spectacular fungi and some of the wildflowers coming out. We walked in from the Beaconsfield end and then re-traced our footsteps. A little over an hour each way.
Another good walk is from Carr Villa via Legges Tor to the Ben Lomond ski village. Check the snow report before you attempt this one.
Plenty of walks from Launceston, Mt Maurice, Cuckoo Falls, Mt Saddle Back, Ben Nevis etc. Always advisable to take a GPS with you.
Happy Walking