Launceston - Victoria v Tasmania 2018

Each year Victoria and Tasmania Senior Teams meet in February for the annual challenge match. This time the Victorian teams travelled to Launceston for the game on Tuesday 27 February. The game was played at the North Tasmania Cricket Association Ground. The ground has been used for sport, including cricket, since 1851.

Victorian Over 70s team

Team photos were taken before the game. Normally the front row of players are normally sit on chairs or kneel on one knee so all players are visible. Hopefully this will happen again next time.

Victorian Over 60s team

It had rained in Launceston at the weekend and the ground was not great for cricket. The first ground, in front of the David Boon Stand, was inspected by the Over 60s who decided that they would play on the second ground.

The result was that the Over 70s played on a soft pitch making it hard for batsmen to score runs. Unfortunately Victoria lost the toss and the game.

Robin bowling

Victoria batted first first and at the end of the allotted 40 overs had managed to score 9 for 126. John Costello made 40 not out and he and Robin had a 48 run partnership, consisting mainly of singles, which helped move the score into three figures until Robin was run out on 23. N Crane made 28 runs.

Halfway through the Tasmanian innings it was obvious that the players were also having trouble scoring runs. However after the drinks break the batsmen hit a couple of fours and Tasmania was in control. The game ended when Tasmania were 5 for 127 in the 36th over. Victoria's bowling figures included Robin 1/17 off his seven overs, John Costello 1/15 and Ian Longmuir 2/ 20.

The Over 60s made 5/213 while Tasmania were all out for 158. Les Quarrell and David Cordy both retired on 50 runs. Bowling figures for the Victorians were Trevor Selby 3/17, Rex Bennett 2/27, G Wilson 2/45 and P McDonald 3/4 off 3.1 overs.

In the evening members of the two teams (and supporters) met for dinner at The Three Steps restaurant at the Colonial Hotel. The shields were presented to the winning teams and we look forward to next year's games in Melbourne.

Further posts on this adventure:
Exploring Launceston
Launceston - Colonial Hotel
Launceston - Cataract Gorge
Launceston - Cataract Gorge wildlife

Exploring Launceston

This was our third visit to Launceston for the annual Seniors' Cricket match between Victoria and Tasmania. We arrived on the Monday afternoon and returned home on Thursday afternoon. This provided plenty of time to explore. Launceston is a compact city which is easy to navigate on foot so we did a lot of walking.

View from hotel bathroom window

Next to the Colonial Hotel, where we stayed, is St John's Church on the corner of Elizabeth and St John Street. There has been a church on this site since 1824. From the outside it is an impressive building and I am sure that it is equally impressive inside. However as the doors were always shut when we passed we did not have the opportunity to see inside the building. I did find these pictures online.

Fountain in Princes Park

Across the road from the church in Elizabeth Street is Princes Square. In the centre of the park is this fountain commemorating the installation of the Launceston water supply in 1857.

A statue on the steps at one corner of the park is of William Russ Pugh - the first doctor to use ether during surgery in Australia in 1847.

Elizabeth Street streetscape

One of the features of Launceston is the architecture. The city has retained many of the older buildings creating interesting streetscapes.

Elizabeth Street

More views of Elizabeth Street.

Elizabeth Street

The interesting architecture continues in the city centre. Below are just a few examples.

Holyman House

Holyman House is an art deco style building on the corner of George Street and Brisbane Street.

The interesting architecture continues in the smaller streets and arcades.

Former Bank of NSW building

The former Bank of New South Wales building on the corner of Brisbane Street and St John Street  dates back to 1817.

Of course we did more than look at buildings.
On the Monday night, after drinks and the welcome get together at the hotel, we had dinner at a Chinese restaurant in Charles Street (near Elizabeth Street corner).

After the walk to the Cataract Gorge on the Wednesday we needed a quick lunch as we needed to get back to the hotel before it started to rain, so we called into Banjo's Bakery in Brisbane Street for a couple of sausage rolls.

We noticed that Launceston has a large number of coffee shops, especially in Brisbane Street and George Street. The test for any place we visit, however, is to find a good chocolate shop and on the Thursday morning I enjoyed a good hot chocolate at Cocobean Chocolate in George Street.

I also visited a Petrarch's Bookshop in Brisbane Street which has a good selection of books about Tasmania, particularly Tasmanian history, and  left with another book for my collection.

On Thursday morning we visited the Queen Victoria Art Gallery in Wellington Street (near Royal Park). Downstairs was an exhibition from the Eskleigh Art Collection containing paintings from 25 years of the Tasmanian Art Collection. There was also a display of student art. Upstairs the main gallery contains a collection of nineteenth century portraits capturing a little of what life was like for some people in the growing colony. Perhaps on the next visit we will have time to visit the museum

Before leaving Launceston there was one more surprise. At the airport was a painted model cow similar to ones we saw when we visited Perth in 2016. Life is full of surprises.

Further posts on this adventure:
Launceston - Victoria v Tasmania 2018
Launceston - Colonial Hotel
Launceston - Cataract Gorge
Launceston - Cataract Gorge wildlife

Launceston - Colonial Hotel

The accommodation for our stay in Launceston was the Colonial Hotel, situated on the corner of George Street and Elizabeth Street.

Some of the buildings in this hotel complex were originally part of the Launceston Church Grammar School which operated on the site from 1847 until 1924 when the school was relocated to Mowbray Heights. The modified buildings became a hotel in 1972 and the main accommodation block plus two smaller residential units were built in a complementary style during the 1970s.

Front view of original building in hotel complex

View inside main building

QC Brasserie

The QC Brasserie of Quill and Cane is used as the breakfast room as well as a room for special functions. The dinner after the two Seniors matches on the Tuesday night were held in this impressive room. The main courses at the dinner were slow cooked lamb shoulder stuffed chicken breast. Sticky date pudding was the popular sweet selection though vanilla bean panna cotta was also on offer.

The former gymnasium is now the Three Steps Restaurant

The Three Steps Restaurant is open to the public as well as hotel residents during the evening. This is an impressive old building with a mezzanine floor for dining as well as dining tables downstairs. On the walls are photos of sports teams from the school in the early 1900s. We had dinner at the restaurant on the Wednesday night. I tried the lamb while Robin had the fish. Plum pudding was the dessert special which we all enjoyed.

Elizabeth Manor

Our room was in Elizabeth Manor, one of the buildings built in the 1970s.

Features from the original school have been incorporated in the renovated buildings such as names on this door and initials scratched into the window frame in the lounge.

By the desk in the lounge was this piece of furniture which attracted quite a bit of attention. Upholstered furniture like this became popular towards the middle of the nineteenth century though, of course, it could have been made anytime since then. It may have been used as a window seat though I have not yet found pictures of any furniture shaped quite like this. There is a wooden rest that may have been used to hold a book or writing material. It was definitely a conversation piece. It is now used as a seat for the public computer.

Remains of old Mile Stones

A selection of old Mile Stones can be found in the garden.

The hotel was within walking distance of the cricket ground and Launceston in general. It was a good place to stay.

Further posts on this adventure:
Launceston - Victoria v Tasmania 2018
Exploring Launceston
Launceston - Cataract Gorge
Launceston - Cataract Gorge wildlife

Launceston - Cataract Gorge

During our stay in Launceston we went for a walk from the hotel to Cataract Gorge. Our last visit to the Gorge had been in 2014.

View of river looking back to Launceston

The weather forecast was for rain in the afternoon so we decided to explore the Gorge in the morning.

The South Esk River flows into the Gorge. We crossed the bridge and followed the Cataract Walk trail.

One of features of the cliffs on the other side of the river are the vertical rock features.

View of the Gorge looking towards the suspension bridge.

As we approached the gardens near the kiosk are we met one of the local residents.

The following post provides images of some of the wildlife that we met in this area.

Before heading back to town we relaxed and enjoyed a drink at the kiosk.

View from near kiosk area

This time we returned via the route we had walked earlier.

Walking is not the only way to explore the Gorge. We passed a cruise boat showing passengers the sites.

We also stopped to watch schools of small fish, plus a few, camera shy, larger ones, on the return walk.

It was a great morning for an enjoyable walk.

Further posts on this adventure:
Launceston - Victoria v Tasmania 2018
Exploring Launceston
Launceston - Cataract Gorge wildlife
Launceston - Colonial Hotel

Launceston - Cataract Gorge wildlife

One of the features of Cataract Gorge is the wildlife you meet, especially near the kiosk area.

A small wallaby hopped along the path in front of us and disappeared into the bush. Further on we located a number of wallabies amongst the trees and in the gardens.

But it is the peacocks who rule the area.

These colourful, regal looking birds parade around the gardens showing often their finery as they look for food.

The female birds, although not so colourful, also patrol the gardens with great dignity.

At the kiosk a mother bird explored the area with her three chicks.

Visitors to the Gorge were entertained watching the birds meaner among the tables taking little notice of those watching.

We passed this sleeping beauty, showing the beautiful colours of his feathers, as we left the area to walk back to town.

Further posts on this adventure:
Launceston - Victoria v Tasmania 2018
Exploring Launceston
Launceston - Cataract Gorge
Launceston - Colonial Hotel