Launceston Country Club

November 2022 and our first holiday for three years. This was the fourth attempt to stage the National Over 70s Cricket Championships in Launceston and it was finally happening. It was good to be able to travel to a cricket championship again after all those years.

When we arrived in Launceston at 3.30 it was a lovely sunny day. We had been driven to Tullamarine from home in style in a very smart and comfortable car. When we  boarded the plane we noticed dark clouds  approaching the airport. At Launceston a taxi took us from the airport to the Country Club Villas where we were to spend the next week. Later in the day we saw Ron who had arrived on a later flight from Melbourne that had been delayed 40 minutes because of thunderstorms.

The complex contains a number of villas with one, two or three bedroom apartments. We stayed in a one bedroom apartment with a spacious sitting room as well as bathroom and kitchenette. During the afternoon and evening there was a shuttle bus which took guests between the Country Club Villas and the main Country Club and Casino.

 

After we had unpacked we walked to the Country Club where had dinner at the Terrace Kitchen. On the way back we saw about ten kangaroos as well as lots of Tasmanian native-hens and ducks. We enjoyed our walk in the country! In the evening we watched the total eclipse of the moon. Unfortunately there was too much light to really appreciate the blood moon. 

In the morning we again walked to the main hotel, a distance of 1 km - a 15 minutes leisurely stroll. We had breakfast at the Links Restaurant overlooking the golf course. Very pleasant. 

After breakfast we walked to the shops to purchase food for future breakfasts, lunch at the games for me etc. The distance from the Country Club to the shops in Westbury Road is 2.2 km along Country Club Avenue and then into Las Vagas Drive and Jardine Crescent to the back of the shopping centre. The shopping centre has a Woolworths supermarket, a bakery, a pharmacy, two tobacconists and a couple of other shops. We also purchased sausage rolls from Banjo's Bakery and Cafe to take back to our rooms for lunch. It was a beautiful morning for a walk.

There is a lake in front of the hotel which we walked around after lunch on one of the rest days. As you approach the hotel you are greeted by dozens of birds including many varieties of ducks and Tasmanian native-hens. They come running to greet you hoping for food.

We saw Tasmanian native-hens not just at the hotel but also near many of the sports grounds we visited when there was a river close by.

Being spring, there were often families of birds prowling the grounds.

At the Country Club hotel we had meals at the Terrace Kitchen, Links Restaurant and Water Gardens Cafe. At the Country Club Villas there is Bolters Pizzeria on one side of the building and Bolters Bistro. Bookings are usually required for meals at the bistro. We had dinner there one evening - Robin had fish and chips while I had pumpkin fetticini. Pizzas are cooked in a wood fired oven and can be eaten in the restaurant or as take-away. On different occasions we had take-away BBQ chicken pizza (BBQ base, chicken, caramelised onion, mushroom, mozzarella and bacon) and Aussie pizza (BBQ Base, ham, caramelised onion, mushroom, egg and mozzarella) - both delicious.

Both the hotel and the villas are surrounded by the golf course. At the back of the hotel carpark there is a track through the bush leading to a lookout over Launceston but unfortunately on our free days the weather was wet and cold so we did not do this walk.

The complex is certainly a restful place to visit, especially when the weather is good.

Launceston - Cricket

 

Launceston - Cricket Social Events

Launceston - Cricket

The National Over 70s Cricket Carnival in 2022 had three divisions with 26 teams from all parts of Australia plus New Zealand. Seven teams were from Victoria. 

In the first division there were two teams from Victoria (blue and white). The Victorian White team was in Pool One with Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia.The Victorian Blue team was in Pool Two with New Zealand, ACT and New South Wales. On the fourth day the top team from each pool was to play each other to determine first and second place, the next two teams to play each other to determine third and fourth place etc. There were similar arrangements in the two other divisions.

On Thursday morning John Costello drove Robin, Ron and me to the NTCA ground for the first game of the carnival against Queensland. The sunny morning turned into a cloudy afternoon. Queensland won the toss and put Victoria in to bat on a sticky wicket. Victoria made 109 runs. Queensland then batted and won the game by one run in the final over. A very tight game. Robin and the other Victorian bowlers bowled really well. Robin opened the bowling and bowled six overs for 15 runs.

The second game was at Windsor Park at Riverside. It was an idesal setting with views of the river and nearby hills. The facilities for cricket and other sports were excellent.

Photo of members of the the Victorian White team before the game. 

back row: John Thomas, John Costello, Greg Lott, Jim Geltch, Ian Gibson, Ian pritchard, Neil King.

front row: Carl Muscat, Ian Rowland, Phil Mayne, Arthur Pritchard, Ron Lovel, Robin Court.

This game was against South Australia who batted first making 108 runs. The Victorian team once again bowled well. Robin opened the bowling again and bowled eight overs taking two wickts (LBW) for 24 runs. He was also involved in a run-out. Victoria passed the South Australian score with six overs to spare. It was another good game.

As it was Remembrance Day play stopped just before 11 o'clock so the players and officials could pause for a minutes silence. The game then continued.

 

In the afternoon I went for a walk. Behind the cricket ground were large clumps of reeds inhabited by Tasmanian native-hens. On the other side of the Tamar River was a view of the mountains, green country side plus some houses.

The Saturday and Sunday were rest days with Day Three of cricket due to be played on the Monday. We drove to Westbury, west of Launceston, for the game against Western Australia.

The covers remained on the ground. At 11 o'clock the game was abandoned.

A feature of the ground at Westerbury is the set of large stumps on the side of the ground.

The finals in the First Division were moved to Invermay Park. A familiar sight greeted us on arrival. The game was due to begin at 10 o'clock but the start was postponed until 12 noon. The weather was extremely cold with a southerly wind. There was snow on the mountains between Hobart and Launceston.

The final was between Queensland and Victoria (blue). Victoria batted first scoring 8 for133 runs. Queensland won the game in the second last over with a score of 9 for 134. It was another close game. Victorian teams won the Second and Third Division finals.

Ricky Ponting started his cricket career playing for Mowbray Cricket Club at Invermay Park. He won the club batting averages in the 1993-1994 season.

 

Among the memorabilia in the clubroom is a cricket top once worn by Ricky Ponting.

I went for a walk on the path near the North Esk River. On the other side of the river, cattle grazed in green paddocks.

Another view from the path near Invermay Park.

Launceston Country Club

 

Launceston Cricket Social Events

Launceston - Cricket Championship Social Events

The Meet and Greet was at the County Club main hotel on the Wednesday evening. We used the shuttle bus between the two locations. The event, held on the Terrace, was very crowded and food was minimal but it was good to catch up with people we had met on other tours. The players collected their cricket shirts and last minute information for the championships. The restaurants were crowded at the hotel so we returned to the Country Club Villas for a take away pizza from Bolters Pizzeria.

On the Saturday evening we attended a reunion of the members of the Australian over 70s team that toured England in 2018. Above is the magnificent view from the home of Ann and Roger Edmonds at Sidmouth were the reunion was held.

There was plenty of opportunity for catching up with friends in this beautiful setting.

A great selection of food was provided - a variety of sea food including salmon, cold meat, vegetables and curries. Desert comprised of scrumptious fresh raspberries and ice cream. A wonderful spread.

As the it became cooler, the wood fires became popular places for further conversation. It was a great evening.

Sporties Hotel in Launceston was the location of our team dinner on the Sunday evening. Robin had a chicken schnitzel while I had chicken parmigiana - traditional pub food.

The final social function was the Championship Dinner which was held at the Country Club Hotel. Unfortunately by the end of the championships a number of the players had contracted COVID-19 so Robin and I decided not to attend the dinner as a precaution. I am sure that those who did attend  enjoyed the evening.

The championship organisers also ran a series of four day trips and seven excursions on match for partners of players who did not want to go to the games. Some of the experiences, as well as sight seeing included visits to museums, galleries, garden and historic homes as well as food tasting expeditions. From all reports these were a great success and well appreciated by those who took part.

Launceston Country Club

Launceston - Cricket

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