Gorge Circuit
Sunday afternoon
4th February 2024
Still lovely summery weather in Launceston (most days), so we’re kicking off the ‘Walk this Way’ series of family fun walks for 2024 with another visit to the Gorge. We had again hoped to be able to do a circuit walk to the Basin, starting at at Kings Bridge but, while the workers have been very busy removing and replacing a collapsed stone wall above the track, it’s still closed (hopefully open by March), so instead, there will again be a circuit walk at the First Basin area. Depending on the energy of the children (and their parents/carers) on the day, there is the potential to do just a basic circuit walk with opportunities for rest and play, or to extend into one or more of the side tracks to the higher lookouts.
Walking Route:
See the red line on the screenshot below. The walk heads south and west to the Alexandra Suspension Bridge, then northwest, with a side trip to the Alexandra lookout just above the bridge. Continuing northwest, then north, the Fairy Dell playground is reached, near the old band rotunda. Just below that is the coffee shop. Heading south, then southeast, the low-level bridge is reached and crossed. The low-level path is followed alongside the Basin around to the lawns near the swimming pool, where the other, much grander, playground is reached (and the other cafe is just above that). This basic route is just under 1.5 km, so there is potential for a further side trip, with really energetic options being the Cataract Lookout, much higher up the hill above the Alexandra Lookout, and an extra few hundred metres, or the even more challenging Eagles Eyrie Lookout, high above the Fairy Dell.
If you are interested in going on this walk, please phone Dan Hutchison on 0457 765 907 to book in. We will meet on the lawn at bottom of the driveway from the Basin Road carpark, close to the playground with the big running wheel, at 2pm.
Unlike the regular Boots N’ All walks which often visit more challenging wilderness areas, there is no particular need to register in advance for these Sunday afternoon Family Fun Walks. Your walk leader would nevertheless appreciate if you could let him know you are coming, so that the walk doesn’t set off without you.
To access this area from northern Tasmania:
From the city centre of Launceston, head south along Wellington St. Turn right into Frederick St. and continue west as it joins into Hillside Crescent, which is followed uphill to the junction of Brougham St. Turn right into Brougham St. and follow to the junction of Basin Rd. Follow Basin Rd. past West Launceston Primary School, then downhill to reach the Basin Rd. carpark. This is a pay and display carpark, but EasyPark is also available. Those familiar with Launceston will no doubt be aware of other ways to get there.
Other Information:
These Sunday afternoon walks do not require the level of preparation and equipment needed for wilderness walks. Dress comfortably and sensibly, and remember that even over a 2-hour period, weather can be changeable in northern Tasmania – it’s still winter! It’s always a great idea to have a warm top and a raincoat in your backpack, along with a drink and perhaps a snack.
The surfaces for this walk include gravel and bitumen, with a few gentle up and down sections. The possible extended side trips involve steep, much rougher paths with many steps. The main circuit we will take is suitable for strollers. There are toilets at both the band rotunda and near the bigger playground and swimming pool.
Map details:
For GPX (.gpx) and Google Earth (.kml) versions of the track: Click here to browse our collection of tracks from all over Tasmania.
Direct links: GPX for this walk … KML for this walk
Right-click on the file and save target as to a location of your choice. (Suggest you click the Last modified at top to sort by date to get the most recent at top to find the file for the next walk).
