26 Feb 2005

Didn't get a window seat on the Launnie leg either, will have to make sure I get window seats on the way back, read some of To Green Angel Tower - then suddenly was at Launceston Airport... kinda like Tauranga airport but maybe even less than Tauranga, more out in the middle of nowhere... more like Dunedin actually, far from town.

Got sniffed at by dogs, saw V, and picked up tourism brochures on Launnie and Devonport. The carpark was packed, apparently, perhaps for the preseason AFL footy in town that day. We were going to have a coffee with S, the office lady, and V was unsure about how to get to that suburb - she objects now, but maybe it was me putting her off. S seemed nice, and paid for coffee and coke. We went out and checked into the motel - not that we spent that much time there, but it was nicely wood panel themed. No Foxtel or Austar though. We only saw about half an hour of TV though, but the sports results (Super 12) were worth getting, and a bonus - Channel 10 doesn't usually show in northern Tassie...

But as soon as we dropped off our bags, we were back into town (Launnie) and first stop was Cataract Gorge - which, although I thought would be overhyped, due to the fact that it was the only attraction V had ever mentioned, was better than I expected... such wonderful rock and water displays basically in suburban Launceston. Took about 25 pics there alone. Then tried to find the oldest pub in Australia and got caught up in the footy crowd, and V was getting frustrated at the lack of traffic movement - and then realised that the oldest pub in Tassie was now primarily a Boags Museum - though only after we had gotten home that night.

Went to the Mall, where I saw the facade of an 1817 Bank of NSW (nowadays Westpac) - which was only two years after Napoleon lost Waterloo. Old old town. Then we went to the Star Bar, which was very nice. Looked like a place where Launceston's beautiful people hung out (what were we doing there LOL), but nice ambient atmosphere, good food, good company, attractive staff LOL. I had spicy pork spring rolls for starters and they could have been a meal in themselves - but I had already ordered the Hungarian salami pizza as well - with olives, feta etc - one of THOSE type of pizzas - but the place felt very Melbournish, even though I have never been there - felt very Secret Life of Us not wanting to be trendy but actually is kind of place. Delicious food but too much of it, five eighths of the pizza eaten and then another Boags to settle the stomach.

Then a drive around town, very hilly, very Wellingtonianish in that sense, and then out to the casino. For some reason I thought that Launceston casino was in the centre of town, but no, about a ten kay drive out of town. Big squarish kind of casino, no character that I could find in the walls (or spirit either), no rugby or rugby results on the TV, spent about ten bucks each on the pokies with no worthwhile reward (no big wins, just whileing away time) before deciding to head back to the unit...