Cataract Gorge - TAS

Cataract Gorge is both a suburb of Launceston and a tourist attraction. Located less than 2 km from the city centre in a direct line, it is a little under 4 km by road, over good but sometimes narrow sealed streets.

The reserve area, a basin on the South Esk River just upstream of the junction with the Tarmar River, dates back to the 1890s and has been a playground for locals, Tasmanians and visitors ever since. The central attraction is a chair lift that carries passengers over a distance of 457 metres from the east side of the basin to the west, and back again if that is what you want. But most people seem to walk back over either an easy path down stream of the lake or via the suspension bridge over the South Esk River at the upstream point where the cataract opens into the basin. The chairlift which has a central span of 308 metres, believed to be the longest such span in the World, was built in 1972.

The reserve hosts extensive gardens, lawns, shaded areas and has both a restaurant and café. Swimming is available in either a pool or the lake formed where the river expands into the basin. As the name suggests, much of the area is built on steep hill sides. To facilitate the movement of visitors, more recently, an inclinometer was built near the café, with access points on three levels. It is user controlled, using buttons like an elevator. It provides great views of the basin and chair lift as you ride up or down.

There are no camping facilities at Cataract Gorge.