Travel Tasmania – Nightwolf's Den

Travelling Tasmania: Lilydale Falls and the Abandoned Tunnel pt 2

In part 1 of the post, we visited Lilydale Falls. We travelled a few kilometres up the road to visit the Abandoned Tunnel.

The tunnel is part of the now unused North Eastern Line which opened in 1889 from Launceston to Scottsdale. According reports and newspaper articles I read looking into the history of the tunnel, work on the tunnel began in 1885 with the last brick being laid in 1888. It is 705 meters long and lined with one million bricks. Construction involved 70 men and no accidents were reported. The surrounding area became known as Tunnel and the nearby station, no longer standing, was Tunnel Station. With the increase in road travel, the line usage slowed from the 1960s and stopped all together in 1992.

Recently there has been discussion to open more parts of the line back up to walkers and cyclists, with a 24km section between Billycock Hill and Scottsdale is already in use since 2015.

Anyway, enough of the history. We wanted to visit after hearing stories about it and numerous photos on different tourist sites. Oh and it’s reportedly haunted.

To get there, from Lilydale Falls, follow Golconda Road for about 4 kms until you reach Tunnel Road. Drive for another 2km until you reach Tunnel Station Road and follow that for about 180m where you will see a small sign saying Tunnel. Park your car on the road side and follow the track towards the tunnel (about 200m).

The mood was perfect with the rainy weather. I would highly recommend wearing boots if you go in Winter or Spring. It was very wet in the tunnel and the kids and I came out with soaked feet.

Is it haunted? Well, the kids were making enough noise to wake the dead but we didn’t see or hear anything apart from running water and the crunch of gravel underfoot. There is a sense of something though about halfway along. This is were a lot of people report feeling ‘something’.
Hubby & I plan to go back another day and take another look. Who know maybe we’ll find something?

This is a great place to go for a walk, take a torch though and a great place to photograph for the architecture, the railway itself, the textures and the flora.

Where are we off to next? Who knows but I’ll be sharing it here.
Until next time!

Travelling Tasmania: Lilydale Falls and the Abandoned Tunnel pt 1

We were going to start out Tassie adventures locally in George Town and surrounds as that is where we are based but it was recently school holidays so we decided to visit one of the nearby falls.

I visited Lilydale Falls when I was younger, most likely with relatives visiting from Scotland, but had never been back so seemed like the perfect place to start. And it’s one of the closest falls.

The falls are located in the Lilydale Falls Reserve, about 25 minutes North of Launceston. It’s a relatively easy 6-10 minute walk from the car park along a dirt and duckboard path, then down some stairs to the base of the first falls.

Another 3-4 minutes up the path and you are on a viewing platform at the second falls.

I could seriously spend awhile here taking photos when the weather is dry.

Back at the car park is a well maintained public toilet, play area and an undercover BBQ area. If there is already a group there, you are most likely going to have to wait for a BBQ though.
The car park has parking spaces for campers and motor homes. There is also an undercover building with tables and a fireplace, which I’m guessing can be used by campers.

The day we went was overcast and then it rained on the way back. The paths and rocks can get a little slippery, so watch your step.
We gave up waiting on the BBQ area as it was completely taken over by a small group of tourists who weren’t keen on sharing with a family so we packed up the car and headed to our next location.

A few kilometres up the road is a place called the Abandoned Tunnel and we’ll cover that in part 2.

Something new around here

School holidays start for us here in Tasmania next week and we have 2 weeks off school. With COVID, travelling outside our state still really isn’t a thing (even though both hubby & I are both fully vaxed) so we’ve decided that we’re going to play tourist in our own state AND take you guys along for the ride.

We’re making a list of where we want to go and what we want to see so if there is anywhere in Tasmania you’d like to see, let us know and we’ll do our best to add it to our list.

Follow along on our adventures by following the tag Travel Tasmania & on my instagram using #nightwolftravelstas

Top 10 things to do & see in the Tamar Valley

Today I thought I’d share with you the top 10 things to do & see in the Tamar Valley.
The Tamar Valley located in Northern Tasmania, running from Launceston to Bass Strait, includes lots to see and do.

1. Starting in one of Australia’s oldest towns – George Town on the North East of the Tamar River. There is so much to see and do here I could fill the list just in this area. There’s Low Head with the lighthouse, Pilot Station Museum , the penguin tours and lovely beaches. In George Town itself there’s the Bass & Flinders Centre with the replica Norfolk, the watch house and you’ll often see whales frolicking in the cove.

2. Do the wine route. Boasting a wide range of high quality and award winning wines, the Tamar Valley Wine route will take you around some gorgeous scenery with the bonus of some great tasting wines

3. Like strawberries? Make sure you stop in to to the Hillwood Berry Farm. Buy already picked or pick your own or just enjoy some of the berry goodies in the cafe.

4. Heading across the iconic Batman Bridge, go north and find yourself in Beaconsfield. Here you can check out the Beaconsfield Mine & Heritage Centre. Learn about the history of the town, the mine and more. There is an interactive experience presenting the story of the 2006 ANZAC Day mine rock fall and rescue of the 2 miners trapped underground.

5. Just up the road in Beauty Point is Seahorse World and the Platypus House. Seahorse World is an amazing place to learn all about these tiny creatures. A short walk away and you can meet some of our more unusual animals. Watch the platypus swim in their tanks and get up close and personal with a couple of echidnas.

6. Go south a bit and it will bring you to Glengarry and the Glengarry bush maze. I’ve never been but my kids have and say it is a great afternoon.

7. Keep heading south towards Launceston and you can visit our own little Swiss Village at Grindelwald resort. Play a spot of mini golf or enjoy a meal. For a cheeky treat pop into the Chocolate shop and enjoy some delicious Tasmanian chocolates.

8. A few minutes outside of Launceston is Tasmania Zoo, showcasing some of our native animals, as well as animals from interstate and overseas. Plus there’s also the dinosaur trail. You can also get up close & personal with some of the animals by doing an Animal Encounter.

9. This list wouldn’t be complete without mention of the Cataract Gorge in Launceston. It’s a gorgeous spot for a walk, take a picnic, go for a ride on the world’s longest single span chairlift, wander across the suspension bridge, check out the peacocks and wallabies, enjoy a meal at the Café or restaurant. There’s so much to do in just the one area.

10. Finally, just up the road from The Gorge is the Trevallyn & Duck Reach Hydro Power stations. Duck Reach was the first publicly owned generating electricity plant in the Southern Hemisphere. Trevallyn power station was commissioned in 1955 and took over from the Duck Reach power station that started operation in December 1895. Take a tour of Duck Reach or head to Trevallyn Dam for a picnic. While your there have a go at the Cable Hand Gliding.