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xenithThis is a trip report in three parts, with some extra posts on the side.
So we went down to Queenstown Friday night, leaving from Ulverstone. It's a bit of drive: 250km/150 miles 3.5 hour from Launceston via Cradle Mountain or 260km + 6 minutes from Launceston via the NW coast.
(Or Google tells me, 260km 3h 23mins if you go through Cressy and past the Great Lakes, but no one every goes that way and I wouldn't have considered it as a possible route.)
Whichever way you go, there are narrow, winding mountains roads, and long stretches with no towns, no houses, no mobile phone signal (either Optus or Telstra). We arrived just before 11 pm, so the drive was also in the dark and of course it was raining. And it winds on and on and on forever, with an occasional road sign to assure you that you actually making progress.
Then all these lights appear. No occasional flicker or isolated light as you get closer, just come around a corner and lights right across the view, and then along one side and this tall, shining tower thing on the hill.
The Empire Hotel, where we stayed.
There the remains of a street party when we arrived, some music and people who had drunk too much, so I just hung around the edges to take some photos.
Our room. The hotel is old and worn, and the rooms are very basic (Our room had 2 bunks, 2 double power-pointed, a ceiling light and curtains.) but well mantained and it felt clean, which a lot of cheap hotels don't. (The hall of old hotels always look like the sort of place a murder mystery might be set in, this one would be "Death in Room 33".)
Despite being tired, before going to bed, I went to the front of the hotel to take photos of the staircase. It is quite a staircase, and a feature of the town.
To get from the front of the hotel to our room, you in the door, up that staircase, along a narrow hallway, up some steps, along a bit more, turn into a shorter hallway, down a flight of steps and then you're in the hallway in the previous photo.
Come morning, I was up early (sigh) and went out to take photos.
The good thing about early morning photos is there are less cars and people to get in the way (unless you want them there) and the light does interesting things. Orr St is the main street.
Then, of course, I went back to the hotel (on the left). We got sorted out and headed over across the road (you'll see more of that yellow building later) to get our tickets, and then to find the HUB. (Note the flags.)
This is the HUB, where you registered for the festival, and asked questions, and bought postcards and posters.
Mt Owen. The camera wouldn't capture the light, left of centre it seemed to be glowing a dark grey/green. Or glowering even :)
Then we went back to the station for our train trip. (This is a photo I prepared earlier, hence no people and slightly out of focus.) The West Coast Wilderness Railway runs from Queenstown to Strahan. It's over-hyped and expensive (triple figures) but for the festival there was a subsidised, shorter run with Devonshire tea at the tunaround point so we booked on that.
I have more photos, of course, which I might share later. I am also going to save up my dollars and do the full route.
After returning to Queenstown, I went back to the hotel to recharge camera batteries. Then up the street to find somewhere for lunch.
Then we got into the car, and escaped from the town!
But that's for next time.
So we went down to Queenstown Friday night, leaving from Ulverstone. It's a bit of drive: 250km/150 miles 3.5 hour from Launceston via Cradle Mountain or 260km + 6 minutes from Launceston via the NW coast.
(Or Google tells me, 260km 3h 23mins if you go through Cressy and past the Great Lakes, but no one every goes that way and I wouldn't have considered it as a possible route.)
Whichever way you go, there are narrow, winding mountains roads, and long stretches with no towns, no houses, no mobile phone signal (either Optus or Telstra). We arrived just before 11 pm, so the drive was also in the dark and of course it was raining. And it winds on and on and on forever, with an occasional road sign to assure you that you actually making progress.
Then all these lights appear. No occasional flicker or isolated light as you get closer, just come around a corner and lights right across the view, and then along one side and this tall, shining tower thing on the hill.
The Empire Hotel, where we stayed.
There the remains of a street party when we arrived, some music and people who had drunk too much, so I just hung around the edges to take some photos.
Our room. The hotel is old and worn, and the rooms are very basic (Our room had 2 bunks, 2 double power-pointed, a ceiling light and curtains.) but well mantained and it felt clean, which a lot of cheap hotels don't. (The hall of old hotels always look like the sort of place a murder mystery might be set in, this one would be "Death in Room 33".)
Despite being tired, before going to bed, I went to the front of the hotel to take photos of the staircase. It is quite a staircase, and a feature of the town.
To get from the front of the hotel to our room, you in the door, up that staircase, along a narrow hallway, up some steps, along a bit more, turn into a shorter hallway, down a flight of steps and then you're in the hallway in the previous photo.
Come morning, I was up early (sigh) and went out to take photos.
The good thing about early morning photos is there are less cars and people to get in the way (unless you want them there) and the light does interesting things. Orr St is the main street.
Then, of course, I went back to the hotel (on the left). We got sorted out and headed over across the road (you'll see more of that yellow building later) to get our tickets, and then to find the HUB. (Note the flags.)
This is the HUB, where you registered for the festival, and asked questions, and bought postcards and posters.
Mt Owen. The camera wouldn't capture the light, left of centre it seemed to be glowing a dark grey/green. Or glowering even :)
Then we went back to the station for our train trip. (This is a photo I prepared earlier, hence no people and slightly out of focus.) The West Coast Wilderness Railway runs from Queenstown to Strahan. It's over-hyped and expensive (triple figures) but for the festival there was a subsidised, shorter run with Devonshire tea at the tunaround point so we booked on that.
I have more photos, of course, which I might share later. I am also going to save up my dollars and do the full route.
After returning to Queenstown, I went back to the hotel to recharge camera batteries. Then up the street to find somewhere for lunch.
Then we got into the car, and escaped from the town!
But that's for next time.
Re: Hotel
Date: 2012-10-24 02:06 am (UTC)I did post photos from then, which include the hotel & staircase. My mother said the only thing to look at in Queenstown is the Empire Hotel staircase :)
http://monissaw.livejournal.com/329544.html