Launceston is situated on the north of Tasmania and it is the second biggest city on the island. Although it is the second biggest city, it is actually not so big. Only around 70,000 people live in Launceston.

Since Launceston is one of the three oldest cities in Australia, established at the beginning of 19th century, there is a lot of historical and cultural heritage sites both inside the city and the surroundings. City center contains museums, art gallery, parks, fountains, statues and many more attractions.

The surroundings of Launceston are even more attractive since the city is located exactly where Tamar River meets North Esk and South Esk. Cataract Gorge is just some footsteps away from the city centre in the direction of South Esk and it is simply spectacular. Especially if you try to picture it from Kings Bridge... By the way, the chairlift, crosses the gorge, is the longest single span chairlift in the world. Cataract Gorge is also the starting point of Tamar Valley which is famous of producing some if the best wines in Australia. There are walking tracks both at the north and at the south of Cataract Gorge. The northern track leads to Cliff Grounds where a wide variety of exotic plants can be viewed. On the other hand, The First Basin is situated on the southern track where hikers cool down in a nice swimming pool when it gets warm.

There are a number of waterfalls, reserves, national parks and historical sites available when starting to get a bit further away from Launceston. Lilydale Falls Reserve is one of them. As can be guessed from the name, Lilydale Falls Reserve features some spectacular waterfalls. Another example is Liffey Valley... View fascinating Liffey Falls from Liffey Valley and relax in the arms of nature. If you want to do something completely different, why not to go for skiing to Ben Lamond Range? Ben Lamond Range is located at Ben Lamond National Park and it is an ideal place for skiing in winter and equally ideal for watching the wild flowers in spring.

Apart from the fabulous nature, Launceston is also very rich from historical heritage point of view. There are three historical villages, situated one after another, each of which offer pretty unique exhibitions. The nearest one to Launceston is Hadspen, a lovely nineteenth century town. Entally House, at the centre of Hadspen, is well worth a visit. It is known to be one of the most impressive historical houses in Hadspen and was converted into a museum by National Trust in 1948. Brochures are available in the house that describe what is so special in each room. Red Feather Inn is another attraction in the town. It was used to the one of the oldest coaching inns. Being renovated according to its original features in the middle of nineteenth century, today it is operating as a restaurant. Carrick is another fascinating town just 7km to the south east of Hadspen. Have a look at the four level, three storey bluestone mill at Old Mill House. It was built in the middle of nineteenth century and since pretty some time, its value has been widely appreciated by the visitors. In addition to these, Westbury is home to Pearn's Steam World where you can see a collection of over 200 steam engines, tractors and equipments.

Last but not the least, the greatest attraction is Launceston for bier fans... The Boag's Brewery produces Australia's premium biers. How about some bier tasting after a long day of discovery?

Among many activities in Launceston, there are some more important ones. Launceston Cup takes place in February and Royal Launceston Show is on air in October. If you have the possibility to synchronize your journey with any of these events, don't miss them...

Launceston is located at the north of Tasmania, just 100km from Devonport and approximately 200km from Hobart. Domestic flights are available to Launceston Airport for those who would like to spend the least possible time on the way. Alternatively, Sprit of Tasmania travels between Melbourne and Devonport nightly all year around. Furthermore, they also have limited day trips available during the high season. It is possible to take the car on board for some charge as well.