Discover Launceston by Hire Car
The journey to the far-flung island, Australia’s smallest state, is rewarded with a surprise of a special kind: Tasmania has a very well-developed road network.
It leads through very varied landscapes with two exceptions: You can’t cross steppes and deserts.
The northeast beckons with charming, quiet sandy beaches by the sea, the hinterland is lush green and further south or east lie magnificent mountainous regions. An urban holiday home is definitely recommended, for example in Launceston, the centre of the north.
Sights in Launceston
The city itself is also well worth seeing. It’s nestled in green countryside, rightly holds the title of Garden City, and is surrounded by numerous wineries.
Launceston is a three-river city, the Tamar River connecting it to the sea, the South Elk River carving its way through the Cataract George. Launceston’s townscape is dominated by elaborately decorated Victorian-style buildings, typically English, such as the Post Office, Town Hall and Macquarie House.
Open to visitors are museum villas, the Woolen Mills (weaving mill), the Queen Victoria Museum, a planetarium, the Design Centre of Tasmania with Tasmanian arts and crafts, and the Town Hall itself.
Exploring the Launceston Countryside
The best solution for the closer and further discovery tours is a hire car.
While doing so, the following tours should not be omitted: Ben Lomond NP (50 km), even a popular ski resort in winter, the Tamar Valley enticing with wineries, and Longford, a country town that still hosts high-wheel races.