Region: Launceston Surrounds
Launceston is the largest centre of population in Northern Tasmania and the second largest city in the island state after Hobart. Launceston is easy to explore, from its elegant streetscapes to century-old parks, which sit beside revitalised areas such as Launceston Seaport, with its waterfront eateries. It is the ideal base from which to explore northern Tasmania.
Soon after Launceston was established as the major settlement in Tasmania’s north, a number of smaller settlements sprang up in the surrounding areas and along the main road built between Launceston and Hobart. Today these Georgian era villages are like time capsules, frozen in time, their buildings lovingly restored to their original condition.
Newer buildings have been added in some of the towns, along with residential areas on thier outskirts, but in the main, the town centre’s remain pretty much as they were 170 years ago, except for modern signage and bitumen surfaces on the streets and roads. The old pubs and guest houses that were stopping places for colonial stages coaches and cross country travellers still offer a warm bed for the night, eating houses still off a tasy meal, though the menu has changed somewhat, and shops that once sold vittals to locals now sell arts, crafts and souvenirs to tourists.
Major towns and villages in the region: Carrick | Evandale | Hadspen |Hagley | Longford | Perth | Westbury
How to get there:
How To Get There: by car, from Melbourne – Spirit of Tasmania car and passenger ferry overnight from Melbourne. A supplementary day travel services operates during summer months. Website.
From Devonport and Burnie, drive to Launceston via Bass Highway or from East Devonport to Exeter via Frankford Road.
By coach, Tassielink Coaches services all major centres throughout Tasmania.
Best time to go:
November to April is the peak season in Tasmania. Summer brings warm days and mild evenings from December to February, while winter can be stormy with snow on the mountain peaks between July and August. Rainfall occurs throughout the year. The weather is most stable from the end of summer to autumn (February to April). Some coastal and mountain tour operators (mainly in southern Tasmania) close for winter (May to September).
Things To See and Do:
Alternatively, you can use the menu at the top of this page to find places of interest and things to see and do in this region. Alternatively, use the map.
To operate the map menu, click on the arrow to the left of a category to see its sub-categories. Click the box of any attractions you would like more information about; flags will appear on the map for each item checked. Click the flag of any item for more information.
To close a category’s sub-menu after use, click on the down arrow to the left of the category name. Flags of items in that category which you have checked will also disappear from the map.
To remove the map menu while you are using the map, click the button at the bottom right of the map (it will have a minus sign in it) and the menu will disappear. To view the map menu again, simply click on the button again (this time it will have a plus sign in it) and the menu will re-appear.