Touring Tasmania – Launceston
Launceston seaport (Photo: Tourism Tasmania & Greg Clarke)
Launceston is the second largest city on Tasmania, and is located directly north of Hobart on the opposite end of the island, at the end of the Tamar River estuary. Being such a large city, by Tasmanian standards anyway, Launceston has many attractions both in the city and in the surrounding areas. The city makes a great base to stay for several nights whilst you explore everything there is to see and do, and there are a great many hotels to choose from here.
Launceston is one of Australia’s oldest cities. It was founded in 1806 and was named after the town of Launceston in Cornwall, England, in honour of the New South Wales governor Captain Philip Gidley King, who was born there. Visitors interested in seeing a good selection of 19th century buildings will be in their element here as it has the largest selection of such buildings in the whole of Australia!
The town grew substantially when both tin and gold were discovered nearby and Launceston was used as the export centre. Now tourism is becoming one of the most important industries here, as it is on much of Tasmania!
What to See and Do in Launceston
There’s a good selection of attractions to keep you occupied in Launceston for at least a day or two. Some of the more popular include…
Cataract Gorge – This is actually Launceston’s most popular attraction. Cataract Gorge is a large river gorge which has the world’s longest single span chairlift in the world, crossing the Gorge. The chairlift was built in 1972 to take visitors across and has a total span of 457 metres. If you don’t fancy taking the chairlift there is also a bridge over the gorge too! The King’s Bridge-Cataract Walk is a path along the north edge of the Gorge and is also a popular attraction.
Museums – Museums include the historic Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery which was established in 1891. This is a great museum to visit for its variety of exhibits including colonial art, Tasmanian history and a large Chinese section. The National Automobile Museum of Tasmania is the other popular museum here in Launceston and it covers 100 years of the auto industry.
Boag’s Brewery – One of Australia’s older brewers, J. Boag and Son was established in 1883 in Launceston. Visitors who enjoy a good beer should head to Boag’s Centre for Beer Lovers which is situated in the former Tamar Hotel, a Georgian building dating to 1826. Tours of Boag’s Brewery depart from here though prior booking is essential.
These are just a few of the things you can see and do in Launceston. Further Launceston attractions, as well as attractions in the surrounding area, will be covered in our next entry.
For a comprehensive guide to Launceston Accommodation, visit Book it Now.
‘Touring Tasmania – Launceston’ by Claire Bolgil
