Launceston
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Overview
Tasmania’s second city has forever been locked in rivalry with big-smoke Hobart to the south. Launcestonians argue that their architecture is more elegant, their parks more beautiful, their surrounding hills more verdant and their food scene zestier. It is indeed a city where art and design are highly valued, the locals embrace the outdoors, and food and coffee culture thrives. A striking new hotel inside the city's tallest building – repurposing grain silos, of all things – has opened, while Cataract Gorge remains the sort of natural adornment you rarely find inside cities, and it's an easy and endearing base for those exploring the Tamar Valley or other parts of the north. There's a lot to like about 'Lonnie'.
Attractions
Must-see attractions
Launceston
At magnificent Cataract Gorge, right at the city centre's edge, the bushland, cliffs and ice-cold South Esk River feel a million miles from town. At First…
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Launceston
Inside the restored and reinvented Inveresk railway yards, QVMAG has the usual assembly of dinosaurs and stuffed animals, but they sit alongside historic…
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Launceston
Colonial paintings, including works by John Glover, are the pride of the collection at this art gallery in a meticulously restored 19th-century building…
Launceston
A relatively short drive south of the city, Franklin House is one of Launceston’s most fetching Georgian-era homes. Built in 1838 by former convict and…
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Trevallyn Nature Recreation Area
Launceston
Artificial Lake Trevallyn on the South Esk River above Cataract Gorge is a favourite spot with the locals. Take a picnic and have a splash in the shallows…
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Launceston
Part of the Tamar River Conservation Area, this wetland reserve has a 2km wheelchair- and pram-friendly boardwalk running through it, strategically…
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Launceston
There are more than 80 species of feathered, furred and finned critters – native and non-native – at this laid-back wildlife park. This is your chance to…
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Launceston
James Boag’s beer has been brewed on William St since 1881. See the amber alchemy in action on 90-minute guided tours, which include a beer and cheese…
Articles
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