Tasmania (Northern Region)
Launceston
Situated 64km from Bass Straight where the North and South Esk Rivers meet to become the Tamar River, Launceston is the second largest city in Tasmania and the centre of the northern region. Surrounded by mountains, the city sits in the wide river valleys and has been given the name "The Garden City".

The history of the valley dates back to 1798 and Launceston was founded in 1805. Originally named Patersonia after the founder and first commandant, Colonel Paterson, who changed it to Launceston in honour of Governor King, whose birthplace was the Cornish township of Launceston. The city is now rich in heritage and graced with magnificent Victorian streetscapes and beautifully maintained historical architecture.

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Just a few minutes walk from the centre, the South Esk plunges through the spectacular Cataract Gorge which can be seen from the longest chairlift span in the world a 308m journey which takes six minutes. The 12ha park containing the gorge boasts more than 70 species of fauna which is native to the area, including the South Esk Pine, only found in the river valley. City park with its enormous Elm and Oak trees, houses a small zoo and conservatory and produces spectacular flower shows.

The town is dominated by the Tamar River, and approaching from the north along the Tamar Highway, zooming through haystack-filled countryside, it’s a lovely sight, with grand Victorian houses nestling on hills above the banks. Approaching from the south, however, on the dreary Southern Outlet, a perhaps more accurate picture emerges of a dull but worthy provincial town. It’s Tasmania’s second-largest city, with a population of over 92,000, but despite its much-vaunted English look – especially in its many formal parks and gardens – only the surrounding countryside of the Tamar Valley really makes a visit worthwhile.

As the third-oldest city in Australia, first settled in 1804, Launceston has hung on to disappointingly little of its elegant colonial Georgian architecture. Existing examples are mainly utilitarian structures such as merchant warehouses and mills, now converted into museums, galleries or tourist attractions. What the city does have in abundance, however, are many fine examples of colonial Victorian architecture: the 1870s and 1880s were prosperous times for Launceston, years of mineral exploration spurred on by the mainland goldrush. There was a boom in construction and a number of massive, dignified public buildings date from this period – though, unfortunately, the often florid facades were simply attached to Georgian structures.

Launceston’s real attractions, though, are its natural assets. It’s situated at the confluence of the narrow North Esk and South Esk rivers, with the breathtaking Cataract gorge only fifteen minutes’ walk from the centre, where the South Esk has carved its way through rock to reach the Tamar. Yachts and outboard motors ply the 50km of river, while beyond the western suburbs bush-covered hills fold back into the distance to Ben Lomond, an hour’s drive away, and popular with Launceston’s residents winter skiing.

Attractions
  • The Brisbane Street Mall marks the centre of the city, which is arranged in a typical grid pattern around it. Brisbane Street, with the mall as its focus, is the main shopping precinct; heading east along the street, two other pedestrian shopping areas branch off it: Quadrant Mall and Yorktown Square.
  • Penny Royal World
    A unique complex comprising a reconstructed 19th century Watermill and Farmhouse now providing quality motel accommodation, a Cornmill, magnificent Windmill, Gunpowder Mills, and the 18 metre paddle steamer "Lady Stelfox" which cruises alongside the complex in the Cataract Gorge and Tamar River. The historic Number 16 tram travels between the Gunpowder Mills and the Windmill. A visit to Penny Royal World provides is a chance to absorb the fascinating history and marvel at the working replicas of the original mills.
  • Australia's first aluminium smelter...
    There's more to Tasmania's history than convicts, squatters & colonial houses. Comalco Aluminium (Bell Bay) Limited, 50 kilometres north of Launceston, plays a significant role in Australia's industrial history, being the country's first aluminium smelter. Today, more than 90 000 tonnes of high grade aluminium are smeltered by Comalco at Bell Bay for domestic and overseas markets. Learn more about the complex process of aluminium smelting from the people who work there, by attending a guided tour of the site. Site tours are conducted every Monday, Wednesday & Friday at 2pm. Visitors should wear long sleeved tops, long trousers, and enclosed shoes. Children under 12 years of age are not permitted on tours.
    For bookings and further information, telephone (03) 6382 5111.
  • Waverley Woolen Mills, Launceston
    Australia's oldest woollen mill, founded in 1874 and still operating from the original site.The mill and mill owners house were among the first buildings in Tasmania to be lit by electricity in 1889. Tamar Knitting Mills, founded in 1926 conduct daily tours of the factory.
  • Queen Victoria Museum Art Gallery and Museum, Launceston
    Collections of Colonial Paintings and changing exhibits of contemporary art, as well as displays of Tasmania's wildlife, including the famous Tasmanian Tiger. The Launceston Planetarium is also housed here , its half hour show provides an entertaining and educational journey to the stars.

Getting there & around
There are direct flights from Melbourne, Gippsland and Hobart to Launceston Airport, near the town of Evandale, 20km south of the city. Skybus (tel 03/6334 4442), run by Tasmanian Wilderness Transport, meets most flights and drops off at their central depot, or at your accommodation ($7). A taxi costs about $20, or you could rent a car – the main car companies have desks at the airport.

Long distance buses arrive at depots on George Street: Tasmanian Redline Coaches, at no.112 (tel 03/6331 3233), will also drop you off at accommodation as far out as the Treasure Island Caravan Park; Tasmanian Wilderness Travel (tel 03/6334 4442) will drop you in the city centre or at their office at no. 101. There’s no problem with parking in the city centre – if the short-term metered parking (limit 3hr; $1 per 1hr 30min) is full, there are loads of car parks around, charging $1.10 an hour ($7 per day). Most streets operate on a one-way system and the length of Cameron Street is interrupted by Civic Square, and Brisbane Street by the Mall.

Launceston is very compact and most accommodation is within walking distance of the city centre, although public transport (the MTT) is useful for a couple of scattered attractions and some outlying accommodation (buses run until 6.15pm Mon–Thurs, 10pm Fri & Sat; very restricted services on Sunday). The MTT bus interchange (fare and timetable information on tel 13 2201), where all buses arrive and depart, is on St John Street, on either side of the Brisbane Street Mall. Single fares are inexpensive, but it may be worth buying a Day Rover ($3.10) for unlimited travel between 9am and 4.30pm and then again after 6pm; you can buy these on board buses. Ten-trip tickets cost from $9.60 and you can buy these at selected newsagents (including Fortunes’ Newsagency, 68 Charles St and Teagues, opposite the post office).

Eating
Eating out in Launceston is a predominantly Anglo-Saxon affair, with pubs in particular offering decent meals. There are a few excellent cafés, however, and the odd ethnic place, as listed below.
  • Arpar’s Thai Restaurant, cnr of Charles and Paterson sts (tel 03/6331 2786). Thai restaurant with a good reputation. Licensed and BYO. Dinner nightly, plus Fri lunch.
  • Calabrisella, 56 Wellington St (tel 03/6331 1958). A real find – a crowded, noisy, atmospheric and affordable Italian restaurant. BYO. Dinner nightly except Tues.
  • Cucina Simpatica, cnr of Margaret and Frederick sts, opposite Brickfields Reserve (tel 03/6334 3177). Launceston’s hip café, with a colourful Mediterranean feel; a good place to relax with a coffee and newspaper. Becomes a restaurant in the evening, with an eclectic, “contemporary” menu: delicious food (though pricey and small portions) and an emphasis on fresh Tasmanian produce. Licensed or BYO. Daily 9am–11pm, Sat until midnight.
  • Gourmet on Brisbane, 86 Brisbane St. A big, bright delicatessen doubling as a crowded café. Mon–Sat 8 or 9am–6pm.
  • Hari’s Curry, 152 York St (tel 03/6331 6466). Very cheap, well-recommended Indian place. No frills, but the good food compensates. BYO. Closed for lunch Sat & Sun.
  • Janet’s, 2 Paterson St. A tiny, homely café run by friendly women. Freshly baked trays of lasagne and egg-and-bacon pie are displayed; sandwiches and great salads, too. Mon–Fri 8am–5pm.
  • Konditorei Manfredi, 106 George St, opposite Tasmanian Wilderness Travel (tel 03/6334 2490; dinner bookings recommended). German cakes and pastries accompanied by delicious coffee; also there’s a full menu of contemporary meals served on the smart upper level with its polished wood floors, bar and outside courtyard. Licensed. Mon–Thurs 9am–5.30pm, Fri & Sat 9am–10pm.
  • Metz Cafe Bar, 119 St John St, cnr of York St. Cosmopolitan combination of café and wine bar with music videos playing day or night. Typical café fare plus blackboard specials –- try the delicious antipasto platter, which is easily big enough to share. Breakfast until 11am. Licensed. Daily 8am–midnight, Fri & Sat until 3am, Sun until 2am.
  • Montezuma’s, 63 Brisbane St (tel 03/6331 8999). Typical Mexican restaurant, with pricey main courses, but you can fill up on the taco and nachos starters. Good-value margaritas. Daily from 6pm, plus lunch Mon–Fri.
  • Narracoopaz, 76 St John St. “Clean green cuisine” is this contemporary-feeling vegetarian café’s catch-cry. Fresh juices and cakes, gourmet pizzas, Italian bread sandwiches, continental salads, airy interior, outdoor tables, art on walls. Upstairs level too.
  • O’Keefe’s Hotel, 124 George St. People crowd into the lounge bar for pub meals claimed to be the best in Tasmania: from a warm wallaby salad to a Thai red curry, plus a traditional roast of the day and a large range of fresh seafood. Top price $18.
  • Pepper Berry, 91 George St (tel 03/6334 4589). A café serving stunning Australian food, such as King Island wallaby marinated in native pepper berries or Bruny Island oysters with Thai-style sauce, plus a range of Mediterranean-style dishes. Local produce is used as much as possible, and they even cure their own trout. Try the damper baked here, served with native jams. Vegan, vegetarian and other diets catered for – gluten free cakes available. Mains around $12. BYO. Mon–Sat 8.30am until late.
  • Ripples Café, Ritchies Mill Arts Centre, Paterson St (tel 03/6331 4153). Very popular riverside café, with outdoor tables under umbrellas overlooked by a huge gum tree; a favourite with locals at weekends. Generous, tasty sandwiches, and a board featuring specials of the day. Licensed or BYO. Summer daily 10am to late (book for dinner); rest of year Sun–Thurs 10am–4pm, Fri & Sat 10am–7.30pm.
  • Satay House, Innocent St, Kingscourt Shopping Centre, behind Roelf Voss Supermarket, Kings Meadows (tel 03/6344 5955). You’ll have to venture into suburban Launceston for this authentic, family-run Indonesian restaurant, but it’s worth it. The chef uses her grandmother’s recipes. BYO. Bus #21. Dinner Mon–Sat.
  • Shrimps, 72 George St, cnr of Paterson St (tel 03/6334 0584). A Launceston institution, serving the best seafood in town. Formal, but not stuffy, and with an imaginative menu. Expensive. Licensed. Closed Sun & lunch Sat.
  • Tairyo Japanese Restaurant and Sushi Bar, Yorktown Square (tel 03/6334 2620). Serves all the Japanese dishes: ramen, sushi, tempura, bento. Licensed (sake) or BYO. Dinner nightly, plus lunch Tues–Fri.

Entertainment and nightlife

The Examiner, based in Launceston, is the newspaper for the north of Tasmania – Thursday’s edition contains an entertainment section. However, there’s never very much going on in this quiet city, and there’s no particularly lively area. The Princess Theatre, 57 Brisbane St (tel 03/6331 0052), stages regular drama, opera and concerts, usually touring from interstate. Behind the theatre is the Earl Arts Centre, 10 Earl St, which has fringe theatre productions, while the Silverdome, out of town on the Bass Highway at Prospect (tel 03/6344 9999), is the venue for big entertainment events, exhibitions and sports events. Book through Fortune’s Newsagency, 68 Charles St (tel 03/6334 3033). The only cinema, the Village 4 at 163 Brisbane St (tel 03/6331 5066), has four screens showing mainstream films.

Pubs, clubs and venues 
  • Batman Fawkner Inn, 35–39 Cameron St (tel 03/6331 7222). Stylishly decorated, old hotel on the weekend pub route. Young crowd and a popular pool table. Interstate bands play once or twice a month.
  • Country Club Casino, Country Club Ave, Prospect Vale, 9km out of town off the Bass Highway (tel 03/6335 5777). From the outside it looks as exclusive as its name suggests, but it’s not really – just don’t wear sandshoes or T-shirts after 8pm. Live music Thurs–Sat in the Lanai Bar. Sunday buffet lunch in the brasserie, with lots of seafood, prawns and oysters (around $20 a head). Bus #61, #64 or #65; if you want to stay late, you’ll have to take a taxi back (around $14). Mon–Thurs & Sun noon–1am, Fri & Sat until 4am.
  • Irish Murphy’s, 211 Brisbane St (tel 03/6331 4440). Launceston’s lively Irish pub, with Guinness on tap, live music Wed–Sun, and pub meals.
  • K-OS, 107 Brisbane St. Large airy upstairs space with groovy lounge decor, but dull atmosphere lets it down. Pumping music is replaced on Fri & Sat nights by stints of an acoustic duo playing covers. Even so, it’s Launceston’s most happening bar, best enjoyed from the narrow balcony. Doubles as a café with a casual menu. Mon & Tues 11am–10pm, Wed–Sat (with DJs) 11am–3am. Closed Sun.
  • Metz Cafe Bar, 119 St John St, cnr of York St. Wine bar with music video, late weekend opening and great food.
  • Royal Oak Hotel, 14 Brisbane St (tel 03/6331 5346). A popular, genial watering hole, with live music Thursday to Saturday evenings. Crowded bistro serves Greek dishes as well as counter meals. Mon–Sat until midnight, Sun until 10pm.
  • Star Bar Café, 113 Charles St (tel 03/6331 9659). Sophisticated bar with slick, modern decor; brasserie-style Mediterranean food available.

Accommodation
Accommodation in Launceston is very good value, and rates don’t tend to hike up in the busy period from December to February; most places have parking available, too. There’s a concentration of motels along Brisbane Street.

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