Launceston

Launceston is the second largest city in Tasmania and is in the north of the state on the Tamar River. The city was settled in 1805 and has a population of around 85,000.

Launceston
For other places with the same name, see Launceston (disambiguation).

Get in

By plane

Launceston is approximately 50 minutes from Melbourne on the mainland. Daily flights fly from Launceston to Melbourne with Virgin Australia, Qantas Link, Jetstar and Tigerair Australia. Direct flights to Sydney are available daily and direct flights to Brisbane are available on selected days.

By car

Launceston is a hub of the highway system in Northern Tasmania. From Hobart, Devonport, or Burnie, stay on Highway 1, and make sure you are heading the right way.

Get around

The best way to get around Launceston is by car. Taxis are available, but may add up to be expensive; try to get a transfer when you are moving from the airport to your hotel. Car rentals are available for reasonable rates. There is also a Metro bus service which goes all through the town.

Bicycle is a reasonable way to get around Launceston and out the Gorge. Traffic is fairly quiet in town, and there is a good network of bike paths.

See
  • Launceston City Park - includes an enclosure housing a large number of Macaque monkeys
  • Historic houses and buildings including Macquarie House, Franklin House, Entally House, Clarendon House and the 'Old Umbrella Shop'.
  • Tamar Valley - wine-growing area
  • National Motor Museum
  • 🌍 Tasmania Zoo, 1166 Ecclestone Rd, Riverside, ☎ +61 3 6396 6100. 100 species of animals. (updated Feb 2018)

Tamar Island

The Tamar Island Wetlands is a unique urban wetlands reserve 10 minutes' drive from the heart of Launceston in Tasmania's north.

Tamar Island has been Crown Land since settlement and up to the 1980s was leased to private and public operators. In the 1980s the Tasmanian Government purchased the wetlands area around Tamar Island, which was incorporated into the greater Tamar River Conservation Area.

An interpretation centre offers visitors the opportunity to learn about the value of the wetlands, along with a hikes that takes you through the wetlands,in bird hides and over to the historic Tamar Island.

Cataract Gorge
Cataract Gorge

Cataract Gorge is 1 km from the centre of Launceston. There is paid parking at the entrance to the park, either all day or by the hour.

  • There are many walking tracks which skirt the side of the gorge, and cross it at a suspension bridge and a low level bridge.
  • You can swim in the gorge. The water can be quite cold, and there is a current, but with care you should be fine. There are constructed entrances to the water, and access is free. There is also an unheated swimming pool, and access to that is also free.
  • You can see the gardens and pagolas, and the peacocks walking around.
  • You can play on the playgrounds.
  • You can take a chairlift across the gorge, and walk back, or vice-versa, although going both ways on the chairlift is about the same price as a one way ticket.
  • There is a cafe on each side of the gorge, serving ice-creams, coffee, snacks, etc.

Do
Boag's brewery in downtown Launceston
  • Cruise the Tamar River
  • Tour the surrounding wineries of the Tamar Valley
  • 🌍 Boag's brewery, 39 William St, ☎ +61 3 63326300. Tours leave weekdays (from 9AM; closed on public holidays) from the Boag's Centre for Beer Lovers located in the Tamar Hotel in the heart of Launceston. Bookings and fully enclosed footwear are essential.  
  • Launceston Ghost Tour, 14 Brisbane St, ☎ +61 421 819 373. Starts 8:30PM nightly at the Royal Oak. Fun night walking around one of Australia's oldest cities. Unearth the eerie side of Launceston in the 19th century. Fascinating for history buffs. Bookings required. $24/person or $20 with a voucher from the local hotels. 
  • 🌍 York Park (known commercially as University of Tasmania Stadium, formerly Aurora Stadium), 2 Invermay Rd, Invermay, ☎ +61 3 6323 3383. Tasmania's largest sporting venue with a maximum capacity of 21,000. Watch a game of Aussie Rules or cricket. (updated Feb 2018)

Buy
  • Tasmanian Wool Products: Waverley Woolen Mills, The Sheep's Back (George St)
  • The Tasmanian Devil as soft toys, hand-puppets etc
  • 🌍 Design Centre Tasmania, Cnr Brisbane St and Tamar St, City Park, ☎ +61 3 6331 5506. Australia's only museum collection of contemporary wood design, they run exhibitions and tours of crafts, design and art, nationally and internationally. A not-for-profit organisation with a mission to support and sustain design. 

Eat

Budget
  • Morty's Coffee & Wine Bar, 25 Wellington St, ☎ +61 3 6331 5788. Like a small food court with a good variety of dishes. (updated Feb 2018)
  • Aromas Fine Food Cafe, 272 Charles St, ☎ +61 3 6331 4150. Good coffee and pastries in a quiet and relaxing area. (updated Feb 2018)
  • Fish and Chips at the end of the Wharf, past the end of the flood barrier when walking from town. Possibly the best fish and chips you'll ever have. Prices depending on fish and season.

Mid-range

Splurge

Drink

Launceston has several "olde worlde" UK style pubs, including The Cock and Bull and Irish Murphy's. In the city centre there are pubs on many of the street intersections.

Sleep

There are many motels, hotels and bed-and-breakfast establishments offering accommodation in the area.

  • The Old Bakery Inn, Corner of York & Margaret Streets, ☎ +61 3 6331 7900. 100-year-old converted bakery combined with the neighbouring townhouses from the same era. Rooms are simple but clean and well looked after. Plenty of parking on site. $125/night. 
  • The Sebel Launceston, Corner St John & William Streets, ☎ +61 3 6333 7555. This Launceston hotel is within walking distance to the city centre, Launceston’s seaport and Cataract Gorge. 

Go next

Launceston provides a base to explore the northern part of Tasmania.

The historic town of George Town and Low Head lighthouse are a one-hour drive to the north along the Tamar River.

  • Stanley is a colonial-era fishing town in the northwest of Tasmania
  • Devonport and Deloraine can make a scenic round trip, following the west Tamar, along the northern coast, and before looping south.
  • St Helens is a coastal town on the Eastern Coast.
  • Scottsdale lavender farm
  • George Town is an historic settlement north on the eastern Tamar.
  • Ben Lomond National Park is a skiing/hiking area in northeast Tasmania.

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