Launceston - Photo: gatewaytasmania.com

One of the main points of interest in the town is the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery.  The Museum houses a large collection of Australian colonial art at two sites, Royal Park and Inveresk, as well as a Chinese Temple and Planetarium.  Another popular attraction is the York Town Square Market, a historic shopping area of specialty shops and a Sunday market.  Families visiting Launceston will enjoy the many fun-filled activities at Penny Royal World including a pirate ship, museum, café, and gift shop.  The history of Gunpowder Mill and the other mills at Penny Royal dates back to the early 1800’s.  Visitors can take a barge ride on the canal that circles around and through the underground Mill, past the foundry and waterfall.       

There are numerous points of interest in and around Launceston such as Cataract Gorge, a natural preserve of walking and hiking trails and the site of the longest single chairlift span in the world.  The picturesque town of Launceston sits on rolling hills overlooking the Tamar Valley, where passengers on Tamar River Cruises enjoy the spectacular scenery and the abundant bird and animal life that live in the wetlands along the banks of the River.  About an hour’s drive from Launceston is Ben Lomond ski resort, where you’ll find the best downhill skiing in Tasmania.  The oldest settlement and administrative center of the island is George Town, bounded by the Bass Strait, the Tamar River, and the Little Pipers River.  The precinct of Low Head, at the mouth of the Tamar River, is a well-known cultural attraction.  Low Head has a maritime environment with penguin tours, ship workshops, a lighthouse, and the historic Pilot Station, established in 1805 to navigate ships into the Tamar River.

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