Northern Tasmania’s major city, Launceston, has a scenic waterside setting and is a place of parks and gardens, gracious Victorian architecture, vibrant art and culture.
Lying at the head of the Tamar Valley, the city is close to many cool-climate wineries & specialist food producers. Just north of the city the extensive wetlands on the Tamar provide habitat for many species of Tasmanian water birds and further north on the Bass Strait coast is Narawntapu National Park, with its abundant wildlife.
Nearby Tenth Island is home to a large colony of Australian fur seals. To the east of Launceston the sheer crags and alpine meadows of Ben Lomond National Park are popular for walking and climbing in summer and skiing in winter. The country road south leads to Georgian farmhouses and country mansions, convict-built in mellow sandstone.
