Hobart

Hobart, city (1990 pop. 127,134), capital and principal port of Tasmania, SE Australia, at the foot of Mt. Wellington (4,166 ft/1,270 m high). Hobart´s harbor is one of the finest in the world. The city has diverse industries, including meatpacking, food processing, and the making of textiles, chemicals, and glass. It was founded in 1804 and named for Robert Hobart, the British colonial secretary. Hobart is the seat of the Univ. of Tasmania (1890) and an important commercial and service center. The Hobart Theatre Royal (1836) is the oldest major theatre in Australia

Fuel

How much is petrol in Tasmania? Are there many LPG gas outlets?

Petrol is available in metro and suburban areas 7 days a week. Expect to pay a few cents more per litre than other Australian states. LPG gas is also readily available throughout the island.

Fairy penguins

Fairy penguins
Also called the little penguin, adults grow to about 40cm. They are black with grey markings and silver bellies. They are wonderful swimmers and live in burrows near the shore - they come and go when it is dark. They live and breed at various places on the coast and on King Island, Flinders Island and Bruny Island.

Mole Creek

The Mole Creek Karst National Park: contains more than 200 caves, which began to form about 30 million years ago. With a guide you can tour some of the caves and see animals that dwell in the dark, stalagmites that soar to lofty roofs, streams that disappear into the ground, glow-worms that twinkle like stars in this underground wonderland. When you've toured the caves take some time to walk through the beautiful forests in the national park, and reflect on the wonders beneath the ground you're walking on.

History

Ancient Aboriginal handprints stencilled on the rocks of a cave, colonial convicts' chisel marks in the stones of a cottage wall - Tasmanians treasure their heritage and wherever you go you'll find evidence of times past but not forgotten.

Walk along a beach and come upon a midden of shells left by Aborigines thousands of years ago....Get the full Chronological history of Tasmania: Tasmania´s Chronological History

Tasmanian crayfish

When is the crayfish season? Where can I buy fresh Tasmanian crayfish?

The commercial season is from about mid November to about mid January. Fresh crayfish is available in season from Constitution Dock in Hobart and at selected retail outlets and restaurants around the state in particular along the east coast of the island and also on King Island.

Burnie

Burnie Tasmania: The city is on the shores of Emu Bay, a deep-water port that contains the fifth largest container port in Australia. This small industrial city is surrounded by lovely countryside and has some interesting features such as the multi functional Civic Centre (theatre, convention facilities and a major art gallery) and the Pioneer Village Museum. It also has many fine gardens and parks. In a Tasmanian town you might find a coffee shop in an old colonial baker's, or an art gallery in an 1830s blacksmith's. There are old churches of stone, brick and timber and pubs that have provided warmth and company for over a hundred years.

Tasmanian devils

Tasmanian devils
This nocturnal mammal was named for the demonic sound that it makes at night, especially when it is feeding or fighting, but it is really quite shy. It resembles a small, squat dog and has black fur with white on its neck, shoulders and rump. Devils live throughout Tasmania in forests and farmlands, sleeping during the day in logs, caves or burrows and coming out at night. They occasionally hunt for young or wounded animals but usually eat carrion, fur and all, and so help to clean up the countryside of dead animals and rubbish. These hard-working animals have exceptionally strong jaws - nine times as strong as dogs' - and can crunch through bones with ease. A devil can eat almost 40% of its own weight in 30 minutes. The devil is a protected animal.

Mount Roland

Inland, Mount Roland overlooks fertile pastures around Sheffield, the 'town of murals' where local artists have painted stories of the Kentish district on the old buildings. The road winds towards Cradle Mountain and the Wilderness World Heritage Area. Whether you're here for one day or for an expedition along the Overland Track you'll see a wonderland of mountains, streams, forests, wildflowers and wildlife.

Flinders Island

Flinders Island: Flinders and its surrounding islands are what remain of land that once connected Tasmania to mainland Australia. At the eastern lagoons and inlets thousands of migrating birds rest on their long flights to breeding areas north of the Arctic Circle. Shearwaters, the southern hemisphere's most numerous birds, make their rookeries on nearby islands. The island's dense coastal scrub shelters wallabies and wombats. It's an island with a rich heritage, at Wybalenna Aboriginal Tasmanians, 'exiled' during the 19th century, pined for their homelands. Rough and ready sealers camped on smaller islands and ships foundered and sank on hidden reefs.

Matthew Brady

Matthew Brady (1799-1826)
Brady was born in Ireland and transported to Van Diemen's Land in 1820 for forgery. During his first four years he received 350 lashes for trying to escape and other crimes. He was sent to the infamous Sarah Island in Macquarie Harbour on the west coast but in 1824 escaped to Hobart by boat. He formed a gang of bushrangers who lived in the wild by stealing farm stock, robbing travellers and other criminal activities but whose code of behaviour forbade molesting women or injuring the helpless. In 1824 the gang occupied the town of Sorell, east of Hobart, for a whole night, locking soldiers and the local police in the town gaol. Brady was arrested in 1826 and charged with stealing, arson and murder. The gang's ethics stood him in good stead - the public petitioned for clemency, testified to his gentle treatment of women and brought presents to him in gaol. He was hanged in May 1826 and was reported to have died 'in the manner of an educated gentleman'.

Convict transportation

The British system of convict transportation sent sailing ships crowded with settlers, soldiers and convicts to this unknown land. The settlers struggled to live off the land, the military ruled the tiny settlements, convicts in chains laboured in quarries and shipyards. Many settlers and convicts - printers, artists, stonemasons, architects, carpenters, clerks, medical assistants - contributed their skills to the community. They built cottages and courthouses, bridges and roads, which you'll see in the cities, towns and villages. They left a heritage of books, pictures, historic documents, carvings that tell us so much about the eventful birth of a new society.

Devonport

From the busy city of Devonport, home of the Bass Strait passenger and vehicle ship 'Spirit of Tasmania', to the rugged country towards Cradle Mountain and World Heritage Area wilderness, this is a region of interest and variety .

Eastern Highlands

Eastern Highlands, c.2,400 mi (3,860 km) long, general name for the mountains and plateaus roughly paralleling the east and southeast coasts of Australia (including Tasmania) and forming the Continental Divide (see Great Dividing Range); rises to Mt. Kosciusko (7,316 ft/2,230 m), Australia´s highest peak. Rugged, with many gorges and few gaps, the Eastern Highlands long hindered westward expansion of British settlement. The slopes are covered with eucalyptus forests. Rich in minerals, the highlands contain most of Australia´s coalfields; gold, copper, tin, oil, and natural gas are also extracted. The southern part of the region is a popular winter resort area. Major segments of the system are the Australian Alps, the New England Range, and the Blue Mts.

East Coast Tasmania

Tasmania´s East Coast: An area of history, picturesque beaches, rugged gorges and headlands, and tranquil forests. From the adventure of fantastic white water rafting to relaxing or swimming on a sheltered secluded beach the East Coast offers a wide variety of attractions. There are five National Parks in the region, Tasmania´s biggest ski resort, at Ben Lomond, and some of the oldest sandstone buildings in Australia. Some of the most scenic coastal walks in Tasmania are in this area along with incredible fresh and saltwater fishing.

Flinders Island

Flinders Island is off the northeast tip of Tasmania, the biggest of a group of islands that thousands of years ago were part of a landbridge connecting Tasmania to mainland Australia. The main town is Whitemark. Migratory birds, including mutton birds, rest at lagoons and inlets. Dense coastal scrub shelters a vast array of wildlife, including wallabies and wombats. There's history to be learnt and learnt from at Wybalenna Historic Site, where Aborigines, exiled during the 1800s, pined for their homelands. Sealers camped on smaller islands and, ships foundered on the rocky coast.

Ross

Ross Tasmania: named by Governor Macquarie in 1821, was one of the first sites selected for a town in Tasmania. The village´s pride is a magnificently carved bridge over Macquarie River which was built by convict labour and opened in 1836. The corners of the main crossroads in the town are locally known as Temptation, Recreation, Salvation and Damnation being respectavily the Man-O-War Hotel, the Catholic Church the town hall and the former gaol. The banks of the Maquarie River next to the bridge is an excellent place to have a picnic and feed the swans and ducks or even catch a glimpse of a platypus.The river and nearby Tooms Lake provide enjoyable trout fishing.

W. C. Piguenit

W. C. Piguenit (1836-1914)
Piguenit was born in Hobart Town and eventually became a noted painter of Tasmanian landscapes. In 1867 he published six lithographic views as plates in 'The Salmon Ponds and Vicinity, New Norfolk'. Then, after visiting the south-west highlands of Tasmania, he became interested in painting. In 1871 he travelled overland with James Reid Scott from Hobart to Port Davey, painting many pictures along the way. He later resigned from his job to devote his life to painting. He travelled widely, in Tasmania, England and Europe, painting all the time. In 1887 the Tasmanian Government bought six of his paintings of the Tasmanian western highlands and presented them to the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery. Piguenit was a founding member of the Royal Art Society of New South Wales and held various offices until the society granted membership to impressionist painters such as Tom Roberts. Piguenit resigned from the society in protest.

Swansea

Swansea Tasmania: A delightful historic town that overlooks Great Oyster Bay, about halfway up the east coast. There are lots of lovely beaches, bays and rivers and if you want a change from sunbathing, swimming and fishing you can take yourself on a local tour. There are the old saltworks ruins, the very unusual Spiky Bridge, vineyards where you can taste and buy, Nine Mile Beach that forms the southern edge of Moulting Lagoon. Visit the Swansea Bark Mill and East Coast Museum and learn about life and work in the early European settlement.

Derby

Derby Tasmania: On the A3, about 104km north east of Launceston. Mountain scenery, rainforests and old tin mines surround this classified historic town. In the late 1800s it was a booming mining settlement and at the Derby Tin Mine Centre you can pan for a bit of raw tin - metal we use every day of the week without thinking about where it comes from. Browse among antiques, second hand books and modern crafts in the quaint old shops, see for yourself that Blue Lake really is blue, paddle a canoe on Cascade Dam to stir up your appetite for a homemade afternoon tea in one of Derby's tea rooms.

Art and Craft

Tasmanian Arts and Crafts: Tasmania is blessed with a talented community of artists and craftspeople, who find inspiration in the island's sea-washed light and wild landscapes, and who cherish Tasmania's superb raw materials - rare and beautiful specialty timbers, fine fibres and delicate ceramic glazes. Stroll down Salamanca Place in Hobart, through Launceston or along the streets of Richmond, Evandale, Hamilton, Stanley or Strahan to find quality art and craft on display. Or call in to the roadside studios of potters, wood carvers, glassmakers, painters and sculptors - often you can meet the artists themselves and see them at work.

Trout fishing

When and where can I go trout fishing in Tasmania?

In just about every freshwater stream, river and lake in Tasmania, there are fighting trout, waiting to rise to your well-presented fly or lure. And here, in the waters of one of the world's last great wild fisheries, they are yours for the price of a fishing licence – plenty of excitement for a few dollars! Licences are readily available through any fishing tackle store within Tasmania.

Ben Lomond National Park

Ben Lomond National Park: situated 60km south-east of Launceston, an easy one hour drive along the picturesque North Esk River Valley. The park lies more than 1 300 metres above sea level on a large plateau above Tasmania´s northern midlands, and is the country´s major ski field offering excellent downhill and cross country skiing in the winter. Spectacular wildflowers and wildlife may be seen on the many beautiful alpine walks.

Martin Bryant Massacre

On April 28, 1996, the relative quiet of Port Arthur in the Tasman Peninsula, roughly 90 minutes by car from the city centre of Hobart in the southern Australian island state of Tasmania, was broken by gunfire. Before day's end, 35 lay dead on the historic grounds of Port Arthur. A Tasmanian named Martin Bryant had etched a trail of blood, firing at shopkeepers, shop assistants, tourists, and whoever else came in his way... Once again, the soil of Port Arthur was bloodied. From the 1830s to the 1870s, this was the place they called “hell on earth”, where the convicts of a past era lived and died.

Truganini

Truganini (1803-76)

Truganini was born into an Aboriginal band on Bruny Island. Her mother and, later, her husband were murdered by white men and her sisters were abducted by sealers. She accompanied George Augustus Robinson on his mission to conciliate and protect Aborigines, acting as interpreter and peacemaker. When the Flinders Island settlement was founded she lived there and later accompanied Robinson to Port Phillip in Victoria. Later still she returned to Tasmania and was moved with other Aborigines to Oyster Cove. When it seemed that all the other full-blood Aborigines had died she went to live in Hobart with a Mrs Dandridge. When she died her skeleton was placed in the Hobart Museum. In 1976 her bones were cremated and her ashes were scattered on the D'Entrecasteaux Channel.

When should I visit?

When is the best time to visit Tasmania?


More than anywhere else in Australia, Tasmanians enjoy four distinctly different seasons, and each one has its own unique pleasures and appeal. Generally it is warmer on the coast and cooler inland. The average maximum temperature in summer (December to February) is 21 degrees Celsius (70F) and in winter (June to August), the average maximum is 12 degrees Celsius (52F). Spring and Autumn are very pleasant with temperatures in the mid-teens. For the current weather

King/Flinders Island

How do I get to King and Flinders Island?

There are regular flights to King Island from Wynyard Airport in Tasmania and from Melbourne in Victoria. Flights to Flinders Island leave from Hobart and Launceston, or you can put your car aboard the Matthew Flinders cargo vessel which departs from Bridport in Tasmania and Port Welshpool in Victoria.

Strahan

Strahan: picturesque village on the shores of the isolated Macquarie Harbour on the west coast. Local history is told in text and displays at the excellent Strahan Wharf Centre, and on most days the Round Earth Theatre Company presents a play that tells the story of Sarah Island in Macquarie Harbour, where in the 1800s transported convicts worked timber, built boats and endured terrible conditions. The village is surrounded by wilderness. You can walk there or on the beach, or take a cruise on the harbour or up the splendid Gordon River, or a ride on a jet boat. The sunsets are dramatic.

Wineglass Bay/Freycinet Peninsula

Wineglass Bay and Freycinet Peninsula Tasmania: Wineglass Bay is a wonderful surprise when you climb over the saddle in the Hazards - the jagged range of pink and grey granite peaks on the east coast peninsula that is the Freycinet National Park. The bay's perfect curve of white sand, and the blue sea and skies form a stunning picture. The Freycinet National Park is crowded with forests, wildflowers (including orchids) and native wildlife. The towering walls of pink and grey granite, patched in orange lichen, soar straight out of the water.

Tasmania´s Heritage journey

Travel in time through Tasmania's rich colonial past, following highways and country roads that once echoed to the clop of hooves and the rattle of carriage wheels....Read On: Tasmania´s Heritage journey

Hobart

Hobart Tasmania: the capital of Tasmania. It lies in the southeast at the foot of Mount Wellington, near the mouth of the River Derwent. The 19th century waterfront warehouses once bustled with whalers, soldiers, petty bureaucrats and opportunist businessmen. Now there are cafes, restaurants and studios in the old warehouses, and they bustle with shoppers and visitors. Polished glass winks in the windows of settlers' cottages, brass doorknobs gleam in the lofty porches of colonial edifices. Square-riggers still put out on the river, tacking among the yachts and fishing boats.

Fishing

Fishing in Tasmania
Tasmania has one of the world's last great wild fisheries. In the estuaries of our rivers, you can troll for big, hard-fighting sea-run trout and salmon – or head for blue water and test your game fishing skill against tuna and marlin.Fishing guides and charter boat skippers know times, tides and weather – they can provide everything you need for a memorable fishing holiday.

John Lee Archer

John Lee Archer (1791-1852)
Archer was born in Dublin, Ireland. He was appointed civil engineer and government architect to Tasmania in 1826 and designed many buildings, including neo-Gothic churches, that are now historic sites loved by Tasmanians and admired by visitors. Later in life Archer became police magistrate at Stanley on Tasmania's north coast, where he lived the rest of his life; his grave is in the little cemetery below The Nut. Visitors should keep a look out for the lovely buildings that Archer designed: Hobart: Anglesea Barracks, Parliament House, Penitentary Chapel Historic Site , St John's Church and Orphan School (in the suburb of New Town). Richmond: The Gaol and St Luke's Church. Launceston: the Court House and Launceston Gaol (now a school). Other churches: St Peter's Church in Hamilton, Entally Chapel at Hadspen. Lighthouses and bridges: Cape Bruny and Low Head lighthouses, the sandstone bridge over the Macquarie River at Ross.

Airport busses

Is there an airport bus service?

Yes, there are airport bus transfer services at all major airports throughout the State.

Perth

Perth Tasmania: On the Midlands Highway (A1) about 15km south of Launceston. A pleasant, old-fashioned town settled in 1821. It has a number of historic buildings, notably churches (Baptist and Methodist) and inns (the Jolly Farmer, the Leather Bottell Inn and the Old Crown Inn). The nearby South Esk River is a popular fishing spot.

Launceston

Launceston Tasmania: It's in the north of the island, where the North Esk and South Esk Rivers join to become the Tamar River, which then flows into Bass Strait. The city is elegant with Victorian and Edwardian buildings and is surrounded by beautiful countryside. Rich wheat and wool merchants once stalked the elegant streets of Launceston, and built their mansions and villas where visitors now enjoy bed and breakfast. Call in for a drink at the Batman Fawkner Inn, where Batman, Fawkner and others planned the founding of Melbourne on the other side of Bass Strait. Visit the Waverley Woollen Mills, established in 1874 and still weaving fabrics from fine Tasmanian merino wool.

The Nut:

The Nut Tasmania
As you drive westwards along the north coast and approach the historic town of Stanley you'll see The Nut, a huge flat-topped circular headland that dominates the town. It's 152 metres high, with a path and a chairlift to the top. Up there you can take a bracing walk around the edge and enjoy the wind in your face, the sun on your back and wonderful views up and down the coast.

Cadburys Factory

How do I see the Cadburys Factory?

The Cadbury Chocolate Factory is located at Claremont a northern suburb of Hobart (approximately 20 minutes drive from Hobart). Taste chocolate samples as you follow the guided tour of the famous chocolate making factory – established in 1921. Chocolate sales are not permitted unless participating in a factory tour. Bookings are essential. You can ring Cadburys Australia-wide toll free booking phone number 1800 627 367, or arrange a harbour cruise/tour of the factory

National Park Pass

Where can I get a National Park Pass?
A fee is charged for entry to Tasmania's National Parks – all money raised protects and maintains the parks for the future. For just $33.00, a Tassie Holiday Pass allows entry for your car and passengers to all 17 National Parks, and is valid for two months. Also valid for two months is a $13.20 backpackers pass for pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists.
Occasional users can buy a 24 hour pass costing $9.90 per car (up to 8 passengers), while walkers, cyclists and motorcyclists and coach passengers pay $3.30 per day. Passes can be purchased from most Australian travel agents, and at all major National Parks and Tasmanian Visitor Information Network centres.

Diego Bernacchi

Diego Bernacchi (1853-1925)
Bernacchi was a silk merchant in Italy before he came to Tasmania and became and entrepreneur on Maria Island, off the east coast. With great energy he founded a silkworm farm, marble and limestone quarries, a cement works, a timber company and a small town for workers. The Grand Hotel was one of its many amenities and comforts. In the light of modern industries perhaps his most important achievement was to plant 99 hectares (245 acres) of grape vines and produce wines that won medals in Melbourne competitions. He eventually became ill, moved to Melbourne and died. The industries and settlement that he had founded declined and the town was abandoned. Visitors to Maria Island (now a national park) will see fascinating remnants of Bernacchi's endeavour.

Mount William National Park

Tasmania, Mount William National Park: serves as a refuge for the Forester kangaroo, the only large kangaroo left in Tasmania. The main road through the park, called Forester Kangaroo Drive, was specially built for viewing animals. A total area of 13 812ha includes beaches, heathland and dry scleropyll forests. There is an abundance of wildlife and a number of plant communities found nowhere else in Australia.

King Island

King Island: off the north-west tip of Tasmania, about halfway across Bass Strait. Wild seas surround the rocky coast - there are more than 70 submerged shipwrecks. From the northern one at Cape Wickham, if the day is clear, you'll see mainland Australia. wildlife: including platypuses, heath, dunes, wonderful beaches and a world-renowned wetland bird habitat, especially in the 6,800-hectare Lavinia Nature Reserve in the north-east. In the south of the island there's an ancient calcified forest and fairy penguins returning in the evening to their burrows. Currie, the main town, is on the west coast.

Oatlands

Oatlands Tasmania: On the Midlands Highway (A1), about 84km north of Hobart. Actually, Oatlands is now just off the Midlands Highway. The highway used to go through the town but was rerouted, making Oatlands wonderfully peaceful. It is a very pretty colonial town and has more Georgian and early colonial buildings than any other town in Australia. Many of the old cottages are now cafes and restaurants. Lake Dulverton is nearby, and also a golf course, a bowls green and a swimming pool.

Midlands

Midlands
Today's 'Heritage Highway' follows the route pioneered in 1807. Stay in a charming colonial cottage. Enjoy a meal at a country pub. Relax on a sunny riverbank by a 19th century bridge. Search for treasures in an antique shop. All along Tasmania's 'Heritage Highway' time moves slowly - and so should you.

Campbell Town

Campbell Town
Situated 68km south-east of Launceston, Cambletown was established in the 1820´s as one of a chain of garrison stations between Hobart and Launceston. The town has grown into a prosperous farming centre with wool, beef cattle and timber milling being the main industries. There are many building of historic interest dating back to the 1830´s.

Tasmania´s emblems

What is the flora and fauna emblem of Tasmania?

The Tasmania Bluegum (Eucalyptus Globulus Labill) is the official floral emblem. The Tasmanian Devil (Sarcophilus Harrisii) is the unofficial fauna emblem of Tasmania.

Mathinna

Mathinna
Mathinna was a child in the Flinders Island Aboriginal community when Sir John Franklin became governor in 1837. His wife, Lady Jane Franklin, became fond of Mathinna, decided to bring her up as a daughter and took her to their home in Hobart. When the Franklins returned to England, however, Lady Franklin's motherly inclinations evaporated and Mathinna was taken to the Hobart Orphan School where she was extremely unhappy. She later moved to Oyster Cove, south of Hobart, to even more unhappiness. She was found drowned in a creek and was believed to have fallen in when drunk.

Ross

Ross Tasmania: On the Midlands Highway (Highway 1), roughly halfway between Hobart and Launceston. A beautiful old town established as a garrison in 1821. It has a fine collection of Georgian cottages and a fascinating sandstone bridge carved by a convict in 1836 - the work earned him his freedom. The remains of the old female factory, a prison for women between 1847 and 1853, have been restored and are open to the public. There are also antique and crafts shops, a wool centre (the town is in the middle of the sheep-farming area) and a toymaker.

Devonport

Devonport Tasmania: at the centre of the north coast at the mouth of the Mersey River was founded as two towns. They merged in 1890 to become the city of Devonport. The terminal for the Bass Strait ferry service - the Spirit of Tasmania - is in this pleasant city. There are interesting features such as the Tiagarra Aboriginal Culture and Art Centre, the Maritime Museum, the Don River Railway and Museum and Home Hill, the house that Australia's only Tasmanian prime minister, Joseph Lyons, built when he married. Joseph and Dame Enid Lyons lived in the house, now owned by the National Trust, for the rest of their lives. It is preserved as they left it and open to the public.

Salamanca Place

Salamanca Place: in Sullivans Cove, Hobart's historic waterfront, is a long row of stylish Georgian sandstone warehouses built in the 1830s, now boutiques, bars, bookshops, restaurants, outdoor cafes, art studios, craft galleries and jewellers. Each Saturday there's the famous market, where you can buy anything from a handmade wooden toy to a handspun, hand-knitted sweater to a fresh peach to a 50-year-old china plate. Behind Salamanca Place is Salamanca Square, where you can sit by the cooling fountain with a cup of coffee and a muffin and listen to a guitar or a flute player before visiting Antarctic Adventure.

Cataract Gorge

Cataract Gorge Tasmania: reaches almost to the middle of the city of Launceston. You'll emerge from the narrow part of the gorge into an elegant Victorian park with tree rhododendrons, fern glades, a swimming pool, a chairlift, barbecues, a suspension bridge and mewing peacocks. (The chairlift is the longest single-span chairlift in the world.) Walk back to the city on the other side of the river, through bushland, and think about joining one of the whitewater rafting or rock-climbing adventures in the gorge, or go hang-gliding at nearby Trevallyn.

Launceston

Launceston is a city of contrasts The scenic Cataract Gorge Reserve, with its tree rhododendrons and peacocks, fern glades and spacious lawns, where you can try rock-climbing, hang-gliding or whitewater rafting. The Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery and Macquarie House, house the work of today's artists and craftspeople. Fine food is served in the city's bistros and restaurants - enhanced with a fine Tamar Valley wine or James Boag beer.

Derwent Valley/Central Highlands

Tasmania: Derwent Valley and Central Highlands
North of Hobart the highway snakes through the Derwent Valley towards mountains and wilderness. Decades ago explorers, bushmen, farmers and dam-builders carved a living in this wild and rugged country. From New Norfolk, with Australia's oldest Anglican church, to Salmon Ponds where brown trout have been hatched for 150 years to provide some of the world's finest fly fishing. The historic towns of Hamilton and Ouse are the centre of the surrounding farming area. Onwards the highway crosses rivers harnessed for hydro-power and reaches the stark beauty of the Central Plateau. Ten thousand years ago glaciers carved out Lake St Clair, Australia's deepest lake.

Mutton birds

mutton birds
These birds get their name from their flavour. Their Aboriginal name is 'yolla' and their other common name is the short-tailed shearwater. They grow to about 40cm long, with wingspans of about 90cm. They are dark brown with pale underwings, shiny bills and short tails. They live and breed in burrows in the ground, to which they return year after year after an amazing migration through southern Australia, New Zealand, Japan and the west coast of America.

Latrobe

Latrobe Tasmania: Just off Highway 1, about 10km southeast of Devonport. A lovely little historic town with streetscapes redolent of the 1880s and '90s and early 1900s. Many of the buildings are National Trust registered. It is a delight to walk through the town, along the riverbank and through the orchid reserve.

Port Arthur

Port Arthur Historic Site: Between 1830 and 1877 about 12,500 transported convicts were imprisoned at Port Arthur, many of the sandstone prison buildings remain and have been preserved. There are day and evening guided tours of the historic site (125 hectares/309 acres), giving you an impression of what life might have been like in the 1800s for the convicts, soldiers and civilians. One in seven convicts at Port Arthur died there - you can take a cruise to the Isle of the Dead, where convicts and civilians were buried (you need to make special arrangements to go ashore).

Hastings Caves State Reserve

Hastings Caves State Reserve

Take a day out from Hobart and tour the Newdegate Cave, a rarity that formed in dolomite rock millions of years ago. Stalactites hang from the soaring ceiling and stalagmites stand like totem poles. Take your swimming costume and have a dip in the thermal outdoor pool, heated by energy from deep in the earth. Walk on the Sensory Trail through the surrounding forests, listen to the birds as you relax on the grass and munch your lunchtime picnic or a barbecue.

Cradle Mountain

Cradle Mountain: In 1827 Joseph Fossey saw a dramatic mountain peak at the northern end of what he called the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, in the World Heritage Area. The mountain is one of the favourite features in the park and is surrounded by stands of native deciduous beech, rainforest, alpine heathlands and buttongrass. Icy streams cascade down the mountainsides, and ancient pines are reflected in the still glacial lakes. The track to the top of the mountain is an eight-hour return walk, but there are many other shorter, easier walks lower down, such as the walk around Dove Lake.

About

Tasmania [tazmA´nEu]
Tasmania , island state (1991 pop. 359,286), 26,383 sq mi (68,332 sq km), SE Commonwealth of Australia. It is separated from Australia by the Bass Strait and lies 150 mi (240 km) south of the state of Victoria. Tasmania includes many offshore islands, among which are Bruny, the Hunter Islands, the Furneaux Group, King Island, and Macquarie Island....Read this entire Article:About Tasmania

Sheffield

Sheffield Tasmania: On the B14, 25km south of Devonport. A rural town with a most unusual collection of murals, more than 30 of them, that illustrate the history of the area. Arts and crafts are among the important activities in the area and galleries and studios display high quality hand weaving, leatherwork and pottery. There is also a community museum, a deer farm and an emu farm. The town is near Lake Barrington, the venue of international rowing competitions, and is surrounded by wonderful scenery.

Facts

The population of Tasmania is 472,000. Main centres are Hobart (the capital city with 195,500 people) Launceston (98,500) Burnie (18,000) and Devonport (25,000)
Tasmania has more than 2000 km of walking tracks and 17 national parks.
The Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area covers 1.38 million hectares.
Hobart has the nation's second-lowest rainfall (626 mm or 24 inches) of all Australian capital cities.
The average summer temperature is a comfortable 21°C (70°F). Winter's average is 12°C (52° F).

Whales

Whales
Whales are mammals that live in the ocean. Southern right, blue and humpback whales are most often seen off Tasmania's east coast in June, when they are on their way from Antarctica to warm tropical waters, and between September and December, when they are returning to Antarctica. During the 19th century whales were hunted for meat, oil and cartilage, but they are now protected.

Orange bellied parrot

orange bellied parrot
This is one of the rarest birds on earth and is endangered. About 50 breeding pairs are thought to exist. In spring they migrate from South Australia and Victoria to breed in Tasmania. They are about 20cm long, have bright green backs and yellow fronts with a bright orange patch in the middle. They eat seeds and nest in hollows in eucalypt trees - couples mate for life. They can be identified by their distinctive zit-zit-zit call. In autumn the parents with their young migrate back across Bass Strait to Victoria and South Australia.

Antarctic/Southern Ocean Experience

History books suggest Tasmania's Antarctic experience began with the arrival of Captain James Cook at Bruny Island in 1773, however the first real human contact with Antarctica came from the exploits of the sealer Captain John Briscoe. Briscoe arrived in Hobart on 10 May 1831 on the Brig Tula after travelling in Antarctic waters and naming the area east of Mawson Station, Enderby Land. Since that time most of the explorers of the heroic age including, Dumont d'Urville, Scott, Borchgrevink, Amunsden and Mawson have used Hobart as a base for their quests.........Read on: Tasmanian FAQ´s

Tasmania/Antarctica Link

The Tasmania - Antarctica Link
About 50 million years ago Australia and Antarctica were joined together and formed part of the supercontinent called Gondwana. At the time Antarctica was not glaciated and the continent was fully vegetated. As Australia moved north from Antarctica, separating at about 7cm per year, the Antarctic Circumpolar Current evolved and Antarctica became glaciated - resulting in the extinction of plants and animals. Only mosses, lichens, liverworts, and some small invertebrates remained....Read On: The Tasmania - Antarctica Link

Architecture

During the first half of the 19th century Britain sent unwanted convicts to Tasmania. Remains of the penal settlements can be seen at Port Arthur, Sarah Island, Ross, Maria Island, Saltwater River (Tasman Peninsula), Eaglehawk Neck historic site and other places. Some convicts had trained in the professions and the trades, including architecture and building, and many of Tasmania's notable older buildings were designed and built by convicts or former convicts.

Seals

Seals
Tasmania has several species of seal, which breed on rocky islands and reefs around the island, especially on the north coast. They eat cuttlefish, squid, octopus and fish. During the 19th century sealing was a busy industry, for meat, oil and skins - seals are now protected.

Kempton

Kempton Tasmania: On Highway 1 (the Midlands Highway), 49km north of Hobart. This little town was settled in the 1820s, when transported convicts were using picks and shovels to build the first road from Hobart to Launceston. Now the highway bypasses the town and peace has returned to the quaint streets. There are elegant colonial shops, cottages and houses, some occupied by descendants of the people who built them. The old court house and police station are now the council chambers. Enjoy homemade scones in a tea room, browse the antiques and souvenirs and check out the horses in the paddocks - this is riding country.

Strahan

Strahan Tasmania: West coast, on the shores of Macquarie Harbour. In January 1999 'The Chicago Tribune', an American newspaper, named Strahan as 'The Best Little Town in the World'. The travel editor, Randy Curwen, wrote that 'With fewer than 1,000 year-round residents, this is the only settlement on the entire south-western coast of Tasmania … Downtown is a one-block postcard shot, and the only real nightlife is the spectacular sunset over Australia's largest bay.' Curwen also enthused about '… cruises on the harbour, hikes into the wilderness, jet boat rides, walks on a nearby beach.

Oatlands

Oatlands Tasmania: An historic town which has changed little from the 1830´s, Oatland has the largest collection of sandstone buildings of a village situation in Australia, and is reputed to have the largest collection of pre 1837 buildings in Australia. The town was established as a military garrison in 1827 and the Court House, Officer´s Quarters, gaol building, commissariat store and watch house still survive from this period.

Wynyard

Wynyard Tasmania: On the A2, about 60km west of Devonport. Farms on the fertile hinterland, fish in the bountiful sea - Wynyard is a centre of agriculture. The local landmark is Table Cape, flat-topped and fertile. Take a boat out, go fishing, ride a horse, swing a golf club or a tennis racquet, or just go walking or driving. This is a beautiful stretch of coast, with beaches and bays in either direction. Behind the town you'll pass village after tiny village as you explore the country roads among the farmlands, patchworked in green, gold and dark chocolaty brown. It looks even prettier from a scenic flight - the Wynyard airport serves Burnie, nearby.

Rossarden

Rossarden
Rossarden is a village built mainly for the workers of the wolfram mine. The road from Avoca through Rossarden to Fingal offers spectacular mountain scenery as it follows the southern slopes of Ben Lomond.

Snakes

Snakes
There are three species of snake in Tasmania - the tiger snake, the copperhead and the white-lipped whip snake. They are most likely to be seen in February and March (the mating season) and although they are venomous they will not bite unless they are provoked or frightened.

Possums

Possums
Tasmania has several species of possum, which are marsupials - mammals with pouches. Depending on the species their thick fur varies from gold to black. Their tail is usually bushy and as long as the body, which varies from nine to 40cm long. They are nocturnal, sleeping during the day in trees, between rocks or in house roofs. They eat food such as fruit, vegetables, leaves and insects.

Research and Education

Research and Education - A reason to visit Tasmania
Hobart's rich polar history and privileged position as a support base for Antarctic expeditions attracts a large number of research personnel involved with Antarctica and the Southern Ocean environment. As a result Hobart now contains one of the worlds most fertile and diverse cultures in Antarctic research and education......Read On: Research and Education - A reason to visit Tasmania

Forty-spotted pardalotes

Forty-spotted pardalotes
This is one of the smallest and rarest birds in Australia, and is classified as endangered. It is pale green, with yellow around the eyes and on the rump. Its wings are black with white spots, from which the bird gets its name. They are found only in eastern Tasmania - on Flinders Island, Maria Island and Bruny Island and near Tinderbox, Lime Bay and Conningham in the Huon Valley. They are most likely to be seen in the foliage of the white gum, a eucalypt tree in which the pardalotes eat insects and a sugary secretion from the tree

Convict settlement

Britain sent convicts to Van Diemen's Land (now Tasmania) as early as 1804. The first shipment arrived, with soldiers and free settlers, in Sullivans Cove (Hobart). During the next 30 years convict stations were established at Sarah Island, Maria Island, Port Arthur and many other places. Today they are historic sites, where you can see buildings and artefacts and hear about convicts' existence of cold, hunger, hard labour and cruel punishment. These conditions drove many to escape, either to be recaptured, or die for lack of survival skills or become bushrangers, such as Matthew Brady and Martin Cash.

Salamanca Market

What day does Salamanca Market operate?

Visit Salamanca Market and Salamanca Place on Hobart's waterfront. The market is open on Saturdays from 9.00am to 3.00pm. The 1830's sandstone warehouses are home to galleries, studios, restaurants, shops and cafes.

Franklin River

How can I see the Franklin River?

The Franklin River is the epicentre of Tasmania's acclaimed World Heritage Area. It has captured the world's imagination with its wild rivers and exhilarating rafting opportunities. To experience the Franklin River you can do this by scenic flight, by foot or by rafting down the River, however the latter option is a demanding multi-day descent. By cruising the Gordon River out of Strahan on the west coast you can take an unforgettable day journey across Macquarie Harbour and deep into the Gordon where it meets the Franklin River.

John Glover

John Glover (1767-1849)
Glover was one of Australia's earliest renowned landscape painters. He was born in England and exhibited his work in London before leaving in 1830 for Hobart Town. His first Tasmanian paintings, which portrayed the distinctive Tasmanian bush in accurate detail, were exhibited in London in 1832 and attracted much attention. What made him unique among Australian landscape painters at the time, who painted from their imaginations, was that he painted from direct experience of the bush. His pictures were perhaps the first to portray the eucalypt in its bushland setting as a national symbol. In his old age his sight deteriorated; few of his works are dated later than 1840. When he died he was buried in the grounds of the Nonconformist Chapel that he had renovated at Deddington, about 30km (19 miles) south-east of Launceston. The chapel still exists.

Coles Bay

Coles Bay Tasmania: On the Freycinet Peninsula, east coast. Get away from it all to peace and beauty in this fishing village that overlooks Great Oyster Bay, with the Tasman Sea just a step away on the other side of the peninsula. Spend hours exploring the beaches, bays, inlets and lagoons and then climb The Hazards, jagged pink granite peaks. You'll be astonished by the view of glorious Wineglass Bay in the Freycinet National Park. Go fishing, diving, sailing, water skiing, canoeing … have a round of golf or just sit down somewhere and absorb the beauty. Imagine the bird's eye view from a scenic flight - do it!

Derby: About

Derby Tasmania: was once a thriving tin mining township, in its heyday having a population of 3 000, and home to the Briseis mine, the richest find in the area. The mines are now closed and Derby today is a quiet old town with a population of only 300. The Derby school and some of the old mine buildings have been transformed into a mine museum, which displays the fascinating history of tin mining in the South East. The complex also includes a shanty town with a blacksmiths shed, mine office, miner´s cottage, general store and butchers shop.

Huonville

Huonville Tasmania: On the A6, about 30km southwest of Hobart. A busy town on the tranquil Huon River, and gateway to the Huon Valley, where fruit orchards froth with blossom in the spring and produce luscious fruit all summer and autumn - plums, cherries, apricots, peaches, apples, pears … A short drive takes you to lovely walks at the Pelverata Falls. A thrilling jet boat whizzes you down the river and back again. You can play golf, lawn bowls and tennis, ride a horse, take a fishing rod out on a rowboat. Think about the Frenchman, Bruni d'Entrecasteaux, rowing his boat here in 1792. The river is as lovely now as it was then.

King Island

King Island: It's an island of empty beaches, clean air, offshore reefs, rocky coasts and shipwrecks - when the 'Cataraqui' grounded here in 1845 it was Australia's worst maritime disaster. This was before Wickham lighthouse, the tallest in the southern hemisphere, was built to guide travellers into Bass Strait. Beef and dairy cattle, Kelp are the major industries. Wallabies and peacocks are common on the island, Shearwater rookeries pepper coastal hillsides, albatrosses and sea eagles at Reid Rocks, a short boat trip away, Australian fur seals breed.

Tamar Valley

The quiet Tamar is a haven for waterbirds. Walk through Notley Gorge's dense fern glades and rainforest to crashing waterfalls. Further north at Low Head, fairy penguins return each evening to their burrows in the coastal scrub. Offshore, at Tenth Island, Australian fur seals bask on the rocks. Australia's oldest pilot station still guides ships into the river at Low Head, and the historic buildings of Beaconsfield recall the early gold rushes. Discover the boutique wineries, taste their pinots, chardonnays and rieslings, and reflect on the bounty of nature and the skill of the winemakers.

West Coast

West Coast Tasmania: Follow the dark Gordon River into the rainforest. Taste a west-coast crayfish or Macquarie Harbour salmon, fresh from the sea. Cross the waters of Macquarie Harbour to Sarah Island. Feel the cold stones dressed by convicts. In the jaunty old streets of Zeehan you'll feel the west coast's rich mining heritage - deep below nearby Rosebery the drilling goes on. In Tullah the work is over and fishers and boaters enjoy the scenic hydro-storage lakes. In Waratah pioneers once mined a mountain of tin - now they bottle pure west-coast rainwater.