Cataract Gorge was created as a place for the people of Launceston to promenade in a garden full of…read moreintroduced and native species of plants and trees so that it felt, smelled and looked (5 senses) like home for many who had come from far overseas . Be careful though- no boisterous behaviour or swings on a Sunday . The bright blue public pool set against a backdrop of green lawn looked particularly inviting given the warm morning (sort of) and we imagined on a hot sunny day it might be just the right place to be but only one brave sole decided it was irresistible and while most wisely headed for a hot coffee Eric decided he was not going to miss this opportunity for a polar plunge. Considered the longest single span chairlift in the World it was a relief and a delight to meet the wild wallabies, pademelons and peacocks on the other side after a short but scenic journey across the gorge. After another short walk we enjoyed the gorgeous vista from the lookout and suspension bridge before a nice downhill trek past the giant Sequoia tree. With the big short finned Tasmanian eels famous for their migration to the Coral sea and back known to be voracious eaters we didn't fancy the swimmers enjoying the muddy waters of the gorge main lake. Extreme sports were the added extra with two local climbers getting ready to abseil down the cliffs of the South Esk as we wandered down the gentle scenic path out of the gorge. We may have neglected to pay the cataract gorge toll like many before us but we did marvel at the construction of the old Kings bridge completely prefabricated in England and sent to bridge the river esk and connect Launceston with the opposite side of the river Tamar.

One of the must see areas in Launceston. There is a generous parking area but it does require a…read morefee. The peacocks in the main area were beautiful and clearly very comfortable around people. We walked to the power plant which was a nice walk without very many people. The power plant has a video running to talk about its history of generating electricity. We loved being the only people there to take in the suspension bridge and views all on our own. It would have been nice to walk back on the other side of the river but the trail was closed due to falling rock. There weren't any signs but we saw comments on All Trails that alerted us to the closure. We walked to the gorge to King's bridge then the zig zag trail next. The walk along the gorge is lovely. In the main area, there is a building you can enter to learn more about the history of the park. We did not do the chair lift because it was pouring rain but that looked like a fun thing to do.

You see this wine in many bottle shops and the remarkable vineyard is well laid out with a…read moresubstantial visit center with good facilities and great view. The official wine tasting stopped at 3? So we bought six pairs of glasses of wine to try for ourselves. Pino gris really exceptional. It is quite a rare wine. They also have reserve grade wines which do taste different to their standard counterparts. Outside play area to drink or play a mixture of garden games. Worth a visit if going up east coast

If there's one place that shows off the rugged beauty of Tasmania, it's Devil's Corner. This winery…read moreand oyster bar has the freshest oysters, great wine, & views for days. The winery looks out at the Freycinet Peninsula, the shimmering waters of Moulting Lagoon, and the vineyards stretching everywhere in front of you. The wine is the star attraction. Devil's Corner is known for its cool-climate varietals, especially its crisp Sauvignon Blanc. Don't miss this stop!

A two storey Art Gallery that has a great deal to offer. It is free and you can spend a few hours…read morejust wandering around and reading the information and admiring the beautiful paintings. It is not crowded. Well signed and there are many videos as well. There is a nice little cafe there and it makes a good coffee and there are are many cakes and biscuits.

Our fourth winery stop (out of five) was at the new digs (opened in mid December 2017) of Clover…read moreHill Vineyard. We hadn't even planned to check out CH but one of the other wine hosts recommended it to us. Spoiler alert: this should be in the #1 spot for Tamar Valley. We dropped in on a Monday afternoon (around 2:15pm). This is easily the most beautiful winery we've been to in Australia! The view is sublime and the space is spacious with comfy lounge chairs/couches/bean chairs and blankets. A very cozy, relaxing vibe. Wine tastings are complimentary and you can sample from their whole range. They had a mix of 5 sparkling, 4 whites and 2 reds. Yes, you can try all 11 like we did. Even if you don't think that you will like a particular wine...trust me, just do it. Our wine communicator, Ian (as he called his role), was incredibly knowledgeable and one of the best we've come across. Great pace, understanding and ability to interact with different customers. He knows his craft well. It was a one man show. He even made up a cheese platter ($30.00 AUD) fresh for a group of four. They only have cheese platters on weekdays and tapas on weekends. Didn't see a real food menu. - Clover Hill Tasmanian cuvée NV - Clover Hill blanc de blancs cuvée exceptionelle 2011 - Clover Hill vintage brut 2013 - Clover Hill Tasmanian cuvée rosé NV - Clover Hill brut rosé cuvée exceptionelle 2013 - Estate pinot gris 2017 - Estate sauvignon blanc 2016 - this was our favourite. We got a bottle ($30.00 AUD). I don't know how but all the estate and single vineyard bottles smelt unbelievable. - Estate chardonnay 2016 - Single vineyard chardonnay 2016 - Estate pinot noir 2015 - Single vineyard pinot noir 2016 Fantastic, luscious wines, pristine views and unbelievable service. Our favourite winery out of all the ones we visited in Australia and New Zealand. A must visit for all you winos.

During our stay in Tasmania, we were fortunate to visit a number of great wineries. None of the…read moreothers could compare to the friendly and knowledgeable staff we encountered, the incredible food we enjoyed or the sparkling wines we loved at Clover Hill Vineyard. The views from their outdoor dining area were breathtaking and only enhanced our experience at this beautiful winery. Thanks to all for making us feel so welcome.

An amazing space for an amazing festival. Panama is a festival like no other. Intimate, diverse,…read morefun, interesting and atmospheric. It's the kind of festival you'll find your new favourite band playing. The camping is well laid out and not too crowded. People are generally respectful. And it's underground enough that the bogans don't show up and ruin it. The curation of the bands is often a little bit off though. The night times when people want to be dancing there is often subdued music that would have embedded during the day that obviously has some connection to the organizers. Sunburns are on the wrong stage for their vibe. It seems as though the organizers might be people with kids who want to go to sleep early rather than people wanting to have fun at a festival.. but that aside the music has something for everyone. And when there's not something for you you can just go and chill at the campsite or hang out with friends. So it's not too bothersome.

Oh, Panama. The sweet, forested festival of my heart. I'm so glad that I found you!…read more For the last four years, come labour day weekend, a small crowd of music lovers descend on a farm in the middle of nowhere in North East Tasmania, and there they stay until the Monday public holiday. What happens while they're there? Magic, my friends. Pure magic. There's something about Panama that is still precious and protected from the muck and mayhem of Australian music festivals of recent years, and it is my desperate hope that Panama manages to remain that way. I've been for year two and year four, and I think an every-other-year visit is going to be perfect for me. Both years I've elected to take up the early/Friday arrival, because Friday afternoon seems to warrant a wonderful camping spot close to the main event and I am lazy. Your car may not be directly next to your camping spot but it won't be too far away. Bring plenty of warm things because once the sun sets, March in Tasmania can still be quite cold. The weather both years I've been so far has been bloody lovely during the day, with barely any rain. Food both years has been cheap and plentiful, with all stalls catering well. Be prepared for a coffee line-up on Sunday morning. Bring five items of clothing for the Great Clothes Swap. Bring a picnic blanket to sit on. Bring stingoze because there are jack jumpers and bees around. Bring your yoga mat if you're an early riser. Bring a bandana to wear over your face when you visit the drop toilets, particularly toward the end of the weekend. Bring your own coffee cup. Bring rubbish bags, because one of the things Panama is proudest of is the aim for zero waste (yet to be achieved but getting closer and closer every year). Panama is one of those gigs where even if you don't know the bands when you arrive, by the time you leave they're probably your new favourites. Most of them play more than once over the course of the festival, so plan well. Try to have one of those plannings involve a late night visit to the pavilion while someone acoustic is playing, and lie on your back on the grass, staring up at the night sky. If this festival goes downhill any time soon, it will break my heart into pieces. Look after Panama. Treasure Panama. We are Panama.

A delightful smalL, winery on the Tamar valley wine route owned by two families and serving high…read morequality premium wine. I found this place while researching online on lots of "best of" list and given the name we just had to try it out. I went online and decided to make a reservation for lunch-by prebooking a meat/cheese platter for noon-while not required, a good idea during weekends or other busy times. I ended up asking them to move the time back the evening prior and was surprised to get an email response at like 9 pm really quickly saying "sure, no problem." It was really nice of them and it shows the involvement of the owners/family members. We tasted quite a few wines including two sparklers (one rose), sauv blanc, Pinot Gris (fav), Riesling, Chardonnay, two pinots, and even a late harvest Riesling which the only make if conditions are right. We sat outside in the brilliant sunshine looking out to the Vineyard nibbling on the fruit, cheese and meat while one of the owners brought us the various wines. We spent around 90 minutes. It was great learning about the property and their wines and I'd buy any of the wines if available in the U.S.

Great spot for wine tasting an an antipasto platter. Relaxed environment with ample seating on the…read moredeck or fields in with full views of the vineyard and surrounds.

What an interesting place, from putting your washer into the turnstile to get into the museum to…read morethe cars and bikes displayed. Certainly not quite what I had imagined, and being listed as one of the Top 10 attractions in Launceston I thought I'd take a look. It was a very hot day and it felt hotter inside the large oversized shed where the bikes and cars were displayed. There was every type of car from little ones to bigger ones, bright ones and dark ones and everything inbetween. I got chatting to other enthusiasts, which I'm not, and learnt a little along the way which made my experience a little more enjoyable. It was a lovely way to kill an hour or so. It is close to other attractions and a inexpensive way to see a bit of history. If you're in the area I would stop and take a look. Enjoy.

We needed to kill some time before we could check into our hotel. The museum had free entry so it…read morewas a great place to learn and hang. We bought a ticket to the planetarium movie as well. You watch a short video of life getting to and on the international space station. Very informative. Then you switch to a real life version of the night sky. An instructor shows you the many things you will see in the upcoming night, key stars, planets, and the moon. Coming from the northern hemisphere, it was interesting to see the differences between the skies in each location. The instructor answered our questions as well. This ticket was definitely worth it. There are many things to look at in the free museum area. Dinosaurs, rocks, taxidermy animals, shipwrecks, transportation, art exhibits,... such a wide variety of interesting things. There is also at outdoor area. We tested out the whisper cones, echo chamber, and throwing radar. You could see an old blacksmith shop. Lots of fun areas to explore.

Our visit to the Queen Victoria Museum and Gallery was a pleasant experience. With Bugs being in…read morethe main exhibit hall we all got to find out who our spirit bug was first before wandering the exhibits. The collection of native animal exhibits had us counting all those we discovered. The Tasmanian Tiger "extinct exhibit" was compelling while those that visited the blacksmiths shop admired the distinct lack of safety regulations. The crochet exhibit was a pleasant surprise with amazing artworks spread around the sprawling hall. .