Follow me      Share me

Tags: cut rope chain amp minibus hire peter ashworth creative brown alpaca cape oxolo trailers creative alpaca cape trendy calgary

One of the best ways to get your bearings is to see a city from the sky and in Launceston, where there’s no tourist tower, a hot air balloon ride is a wonderful way to start the day. Float over Launceston and admire the panoramic Great Western Tiers, which are part of the Central Highlands Plateau, rich farmland and the cool city below. You’ll soon realise what a special place Launceston is in Tasmania The affectionate nickname they proudly use for their hometown is Launnie. It’s pronounced ‘lonnie’ but don’t ever spell it that way or, believe me, you will regret it. I foolishly misspelled it in a story about the top things to do in Launceston and stirred up a hornet’s nest of comments. Outraged locals even took conducted a light-hearted poll to back their claim that the majority of Launcestonians, 76 percent, refer to their beautiful town as ‘Launnie’. There are three Launceston Heritage Walks that all start at Civic Square and will take you all over town to discover churches and fine commercial buildings, the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery or into railway workshops. Australia’s largest regional museum, the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery has 10 galleries, a Guan Di Temple holding relics from Chinese temples in old mining towns and the Art Sparks! Family Art Space. SPEND A DAY IN LAUNCESTON CITY PARK Monkeys, ducks, a chessboard, flowers, huge trees, barbecues and a children’s playground, City Park in Launceston has got it all. Established in 1863 and located in the heart of Launceston, the park has an enviable annual flower display and a Japanese Macaque monkey enclosure that rivals Big Brother for watching pleasure. It’s also home to one of Tasmania’s premier food, wine and entertainment festivals, such as Festivale held in February each year in Launceston. Attending Festivale is one of the culturally enriching things to do in Launceston. VISIT THE NATIONAL AUTOMOBILE MUSEUM With four changing exhibits in the main hall and a mezzanine packed with motorcycles, the National Automobile Museum of Tasmania is a haven for car nuts. Find it on the corner of Willis and Cimitiere Streets and it’s open every day except Christmas Day. It’s a great place to lose hubby while you find other exciting things to do in Launceston, such as exploring the shops! COOL LAUNCESTON ATTRACTIONS Behind the elegant streetscapes of Launceston you get the sense there’s some secret cool business going on. It could be because the locals appear almost nonchalant about their city oozing with fine produce and creativity. You won’t find them hollering about their fabulousness to the mainland though, but instead happily beavering away at their craft. Here are more fun things to do in Launceston. FOREST SEGWAY TOUR Gliding through the magnificent Hollybank Eucalypt Forest aboard a Segway is the most fun you can have with your clothes on. You’ll feel like a kid again as you traverse the established walking trails with only the sound of nature whizzing past your ears. The tour takes about two hours in total including training, and covering between seven and eight kilometres it’s suitable for all abilities and you can go as fast or as slow as you want. If the adrenaline is still pumping, fly 30 metres above the ground through the forest canopy on a zip line.