LAUNCESTON
Launceston and its river valley blend history, scenery, creativity, adventure, entertainment and the superb flavours of fine food and wine. It is a city of contrast, a short walk from the graceful Victorian and Edwardian era facades is the rugged beauty of Cataract Gorge Reserve with its steep rock face, manicured lawns, tree rhododendrons and peacocks.
To the north, the Tamar Valley opens out as it reaches Bass Strait. Here you will find Tasmania?s most productive wine region that extends from Rosevears to Pipers River. The city's rich wheat and wool merchants once built their mansions and villas where you can now enjoy bed and breakfast. It is a city proud of its free settler beginnings, its skilled craft workers and big vision.
The Wood Design Collection has gathered together the works of some of the best wood designer/makers and the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery at Inveresk holds a fine collection of colonial and contemporary art. Winding 40 kilometres north from Launceston to Bass Strait, the Tamar River's quiet waters are navigable for its entire length, while its sheltered shores are a perfect environment for many species of waterbirds.
At George Town, at the river's mouth, you will find a classic example of an 18th century signal station. The Tamar has a rich heritage - the historic buildings of Beaconsfield recall the boom days of gold mining.
Today, the Tamar Valley's brightest gold is a swirl of delicious Sauvignon blanc or Riesling or a crisp sparkling wine, while some of the future's rich heritage rests in cellars, as precious bottles of pinot and cabernet age gracefully. Vines grow in tidy lines on gentle, sloping hills, and mellow autumn sunshine ripens the grapes, adding unique cool-climate complexities of flavour to these widely acclaimed wines.
