TRAVEL

10 reasons why you need to visit Launceston

When KERRY HEANEY visited one of the world’s greatest food regions she brought back news of some very quirky, unique and artful experiences.

Kerry at Cataract Gorge

IMAGE: KEVIN GORDON

Tasmania’s newest UNESCO City of Gastronomy has half the population of Hobart but has won recognition as one of the world’s great food regions.

Surrounded by fertile land and an abundant sea, Launceston’s paddock to plate culture has spawned diverse food experiences. Expect to discover urbane dining, quirky bars and cafes, an enviable farmers market, and a region filled with truffle growing and berry farming.

It’s also a walkable city filled with cute Victorian streetscapes, designer homeware shops, art galleries. There are gorges to walk and food trails to follow.

In less than 20 minutes’ drive from the city heart, you can relax in an artfully designed vineyard sipping a premium local wine.

Here are 10 reasons you should visit Launceston, Tasmania’s largest northern city. BREAKFAST IN A FLOUR MILL Built in the 1830s as a flour mill, the thick timbered walls of Stillwater provide a warm rustic dining charm that complements the wide stretch of the River Tamar outside. The contemporary menu runs from breakfast to dinner with dining inside or alfresco on umbrellashaded tables. Browse the seasonally inspired breakfast menu for gems such as thick-cut ham from local Mount Gnomon Farm topped with hollandaise and vinegar. Or lash out with a rye waffle adorned with cold-smoked Huon salmon and a mustard crème fraiche.

WALKTHROUGH A GORGE It is an easy walk into the gorge as you stroll along a path that looks down onto the South Esk River. A swimming pool at First Basin is a favourite spot for locals. Still, it’s a different type of local, exotically plumed peacocks that rule in the Victorian garden on the shady south side of the gorge. For an alternate view, ride the chairlift over the vast natural basin, which spans 457 metres, believed to be the longest single chairlift span in the world.

HOT COALS AND SMOKE Sample the flavour-filled menu at Timbre, where the food is cooked with the assistance of hot coals and smoke. Located alongside Velo Vineyard and Cellar Door, Timbre is well-loved by locals. Although the menu is a moveable feast, you’ll always find the comfort of wood oven grilled cheese with granny Jean’s mustard pickle. STROLL THE CBD Spend the afternoon browsing through Launceston’s quirky CBD, where old Victorian-style shop fronts mix with seriously tempting homewares, art galleries and food emporiums. Must-stops are the National Trust Old Umbrella Shop and Gourlay’s Sweet Shop, where you should try a classic Launceston acid drop lolly. Don’t miss the Design Centre Tasmania and the Waverly Woollen Mills Factory Outlet. Walk off your lollies with a wander through Launceston City Park which has a Japanese Macaque Monkey enclosure.

QUEEN VICTORIA MUSEUM AND ART GALLERY The Queen Victoria Art Gallery at Royal Park houses Launceston’s impressive contemporary and traditional art collection. At Inveresk, the natural science and history collection is where you’ll see the last remains of a Tasmanian tiger. GRAIN OF THE SILOS Grain of the Silos is an onsite restaurant that has a heavy focus on supporting local farmers and producers. Start with a snack of raw salmon on a wasabi leaf or a pulled pork croquette. Follow with tender, crisp fried potato gnocchi with mushrooms and shavings of fresh truffle and the ethically raised Scottsdale pork chops with their sweet, tender meat and crisp crackling. Finish your evening with drinks in the Peppers Silo lounge. MARKET SHOPPING According to locals, the Launceston Harvest Market is the place you plan to go to and where you make plans. This popular Saturday morning Harvest Market opens from 8.30 am, and there are plenty of places to eat before browsing the stalls.

FOLLOW THE WINE TRAIL The Tamar Wine Route has many gems, but a visit to the rammed earth cellar door at Clover Hill is hard to beat for champagne lovers. The relaxed vibe of their cellar door is complemented by expansive views over rolling green hills on the 66-hectare property overlooking Stillwater Seven room view over the Tamar River the Bass Strait.

TASTE A SEASONAL BREAKFAST The highly seasonal breakfast at Bryher in George Street includes gems such as black pudding scotch egg and a Bryher rarebit filled with Pyengana cheddar and topped with Morrison Ale béchamel. Fill any tummy gaps with their immensely popular doughnut pastries. Bryher’s quirky interior is filled with collectables, but you’ll be collecting jams and preserves to take from the house-made selection.

YOU CAN’T MISS EVANDALE Pretty as a picture, Evandale is one of the best-preserved historic towns in Australia, with some buildings dating back to 1809. Wander the streets, check out the shops and galleries, and stop for a drink and early dinner in the cozy Clarendon Arms. Then, it’s just a sixminute drive to the airport for your trip home. EatdrinkandbeKerry.com.au

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Saturday 30 April – Ginger Factory – Buderim ................................................................... $97* Sunday 5 May – Hampton Festival ........................................................................................$80 Saturday 11 June – Clydesdale Spectacular ........................................................................$76 Tuesday 14 June – The Three Tenors Show - Redcliffe ....................................................$62 Saturday 23 July – Jumpers & Jazz Festival – Warwick ....................................................$84 Saturday 13 August – Ocean View Estate Winery ........................................................... $148* Saturday 27 August – Llama Farm ...................................................................................... $80* Saturday 3 September – Aqua Duck – Gold Coast ............................................................ $98* Saturday 5 November – Eumundi Markets...........................................................................$39 Saturday 11 November – Best of British – Fox & Hound Pub ......................................... $93* EXTENDED HOLIDAYS

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All extended holidays include return home transfers – Brisbane Metropolitan area. Single Supplements: Kingaroy $125, Norfolk Island $405, Vintage Rail $240, Winton & Longreach $540

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INTRODUCING TASMANIA – THE FOOD, THE HISTORY AND THE NATURAL BEAUTY

Think fine food, historic buildings and amazing natural beauty – think Tasmania. But that’s all you have to do - to really explore and experience this wonderful island, CTTravel organisers have created a 14 day tour itinerary that will allow you to get to close to the essence of Tasmania. Here is a brief outline of this great adventure.

The tour begins at the Brisbane airport where you board a flight that takes you to Launceston. From the airport you head to a hotel where you can settle in for the next two nights and start to explore the Tamar region including Beaconsfield Gold Mine and Heritage Museum, Beauty Point where you gain unique access to the mysterious seahorse and the Tasmanian platypus

Stopping in Swansea, a town nestled on the magnificent blue waters of Great Oyster Bay, we enjoy our morning break while marvelling at the mountain range called the Hazards. Leaving Swansea, we spot the Spikey Bridge – there is no doubt as to how it got its name. Feasting our eyes upon the spectacular coastal views to Orford, we peel away to Buckland, where we find a quaint little church with a stained-glass window depicting the life of John the Baptist. with history, from there we stop to capture the oldest bridge in Australia, the convict-built Richmond Bridge.

You will be thrilled with the spectacular atmosphere of Cradle Mountain Lake St Clair National Park with its ancient rainforest and scenery.

Bruny Island is another highlight of the tour. Ferry to Adventure Bay to start a true gourmet experience - cheese, oysters, fudge, wine and so much more! Don’t forget to keep an eye out for the rare white wallabies. Cruising down the iconic Gordon River is a must do when visiting Tasmania. Our cruise will bring the river and its rich history to life.

This is just a snapshot to whet your appetite for a unique adventure. The 14-day tour, is between November 7-20. For more details go to CTTravel.com

Tasmania lighthouse Royal Caribbean International is celebrating a milestone more than two years in the making as cruising makes a highly anticipated return to Australia this year. Australians will have their pick of memorable holiday experiences with Ovation of the Seas sailing from Sydney from October and Quantum of the Seas sailing from November from the beautiful city of Brisbane . Each cruise will be delivering unparalleled, signature adventures against the picturesque beauty of Australia’s spectacular coastline this summer.

Holidaymakers can take in the breathtaking sights from North Star – a world-recordholder as the highest viewing deck on a cruise ship - or the RipCord by iFLY skydiving experience, both taking adventure to new heights.

Get your adrenaline pumping no matter your age when you catch a wave on the FlowRider surf simulator, scale the rock-climbing wall or head to SeaPlex. To wind things down after an actionpacked day, kick back at the Vitality Spa or enjoy quality family time at Splashaway Bay aqua park.

Your palate is also in for a treat. Experience a whole world of wonderful flavours at restaurants before catching impressive live entertainment productions.

Royal Caribbean continues to implement health and safety measures for the well-being of guests, crew members and the destinations visited. The comprehensive, multi-layered set of measures include pre-departure wellness screenings and testing, contactless embarkation and debarkation, enhanced ventilation and sanitisation onboard, as well as sailing with fully vaccinated crew members and guests.

It’s time to celebrate the return of cruising with Royal Caribbean.

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