Elegant historic streetscapes and century-old parks and gardens sit beside revitalised areas such as Launceston Seaport, with its restaurants and cafes. A boardwalk links the Seaport to Inveresk, where you can visit one of Australia's best regional galleries, the Queen Victoria Museum at Inveresk. With a population of 68,000, the city has a strong sense of identity.

The boardwalk also takes you to Home Point rowing course, skirting Royal Park and Kings Park, passing Ritchies Mill, with its galleries and restaurants, before zig-zagging into Cataract Gorge, a place of mystical beauty. Its steep, rugged cliffs and wild areas attract climbers.

Launceston is a good base for visiting the cool-climate vineyards of the Tamar Valley. From Launceston you can also explore national parks such as Narawntapu (known for wildlife-spotting), or the historic villages of Evandale and Longford, with their grand old farms and mansions: Woolmers, Brickendon, Panshangar and Clarendon.

The city was established in 1806, after the collapse of Port Dalrymple (now George Town) at the mouth of the Tamar. It was the Island's northern military base and a trading centre for wheat and wool farmers. Over time, as their wealth grew, the city developed its grand vision.

Launceston's weather is temperate, with an average maximum of 23 degrees Celcius (73.5 degrees Fahrenheit) in January and 11.5 degrees Celcius (52.5 degrees Fahrenheit) in June. It is 198 kilometres (123 miles) or 2.5 hours' drive north of Hobart.