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 Launceston, Tamar and the North

In Launceston, you'll discover elegant Edwardian buildings and the magical wilderness of Cataract Gorge. Stroll through the ferny glade or abseil, rock climb or hang glide on and around the gorge's dramatic walls. You can also take the chairlift to cross the gorge. Nearby, see birds in their own habitat in the Tamar Island wetlands or meet kangaroos, wallabies and wombats in Narawntapu National Park. To the north-east you'll find the neat croplands and Forest EcoCentre of Scottsdale. Next door in Bridport, you can fish, play golf overlooking Bass Strait at Barnbougle Dunes and wander through the tidy lavender fields of Nabowla. See little penguins at Low Head and take a boat trip to the fur seal colony of Tenth Island. Then ski, walk or rock climb the rugged summits of Ben Lomond National Park. Once you've worked up an appetite, eat and drink your way through the Tamar Valley's cool-climate wineries, such as Ninth Island, Pipers Brook and Jansz, on the Tamar Valley Touring Route. You can stop at the gold mining museum of Beaconsfield and pan for sapphires near the tin mining town of Derby on the way. South of Launceston, soak up the ambiance of a 19th-century village in Longford and see Australia's biggest working craft fair in the charming riverside village of Deloraine. Browse antique galleries, craft shops and markets in the Georgian village of Evandale and cross the Ross River on a cobblestone bridge in Ross.

 North West Coast

Arrive in Devonport on one of the Spirit of Tasmania ships that have become landmarks in this pretty port. From here you can walk or cycle along Devonport's coastline, see murals in Sheffield and enjoy antique shops in LaTrobe. Go waterskiing, sea-kayaking or fish from a floating pontoon in Port Sorrel. Stroll the vibrant markets and scenic beach of Penguin. Explore the limestone caves of Mole Creek Karst National Park, which sit beneath the Great Western Tiers, known to the Aboriginal peoples as Kooparoona Niara. Stay in the busy port of Burnie or in the historic town of Stanley, where you can look out over the steep volcanic plug known as "The Nut." See carpets of colorful spring tulips in Table Cape and walk along the sea cliffs of Rocky Cape. In the far north-west, stay on the historic 22,000 hectare property of Woolnorth on Cape Grim. Cruise down the Arthur River past sea eagles to the temperate rainforest, sand dunes and Aboriginal sites of the Tarkine wilderness. Even more remote is King Island, where you can go game fishing, taste cheese from the famous King Island Dairies and dive more than 70 shipwreck sites.

 Western Wilderness

Cruise down the majestic Gordon River from the west coast fishing village of Strahan. Watch it meet the wild Franklin River and tumble through forested valleys as one in the World Heritage-listed Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park. Back in Strahan, you can kayak on Macquarie Harbour, walk Ocean Beach and explore pine and myrtle forests by four-wheel drive. Search for 1,000-year-old Huon Pine from the window of a sea plane or relax and indulge in great food and wine. Take a scenic rack-and-pinion railway from here to the historic town of Queenstown, once the world's richest gold and copper mine, or enter it on a road that spirals for more than 90 bends. Explore the rollicking mining past of Zeehan, once a wealthy silver town. Then, jump on a barge to Corinna and stay in a restored miner's cottage on the banks of the majestic Pieman River. From the peaceful town of Rosebery, you can take a tour of Pasminco Mine or walk to Montezuma Falls, Tasmania's tallest waterfall. Then, explore the rugged peaks and mirrored lakes of World Heritage listed Cradle Mountain-Lake St. Clair National Park. Do all or some of the famous 65-kilometer Overland Track and see Mount Ossa, Tasmania's highest mountain.

Get our Ultimate Viewers' complete Tasmania itinerary. 

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