A long weekend in Launceston

Last month I took a little solo holiday in Tasmania. The purpose of the four day break was to make a surprise visit a dear friend of mine, who I hadn’t seen in nearly two years. The trip was a little momentous for me too, as it marked the first time I’d ever been away from Paul overnight, and it the first time I’d properly travelled since the COVID pandemic erupted.

In the lead-up to the mini-break I won’t deny that I was a little nervous about it all, but I came home refreshed and rather excited to return with Adam and Paul in tow, as Tasmania really is something quite special…

The duration of my stay was based in Tasmania’s second largest city, Launceston, which sits in the north of the state. The city itself is built on very hilly terrain and lays at the junction of the Esk and South Esk rivers, where they become the Tamar River.

After initial teary greetings (don’t you just love it when you pull off a proper surprise?!), hours of almost non-stop conversation, a lovely dinner out and a solid night’s sleep , we got exploring the region.

The first stop was Evandale, a charming village just to south of Launceston. Evandale is full of beautifully preserved Georgian and Victorian buildings and my friend and I had a fabulous morning wandering the streets, visiting independent stores, lusting over cute cottages and taking in the stunning early autumnal landscape.

We took the scenic route home via Westbury, another quaint town again full of beautiful old structures. Lunch was at the gorgeous Green Door Café, where we indulged in some of the tastiest Cornish pasties I’ve had since leaving the U.K.

That evening we took a walk along Launceston’s Cataract Gorge, which looked an absolute treat at sunset. It’s hard to believe this massive natural wonder is right in the centre of the city, and it was obvious from the number of people we passed that the gorge is favourite with locals too.

The following morning we made a pitstop at Harvest Launceston – the city’s weekly farmers’ market – for breakfast, and for a stroll around City Park which features a monkey enclosure (!), a stunning dahlia garden and a conservatory that feels like it’s plucked straight out a Jane Austen novel.

During the afternoon we took a little road-trip north, visiting the Hillwood Berry Farm to pick strawberries, raspberries and blackberries. After a mixed berry ice-cream we hit the road again ending up in the coastal community of Bridport. Under brooding skies we explored the rocky beaches, enjoying that blustery, salty wind only beach towns can produce.

Even though I didn’t have a huge amount of time in Launceston, I feel like we managed to cram a heap of stuff in. I can see why people fall in love with Tasmania. It’s got stunning scenery, amazing food and wine and a temperate climate that lends itself to an outdoors lifestyle. I feel this was my ‘taster’ trip and I’ve got no doubt, I’ll be visiting again soon.

Have a wonderful week.

M. x