Getting There
Qantas (tel. 13 13 13 in Australia; www.qantas.com) flies from Sydney and Melbourne to Launceston. Virgin Blue (tel. 13 67 89 in Australia; www.virginblue.com.au) and new discount carrier Tiger Airways (tel. 03/9335 3033; www.tigerairways.com.au) both fly to Launceston from Melbourne. Jetstar (tel. 13 15 38 in Australia; www.jetstar.com.au), flies to Launceston from Brisbane and Sydney. The Airport Shuttle (tel. 03/6343 6677) provides transportation between city hotels and the airport from 8:45am to 5pm daily for A$11 (US$9.90/£4.95) adults each way, A$5 (US$4.50/£2.25) kids 4 to 16.
Tasmanian Redline Coaches (tel. 1300/360 000 in Australia; www.redlinecoaches.com.au) departs Hobart for Launceston several times daily (trip time: around 2 hr., 40 min.). The one-way fare is A$33 (US$30/£15). Launceston is 1 1/2 hours from Devonport if you plan to take a ferry from Melbourne across Bass Strait to Devonport. The bus ride from Devonport to Launceston costs A$23 (US$21/£10).
The drive from Hobart to Launceston takes just over 2 hours on Highway 1.
Visitor Information
The Launceston Visitor Information Centre, at the corner of St. John and Cimitiere streets (tel. 03/6336 3133; fax 03/6336 3118), is open Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm, Saturday from 9am to 3pm, and Sunday and holidays from 9am to noon.
City Layout
The main pedestrian shopping mall, Brisbane Street, along with St. John and Charles streets on either side, forms the heart of the central area. The Victorian-Italianate Town Hall is 2 blocks north on Civic Square, opposite the red-brick post-office building dating from 1889. The Tamar River slips quietly past the city's northern edge and is crossed at two points by Charles Bridge and Tamar Street. City Park, to the northeast of the central business district, is a nice place for a stroll.
