Planning a trip to Launceston
Visitor Information -- The Launceston Visitor Information Centre, Cornwall Square, 12-16 St. John St. (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.
Getting There
Getting There -- Qantas (tel. 13 13 13 in Australia; www.qantas.com) flies to Launceston from Melbourne. Virgin Blue (tel. 13 67 89 in Australia; www.virginblue.com.au) and Jetstar (tel. 13 15 38 in Australia; www.jetstar.com.au) both fly from Melbourne, Brisbane, and Sydney. The Airporter Shuttle (tel. 03/6343 6677) runs between city hotels and the airport from 8:45am to 5pm daily for A$14 one-way or A$24 round-trip.
Tasmania's Redline Coaches (tel. 1300/360 000 in Australia; www.redlinecoaches.com.au) departs Hobart for Launceston several times daily (trip time: around 2 1/2 hr.). The one-way fare is A$39. If you plan to take a ferry from Melbourne to Devonport, Launceston is 1 1/2 hours from Devonport and the bus ride will cost A$24. Driving from Hobart to Launceston takes just over 2 hours on Highway 1.
