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COUNTRY INFORMATION - TASMANIA

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Location of Tasmania
A separate island located 149 miles south of Melbourne, Australia, across Bass Strait. Roughly heart-shaped, Tasmania is 184 miles long, and ranging from 196 miles wide in the north to 44 miles in the south. The island has a diverse landscape comprising rugged mountains (snow-capped in winter), dense bush land, tranquil countryside and farmland. Approximately 40 per cent of Tasmania is taken up by national parks, half of this being the UNESCO-listed temperate wilderness in the west of the island. Located midway between Victoria and the north-west of Tasmania in Bass Strait lies King Island. This rich and fertile island, famous for its beef and dairy products, is regularly serviced by air carriers and is a popular tourist destination. To the north-east of Tasmania, also in Bass Strait, can be found Flinders Island, part of the Furneaux group of islands. Flinders Island is also popular with visitors and is particularly noted for its excellent coastal fishing and pristine beaches. Bruny Island, south of Hobart across the D’Entrecasteaux Channel, has superb beaches. A narrow isthmus of sand dunes, the home of Fairy Penguins from August to April, joins the two parts of the island.

Airports
Hobart airport lies 10 miles east of Hobart and the travel time is around 15-20 minutes by taxi.

Language
The official language is English. Minorities, including Italian, German, Greek, Vietnamese, Chinese dialects and Aboriginal languages, retain many other languages.

Places To Go
Hobart, Tasmania’s capital is Australia’s second-oldest city after Sydney and is situated on the south side of the island. The city has strong links with the sea, typified by the wharfs, jetties and warehouses & #8211; some dating back to the 19th.century & #8211; that cluster around the waterfront. Examples of the island’s history can be seen in the Maritime Museum of Tasmania, the convict-era buildings of Battery Point and the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery. The sweet-toothed will enjoy touring the Cadbury Chocolate Factory. Mount Wellington, towering 4,170ft.to the west of the city, provides the backdrop to Hobart. From the lookout at the top, about 12 miles by road, the clear air offers a spectacular view of Hobart, its suburbs, the Derwent Estuary and Storm Bay. Apart from the view, the area has picnic facilities and walking trails. The Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens offer a long walk through beautiful scenery.

The popular Tahune Air Walk is a 1.5 hours drive from Hobart, offering a suspended 45m. walkway above spectacular forest canopies. It is part of the Huon Trail that includes the Hastings thermal pool, caves and sheltered bays of the D’Entrecasteaux Channel. Air Walk admission fees are A$8 for adults and A$5.50 for children. Launceston, Tasmania’s second city on the north of the island, retains much of its colonial Georgian/Edwardian flavour. It is the natural gateway for the rural beauty of the island, including the Cataract Gorge and the Launceston Lake Wildlife Sanctuary. City Park is frequented for its Botanical Conservatory and Monkey Island featuring Japanese mecaque monkeys. The new Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery at Inveresk near Launceston features original Tasmanian and Aboriginal art as well as various temporary exhibitions; entry fee is A$10. Port Arthur, 82 miles east of Hobart, is the site of a penal colony built in the early 19th.century. Guided tours are available including a popular ghost tour. There is a new 1.5 hour trail along the cliffs and beaches. Not far away is Eagle hawk Neck, noted for its bizarre rock formations and the highest sea cliffs in the southern hemisphere.

Tourism Tasmania
GPO Box 399,
Level Two,
22 Elizabeth Street,
Hobart,
TAS 7000,
Australia
Tel: (03) 6230 8235 or 6336 3240 (travel agents only) or (800) 309 011 (toll-free in Australia). Fax: (03) 6230 8353.
E-mail: reception@tourism.tas.gov.au
Website: www.discovertasmania.com.auor www.tourismtasmania.com.au

Tasmanian Travel Centre
60 Carrington Street,
Sydney,
NSW 2000,
Australia
Tel: (800) 808 776 (enquiries; toll-free in Australia) or (1 300) 655 145 (reservations; local call rate in Australia only).
Fax: (2) 9202 2055.
E-mail: tasinfo@discovertasmania.comor reservations@tastravel.com.au
Website: www.tastravel.com.au
Office also in: Melbourne.

Tourism Tasmania
12 Montpelier Place,
London
SW7 1HJ,
UK
Tel: (020) 7584 6553.
Mobile: 07766 777 948.
E-mail: sandra@sandraleach.co.uk
Website: www.discovertasmania.com

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