Beauty Point-Launceston Tasmania Australia
Australia
Frequently Asked Questions
At the Beauty Point wharf, in a quiet reach of the Tamar River in northern Tasmania, about 45 kilometres downstream from Launceston. The village has barely 1,300 residents.
The two main attractions are on the wharf itself, metres from the gangway : Seahorse World and Platypus House. That rare convenience leaves the rest of the day wide open.
The world's first seahorse aquarium and farm. The guided tour runs about fifty minutes and leads from a cavern of sea dragons to a working marine farm, where thousands of seahorses grow from newborns the size of a fingernail to breeding adults.
A centre on the wharf where you can watch the platypus, the duck billed mammal that lays eggs, along with inquisitive echidnas that sometimes wander among visitors. Both houses open year round, whatever the weather.
Yes. The slopes of the Tamar Valley hold more than twenty vineyards and cellar doors, often family run. Several excursions combine two or three estates with a meal among the vines.
Tasmania's cool climate yields sparkling wines, pinot noirs and rieslings with a growing international reputation. More often than not the producers welcome visitors themselves, glass in hand.
Yes, about forty-five minutes by road following the river. The ship's excursion coaches remain the simplest way to make the round trip within the time available.
Remarkably preserved Victorian buildings, well kept parks and Cataract Gorge, a green canyon that opens minutes from the centre, with trails, a footbridge and a chairlift.
Stroll the jetties where yachts and fishing boats tie up, take a coffee facing the marina or fish and chips in the sun. Pelicans patrol near the slipways and the hills across the water shift with the light.
Bring a sweater : the Tamar breeze turns cool quickly, even in the austral summer. Tasmania is no Queensland in that respect.
