People generally consider the major cities when visiting a country but sometimes smaller cities are worth checking out too especially if the attractions are not available in the bigger ones. If you plan to visit down under think also of Launceston in the island state of Tasmania. My family spent a week long of R&R and it was well remembered by everyone especially me who can’t stop talking about it. But I promise this is my last post of Launceston, I just feel it’s wasted if I won’t write about the other areas of the city that I find worth remembering. So here goes my list of top things to do when you find yourself in Launceston.
1. Visit Seaport Marina
Whether you want to dine or unwind this is the perfect place to find. Both locals and tourists enjoy the best dining the city has to offer and take advantage of the boardwalk that leads all the way from here to the gorge. We dined at Levee Food Co. and had a great time, the food was delish and the service was impeccable. I can’t forget the stunning seafront view which was mesmerising especially during sunset.
2. Swing by Grindelwald Swiss Village
I wrote a whole post about it here, if I can describe it in one phrase it is a place that looks like Christmas everyday. We had a yummy lunch and fabulous ice cream time.
3. Spend a day at Bridestowe Lavender Farm
The magic starts as soon as you park your car in the area as you can’t see anything else than endless rows of lavender. Take note that the peak blooming time is mid December to mid January. We also had a magnificent brunch of lavender scones and tea and of course finished it off with lavender ice cream. See full post here.
4. Get fresh produce from the Harvest Market
Make sure you get to spend a Saturday in Launceston as the harvest market is on every Saturday morning ’til 12:30 pm. We flew in on a Friday and our first morning the next day was spent buying fresh produce for our week stay. From Tasmanian honey and cheese to fruits and veggies we had a good time picking them in food stalls. We had breakfast of haloumi and chorizo burger and cups of hot chocolate to kick-off the holiday. I can’t forget the most moist chocolate brownies ever. And I wish I picked up more than one jar of chocolate hazelnut spread as it was heaps times better than Nutella.
5. Cross the Suspension Bridge
This is an exhilarating and fun activity to do alone or with the whole family. And what more, there is no entrance fee so nothing to lose but some jitters and few calories from walking a thousand and one steps around the area. Read our fun experience here.
6. Stroll, eat and shop
The whole point of your vacation is to relax and have fun and the best way is to check the vibe of the city as seen in my previous post. Walk around, hit the shops and hang out in the coolest cafés and restaurants. Vacationing is the only time I don’t cook and clean a mountain of dishes so I take advantage of it. We certainly enjoyed every time we ate out in Launceston. The city has the same shops we have in Sydney and more but because there’s not many shoppers present you get good deals with so many choices.
7. Check out Cataract Gorge, have a picnic or ride the chairlift
Cataract Gorge Reserve is one of the region’s premier tourist attractions and it doesn’t make sense if you skip this part on your holiday. It boasts the world’s longest single span chairlift with a 308-metre central span crosses the huge, naturally formed basin over the waters of the South Esk River. Our picnic was a blast just watching people and observing nature and wildflowers along the riverside.
8. Drop by the City Park
I took my toddler here on the last day and I was glad I did because it was the most beautiful park I’ve seen. The hydrangea plants were in full bloom making the picnic area bursting in prettiest colours. He was the happiest too running around in the children’s playground. And as if the flowers in the park were not enough there was a conservatorium with even more flowers. It’s ok to get lost in this huge park as there’s beauty everywhere you turn. There was a pergola, a children’s fountain, ducks, monkeys and odd looking trees that resemble like Christmas trees. We had so much fun, my only regret was we didn’t come here soon enough.
Thank you for reading, you can connect me in Instagram busyandfab to see my fab finds, other outfits and events in between posts.
