AT just 1 hour and 45 minutes away from Sydney – Launceston is often an overlooked opportunity for a long weekend holiday. This Tasmanian city is also the perfect base for day trips with Cradle Mountain, Bayof Fires, WineGlass Bay, and the famous Tamar Valley an easy drive away from Launceston as your base. For travellers, who are not a fan of changing hotels or want to break up their Tasmania holiday into smaller trips – this is the best place to start without a doubt.

The city is also home to the famous Bridestowe Lavender Estate which comes alive in spring.. We were lucky enough to have seen lavender farms in Aix-En-Provence in France on our previous Europe trip so missing out on them in Launceston during our April getaway didn’t sting so much. But the stunning purple fields are not a common sight in Australia, and if Provence isn’t on your list, then this itself would make Launceston worthy of a spot on your itinerary.

Us not being big wine drinkers, the Tamar Valley was also not a huge attraction on our to-do list – meaning that Launceston became more of a relaxed stop-over on our trip than a jam-packed place to explore. We came here from bustling Hobart and had booked a visit to Cradle Mountain the next day, so we spent our time here making sure we had the right supplies to brave the elements during our mountain visit. 

But Launceston wasn’t all about being pragmatic for us – we did also make time to see the famous Cataract Gorge. This lovely spot is only 15 minutes from the CBD and is known for its many hikes and trails, including the world's longest single span chairlift. But was it really worth stopping in Launceston for a day? The answer is not really. Honestly, given Sydney has some spectacular hikes in even suburban areas, we didn’t consider Cataract Gorge a ‘must see’. 

The highlight of our day was getting some incredible Nepalese food and stocking up on waterproof jackets and trousers for our planned hikes. Also given the title of second biggest city in Tasmania, our curiosity was met with just the right break before heading to cradle mountain. 

The next morning, we drove off to our most anticipated adventure but not before squeezing in a pit stop at Chrisman Hills Raspberry Farm on the way. The café is 40 minutes from Launceston, just off the Bass Highway. There was no shortage of raspberry treats – ranging from drinks to French toast and waffles, sauces and more. Given, its convenient location, I highly recommend stopping here for a meal.

All in all, Launceston itself is not a city that appealed to me much, but it would make a perfect weekend getaway from Sydney, if only to be a launchpad to cradle mountain and get it under your belt, one hike at a time.  

See you soon on our last stop!