One of the special appeals of a Tasmanian touring holiday is
the
pleasure of 
driving the comfortably
short distances from town to town and taking a break to explore the
unique character of each place.
Tasmania's towns are surprisingly varied - from the boom and bust
mining towns of the west coast to the sunny fishing ports of the
east, from the timber towns in the far south and north-west to the
historic colonial villages of the Midlands. Either way, you're
bound to find your own favourites. Here, in no special order, are
some of ours.
SHEFFIELD
In Sheffield, the stories of the region are painted on the walls
of the town's buildings. On a stroll through the streets of this
scenic north-west town you'll see Gustav Weindorfer, the hermit of
Cradle Mountain, and you'll meet the deeply religious pioneer
farmers who settled this rich area, giving colourful names to
favourite places such as Paradise and Promised Land. Close to
Sheffield is Lake Barrington, with its international rowing course
- a good spot for a picnic.
FRANKLIN
The town of Franklin, on the quiet banks of the Huon River, is
home to The Wooden Boat Centre, with its unique School of Wooden
Boat Building, where you can learn some of the secrets and skills
of an ancient art. Wooden riverboats once plied the waters of the
Huon, carrying loads of timber and apples - Franklin is still
surrounded by productive orchards. Heading south, you're on the
Huon Trail towards the timber town of Geeveston and the Tahune
Airwalk, deep in the working forests.
STANLEY
The historic north-west coast town of Stanley nestles beneath The
Nut, an ancient volcanic plug that rears up from Bass Strait. The
picturesque cottages of this pretty fishing village cluster
together between the cliffs and the water. There's a chair-lift to
the top - or you can stretch your legs on the walking track. Take a
cruise to a seal colony near the town, then tour further west to
the blackwood sinkhole at Dismal Swamp and the wild beaches of
Marrawah.
PENGUIN
If you happen to drive past a larger than life penguin on the side
of the road, you're approaching the north-west coast town of - you
guessed it - Penguin. There really are penguins in the coastal
scrub - you can join an evening penguin tour and see them coming
ashore after their day feeding at sea. If it's a Sunday, don't miss
the market. With more than 200 stalls featuring just about anything
you can think of, it's the biggest undercover market in Tasmania by
far.
STRAHAN
Strahan, the west coast harbourside village on the edge of the
World Heritage Area, is the home port of the famous Gordon River
Cruises and terminus of the West Coast Wilderness Railway, two of
Tasmania's most popular visitor experiences. Strahan was the home
base of the tough bushmen who harvested Huon pine in the western
forests, and it's still the best place to buy fine woodcraft in
this precious timber. Plan to spend at least a couple of nights in
Strahan - there's a lot to see and do.
KETTERING
At Kettering, home port of the Bruny Island ferry just south of
Hobart, the bottom of the bay is so thickly covered in shucked
scallop shells that boats have trouble getting their anchors to
grab. The vehicle ferry Mirambeena makes the 15 minute crossing to
Roberts Point on the Bruny Island shore several times a day. From
Adventure Bay, Bruny Island Cruises, one of the world's best
eco-cruises, departs to explore the massive sea cliffs, sea caves
and seal colonies of the island's delightful eastern coast.
SWANSEA
Named by homesick Welsh pioneering settlers, the seaside town of
Swansea bears little resemblance to its northern hemisphere
namesake. Tasmania's Swansea is pure east coast - beaches of clean
white sand, surf curling along the point, stately Oyster Bay pines
and jaw-dropping views of the pink-granite Hazards across Oyster
Bay. Heritage buildings line the main street - the Swansea Bark
Mill, Wool and Wine Centre celebrates the region's past and
highlights the specialties of today.
EVANDALE
Just south of Launceston, Evandale is one of Australia's
best-preserved colonial villages, with Georgian inns, churches and
cottages dating back to the early days of the colony. Evandale
hosts the annual National Penny Farthing Championships, with
cyclists racing their bizarre machines around the village streets.
Evandale has a great Sunday morning market and it's close to
Clarendon House, a magnificent National Trust rural mansion.
OATLANDS
About halfway between Launceston and Hobart on the Heritage
Highway, the historic town of Oatlands dates back to the 1830s.
Like many of the town's heritage buildings, the old sandstone
courthouse was built by convict labour. The highway bypasses the
town, but the Callington Mill is an obvious landmark. A walking
tour of Oatlands makes a great break from the drive, and for
travellers staying overnight, a guided ghost tour opens up some
fascinating stories of the town and its history.
COLES BAY
Coles Bay, gateway to the Freycinet National Park on the sunny
east coast, holds the official title as being Australia's first
plastic bag-free town. It's tucked away in a scenic corner of
Oyster Bay, where you can cruise offshore to see dolphins, seabirds
and, if you're lucky and depending on the season, migrating
humpback whales. One of Tasmania's Great Short Walks is the climb
over the Hazards to Wineglass Bay, one of the most stunning beaches
on the planet.
SCOTTSDALE
The scenic regional town of Scottsdale, in the heart of the
north-east's farming country, is surrounded by rich dairy pastures
and fertile vegetable fields. It's also the site of the remarkable
Forest Ecocentre, an amazing building that houses displays telling
the stories of the region and celebrating the heritage of pioneer
farmers and foresters. A short drive from Scottsdale is the idyllic
seaside town of Bridport and the spectacular golf links at
Barnbougle Dunes.
QUEENSTOWN
It's advisable to take a deep breath as you drive down the
astonishing Mt Lyell road into Queenstown. Hairpin bends wind down
the steep descent into the valley, passing the bare red hills
around the working copper mine. More than two kilometres
underground, Queenstown's miners are hard at work - put your hard
hat on and take a 4WD tour of the mine with a local guide - it's
one of the most thrilling experiences of any Tasmanian
journey.
BEACONSFIELD
The gold mining town of Beaconsfield, on the Tamar River north of
Launceston, was the scene of the miraculous 2006 rescue of trapped
miners Brant Webb and Todd Russell. Today, the Grubb Shaft Gold
Mining Museum, close to the scene of the incredible events, has a
special display dedicated to the miners and their brave rescuers.
Close by is Beauty Point, with its unique Seahorse World and the
Tamar Valley region, famous for its many cool-climate
wineries.
STRATHGORDON
Built as the home for the workers who constructed the
hydro-electric scheme in the far south-west, Strathgordon sits on
the edge of Lake Pedder, famous for the quality of its trout
fishing. From this village in the heart of the wilderness, it's a
short drive to the mighty concrete arch of the Gordon Dam - scene
of Australia's highest free-swinging abseil.
