Launceston, Tasmania

My second visit to Tasmania.. the first was about 5 years ago when my younger brother got married, so another catch-up with him was well overdue.

Home to approximately 110,000 people, it's a beautiful city filled with stunning old brick buildings. There's plenty happening to improve infrastructure and an integration of new additions to the CBD that blend seamlessly with the well maintained older structures - some of which, date back to the mid-1800's.

With only a couple of days there before the next leg of my journey, we spent our time wandering around the waterfront precinct exploring the many eateries, an exceptional adventure playground for the kids, and an interesting use of an old silo - currently operating as an upmarket hotel within the 'Peppers' fold.

The Saturday Farmers Market was a tantalising array of wares by local artisans and the CBD has a great mix of stores, offering locally made goods, as well as plenty of franchised stores, delicious eateries and coffee stops, and is punctuated by some picturesque greenspaces such as City Park and Princes Square.

The areas surrounding Launceston take you through rolling hills to historic towns and villages offering a trip back in time.

All up, possibly an under-rated destination, that you should consider adding to your travel-list, ESPECIALLY if you're a keen mountain-biker, as Tasmania has some of the best tracks in the world on offer.

Lovely Launceston ...