Tasmania
POP: 539,590 people
AREA: 68,401 km²
GPS: 42.8821° S, 147.3272° E (Capital of Hobart)
CUR: Australian Dollar
Tasmania is an island state of Australia. It is located 240 km to the south of the Australian mainland, separated by Bass Strait. The state encompasses the main island of Tasmania, the 26th-largest island in the world, and the surrounding 334 islands.
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Hobart is at the south end of the capital of Australia's island state and sits on the River Derwent. It has a population of around 210,000 people.At its fashionable Salamanca Place, old sandstone warehouses host galleries and cafes. Nearby is Battery Point, a historic district with narrow lanes and colonial-era cottages. The city's backdrop is 1,270m-high Mount Wellington, with sweeping views, plus hiking and cycling trails.
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Launceston is a riverside city in northern Tasmania with a population of around 110,000 (half as many as the capital Hobart). It's about a 2.5 hour drive between the two cities (202km). It's famed for the Cataract Gorge, with panoramic views, walking trails, sculpted gardens and a chairlift. The Queen Victoria Museum, in a 19th-century railway workshop, has exhibitions on Tasmanian history. Its sister Art Gallery lies across the river, by sprawling Royal Park. The vineyards of the Tamar Valley stretch northwest along the Tamar River.
