Small but good

With an area barely exceeding 68,000 square kilometres, Tasmania is tiny in size but packs quite a lot into a small space. Originally called Van Diemen's Land, and first sighted by Abel Tasman in 1642, Tasmania evokes an English ambience with mild summers and cool winters.

Many visitors prefer to fly to Tasmania, with easy connections between Hobart, Launceston, Burnie and Devonport to Sydney and Melbourne. Another way of reaching Tasmania is the overnight car ferry services aboard the Spirit of Tasmania I and II from Melbourne. In addition, the Spirit of Tasmania III operates services three times a week between Sydney and Devonport.

Given Tasmania's amazing natural beauty and untouched wilderness, it's little wonder that conference groups take full advantage of outdoor activities. White water rafting, jet boat rides, rock climbing, sailing, fishing and golf are all extremely popular. Tasmania is also renowned for its wine production and functions and special events can be held at many of the state's best-known wineries.

Shadowed by Mount Wellington and split by the Derwent River, Hobart is often described as Australia's most beautiful capital city. It has certainly retained more of its past than many other cities.

Battery Point, near the city centre, looks almost exactly as it did in the late nineteenth century when it was a lively mariners' village. Close by is Salamanca Place, with its rows of Georgian-era storehouses now utilised as shops, offices and art galleries. The street fronting these warehouses hosts the weekend Salamanca Markets.

Situated on the Tamar River, Launceston is Tasmania's second-largest city and, like Hobart, has a large number of colonial-era buildings. One is of particular historic interest. It was in the Batman Faulkner Inn, or the Cornwall Hotel as it was then known, that a group of early residents including John Batman discussed their plans to relocate to the mainland. The new town they established would later be known as Melbourne.

Nature is another tourism drawcard for Tasmania and nowhere is it more spectacular than on the "wild" West Coast. The township of Strahan was founded in 1877, although a penal settlement had existed on nearby Sarah Island from 1822 until 1834.

The Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park covers an area of almost 125,000 hectares. In 1982, this national park was placed on the World Heritage register, along with the Franklin-Lower Gordon Wild Rivers National Park, close to Strahan.

Although hiking the entire 85-kilometre Overland Track is too arduous for most people, there are many short walks that take in the grandeur of the area. Day walks to Cradle Mountain or shorter walks to such places as the Twisted Lakes are highly enjoyable.

Follow this link to >> conference & meeting venues in Tasmania.