Devonport.
Devonport sits roughly in the middle of Tasmania's North coast and with a population of about 25,000 people it's Tasmania's third largest city and is the closest city to the Mersey-Forth hydro-electric scheme.
With a modern airport and the Bass Strait ferry terminal linking the city to Melbourne, Devonport is an arrival point for a large number of visitors to Tasmania each year.
Devonport is the perfect place to make your base in Tasmania's North-West where you'll discover some of the states best national parks, food and wine experiences and history and heritage.
The city is surrounded by rich, fertile soil that produces more than 40 per cent of Tasmania’s vegetable crops.
The roadsides are lined with fields of potatoes, carrots and the yellow and white pyrethrum flower, planted as a natural insecticide.
The paddocks are likewise scattered with the recognisable black and white patterns of the grazing Friesian cows.
Although it's located close to the Tasmanian high country, including spectacular Cradle Mountain, Devonport is blessed with a temperate coastal climate influenced by the ocean.
This maritime influence moderates all aspects of the climate and is evident in the small range between summer and winter average temperatures.
Devonport has an average maximum temperature of 21.5 degrees Celsius (70.5 degrees Fahrenheit) in January and 13 degrees Celsius (55.5 degrees Fahrenheit) in June.
Sitting on the banks of the Mersey River the city is particularly well provided for in it's reserves and recreational facilities.
Parkland, which has been established along the Mersey Estuary, along the whole Coastal foreshore and in the Don River valley, contains a cycling/walking track linking many of the City's recreational facilities.
Sport is well catered for with The Oval hosting international cricket as well as being a venue for cycling and running carnivals and a home ground for Tasmanian Football (Australian Rules) League games.
There are also dedicated centres for Hockey, Netball, Soccer, Swimming & Basketball.
Just a short drive from the city centre, the Tasmanian Arboretum displays trees and shrubs from around the world.
The city's culture includes the Art Gallery which has a collection of Tasmanian art works, ceramics, prints, and photographs, the Maritime Museum with a collection relating to early shipping activities and the Town Hall Theatre, extensively modernised in 1981, which seats almost 500 and is a venue for productions by the well established Repertory and Choral Societies as well as an annual Eisteddfod.
There’s so much maritime history in the town that a visit to the Maritime Museum with a collection relating to early shipping activities is almost mandatory.
Kids will love the up-to-the minute interactive exhibits at the Imaginarium Science Centre which is Tasmania’s only science discovery centre and is full of hands-on activities and all the family will enjoy a game of mini golf.
No visit to Devonport is complete without a cruise on the calm waters of the Mersey River estuary taking in the unique sights of Devonport and surrounds from the MV Centurion, while sampling some of the region’s superb food and wines.
You can explore Devonport’s coastline by walking or cycling along Victoria Parade to the Bluff, where Tiagarra Aboriginal Centre explains the areas Aboriginal history and nearby rock carvings.
Statues along the waterfront walk include those of Joseph Lyons, the only Tasmanian to have held the office of prime minister (1932–39), and his wife, 1940s Federal parliamentarian Dame Enid Lyons.
Their National Trust residence at Home Hill is open to the public if you'd like to look around and see how the gentry lived before the second world war.
The Spirit of Tasmania car and passenger ferries are almost landmarks in Devonport, as they negotiate a U-turn in the Mersey River, they seem to be sailing right up the main street.
Historic buildings in the Devonport area range from workers cottages to the National Trust classified Home Hill (pictured right), former residence of Australia's only Tasmanian Prime Minister, Joseph Lyons.
Tiagarra, the Tasmanian Aboriginal Cultural and Arts Centre, has dioramas showing the lifestyle of the Tasmanian Aborigines from the region, and is close to Aboriginal rock carvings.
"Tiagarra" means "keep" in the Tasmanian Aboriginal language.
The Don River Railway and Museum (below) has the largest collection of vintage steam locomotives and carriages in the state.
A must for train enthusiasts, the railway offers 30 min scenic rides to Coles Beach daily.
If you don't want to ride the railway the town of Don can be reached either by car or via a 12 km (7½ mi) walking track.
Close to Devonport is the Tasmanian Arboretum in Eugenana. Although this has some native animals such as platypus, the feature is the 47 ha collection of native trees.
Also near Devonport is Braddon's Lookout, offering a view of the coast.
Those wanting to take in even more of the scenery can book on one of the sight-seeing flights at Devonport airport.
Partly due to the location of the ferry terminal, Devonport has a wide variety of accommodation, including discount hostels accommodation.
Visit Devonport on your next trip to Tasmania, you'll....enjoy,
John..
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