Heritage Highway
The Heritage Highway traces much of the original route between Launceston and Hobart, built by convict road gangs in the early 1800s. Drive through rolling farmlands, explore charming Georgian villages, stay on historic pastoral properties and savour the rich and colourful history of the place and its people. Access the Heritage Highway from Hobart or Launceston, from the East Coast via Campbell Town or Fingal, or from Port Arthur via Richmond.
Start: Hobart or Launceston
Duration: 1-2 days
Print: Heritage Highway [PDF 231KB]
Launceston – Campbell Town
- Departing from Launceston, the first stop is Evandale, a charming colonial village with Georgian buildings dating back to the 1820s.
- An alternative route to Evandale is via Ben Lomond, a 40-minute drive from Launceston. Ben Lomond is the largest single alpine area in Tasmania and in the summer is a spectacular place to walk and spot wildlife, while its magnificent views add to the thrill of rock climbing, mountain biking and abseiling.
- After Evandale, it's on to the gracious Clarendon homestead, just 11 km south on the banks of the South Esk River, complete with servants wing and many farm buildings. The house's elegantly furnished rooms overlook extensive formal gardens, beautiful parklands and the original farm buildings.
- Also on the banks of the South Esk are the townships of Perth and Longford, about 20 minutes from either Evandale or Launceston. Picnic on the riverbank at Perth or stop for lunch in Longford, a pretty, classified historic village known for its convict-built houses, English country landscape and the home to two of Tasmania's World Heritage Convict Sites: Brickendon and Woolmers Estate.
- Brickendon is an historic working farm continuously owned and managed by the Archer family for almost two centuries, while the adjacent Woolmers Estate is a time capsule of early nineteenth century life, home to the National Rose Garden and beautiful in summer. Wander the Convict Farm Walk between the two properties to see what life in the 1820s was like for the convicts assigned here – the route takes you through the Brickendon Farm Village and across the Macquarie River via a suspension bridge to the Woolmers homestead and National Rose Garden.
- Continue on to Campbell Town via Epping Forest and Cleveland. Stop for refreshments at St Andrew's Inn in Cleveland - a typical 19th century coaching inn where horse-drawn carriages stopped en route between Hobart and Launceston.
- Farther on is Campbell Town, a popular stopping point for travellers between Launceston and Hobart and the historic heart of Tasmania with more than a 100 houses over 100 years old.
- Stroll along the banks of the serene Elizabeth River and its Red Bridge, built in 1838 by convict labour using over one million convict-made bricks, then follow the intriguing convict brick trail through the heart of the town.
- Visit the Heritage Highway Museum in the historic court house to learn more about the town's history.