Devonport

Devonport is a city on the northern coast of Tasmania and is positioned on the mouth of the Mersey River, 98 km west of Launceston upon the Bass Highway. Devonport is popularly known as ďż˝The Gateway to Tasmaniaďż˝ because one can find regular ferry services from the port to Melbourne and Sydney. The district of Devonport was fist explored by Van Diemenďż˝s Company in the year 1826. When the settlers arrived on the land they were opposed by local Aborigines. The Devonport town was established on 11 February, 1890 when the two small towns of Formby and Torquay were merged together. In the early 1950ďż˝s the Devonport port was used mainly by boat builders and timber-cutters. The place is also known as ďż˝Australiaďż˝s market gardenďż˝ because it produces 40% of the total vegetable grown in Tasmania. The Devonport city has developed itself into a popular tourist attraction spot. Devonport enjoys a pleasant temperate coastal climate with mild summers and cool winters. During summers, the temperatures soar up to 21ďż˝C in the months of January and February. On the contrary, during winters, the temperatures drop down to 4ďż˝C or lesser in the months of July and August. The maximum amount of rainfall occurs in the month of July and August and as a result the temperatures drop down. Devonport is famous for its Spirit of Tasmania car ferries which are numbered as Spirit I, II and III. These ferries travel from Devonport to Sydney and Melbourne. The Sydney car ferry service operates thrice a week while the Melbourne service operates on a daily basis. Apart from these ferries, Devonport also has its regional airport which is located very close to the city. The airport is served by QantasLink which operates daily flights to Victoria and Melbourne. Devonport is a very lively city which is well-known for its craft shops and galleries. There are many local shops where one can find Tasmanian arts and crafts items. The Devonport Regional Gallery has collections of fine and decorative works by local artists. Devonport is a place which provides excellent coastal views. The beaches along the Mersey Bluff Lighthouse are tremendous for viewing penguins. Apart from these, the other popular tourist destination spots of Devonport include:

Tiagarra
Home Hill
Tasmanian Maritime Museum
Tasmanian Arboretum
House of Anvers
Imaginarium Science Centre
Don River Railway
Home Hill

Devonport has many restaurants and cafes which provide excellent quality food at very reasonable prices. Some of the popular restaurants and cafes include Alexander Hotel, Bellaďż˝s, Argosy Motor Inn Restaurant, Drysdale, Essence Food & Wine, El Mecciko Restaurant, Mallee Grill, Molly Malones Irish Pub, La Porchetta, RSL Club, Sky King, Taco Villa and Sunrise Motor Inn Restaurant. Devonport is considered by many as a stop-over destination port as it allows visitors to proceed to Melbourne and Sydney through a sea voyage. As a result of this, there are many hotels, motels and guesthouses in Devonport which provide brilliant accommodation options. Some of the well-known ones are:

Hotel Formby
Sunrise Motor Inn
Tamahere Hotel
Barclay Motor Inn
Rosemont on Macfie