Entering the scenic estuary of the Tamar River in northern Tasmania, come to the earliest deep-water port in the region at the small town of Beauty Point. The town hosts the National Institute for Maritime Studies, a fascinating Seahorse World aquarium dedicated to breeding and protecting these picturesque creatures, as well as a Platypus House. The surrounding country boasts more than 20 award-winning wineries and specialty farms, including lavender and cheese producers. Further afield, the countryside enfolds some scenic gorges, including the Cataract Gorge with a dramatic cliff-walk, scenic trails and the longest single-span chairlift in the world. The larger riverside city of Launceston, some 40 minutes’ drive away, has the Queen Victoria Museum housed in an historic 19th century railway workshop, a lovely Royal Park and an Art Gallery.