Tasmania
The state of Tasmania is located at the south east part of the continent and is separated from it, is the smallest state of Austalia having an area of approximately 67,800 sq.km. Some of the important cities in this state are: Hobart, Launceston, Richmond and Perth and at the north the towns of Burnie, Devonport, Stanley and Wynyard. Tasmania is a natural destination, with National Parks and green areas, the natural environment is unequalable.
The capital city is Hobart and the local goverment is settled here, the cities with more population in the state are Launceston, Devonport and Burnie. Macquarie Island is also under the control of Tasmania state.
The climate in Tasmania is very unpredictable, in summer, from December to February it's not very hot with temperatures of approximately 21 ºC, this is because the state is located at the coldest part of the continent, and in winter, from June to August the temperature is about 12 ºC. The weather is warm and dry on the east coast, Tasmania has frequent rainfalls so be prepared if you want to visit it.
As some other cities, the state of Tasmania at first was known as a convict island, prisoners from Britain where brought here to make hard work. Tasmania is rich in minerals and the hydro-electric potential is ample but in the last years were constructed some artificial lakes to power hydro-electric stations.
As said, Tasmania is more a natural destination and has more hills than any other region in Australia, the environment here is very clean and beautiful, the highest peak is Mount Ossa with 1617 meters high. Some of the more atractive areas in this state are Huon Valley, Port Arthur and all the Tasman Peninsula. The lands are good for grazing, it produce a good soil and vegetables from different kind as well as fruits and potatoes.
In addition of its good lands Tasmania also has splendid beaches with beautiful resorts as Bicheno, Swansea and St. Helens, excellent for fishing and water sports. At the esatern part of Tasmania there are many glaciated valleys and that's why this part of the state is called "the land of a thousand lakes". The southwest part has been declared as a UNESCO's World Heritage and is under a strict protection.
The Gordon River is one of the main rivers in Tasmania and in all Australia, the major part of the course of this river is a wild area with impenetrable rain forest and is formed by Upper Gordon River and the Lower Gordon River.
Ocean Beach is on the West Coast of Tasmania, the weather is very extreme and is excellent for surfing despite of being a town with not so many population.
Sarah Island is a very historical place in Tasmania, in 1822 a convict prison was established here, the Macquarie Harbour Penal Station, where the worst prisoners were sent for making hard work and used to live in terrible conditions, the settlement was closed in 1833.
Queenstown. A gold discovery in 1856 became of this town a mining centre, and its natural environments were suddenly full of pollution, but now Queenstwon is trying to revert the damage and to protect the characteristic buildings as the Empire Hotel, the former Imperial Hotel and the Mining Museum.
Stanley is located at the north-west coast of Tasmania and was founded in 1826. In times of gold discoveries Stanley was a main port for ships in Victoria area. A main icon in Stanley is known as 'The Nut'.
