Australian Travel and Business Directory
About the Regions 
Capital: HOBART
Population: 478 400 (2003)
Area Size: 68 332km2
Longitude / Latitude: 147.18°E / 42.54°S
Time Zone: UTC+10 (+11 DST)
Climate: temperate to cool climate
Roadside Assistance: RAC
Tasmania is the smallest state of the Commonwealth of Australia. It is an island about 250 km (150 miles) south of the state of Victoria, separated by the Bass Strait. It is estimated that Tasmania is made up of 334 islands. The City of Hobart is nestled between Mt Wellington and the Derwent Estuary on one of the world's great deepwater ports.
Tasmania is surrounded by temperamental seas, that can be an awesome event in themselves to watch. Be careful and follow the signs around the coastlines, because you don't turn your back on the ocean here. Hobart is home to one of the World's toughest blue water classics, the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race. It is also the Gateway to Antarctica and homeport for Australia's only icebreaker, Aurora Australis.
Apart from scenery that will leave you breathless, you will also find rare species of plants and animals in Tasmania's 20 national parks. It has spectacular views, world renowned wilderness, clean air, cool fresh water, rich soil and gourmet produce. Tasmania's pristine environment enables it to manufacture high quality delicacies. Tasmanian beer is brewed from some of the cleanest water in the world, and the green pastures of King Island ideally suit the area to cheese making.
Tasmania has a mild, temperate, maritime climate, where the summers are mild, with hot periods lasting little longer than a few days. It is during this time that Tasmania has the longest hours of daylight in Australia, such as in December when Hobart has more than halr an hour of extra daylight than Melbourne, and more than an hour longer than Sydney. Tasmania doesn't get as cold as similar latitudes in the northern hemisphere. Hobart, Tasmania's capital, receives less rain than any other Australian capital except Adelaide.
The Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area protects one of the last true wilderness regions on Earth and encompasses a greater range of natural and cultural values than any other region on Earth. Landscapes range from mountains, waterfalls, glassy lakes and alpine tarns to tannin rivers, vast plains and beaches. Forests comprising native rainforest and open eucalypt forest, and plantation - now cover about 3,317,000 hectares (8,192,990 acres), or 49 per cent of Tasmania. The island has the cleanest air in the world, so nature's palette shows through without the contamination of urban pollution. Photographers around the world have commented on how Tasmania's light makes craggy mountains loom closer, seas carve out a deeper coastline dramas along
wild beaches, and blue skies with a wider reach. Tasmanians love their gardens and in the center of the State, European cottage courtyards co-exist with exotic blooms and heritage gardens.
