Frommer's Australia from $50 a Day 13th Edition - To Parent Directory

on the “Heritage Highway” (officially known as the A1, or the Midland Highway),
but you really need 2 days to fully explore.
ROSS
121km (75 miles) N of Hobart; 78km (48 miles) S of Launceston
One of Tasmania’s best preserved historic villages, picturesque Ross was established
as a garrison town in 1812 on a strategically important crossing point on
the Macquarie River. Ross Bridge, the third oldest in Australia, was built in 1836
to replace an earlier one made of logs. The bridge is decorated with Celtic symbols,
animals, and faces of notable people of the time. It is lit up at night, and
there are good views of it from a dirt track that runs along the river’s north bank.
The town’s main crossroads is edged by four historic buildings, humorously
known as “temptation” (represented by the Man-o’-Ross Hotel), “salvation” (the
Catholic church), “recreation” (the town hall), and “damnation” (the old jail). The
Ross Female Factory, built in the early 1840s, consists of ruins, a few interpretive
signs, and a model of the original site and buildings inside the original Overseer’s
Cottage. Entry is free. Women convicts were imprisoned here from 1847 to 1854.
At the Tasmanian Wool Centre and tourist information center on Church
Street (& 03/6381 5466), there is an exhibition detailing the growth of the
region and the wool industry since settlement. It’s open daily from 9am to 5pm
(until 6pm Jan–Mar), and entry costs A$4 (US$2.60) for adults, A$2 (US$1.30)
for children, and A$10 (US$6.50) for a family.
Where to Stay & Dine
Colonial Cottages of Ross To feel the part, why not stay in one of these
delightful three-and–a-half star historic cottages. Apple Dumpling Cottage (ca.
1880) is a two-bedroom wooden cottage, sleeping four, with impressive sandstone
fireplaces set on the edge of the village in a rural setting. The spacious
Church Mouse Cottage (ca. 1840), set in an old Sunday School, sleeps just two.
Captain Samuel’s Cottage (ca. 1830) accommodates six people in three bedrooms,
with two double and two single beds. Finally, Hudson Cottage (ca.
1850) sleeps four. All cottages have modern bathrooms and kitchen facilities.
12 Church St., Ross, Tasmania 7209. & 03/6381 5354. Fax 03/6381 5408. mjohnson@southcom.com.au. 4
units. A$138–A$156 (US$90–US$101) for 2 (depending on cottage and season). Extra person A$25–A$33
(US$13–US$21). MC, V. In room: TV, kitchen.
The Ross Village Bakery and Inn This coaching inn, built in 1832, offers
four homely rooms done in old English style. One room has a double bed,
another a double and two singles. The third is a double, which opens up onto a
fourth room that has two singles (suitable as a family room). A separate lounge
has a TV and free tea, coffee, sherry, and cakes. The bakery on the premises is
an excellent place for lunch, serving things like filled baked potatoes and some
of the best pies in Australia, baked in a wood-fired oven dating from 1860.
15 Church St., Ross, Tasmania 7209. & 03/6381 5246. Fax 03/6381 5360. www.rossbakery.com.au. 4 units.
A$110 (US$72). AE, MC, V. In room: Hair dryer.
4 Launceston ¡
LAUNCESTON 621
198km (123 miles) N of Hobart
Tasmania’s second largest city is Australia’s third oldest after Sydney and Hobart.
Situated at the head of the Tamar River, 50km (31 miles) inland from the state’s
north coast, and surrounded by delightful undulating farmland, Launceston is