Tasmania

The island of Tasmania, an Australian state, is located 240 km (150 miles) south of the eastern portion of the continent, being separated from it by Bass Strait. Tasmania has a population of 456,652 (census 2001) and an area of 68,332 km² (26 383 square miles). As at 31 March 2003, Tasmania's estimated resident population was 476,199. Tasmania has the nickname Apple Isle due to the large number of apples grown there.

Transport

The fastest and cheapest method of travel across Bass Strait is by air. The main carriers are Qantas, JetStar, and Virgin Blue, which fly direct routes to Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, and Adelaide. Major airports include the Hobart International Airport and Launceston Airport; the smaller airports, Burnie and Devonport, are serviced by Regional Express and Qantaslink who generally fly only to Melbourne and the Bass Strait islands.

Related Topics:
Air - Qantas - JetStar - Virgin Blue - Melbourne - Sydney - Brisbane - Adelaide - Hobart International Airport - Launceston Airport - Regional Express

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The domestic sea route is being serviced by the Bass Strait passenger/vehicle ferries operated by the Tasmanian Government-owned TT-Line. From 1986 the Abel Tasman made six weekly overnight crossings between Devonport and Melbourne. It was replaced by the Spirit of Tasmania in 1993, which performed the same route and schedule. The most recent change was the 2002 replacement of the Spirit by two Superfast ferries - Spirit of Tasmania I and Spirit of Tasmania II - which brought the number of overnight crossings up to fourteen, plus additional daylight crossings in peak times. In January 2004 a third ship, the slightly smaller Spirit of Tasmania III, started the Devonport to Sydney route. Two container ships owned by Toll Shipping also make daily crossings between Burnie and Melbourne. The port of Hobart also serves as a host to visiting cruise ships and prior to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks was a regular port of call for United States Navy ships returning home from the Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf.

Related Topics:
Sea - Bass Strait - TT-Line - Abel Tasman - Devonport - Melbourne - Spirit of Tasmania - Sydney - Toll Shipping - Burnie - Melbourne - September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks - United States Navy - Indian Ocean - Persian Gulf

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The state is also home to International Catamarans, a manufacturer of very high speed aluminium vessels that broke records regularly when they were first launched. The state Government tried using them on the Bass Strait run, but eventually the decision was made to discontinue this.

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Tasmania, Hobart in particular, serves as Australia's chief sea link to the Antarctic and South Pacific, with the Australian Antarctic Division located in Kingston. Hobart is also the home port of the French ship l'Astrolabe which makes regular supply runs to the French Southern Territories near and in Antarctica.

Related Topics:
Hobart - Antarctic - Australian Antarctic Division - Kingston - French Southern Territories

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Hobart also has one of the deepest natural port formations of any river in the world.

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Within the state, the primary form of transport is by road. Since the 1980s, many of the states highways have undergone regular upgrades. These include the Hobart Southern Outlet, Launceston Southern Outlet, Bass Highway re-construction, and the Huon Highway.

Related Topics:
1980s - Highways - Bass Highway - Huon Highway

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Tasmania's rail network consists of narrow gauge lines to all four major population centers and to mining or forestry operations on the west coast and north-west. Regular passenger train services in the state ceased in 1977; the only trains are for freight, and tourist trains in specific areas. In 2005 there were concerns that the rail service was in so much trouble that it might stop for everyhting but cement haluage. Prices start in the billions for a new rail line, and apparently no-one has the money to spend on it.

Related Topics:
Rail network - Narrow gauge - Mining - Forestry - Train - 1977

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The West Coast Wilderness Railway being a good example of a recently rebuilt tourism specific railway (2002).

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