Only ten minutes from Hobart, Clarence is the gateway to the Convict Trail. A special mix of beaches, recreation, heritage and shopping, the area offers unique views of Hobart and the Wellington Range.

• Travel across the Derwent River by car, bus or ferry. Take a riverside or hilltop walk – a free walking guide and accompanying flora field guide is available from Clarence City Council to enhance your walk. Visit www.ccc.tas.gov.au or phone 6245 8600.

• Explore and discover the delights of Bellerive village and its picturesque boardwalk. Stroll along Victoria Esplanade, admire the old homes and visit Kangaroo Bluff historic site and gun battery.

• Catch a national or international cricket match at the Bellerive Oval. Join a tour of the oval and visit the Tasmanian Cricket Museum (phone ahead for tour times – see listing).

• Drive to Rosny Hill Lookout and enjoy the much photographed views of Hobart, with the Wellington range as a majestic backdrop.

• Visit the original Rosny Farm, which houses the Schoolhouse Gallery and one of Tasmania’s oldest stone barns C.1815 (see listing).

• Park and shop at Eastlands Shopping Mall, Rosny Park, Tasmania’s largest shopping mall.

• Visit some of Tasmania’s best beaches including harbour side Bellerive and Howrah Beaches, Seven Mile Beach and the popular surf beach of Clifton. A Beaches Guide to 20 easy to reach beaches is available from Clarence City Council.

• Enjoy the city sights from above with a scenic flight from Cambridge Airport (see listing) or visit the oyster centre at nearby Barilla Bay (see listing).

• Play golf at the nearby 9-hole Rosny Public Course or the 18-hole championship courses at the Tasmania Golf Club and Royal Hobart Club.

• Explore Richmond and the Coal River Valley. Richmond is Tasmania’s fi nest Georgian village, pre-dating the penal settlement at Port Arthur. Arts and crafts have flourished in the convicthewn sandstone buildings since the 1970s and, more recently, its vineyards are producing the state’s finest pinot noirs, rieslings and sauvignon blancs – all just twenty minutes from Hobart. www.richmondvillage.com.au