Weekend in Devonport

Small but rewarding gallery in the civic centre, showing changing works by local and Tasmanian artists. The building itself is a 1930s art deco former library.

Tip: Pop into the gift shop for affordable prints and ceramics by Tasmanian makers. Free guided tour if you ask at the desk on a quiet weekday.

A compact but well-kept botanical garden with a fernery, cactus house and a small lake with ducks. Good for a quiet stroll or a picnic on the lawns.

Tip: The Japanese garden section behind the main greenhouse is usually empty. Bring bird seed – the ducks and black swans come right up to the water's edge.

A long stretch of dark sand beach with the red-and-white striped lighthouse at the southern end. Good views across Bass Strait and back to the city.

Tip: Walk south from the lighthouse at low tide to find small rockpools with sea anemones and crabs. Best light is early morning for photos.

Small museum and outdoor rock art site on Mersey Bluff, run by the Tasmanian Aboriginal community. Inside shows shell necklaces, stone tools and stories of the Palawa people.

Tip: The walking track behind the centre leads to a viewing platform overlooking the coast. Allow 20 minutes for the loop. No photography of the rock engravings inside.

Heritage railway with a museum of vintage locomotives and carriages. The 5km return trip along the Don River costs a few dollars per adult.

Tip: Buy a combined ticket for the train ride and museum entry – it's cheaper. Weekday mornings are quietest; weekends can have volunteer-run specials.