Andy's Survival Guide to Launceston (1st ed.)

1. You may have the right of way, but don't assume side traffic actually knows this. They will assume you are not there and drive out anyway without looking. This applies even on foot, as people leaving shops act in the same fashion. Having 360° vision is a necessity.

2. Driving speeds are generally and widely ignored in Launceston, although speed cameras exist at some intersections.

3. When you see a sign in Launceston indicating a hill is steep, they really mean it. If a handrail is provided up a footpath and you can see the roofs of cars that are straight in front of you, these are also good indications. Howick Street in South Launceston and Duke Street in West Launceston are particularly worth noting, as they start off very moderate and then change suddenly.

4. Wear sunscreen. 15 mins in Launceston is like 45 mins in Perth, even though it's further south. I have no idea why, but everyone seems to know this down there.

5. Asking locals for directions is where the city suddenly becomes a small town again. People actually assume you know where the place is, or that it is not hard to navigate to, and give you directions that are anything but clear. Requests to clarify the instructions often reveal that the people don't actually know themselves. This phenomenon exhibits itself even worse in smaller towns.

6. Get to know where payphones are and always have 40c handy. If you get stuck and need a taxi, ringing the taxi number (131008/132227) from a mobile phone will get you a Hobart taxi, which is useless to you.

7. Once you leave Launceston suburban area (eg Perth, Longford), mobile coverage is non-existent. Keep this in mind when planning excursions.

An endnote

The locals are pretty friendly, and it doesn't hurt to talk to them. However, Launceston people see Hobart as the source of most of their woes, and the statistics even seem to bear this out - most major crimes committed in Launceston do in fact seem to be committed by Hobart suburbanites, and they are overrepresented in both the crash statistics and the road toll. Launceston does not see itself as the second city in Tasmania, and points out (again correctly) that Hobart is shrinking and Launceston is growing. It's also common of locals to overestimate the population of their city by up to 50%. Also, Launceston isn't quite as anti-mainland as Hobart is, but you're more tolerated if you come from Queensland or WA than the other states.