Guides Attractions Events in Tasmania

Battery Point is Hobart’s most historic suburb, and is located a short walk from Salamanca Place and the waterfront via Kelly's Steps. Battery Point retains the character of a Cornish fishing village of the last century. It began life as a home for mariners who worked out of Hobart Town, and is still mainly a residential area. Arthurs Circus is a ring of old cottages surrounding the old village green at the heart of Battery Point. The area has several tearooms and restaurants, fine antique shops and plenty of pubs. See the Colonial Museum, Narranya, which exhibits items from everyday 19th century life, from dresses to parasols and china. St. George's Anglican Church (1836), which sits atop the hill and can be seen from other Hobart suburbs, is located in Battery Point. Many of the homes in Battery Point are classified by the National Trust, which conducts walking tours of the area on Saturday mornings.

Bicheno, just north of the Freycinet Peninsula on Tasmania’s stunning east coast, is known for its laid-back lifestyle and outdoor activities.
If a holiday relaxing by white, sandy beaches, dining on fresh seafood and playing leisurely games of golf sounds appealing, you’ll love Bicheno.
More than 700 people live in the town, and water’s its lifeblood. Crayfish, abalone and Australian salmon are often brought ashore with the daily fishing catch.
You can explore the coast at your own pace in a sea kayak, or pick up some local knowledge on a guided boat trip. Marine life and sea birds abound in Governors Island Marine Reserve – stay dry in a glass-bottomed boat or scuba dive amid sheer rock walls, deep fissures, caves, sponges and sea whips. Tasmania is considered one of the best temperate water dive sites in the world.
There is plenty to do on dry land as well. Motor tricycle tours, a Grape Escape wine tour, and walks to Rocking Rock and the blowhole or along the sandbar to Diamond Island Nature Reserve are popular. Penguin tours are one of the town’s most popular attractions, while the local wildlife park has a wide array of fauna, including kangaroos, Tasmanian devils and pelicans.
Waterfalls tumble to tranquil lakes and river ravines in nearby Douglas–Apsley National Park, while to the south, in Freycinet National Park, you can take the famous walk to Wineglass Bay, one of the best beaches in the world.
Formerly known as Waubs Boat Harbour, Bicheno was established as a whaling centre in 1803. The town was named after James Ebenezer Bicheno and expanded in 1854 with the discovery of coal in the Denison River.
Bicheno has mild weather, with an average maximum of 21 degrees Celsius (70 degrees Fahrenheit) in January and 14.5 degrees Celsius (48 degrees Fahrenheit) in June.
The town is 182 kilometres (113 miles) north east of Hobart via the Tasman Highway.

Bridport in Tasmania’s north east is a popular holiday destination overlooking Anderson Bay. Surrounded by bushland reserves, white sand and the sloping vines of Pipers Brook wineries, Bridport is an ideal place to unwind.
The town’s population of 1,350 almost triples in summer when holidaymakers flock to the beach. Bridport’s main industries are tourism, vegetable farming and fishing. Local specialties are scallops, lobster and trout from Australia’s first freshwater rainbow trout farm. Bridport is also a port for the Matthew Flinders cargo vessel, which travels to Port Welshpool in Victoria and Flinders Island.
In spring, the wildflowers and birds are prolific in the Granite Point Coastal Reserve and Bridport Wildflower Reserve. Other nearby reserves have spectacular coastal views, waterfalls, white sand dunes and native wildlife.
You can tee off at Barnbougle Dunes, a classic links golf course, considered one of the best in Australia; water-ski at Weymouth, or fly in (literally) to the Flying Teapot Garden Café and Gallery, which has its own airstrip.
Lavender-perfumed air emanates from the purple-washed paddocks of Bridestowe Estate Lavender Farm – one of the world’s largest lavender oil producers.
The coastline was navigated by Bass and Flinders in 1798, but Bridport was not settled until 1830, by Thomas Lewis. Chinese tin miners were among the early pioneers. It was a port for the timber industry and enjoyed periods of prosperity in the late 1860s, when gold was discovered in a nearby village.
Hit the beach in January when Bridport’s average maximum is 23 degrees Celsius (73.5 degrees Fahrenheit). Wine and dine by a log fire in June’s average of 12.5 degrees Celsius (54.5 degrees Fahrenheit).
Bridport is 85 kilometres (53 miles, or one hour’s drive) north-east of Launceston on the B81 and B84.

Wild seascapes, towering dolerite seacliffs and sweeping surf beaches, wonderful coastal walks, birdlife and wildflowers, tall forests and an historic lighthouse are all features of Bruny Island off the southeast corner of Tasmania. It is about the size of Singapore but has a population of around 500 people. Access is a 20-minute crossing by vehicular ferry from Kettering, 35 minutes' drive south of Hobart. It appears to be two separate islands but it is joined by the Neck (the isthmus connecting North and South Bruny Island). Adventure Bay, South Bruny, is where Capt William Bligh came ashore for water and provisions before heading off for his ill-fated mutiny in the South Pacific. Walks include the coastal track to Penguin Island and Fluted Cape, from Adventure Bay; beach walks on Cloudy Bay; or the full-day circuit of the Labillardiere Peninsula. A narrow gravel road links Lunawanna and Adventure Bay, giving wide, stunning south-westerly views. As you walk look out for Bennetts wallabies, pademelons, echidna and wombats. From November to April each year the short-tailed shearwaters arrive to mate and breed along the shore before heading out on their heroic journey to the northern hemisphere. The lighthouse at Cape Bruny was built between 1836 and 1838 with convict labour. The Bruny Island Ferry Service runs seven days a week and you can check the timetable at (03) 6273 6725.

Burnie overlooks Emu Bay, on the north-west coast. This proudly industrial city is Australia’s fifth largest container port and a vibrant place to visit.
Burnie was once surrounded by dense rainforest, but this slowly disappeared as fortunes were made felling and milling timber. The paper and pulp mill on the city’s outskirts operated from 1938 to 1998.
Today, Burnie has a population of almost 19,000. You can visit the Burnie Park and animal reserve, or Australia’s biggest eucalypt tree farm. The Pioneer Village Museum will provide you with a detailed account of the city’s history, while at Lactos Cheese Factory you can treat your palate to fine wine and the 2006 World’s Best Camembert.
One of the town’s most distinctive attractions is the Creative Paper Mill, which features the work of local and visiting artists, including roo poo hand-made paper and wonderful life-size paper sculptures. You can even get your hands wet making your own paper.
Test your stamina in Australia’s premier 10-kilometre (six-mile) road race, the Burnie Ten, held every October for runners and walkers of all calibres. Burnie is close to the Fernglade Platypus Sanctuary and Guide Falls, and approximately 90 minutes’ drive from Cradle Mountain.
Burnie was first explored by Bass and Flinders and was known as Emu Bay when it was settled by the Van Diemen’s Land Company in 1827.
Burnie experiences temperate conditions, with an average maximum of 21 degrees Celsius (70 degrees Fahrenheit) in January and 13.5 degrees Celsius (56.5 degrees Fahrenheit) in June.
The city is 30 minutes’ drive west of Devonport or 152 kilometres (94.5 miles) north-west of Launceston on the A1.

This is the official site for the cleanest air in the world, travelling over the Southern Ocean from South America to be measured by the Cape Grim baseline air pollution monitoring station, one of a series internationally. The Cape, at 94m above sea level on spectacular coastline, has a rich history from the formation in the 1820s of the giant Van Diemen's Land Company, which still runs vast Woolnorth pastoral station, surrounding the site. Tours are available.

Cockle Creek, on Tasmania's southeast coast, is the most southerly town in Australia. The tiny seaside settlement of a few shacks 90 kilometres south of Geeveston is a quiet corner, ideal for a summer swim, picnic or campsite. It is also the beginning, or the end, of the South Coast Track, one of Tasmania’s great bushwalks.

The east coast village of Coles Bay sits beneath pink granite mountains at the entrance to Freycinet National Park. With a small permanent population of less than 200 people, the town caters to local and visitor needs.
The Coles Bay area is one of our Island’s most popular holiday spots for visitors and locals. It overlooks crystal clear Oyster Bay – ideal for swimming, snorkelling, kayaking, boating and fishing.
Prior to European settlement the Great Oyster Bay and Big River aboriginal tribes made the annual trek, in the cooler climate, for seafood and swan eggs.
European settlers arrived in the early 1800s, and the area was developed by sealers, whalers, miners and farmers. After Freycinet National Park was declared in 1916 the area became increasingly popular as a holiday destination.
Coles Bay is about 45 minutes’ drive from Swansea and around 30 minutes from Bicheno..

Cradle Mountain’s jagged peaks are one of the most recognisable images of Tasmania’s wilderness. Cradle Mountain is at the northern end of the 161,000-hectare (397,840-acre) Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair national park, part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. The Park is 2.5 hours’ west of Launceston (144 kilometres/90 miles) and 90 minutes from Devonport (83 kilometres/52 miles).

The sheer magnificence of Cradle Mountain inspired Austrian-born Gustav Weindorfer to build a chalet of King Billy pine here in 1912 and work tirelessly to have the area declared a national park "for the people for all time". His dream was realised in 1922, and today a quarter of all visitors to the state travel here to share his vision.

You can take one of many short walks in the area to gain a full appreciation of Cradle’s magic. Stroll from cascading rivers to dense, old-growth rainforest in just 20 minutes on the Enchanted Walk, walk the two-hour circuit of Dove Lake, or spend the day tackling Cradle Mountain’s summit. Cradle Mountain is the starting point of the 65-kilometre (40-mile) Overland Track—a six-day walk finishing at the northern end of Lake St Clair. Guided walks are available, some staying in catered huts along the way.

Cradle Mountain is surrounded by smooth glacial lakes, ancient rainforest, and distinctive alpine vegetation. Australia's only deciduous tree abounds here. Fagus, also known as deciduous beech (Nothofagus gunnii), is endemic to Tasmania and has a magnificent autumn display, ranging through gold to deep red from late April to May.

The history of the Weindorfers' devotion to Cradle Mountain and their successful efforts to ensure its preservation as a national park is told in Weindorfer's Chalet, just off the road to Dove Lake. The natural history of the park is detailed in displays and interpretation at the Visitor Centre, which you pass as you travel towards Dove Lake. A shuttle bus to Dove Lake departs from here each day throughout the year.

Cradle Mountain’s alpine location means the weather can be extremely changeable. Pack warm clothes, raingear, a map and good walking boots for your visit.

Currie is on the west coast of King Island, north-east of mainland Tasmania. You are sure to feel its remoteness as you gaze at the Southern Ocean – next stop: Africa.
Almost 800 people live in Currie, the commercial centre of the Island. Industries include fishing, farming, and harvesting bull kelp for food and cosmetics.
King Island’s 200 kilometres (124 miles) of coastline contain rugged cliffs softened occasionally by white, sandy beaches. More than 60 ships have been wrecked off these unforgiving shores, and a trail now guides you to interpretive plaques all around the island describing the various calamities. Scuba diving on the wrecks themselves is by far the best way to see them.
If you walk on a deserted beach you may be lucky enough to find a large, coiled nautilus shell. King Island has popular surfing beaches and sheltered lagoons for swimming. You can visit a 7,000-year-old calcified forest, created when the sand covering a forest finally receded, leaving fascinating limestone features. You can see all kinds of wildlife on the island too – wallabies, echidnas, seals, penguins and wild turkeys.
You will receive royal treatment at King Island. Delectably tender beef, mouth-watering crayfish and gourmet dairy foods await you. Lush pastures and clean air contribute to the island’s worldwide recognition for superior quality produce.
Currie Harbour was discovered by Captain Archibald Currie in 1797. In 1845 Australia’s worst peacetime maritime disaster occurred when 400 emigrants aboard the Cataraqui perished off the island’s coast. Cape Wickham lighthouse was erected in 1861 to prevent more ships from meeting such a fate. The town grew when scheelite mining began in 1917.
Currie has an average maximum of 20.5 degrees Celsius (69 degrees Fahrenheit) in January and 13.5 degrees Celsius (56.5 degrees Fahrenheit) in June.
Currie, on King Island, is 80 kilometres (49.5 miles) north-east of mainland Tasmania, and is accessible by plane and cargo vessels.

Derby is about 104 kilometres (65 miles) north-east of Launceston.
Mountains, rainforests and old tin mines surround this classified historic town. In the late 1800s it was a booming mining settlement and at the Derby Tin Mine Centre you can pan for a bit of raw tin - metal we use every day of the week without thinking about where it comes from.
Derby still has the feeling of a pioneer town, and you explore the quaint shops for antiques, second hand books and modern crafts. Then discover for yourself that Blue Lake really is blue; take a long walk or paddle a canoe on Cascade Dam to sharpen your appetite for a homemade afternoon tea in one of Derby’s cafes.
In October each year, you can enjoy the madcap Derby River Derby - a river race with very different rules.

Doo Town dates back to the 1930s. In 1935, Hobart architect Eric Round began a custom that continues today when he placed the name plate Doo I at his Pirate’s Bay weekender shack. Charles Gibson (Doo-Me) and Bill Eldriged (Doo-Us) followed. The tradition caught on and today most of the town’s 30 or so cottages have Doo names including Thistledoo and Gunnadoo.

Dunalley is a small fishing village south-east of Hobart en route to Port Arthur. It is located on a narrow isthmus that joins the Tasman Peninsula to the rest of Tasmania. You cross the Denison Canal, hand dug in 1905, which joins Frederick Henry Bay and Blackman Bay.
The town is 57 kilometres (about 60 minutes’ drive or 35 miles) from Hobart on the A9 Highway. The Denison canal, with a swing bridge for road traffic, allows boats easy access between the two bays. Local legend has it that the “toll” to the gatekeeper is a bottle of beer.
The area is known for its open countryside and stunning waterways. Look out for the Dunalley Fish Market, the Dunalley Waterfront Café, Antiques and Collectables, and Potters Croft bed and breakfast and art gallery.
On November 29, 1642 Abel Janszoon Tasman landed at Blackman Bay near present day Dunalley. It is believed they the Dutch were the first Europeans to set foot on Tasmanian soil. Although they saw smoke and heard noises they did not see any Aboriginal people. Notches cut at considerable distances on nearby tree trunks led them to believe that the people must be very tall. Later, the British satirist, Jonathan Swift, had Gulliver sail to the country of Houyhnhnms, west of Tasmania.
The weather on the Tasman Peninsula is affected by the winds coming off Frederick Henry Bay, so remember, no matter what time of year you visit; bring a warm jacket and all weather gear

If there's a single keynote for Tasmania's north-east, it’s colour. As you travel through this part of the Island, the hues of the land, the sky and the sea change before your eyes.
Take romantic strolls on uncrowded beaches and linger over meals of the freshest seafood – the wines, the coffee and the views are superb. Or simply watch islands float on the horizon from your stylish waterside accommodation.
The picturesque fishing port of St Helens is the north-east coast's largest town. Beyond the sand bar, the ocean offers up game fish, while to the north are the exquisite beaches, wildlife and Aboriginal middens of the Bay of Fires and Mount William National Park.
If you love a tasty true farm cheese, head inland to Pyengana cheesery – the cloth-bound cheddar is in a class of its own. Or drive along a mountain pass to the Mt Elephant Pancake Barn, and then loop back through St Marys.
The Bay of Fires Walk, the Freycinet Experience and Maria Island Walk are just a few of the guided multi-day hikes that take you through some of the most breathtaking scenery in Australia. When you are not walking or cruising, you’ll be pampered in quality accommodation or standing camps. And there’ll be plenty of time to socialise and indulge yourself over a gourmet meal and a glass of wine.
Your adventurous spirit will be inspired at Freycinet National Park. Above the peninsula’s main settlement of Coles Bay, climbers and abseilers test their skills on The Hazards’ pink and grey granite rocks, while sea kayakers paddle in the waters below, and quad bikes head for Friendly Beaches.
If you prefer something more romantic, take the short walk across a saddle to the perfect half-moon of Wineglass Bay.
Near the beachside towns of Bicheno and Swansea are vineyards and berry farms – stop for berry ice cream or a boutique cool-climate wine. Or head for Triabunna to catch the ferry to Maria Island, a national park with a surprising history of convicts and industrious dreamers. Dive in the marine park, hike to fossil cliffs and make friends with the local menagerie.

Flinders and its 51 surrounding islands are all that remain of the land bridge that once connected Tasmania to mainland Australia.
This is an island of dramatic and varied landscapes, from the pink and grey granite cliffs of Strzelecki and Killiecrankie to the gentle, green farmland that rolls through the northern part of the island. Flinders is an island of prolific bird life and wildlife. By the eastern lagoons and inlets, thousands of migratory birds rest on their long flights to breeding areas north of the Arctic Circle.
On many nearby islands are the rookeries of the southern hemisphere’s most numerous bird species, the amazing shearwaters, which make an annual journey of thousands of kilometres to the Arctic circle, then return to exactly the same burrow each year. The island’s dense coastal scrub shelters wallabies and wombats. It’s an island of friendly locals - take a stroll through the towns of Whitemark and Lady Barron or the little settlements of Emita and Killiecrankie - you’ll meet people with time to stop and chat.
It’s an island with a rich heritage, both sad and boisterous - at Wybalenna, the Tasmanian Aboriginal people, relocated during the 19th century, pined for their homelands.
On offshore islands, rough and ready sealers camped. On hidden reefs, ships foundered and sank.
It ’s an island of cosy beachside cottages, a couple of local pubs and friendly bed and breakfasts.

Spectacular views, miles of unspoiled white sand beaches, and low-key camping by the sea are the main features of The Friendly Beaches, which were added to the Freycinet National Park in 1992. Gravel roads lead to car parks overlooking the beaches.
Basic camping is permitted at Isaacs Point and Ridge Camp, though there is no fresh water. Isaacs Point also has pit toilets.

George Town sits on the eastern banks of the Tamar River about 40 minutes’s drive (50 kilometres/32 miles) north of Launceston. It is the third oldest settlement in Australia after Sydney and Hobart.
At nearby Low Head you can explore one of the best-preserved examples of an early pilot station, built by convicts in 1805. The pilot station is still in operation today. Also, from Low Head you can take a penguin tour to see the world’s smallest penguins clamber to their nests each night.
To the east are the vineyards of Pipers River, and the Bridestowe Lavender Farm.
Just south of George Town along the shores of the Tamar River is the deep-water port of Bell Bay and as you follow the A8 Highway you can stop by the Lavender Garden at Rowella, and the Hillwood Strawberry Farm.
George Town area with a population around 5,600 offers a range of accommodation from hotels and motels to bed and breakfast.
George Bass and Matthew Flinders explored the area in 1798 during their circumnavigation of Tasmania, and in 1804 Captain William Paterson set up a small encampment. In 1806, the settlement was abandon for the current Launceston location. Northern Tasmania was governed from Sydney until 1812 when it came under the jurisdiction of Hobart Town.
George Town’s weather is similar to Launceston, which is slightly cooler in winter and warmer in summer than Hobart and the east coast. No matter what time of year you visit, bring a warm jacket and all weather gear.

Founded in the 1870s as part of the tin mining boom in northeast Tasmania. On the road to the northern entrance to Mt William National Park, Gladstone is today the service centre for the Far North East and a good base from which to explore the magnificent coastline and heath lands of Mount William National Park. Make Gladstone your base – a range of accommodation is available, from pub and hostel-style to powered sites and self-contained accommodation.

Weave your way from the start of this trail through mountains, valleys and picturesque coastal villages until you reach one of the prettiest towns in Australia, the fishing village of Stanley. It begins with the craggy, misty mountains of the Western Tiers; then towards Devonport, lush green pastures where dairy cows produce the milk that makes Tasmania’s famed cheeses. Follow the edge of Bass Strait past pretty seaside villages, penguin rookeries, seal colonies, a platypus habitat, tulip fields, sandy coves, and tasty cheese outlets until you see The Nut - a huge volcanic plug on the horizon at Stanley.

Explore a timeless and mystical landscape that some say has been 370 million years in the making. The chain of mountains that forms the tier has more than 3000 lakes and tarns and its alpine environment is so rare that it is protected as a World Heritage Area. In this ancient landscape, limestone caves are a world away below the surface and hidden valleys shelter farming villages first settled in the early 1800s. The area is popular for its walks, waterfalls, historic homes, gardens, artists and craftspeople.

Tasmania’s capital lies in the south-east of the state, near the mouth of the Derwent River at the foot of Mount Wellington.
The 19th century waterfront warehouses for which the city is famous once bustled with whalers, soldiers, petty bureaucrats and opportunist businessmen. Now they house cafes, restaurants and studios and bustle with shoppers and visitors. Polished glass winks in the windows of settlers’ cottages, in nearby Battery Point, and brass doorknobs gleam in the lofty porches of colonial edifices.
Hobart is a city of warm sandstone, bright spinnakers on the water, fish punts at the docks, the slap of halyards on masts, coffee under the striped sun umbrellas of Salamanca where the famous Salamanca Market is held very Saturday.
Square-riggers still put out on the River, tacking among the yachts and fishing boats. Parliament House looks out on its lawns, once the market garden for old Hobart Town, and historic Government House sits serenely in its park on the city’s northern fringe, where the Governor’s cows graze as they always have in their city-centre paddock.
Hobart’s busy arts scene takes in art, craft, music and theatre at Salamanca Arts Centre and the surrounding warehouses.
You can hang out to the sounds of South American flutes, pub rock, street buskers and string quartets, and theatrical performances both classic and contemporary. In galleries and studios, our artists and craftspeople make bold and beautiful statements in pigments, glass, pottery and fabrics.
The city was settled in 1804 by Lieutenant Governor Collins and grew rapidly as the clearing house for British and Irish convicts. Its place on the Derwent River became the perfect protected deepwater harbour, and now every December and January it welcomes weary and exultant contenders from the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race.

King Island lies northwest of Tasmania in the path of the Roaring Forties, the ever-present westerlies that circle the world’s southern latitudes. It’s an island of long, empty beaches and clean, fresh air, of offshore reefs, rocky coasts, dairy farms, lighthouses and shipwrecks.
It is renowned for award-winning creamy cheeses, succulent beef produced on lush pastures, and fresh seafood.
King Islanders have a special relationship with the sea. The island’s kelpies gather bull kelp tossed ashore by storms, while cray fishermen and abalone divers harvest rich catches from beneath the surface. On King Island’s flat farmlands, beef and dairy cattle shelter behind thick ti-tree hedges - the lush grass is the secret to the succulent local beef, rich cream and wonderful hand-made cheeses. You can visit the King Island Dairies shop next to the cheese factory, taste the cheeses and select your favourites to take home. Wallabies and peacocks abound - be careful driving at dusk. Shearwater rookeries pepper tussocky coastal hillsides, and you may sight albatrosses and mighty sea eagles riding the updraughts.
Australia’s worst maritime disaster occurred here in 1845, when the Cataraqui grounded. Today, Cape Wickham lighthouse - the tallest lighthouse in the southern hemisphere - guides mariners safely into Bass Strait but you can still explore the island’s most important historic sites on the Shipwreck Trail.
Reid Rocks, 12 kilometres (7 miles) offshore, is home to a major breeding colony of Australian fur seals. King Island’s wildlife, both native and exotic, can sometimes surprise - yes, that was a pheasant you saw in the roadside hedge. And yes, it is a paddock of grazing turkeys. But the most pleasant surprise is the warm King Island welcome - in Currie’s motel and friendly pub, in Grassy’s local store and craft shop, in cottages and bed and breakfast and from everyone you pass on country roads.

Low Head is five kilometres north of George Town on the north coast of Tasmania. Located on the eastern side of the Tamar River, this small town is home to Australia’s oldest continuously operating pilot station.
Classified as an historic town, the Pilot Station Maritime Museum boasts an impressive collection of maritime memorabilia including early diving equipment and items from the countless shipwrecks off this coast. The lighthouse was built in 1888 to replace the former convict-built lighthouse and the surrounding grounds offer beautiful views out across the Tamar River mouth.
Low Head is popular among locals as a holiday destination with safe swimming beaches and excellent surfing at East Beach. You can also join a nocturnal tour and watch fairy penguins as they come up the beach to nest at dusk.

Miena is a small fishing village on the shores of Great Lake in Tasmania's central highlands.
Located 132 kilometres northwest of Hobart and 114 kilometres southwest of Launceston, Great Lake, which is 22 kilometres long, has the distinction of being the highest lake in Australia.
For people not interested in fishing the shores of the Great Lake are ideal for bushwalking.

Mole Creek occupies a valley between the Gog Range and the Great Western Tiers in the central north, not far from Tasmania’s highest point, Mount Ossa.
This is an area of fascinating limestone caves that have been forming over the past 450 million years and are now protected in Tasmania’s only underground national park. There are more than 300 caves and sinkholes in all, many featuring streams and springs.
Public tours are conducted through King Solomons and Marakoopa caves, and each give you a very different experience. King Solomons is noted for its lavish colours and formations, while Marakoopa is a wet cave containing the largest display of glow worms in Australia. For equally spectacular scenery, be adventurous and join a wild cave tours. You will journey through underground streams and squeeze between rocky passages with only a headlamp to illuminate your path – be prepared to get wet.
After navigating the caves, you can join a four wheel drive tour of the Mersey valley, visit a leatherwood honey farm, or try white-water rafting on the upper Mersey. There are many pleasant short walks in the area at Liffey Falls and Arm River. You’ll be rewarded by beautiful scenery on longer bushwalks at Lake Rowallan and the Walls of Jerusalem National Park.
There’s plenty of wildlife at Mole Creek – including the world’s largest barn owl and native Australian animals at the Trowunna Wildlife Park.
Mole Creek is home to little more than 200 people, most of whom earn their living from farming and forestry. It was named after of a small stream that veered underground, like a mole. The area was originally inhabited by Aboriginal people and was explored by Europeans hunting for fur skins in the 1830s.
The average maximum temperature for January is 21.5 degrees, while in June it’s 11 degrees.
Mole Creek is 72 kilometres (45 miles) west of Launceston. Take the B54 as far as Deloraine and the B12 from there.

Tasmania's north-northeast is known for its fertile land and quality timber. Crops such as poppies and hops grow here, and grazing land for sheep is plentiful. A former mining area, relics of that era can still be found in north-eastern towns. Launceston is the largest city in the region.
From Launceston, the island’s second major city, this area covers dark green forests, ancient mountain peaks, fields of summer lavender, vineyards, tiny villages, national parks and walking tracks along unspoiled beaches as far as you can see.

Oatlands is a pretty colonial town, about 84 kilometres (52 miles) north of Hobart, with the largest collection of sandstone buildings in Australia, and many of its old cottages are now cafes, antique stores or restaurants. Oatlands is another town selected and named by Governor Lachlan Macquarie in 1821.
The A1 Highway bypasses the town, now, but the signature landmark you will notice is the striking sandstone silhouette of Callington Mill (1837), and the town was once important to the wheat farmers who worked the district’s big farms. The local gardening enthusiasts are creating a parterre garden near the Mill.
Nearby is Lake Dulverton, which is restocked with fish from the Oatlands District High School Aquaculture Centre and is a popular fishing spot. There are free barbecue facilities, shelters and toilets nearby.
The Central Tasmanian Tourism Centre is at The Stables, 85 High Street (tel: (03) 6254 1212).

The holiday township of Orford lies at the mouth of the Prosser River at the end of Paradise Gorge on the east coast, just 80 kilometres (50 miles) north of Hobart.
The town has a population of 500 and is opposite Maria Island, making it a perfect base for exploring the island national park and its surrounding marine reserve. There are number of great swimming beaches close to the town, including Raspins, Shelley and Spring beach. The latter two are linked by an easy two kilometre coastal walk that takes in the 19th-century sandstone quarry that provided the hand-hewn stone used for Melbourne’s General Post Office among other buildings.
Orford is a popular fishing destination, with Prosser Bay, the Mercury Passage, and the clean ocean waters off Maria Island yielding a bounty of fresh seafood such as flathead, abalone and southern rock lobster (crayfish).
In February 2007 an artificial reef and dive site was created from the scuttling of the ship the 590 tonne, 55 metre (181 foot) coastal trader, Troy D, in the Mercury Passage approximately one kilometre off Maria Island, to further bolster the area's reputation as a premier location for scuba diving.
The first European in the Orford area was Dutch explorer Abel Tasman, in 1642, but it wasn’t until 1825 that the township was permanently settled as a whaling station and local garrison supporting the penal settlement at Darlington on Maria Island. Today you can still see signs of Orford’s convict history: as you drive along the banks of the Prosser River look out for the remains of the original convict road built between 1841 and 1855. Just past the bridge over the river a stone entry takes you to a 40-minute walk along the Old Convict Road.
Despite its small size Orford is well serviced with two supermarkets, several cafes and eateries, a hotel and accommodation.
The weather on Tasmania’s east coast is typically settled and warm, with an average maximum temperature of 22.5 degrees Celsius (72.5 degrees Fahrenheit) in summer and 10-15 degrees Celsius (50-75 degrees Fahrenheit) in winter.

Penguin, on the northwest coast overlooking Bass Strait, is characterised by sleepy weekdays that turn into bustling weekends, a scenic esplanade, its friendly community and charming seaside cafés.
The town’s population of nearly 3,000 rejoices in all things ‘penguin’ – from the penguin-shaped rubbish bins to the many penguin souvenirs available at the local market.
Every Sunday the Penguin Market draws hundreds of visitors from along the coast and around the state. With more than 200 modern stalls – ranging from fine food and wine, to woodcraft and live music – Tasmania’s largest undercover market caters for the whole family.
You can’t miss the largest penguin in the world, which has made the esplanade its home. The 3.15-metre (10-foot) cement and fibreglass bird was erected in 1975 to commemorate the centenary of the town.
Hiscutt Park, with its Dutch windmill and playground, is a peaceful place for a picnic. Behind the town, Dial Range has several walking tracks to the mountain-tops with stunning views over Penguin and the north-west coast.
Penguin was explored by Bass and Flinders and settled in 1861. It was named by Robert Campbell Gunn, after the small seabirds that live in rookeries along the north coast. Penguin was a originally a small timber and mining town, overshadowed by Burnie and Devonport.
The average maximum temperature in Penguin is 21 degrees Celsius (70 degrees Fahrenheit) in January and 13.5 degrees Celsius ( 56 degrees Fahrenheit) in June.
Penguin is 17 kilometres (10.5 miles) east of Burnie, or a pleasant fifteen minute drive west of Ulverstone through the Ling Perry Gardens along the coastal road.

The village of Port Arthur is often missed because of the significance of the Historic Site, but there is so much to experience in the area that you may want to consider staying overnight, particularly as entry passes to the Site are valid for two days.
Surfing, sea kayaking and bushwalking are popular and the coastline is spectacular. A short drive south of Port Arthur is Remarkable Cave, so called because its opening is said to resemble a map of Tasmania. From here you can walk to Crescent Bay, a secluded curve of striking beauty backed by huge sand dunes.
Just 20 kilometres (12.5 miles) north-west is the Coal Mines Historic Site, where interpretive signs explain the harsh lives and working conditions of repeat offenders from Port Arthur who worked underground extracting coal. Look out for DooTown, a quirky shack community devoted to homes with a theme: “GunnaDo”, “She’ll Doo”, "Humpty Doo” – and many more.
The settlement began life in 1830 as a timber station. In the years that followed, convicts created a small town for 1,100 inmates at its peak in the early 1840s
Port Arthur’s maximum average daily temperature is 18.5 degrees Celsius (65.5 degrees Fahrenheit) in January and 11.5 degrees (52 degrees Fahrenheit) in June. It is 93 kilometres (58 miles) south-east of Hobart on the A9.

This little town of cobbles, handmade brick and mellow stone on the banks of the Coal River is just a 30-minute drive from Hobart.
With more than 50 19th century buildings, many of them now providing high-quality accommodation, Richmond, with a population of around 800, is a perfect place to learn about Tasmania’s rich heritage.
Walk across Australia’s oldest bridge, built by convict labour between 1823 and 1825. Stand in the cell of the Richmond Gaol (1825), Australia’s oldest goal, for an eerie insight into the hardships of early Van Diemen’s Land convict life. Or wander in the cemetery of Australia’s oldest remaining Catholic Church, St Johns, built in 1836.
Step back in time with a ghost tour by lantern light or a look at original 1820s Hobart Town at the Hobart Town Historical Model Village. Then relax on the banks of the Coal River with a picnic, while feeding the local ducks, or test your sense of direction in the Richmond mazes.
You’ll get the most out of Richmond by wandering its streets on foot. Artists and craftspeople have been drawn to the town for generations, and you’ll find examples of their work in galleries and cafes.
On the way to Richmond to or from Hobart, visit some of the excellent vineyards in the region – sip wine at the cellar door or enjoy an a la carte meal of fresh Tasmanian produce in a stylish winery restaurant.
Richmond was proclaimed a town by Lieutenant Governor Sorell, in 1824. It played an important role as a convict station and military outpost in the early days of the colony. For much of its history it was the main gateway to the east coast and the Tasman Peninsula. If you are travelling to these destinations from Hobart, consider visiting Richmond on your way.
Richmond is 24 kilometres (15 miles) east of Hobart along the B31. Its maximum average daily temperature is 22.5 degrees Celsius (72.5 degrees Fahrenheit) in January and 13 degrees Celsius (55.5 degrees Fahrenheit) in June.

Scottsdale is administrative centre for the north-east and is about 70 kilometres (44 miles) from Launceston.
It is a friendly and busy town with a population of around 2,000, surrounded by farmlands, where you’ll see crops growing, contented dairy cows grazing and forest-based industries.
Visit the Forest EcoCentre, a unique architectural experiment in energy-saving design, showcasing Tasmania’s finest timbers, forest ecology and history of the area. North East Park is a good place for a picnic, and then challenge yourself to a half-day return walk to the summit of Mount Stronach for panoramic views of the forests and farms.

Sorell, 26 kilometres east of Hobart, sits at the junction of two roads that can take you south to the Tasman Peninsula and Port Arthur (Highway A9) or north and east to our east coast beaches (Highway A3).
The town’s population has grown to around 4,000, and Sorell is a popular service centre for local farms, light industry and its growing suburbs. Look out for the Sorell Fruit Farm, where you can pick all sorts of stone and berry fruits in season.
Sorell is a good place to stock up on supplies and fuel before heading off on your journey. Just off the main street you will find Sorell Antiques and the Blue Bell Inn, a former coaching inn, built in 1829, that now offers quality accommodation and meals.
The town was first explored in 1805 by Lieutenant Governor Collins and in 1821 was named after the governor of the day, Lieutenant Governor William Sorell (Governor of Van Diemen's Land - April 1817 - May 1824).
Tasmania’s most notorious bushranger, Matthew Brady, held up the town jail and freed the prisoners.
One of Australia’s best known combat cameramen, Neil Davis, was from Sorell. He filmed wars in South-East Asia until his death in 1985.
Sorell’s weather is similar to Hobart with an average maximum summer temperature of 22 degrees Celsius and minimum of eight degrees Celsius.
Sorell is 30 minutes’ drive east of Hobart and 10 minutes’ drive from Hobart International Airport.

Hobart, the capital city, is your introduction to Australia’s lush island state. The Derwent River and mighty Mt Wellington frame this small historic capital, offering the best of city living - good theatre, arts and crafts, excellent restaurants, shopping and services without the usual problems of crowding, traffic and alienation. Hobart has preserved the best of its history in the warm sandstone buildings, busy working harbour and dark green forested hills. The south is a region of vineyards, fertile valleys, winding waterways and historic sites and villages. From the top of Mt Wellington you can see the myriad of bays, islands, seacliffs and waterways that enthrall sailors from around the world.

Stanley is the second largest settlement west of Wynyard on the northern coast. It is part of the Circular Head Municipality. Smithton is the main business area of this Municipality. Stanley’s iconic ‘Nut’, a volcanic plug rising 150 metres (492 feet), likened to an enormous Christmas cake by explorers Bass and Flinders.
Stanley has a population of 450. Its main industries are fishing and tourism.
For an aerobic workout Stanley-style – or to walk off the town’s speciality (fish and chips) – you can climb a winding path to the windblown plateau of the Nut. Alternatively, take the chairlift to appreciate the uninterrupted views of Bass Strait.
This is a great place for guided tours. The Tarkine Wilderness Area, to the south, has gained international recognition for its temperate rainforest, and you can travel there by four-wheel-drive with guides who know the area intimately.
Closer to Stanley, brave Highfield Historic Site to learn how the area’s first European settlers lived. Historic tours are also offered through Stanley’s streets, lined with stone cottages dating back to the town’s settlement.
Stanley is a good base to stay and explore the wilderness areas and take a wildlife tour.
Seal-spotting cruises and penguin watching at the foot of the Nut are a must. There are bushwalks in nearby Rocky Cape National Park. Tours of Woolnorth are popular – the historic property, still operated under its original Van Diemen’s Land Company charter, also has modern influences, including a large, productive wind farm.
Stanley was discovered by Bass and Flinders in 1798 and was named after the British Secretary of State for the Colonies, Lord Stanley.
The first telephone transmission from Tasmania to mainland Australia was made in 1936 from Stanley. The town was also the birthplace of Joseph Lyons, currently the only Tasmanian to ever hold the office of prime minister.
Stanley has an average maximum temperature of 20 degrees Celsius (68 degrees Fahrenheit) in January and 12.5 degrees Celsius (54.5 degrees Fahrenheit) in June.
Stanley is an hour’s drive west of Burnie on the A2. Head for the Nut – you can see it long before you reach the town.

Strahan – for many this name evokes a place with the true spirit of independence – of 19th century piners and miners, and 20th century protesters who stopped the damming of the wild Franklin River.
Strahan is the major harbour town on Tasmania’s west coast, and the place to go if you want to explore the wild and beautiful World Heritage Area.
It has a permanent population of about 900 and sits on the harbour’s northern edge.
From Strahan you can take a cruise across the 50 kilometre (31 mile) length of Macquarie Harbour and along the wide Gordon River. The West Coast Wilderness Railway takes you across a mountain range to Queenstown. Or board a seaplane to search out some of the remaining 1,000 year-old Huon pine and myrtle trees. Another way to explore the area is by four-wheel drive or jet boat the King River.
You can kayak the rivers and waterways, walk the long expanse of Ocean Beach, slide down a sand dune, or explore the forests by all-terrain vehicle.
Huon pine is probably the prime reason the area was opened up, and in the local craft shops you can see elegant artefacts made from this resilient aromatic buttery yellow timber.
In 1815, Captain James Kelly was the first European to navigate the 200 metre opening to Macquarie Harbour, named Hell’s Gates by Sarah Island convicts. By 1822, Sarah Island was operating as a convict station. While it operated, until 1833, it had the dubious reputation as being the worst convict prison in Australia. Strahan was founded in 1877.
Be prepared with all-weather gear because Strahan is all about wild weather.
Strahan is about a 4.5 hour drive from Hobart along the Lyell Highway (A 10), or three hours from Devonport.

Strathgordon is located deep in Tasmania’s south west and boasts Australia’s largest freshwater catchment.
Lake Pedder and Lake Gordon lie at the northern edge of Tasmania’s south west wilderness, holding about 27 times more water than Sydney Harbour. Together, the lakes form Australia’s largest freshwater catchment. Both lakes are excellent wild trout fisheries and have good boat launching facilities. Always check the weather forecast before boating as lake conditions can change rapidly.

Taranna is a small sleepy settlement just north of Port Arthur Historic Site on the Tasman Peninsula.
The drive takes you south-east of Hobart for about 90 minutes (89 kilometres/55 miles) on the A9 Highway.
At Taranna you will find the Tasmanian Devil Park, a cluster of accommodation of various types, and the Federation Chocolate outlet.
During the height of the Port Arthur prison, Taranna was the terminus for a human railway which ran between the jetty at Little Norfolk Bay and the prison. It was designed to carry passengers and supplies unloaded at Norfolk Bay and saved the ships the hazardous journey around Cape Raoul. The railway was the first railway in Australia and probably the only one using human horsepower along the seven kilometre line.
The weather on the Tasman Peninsula is affected by the winds coming off Frederick Henry Bay, so remember, no matter what time of year you visit; bring a warm jacket and all weather gear.

Tarraleah was once home to hundreds of hydro electric workers building one of Australia’s first hydro-electric schemes in Tasmania’s central highlands. Today, the whole town of 1920s and 1930s wooden homes has been restored as an elegant wilderness resort.
Tarraleah means Forrester kangaroo in the language of the local Aboriginal people, and the site is host to an enormous range of Tasmanian flora and fauna. It is quite possible to see platypus and quolls, wallabies, wombats, Tasmanian devils and echidnas wandering around the town all on the same evening, and some say the Tasmanian tiger is also about.
The town’s central Lodge, built in the 1930s for the Hydro engineers and company directors, has been restored to the elegance of its early days when money and craftsmanship were no object. The Art Deco building now houses a contemporary and luxuriously comfortable nine bedroom small luxury hotel – a showcase of Tasmanian art and craft.
The town’s cottage, hand built by Tasmanian craftsmen in the 1930s, have also been restored as self-contained one to three bedroom holiday cottages.
Tarraleah is 114 kilometres (70 miles), or two hours’ drive, northwest of Hobart on the A10 Highway between Hamilton and Lake St Clair. Geographically it is 20 kilometres from the physical centre of Tasmania, right on the edge of the World Heritage Area – Franklin Gordon Wild Rivers National Park and Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park. Look out for the huge water pipes which “tumble” down the side of a valley near the chalet.
The weather in the central highlands is often wild and woolly, and because of the slightly higher elevation it is cooler in the summer and winter. So remember to bring a warm jacket and wet weather gear.

The Tasman Peninsula is a land of farms, forests, sheer dolerite cliffs, sweeping views across the Tasman Sea and the place of the world’s southern-most historic prison. It is almost an island apart.
As you travel past Hobart International Airport look out for Barilla Bay, where you can sit in the sun overlooking the oysters beds that produce the succulent oysters they serve up on the half shell.
Turn right at the historic town of Sorell (look out for the signs to the Sorell Fruit Farm) and begin your journey into a land of scenery, wildlife, heritage and adventure.
At Copping you will find small vineyards and cafes selling local specialities - octopus, oysters, quail and venison.
Just near Dunalley is Potters Croft craft shop where you will find the works of some of Tasmania‘s best crafts people. Nearby is the Dunalley Waterfront Cafe and Antiques, and the Dunalley Fish Market.
As you head down the long hill into Eaglehawk Neck, a narrow isthmus, you are entering an area once guarded by a line of half-starved hounds waiting to attack any convict trying to escape.
The area offers you a number of choices: take some short or multi-day walks in the Tasman National Park, with its sweeping beaches and forest walks beside 300 metre sea cliffs, or head to Port Arthur Historic Site.
At Port Arthur Historic Site you step back 150 years as you explore a prison once feared and reviled. Today, that is hard to imagine as you stroll beneath graceful old oak and elm trees, through 19th century-style gardens and cruise the bay to Point Puer, the boys’ prison, and the Isle of the Dead.
The township of Port Arthur overlooks the water and is a good place to stay when exploring the area.
Returning north, turn off to visit the Wielangta Forest, where rare parrots flash through the blue gums. Beyond the trees is the gentle landscape of the east coast.

A highway with a thousand stories – from convicts to farmers, bushrangers, villains, writers and painters. Cross a landscape first cleared by Aborigines for hunting and quickly settled by European farmers. Explore picture-perfect Georgian villages that began life as overnight stops for horse-drawn carriages. Look out for whimsical hedge shapes, 19th Century sandstone road markers, the ghoulish faces on the Ross Bridge, and gracious colonial homesteads. The Heritage Highway links the northern city of Launceston to the capital of Hobart and the first Europeans to use the route, in 1807, took eight days to make the journey.

Waratah sits on the edge of the Tarkine Reserve in north-west Tasmania 40 minutes' drive south of Burnie and 50 minutes from Burnie/Wynyard Airport.
The town with its magnificent waterfall - in the main street - was once the richest tin mine in the world. Today, Waratah offers visitors a rare insight into an original mining town. The town remained isolated from the rest of Tasmania until 1963 when a connecting road was finally completed.
On December 4, 1871, a prospector, James ‘Philosopher’ Smith, discovered tin at Mount Bischoff. His discovery triggered a mining boom and the birth of Tasmanian mining.
When the mine closed in 1935 it had produced 81,000 tonnes of tin and provided a dividend equal to £200 for every £1 initially invested. At its peak the town, which now has only a few hundred residents, had a population in excess of 5,000.
While you can no longer visit the Mount Bischoff mine you can visit the Kenworthy Stamper Mill a working historical artefact and the last mining operation to be conducted on Mount Bischoff. The Stamper was relocated from Dead Mans Gully to a purpose-built facility in the centre of town.
You can also visit the Courthouse Museum with its collection of local historical artefacts, photos and personal stories. A replica of 'Philosopher' Smith's Hut sits next to the Museum, demonstrating the conditions of miners during those early days.
Visitors can picnic by the waterfall or enjoy the views from the comfort of the café, take a stroll around the lake and look out for platypus, or try your hand at fishing for trout.
Every Australia Day the town holds the Annual Australia Day Duck Races and a reunion for the former Luina, Waratah and Savage River residents.
Waratah is a good base for exploring the Tarkine, and you can choose from bed and breakfast, caravan and camping ground and hotel accommodation.
Waratah's weather is subject to the prevailing west coast weather patterns and its lush rainforests are fed by the Roaring Forties winds and rain. Make sure you bring a jacket and all-weather gear.

Whitemark has a population of around 150 and is the administrative centre for Flinders Island and overlooks Parrys Bay on the west coast.
The historic Interstate Hotel, built in 1912, is one of the earliest buildings and you will find a good supermarket and bakery, petrol station, post office, cafe, general store, hairdresser, rural retail outlets, hospital, golf club, pub, internet facilities, and Service Tasmania.
The town is about 10 ten minutes’ drive from the airport. Most of the island roads are unsealed.
The other major centre is Lady Barron, at the southern end of the island. It has a supermarket, tennis courts, wharf, and restaurant.
In the northwest is Killiecrankie where you will find a small general store.
Flinders Island sits in the path of the mighty Roaring Forties winds and the climate is maritime. The annual rainfall ranges from about 600mm in the south west to over 800mm in the central hills on Flinders Island, and rainfall is the greatest during winter months (June to August).
The average minimum temperature in winter is 6.0 degrees Celcius (43 degrees Fahrenheit) and the average maximum temperature in summer is 22.5 degrees Celcius (72.5 degrees Fahrenheit). For the summer months it is not uncommon for the temperature to hover around the low 30s Celcius.

Woodbridge looks out across Peppermint Bay and the D’Entrecasteaux Channel to the northern end of Bruny Island about 35 minutes’ drive (35 kilometres/22 miles) south of Hobart on the B68 Highway.
The town is surrounded by small farms and craft makers who have chosen to live in this semi rural area of rolling hills and winding roads.
The focal point for visitors is Peppermint Bay restaurant and providore shop along with Woodbridge Hill Handweaving Studio and Gardens, Grandvewe Sheep Cheesery, Regnans art gallery, Fleurty’s herb garden and restaurant, and a gathering of bed and breakfast and guest house accommodation. Woodbridge is one of the prettiest small towns on the Channel and is a lovely place to stay while exploring the Huon Valley and Bruny Island. Kettering, the ferry depot for Bruny Island, is just a few kilometres north.
The area was first explored by Bruni D'Entrecasteaux in 1792 and was settled in the early 1800s by timber cutters, whalers and sealers. To the north is Oyster Cove where the few remaining Aborigines who survived the Wybalenna settlement on Flinders Island were moved in 1847.
Today the area produces apples and stone fruit and the Channel is well known for its Atlantic salmon farms, which you can visit on a Hobart Cruises journey from the city to Peppermint Bay.
Woodbridge’s climate is similar to Hobart. But remember, no matter what time of year you visit, bring a warm jacket and all weather gear.

Wynyard is a centre of agriculture on the A2 about 60 kilometres (37 miles) west of Devonport. The city is on the banks of the Inglis River sheltered by Table Cape - flat-topped and fertile and during spring it is carpeted in tulips.
Take a boat out, go fishing, ride a horse, swing a golf club or a tennis racquet, or just go walking or driving. This is a beautiful stretch of coast, with beaches and bays in either direction.
The Wonders of Wynyard is the local visitor centre with a world class collection of vintage Ford cars and local art.
Behind the town you’ll pass village after tiny village as you explore the country roads among the farmlands, patchworked in green, gold and dark chocolaty brown.
Wynyard has a direct link to Melbourne from Burnie Airport. You can fly to King and Three Hummock islands from Wynyard.

Zeehan, once Tasmania’s third largest town, is north of Queenstown on the west coast. Rich in mining history, its economy is focused around tourism and the nearby Renison Bell tin mine.
Its population of 900 is 10 times smaller than it was at its peak in the early 20th century.
Put yourself in the shoes of early settlers by taking the historic walk around the town. In times gone by, it was a social hub for the entire west coast. The restored Gaiety Theatre, where celebrities such as Dame Nellie Melba once performed, has a capacity of 1,000 and was state of the art when it was built in 1899. The town’s mining heritage is just as rich and fascinating, as you will discover at the West Coast Pioneer Memorial Museum.
From Zeehan you can fish for trout in Lake Pieman or crayfish at Granville Harbour. Visit Zeehan’s original port, Trial Harbour, or take in the views from the top of Mount Zeehan.
Zeehan was first sighted by Abel Tasman, in 1642, when he saw the mountain peak later named Mount Zeehan by Bass and Flinders, after Tasman’s brig. In 1871 the discovery of tin at Mount Bischoff led to further exploration of the area. Little more than 10 years later, Frank Long discovered silver and lead, sparking the largest mining boom on Tasmania’s west coast. Ultimately, however, the reserves were depleted – the town once known as Silver City ceased mining the precious metal in 1914.
Zeehan’s average maximum temperature in summer is 19.5 degrees Celsius (67 degrees Fahrenheit) and 11 degrees Celsius (52 degrees Fahrenheit) in winter. As in many west coast centres, wet weather gear is likely to come in handy here – Zeehan averages 2.5 metres (eight feet) of rain a year.
Zeehan is 150 kilometres (93 miles) south-west of Burnie, and 50 kilometres (30 miles) from Strahan.