North-west Coast Tasmania

Take a deep breath. That is a lung full of the purest air in the world, to match one of the healthiest, most relaxed lifestyles in the world. Explore the wonderfully invigorating Tasmanian north-west coast.

Rare and endangered wildlife (including the Tasmanian devil). Striking geology. And locally produced whiskey, chocolate and cheese for when you need a break from the region’s ingrained healthiness. ‘Diverse’ hardly begins to describe it…

Travelling to north-west coast Tasmania

Devonport is the ‘arrival hub’ for the region. You can fly here from Melbourne or any other major centres in Australia, although not all flights will be direct.

Fly into Launceston and you’ll have a bigger selection of departure airports.
You can also catch the ferry to Devonport from Port Melbourne on the mainland.

A car is handy but public transport is good and should get you to most of where you want to go.

Attractions on north-west coast Tasmania

Devonport
Tasmania’s third largest city sits at the mouth of the Mersey River. Much of the region’s freshest food is produced around here. The local restaurants make the most of what nature gives them, and although there’s something to suit every taste, the one common factor is the brilliant freshness.

You can spot tourists a mile off: they’re the ones sitting wide-eyed at the table, shaking their heads and wondering why food isn’t like this at home.

Take a (brief) break from the food by touring Devonport’s ‘hip’ shops and unique boutiques. Then work up an appetite on one of the city’s many walks. Our favourite is the City Walk that takes you along the foreshore of the Mersey River. You can find more walks here.

Also in Devonport

The Tasmanian Arboretum: Peace and beauty are the order of the day here. Walk the numerous trails or find a quiet spot to just sit and admire one of Tasmania’s most tranquil attractions.
The Devonport Regional Gallery: A showcase of local Tasmanian art.
Don River Railway: Tasmania’s steam and locomotive museum houses the island’s largest collection of engines and carriages. The Don River Railway tours are led by wonderfully enthusiastic volunteers.
The Tiagarra Aboriginal Culture Centre and Museum: This is something of a Devonport gem. See thousands of artefacts and learn about Tasmania’s aboriginal people.

Port Sorell
A quiet coastal town that makes a great base for wildlife exploration and water sports. The town upholds the region’s reputation for wonderful food. There’s a golf club, country club and an award winning winery here too.

Narawntapu National Park
Across the Rubicon River from Port Sorell lies one of the best places in Tasmania for wildlife spotting – including the famous Tasmanian devil.

Latrobe
This quaint, historic town has some wonderful Victorian architecture. The country’s first brass band formed here – and they’re still piping up. Complete your tour of local celebrities by seeing platypus in their natural environment.

Latrobe’s surrounding area is overflowing with food producers. We’d recommend an afternoon touring the chocolate and cheese makers (and more). You can find more about Latrobe here.

Deloraine
There’s no escaping the food theme when you’re travelling north-west coast Tasmania. So loosen the belt and head to the pretty little town of Deloraine. It’s National Trust classified, pretty as a picture, and has a tiny population of around 2,000. All of them, it seems, are master bakers.

Visit the award-winning bakeries, and sample the famous Tasmanian scallop pie.

Afterwards, explore the surrounding area’s producers to sample honey, cheese and fresh raspberries.

Despite its bijou size, Deloraine is home to the biggest craft fair in the southern hemisphere. In November the population explodes to more than 30,000.

Penguin
Who can’t love a town with a name like that? And just in case you’re in any doubt as to where you are, there’s a whopping 3m tall penguin on the shoreline to remind you.

The numerous beaches are safe and lovely, cafés are everywhere, and on Sundays Tasmania’s largest undercover market takes place.

Gunns Plains Caves
You’d never think it from the surface, but beneath the farmland lurks a huge network of sinkholes, streams, and caves that are simply magnificent. It’s a must-do Tasmanian attraction.

Leven Canyon
It’s little-known, but the lookout 275 metres above the river is spectacular. There are picnic and barbecue facilities here, so you can relax and grab lunch after exploring some of the area’s 300 limestone cliffs.

Burnie
Life happens on the waterfront of this vibrant port. It’s a busy place – especially in summer – but the museums, workshops, whiskey distillery and Australia’s largest eucalypt tree farm are all worth a visit.

Wynyard
Lovely river and forest walks.

The Bass Highway
One of Australia’s best coastal drives, with amazing scenery around every bend.

Tarkine Wilderness Reserves
Australia’s largest temperate rainforest – and the second largest in the world – is (and we can’t stress this enough) breathtaking. Take a guided walk or explore at your own pace. Just don’t miss this spectacular Tasmanian attraction.

King Island
King Island has wildlife and fascinating stories in equal measure. The harbour, dairy, historical sites and delicious seafood all add up to something unique and completely captivating.

There are no passenger ferries so you’ll need to get here by plane (from Wynyard or Launceston) or hitch a ride on a cargo vessel. If you’re in a group, chartering a flight could be surprisingly affordable.

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Tasmania

L’il (Tasmanian) devil

It’s the world’s largest carnivorous marsupial. And although it looks nothing like its Looney Tunes namesake, in terms of attitude Warner Bros got it pretty much spot on.

The ‘devil’ was named by early European settlers after they experienced its feisty, cantankerous nature first hand.

Devils were once found across Australia but are now only to be seen on Tasmania. That said, you’re unlikely to bump into one in the wild: they’re nocturnal.