Regions: North West

The North West Tasmania region covers a large area including the coastal towns of Devonport, Burnie and Stanley; Cradle Mountain National Park and the rugged peaks of the Great Western Tiers form an imposing backdrop to this coastal farmland region. The narrow strip of coastal plain between the island’s central mountains and Bass Strait is one of the richest regions agriculturally in the state and the most densely populated. Travellers often remark that the countryside reminds them of rural England, but that resemblance is mainly due to the fact that the early settlers introduced English trees and hedges.

Highlights

   

The area has a certain charm about it that becomes very apparent when you take your car on the overnight ferry from Melbourne, and head west along the coast upon arrival at Devonport. As the sun climbs over the mountains, there is a crispness in the air.

You see the occasional car travelling the other way but apart from that, you have the road to yourself. Cattle idly graze in lush green pastures that appear to go right down to the beachfront, a single railway track winds its away along the shore and around the hillsides as the sun’s rays reach out and touch the calm waters of Bass Strait. It all makes you feel like winding down the windows and shouting, “It’s good to be alive!”

The beaches on the Bass Strait coast are regarded as good by Australian standards but are few and far between. The charm of the coastal region lies in its gentle pastoral landscapes, its vistas of distant, often snow-capped peaks and ranges, the multitude of small, clear streams that cross it, its several austerely impressive headlands that thrust out into the sea and the pleasant and relatively reliable climate.

The Best Time To Visit:

November to April is the peak season in Tasmania. Summer brings warm days and mild evenings from December to February, while winter can be stormy with snow on the mountain peaks between July and August. Rainfall occurs throughout the year. The weather is most stable from the end of summer to autumn (February to May).

Many towns in the region are planted with European deciduous trees which shed their leaves in Autumn (March to May). Their display of red and golden make the region particularly picturesque during these months.

How To Get There:

By car, from Melbourne, take the Spirit of Tasmania car and passenger ferry overnight from Melbourne. A supplementary day travel services operates during summer months.

From Launceston – drive to Devonport via Deloraine, taking Bass Highway via Midland Highway south from Launceston.

From Hobart: drive north via Midland Highway, following the signs to Devonport before reaching Launceston.

By coach, Tassielink Coaches services all major centres throughout Tasmania.

Things To See and Do:

Use the menu at the top of this page to find places of interest and things to see and do in this region. Alternatively, use the map below.

To operate the map menu, click on the arrow to the left of a category to see its sub-categories. Click the box of any attractions you would like more information about; flags will appear on the map for each item checked. Click the flag of any item for more information.

To close a category’s sub-menu after use, click on the down arrow to the left of the category name. Flags of items in that category which you have checked will also disappear from the map.

To remove the map menu while you are using the map, click the button at the bottom right of the map (it will have a minus sign in it) and the menu will disappear. To view the map menu again, simply click on the button again (this time it will have a plus sign in it) and the menu will re-appear.