Base Yourself in Burnie

Just an hours drive from magnificent Cradle Mountain and historic Stanley, and one-and-a-half hours from the wild West Coast, Burnie provides the ideal base for day trips to some of the State's famous tourist drawcards.

And also to some of the lesser known ones....

To the first-time visitor, the dramatic contrasts of land and seascapes along the North-West coastline and hinterland, and the short distances between wild beaches and rainforests and the lakes and peaks of the high country are an unexpected bonus.  Sea and trout fishing, bushwalking, surfing, scuba diving and horseriding can be easily accommodated in day trips from Burnie.

Tulips and Walking Trails

Spend the day exploring the magnificent coastline west of Burnie from cliff-top tulip and poppy farms at Table Cape to the stark-white sand and turquoise waters of nearby Boat Harbour.   Walk along the Postman's Track to the beautiful seaside holiday hamlet of Sisters Beach with its gallery and birdlife park, or pack a picnic lunch and head for the hills for a longer trek to Tasmania's smallest national park at Rocky Cape.

History on a Headland

Cast your eyes across the water and you'll sight Stanley's famous Nut - 152 metres high and 13 million years old - the dominant feature of the North-West's earliest settlement.  A fishing village brimming with locally-made crafts, Stanley (c. 1826) is registered on the National Estate.  Take a self-guided tour through historic Highfield Estate, built in 1832 as headquarters for the Van Diemen's Land Company.

Venture even further west to the Milkshakes and Julius River Forest Reserves, to the famous, windswept Marrawah surfing beach or serenely cruise on the beautiful Arthur River - and still be back in time for dinner.

• Burnie is just 45 minutes from the port of Devonport and the passenger ferry, Spirit of Tasmania (to become Spirit of Tasmania I and II from 1 September 2002)
  
• Burnie Airport at Wynyard is serviced daily from Melbourne and is a 20-minute drive from the City of Burnie
  
• Burnie is on the major bus route to Hobart and is the departure point for bus tours to Cradle Mountain and Strahan.