Tasmania - Towns

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Towns

Tasmania

Provided by: Brian Dullaghan/Tourism Tasmania

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Oceania Australia Tasmania Towns

In collaboration with Tourism Tasmania

Overview

Towns The guide was updated: 2024-06-25

Risk-taking artists, passionate producers, inventive chefs and soulful heritage bring light and shade to Tasmanian towns. Hobart in the south and Launceston in the north are the two largest centres with Hobart being Tasmania's capital. Strahan is the major centre on the west coast and St Helens and Coles Bay are on the east coast.

Hobart

Hobart

Tasmania's capital and Australia's second oldest city, Hobart offers a contrasting blend of heritage, scenery and culture, with world class activities and attractions nearby. Nestled amongst the foothills of Mt Wellington, Hobart combines heritage charm with a modern lifestyle in a setting of exceptional beauty.

Strahan

Strahan

Strahan is a charming harbour-side village on the west coast, set on the edge of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. Nestled on the shores of massive Macquarie Harbour, Strahan is the gateway to the World Heritage listed Franklin–Gordon Wild Rivers National Park. Boat cruises provide an unforgettable journey into the pristine temperate rainforests.

Stanley

Stanley

Stanley is a town of perfectly preserved colonial buildings, quaint cafes and quality B&B style cottages, all sheltering in the imposing shadow of The Nut, an immense flat-topped, volcanic plug rising 150 metres straight up from the water's edge.

New Norfolk

New Norfolk

New Norfolk is a small town on the River Derwent 30 minutes west of Hobart in the Derwent Valley. The valley is home to quirky antique shops located in an old mental asylum, the renowned Agrarian Kitchen and Mount Field National Park where you will be amazed by spectacular Russell Falls. Stop at the historic villages of Hamilton and Bothwell before reaching Cradle Mountain Lake St Clair National Park with its World Heritage wilderness.

Boat Harbour Beach

Boat Harbour Beach

Boat Harbour is a stunning seaside village on Tasmania’s northwest coast, sitting on a gentle slope overlooking Bass Strait. Protected by rocky outcrops on either side, the pure white sand and azure water of Boat Harbour beach glisten like a living magazine cover. A sweeping downhill road into the seaside village descends one into holiday mode with ease as the seascape comes into view. With two petite population areas, there is the option of staying within the beach community just a few steps from the sand or high up on the ridge with breathtaking vistas across Bass Strait.

St Helens

St Helens

St Helens is the largest town on Tasmania's North-East Coast and just a few kilometres away from Binalong Bay and the southern end of the beautiful beaches of the Bay of Fires. Overlooking Georges Bay, chartered fishing boats cruise offshore for marlin and divers cruise beneath the surface to explore impressive kelp forests, underwater caves and colourful sea life. St Helens offers all the services of a busy town with a positively laid back vibe, and that's just the way the locals and visitors like it. It has recently become a hub for mountain bikers with the new St Helens Mountain Bike Trails.

Sheffield

Sheffield

Concealed in the foothills of majestic Mount Roland is the town of Sheffield, where history and art merge to create an entire town of murals. Just 30 kilometres south of Devonport this small town's claim to fame is the many murals that visually show the Kentish district history. Climb to the summit of the nearby 1,234-metre Mount Roland for stunning views.

Queenstown

Queenstown

Queenstown is the gateway to the west coast with a rich and rugged mining history. It's also close to the edge of Tasmania's World Heritage Wilderness Area and surrounded by great fishing lakes. The town was once the world's richest mining town. The copper mining and mass logging in the early 1900s created a surreal and rocky 'moonscape' of bare coloured conglomerate. Although Mother Nature is slowly creeping back into the landscape, the scenic drive into Queenstown down a spiralling road with over 90 bends is still nothing short of spectacular.

Zeehan

Zeehan

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 today is 10 times smaller than it was at its peak in the early 20th century. The town’s mining heritage is rich and fascinating.

Richmond

Richmond

Richmond is a picture-perfect village of cobbled streets, hand-made brick and mellow stone buildings on the banks of the Coal River and it’s just 20 minutes out of Hobart. 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 gaol, for an eerie insight into the hardships of early Van Diemen's Land convict life.

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