Wynyard Tulip Farm (Tourism Tasmania and John de la Roche)

Leaving Devonport on the coastal road to the east there are numerous towns to travel through and places to see on the way up to the Rocky Cape National Park.

Penguin
The coastal drive through Ulverstone and on to the town of Penguin is another of Tasmania’s many scenic coastal areas. As you might expect with a name like Penguin there are good opportunities to see penguins near this small town, and the evening penguin tours are very popular!

Burnie
Moving onwards along the coast to Burnie and you again have plenty of chances to see penguins, in addition to platypus on an evening tour. There are several hotels in Burnie, so you could choose to stay the night here if you wanted to join a penguin tour. Despite Burnie being an industrial port town there are actually a number of interesting attractions here for visitors, so this may be a good place to stop for the night to see what else is on offer. Highlights include the self-guided Heritage Town Walk and the Pioneer Village Museum which shows visitors what Burnie was like during its boom time from 1890 to 1910.

Wynyard
A little further west along the coast from Burnie is Wynyard. If you didn’t stay in Burnie for the night Wynyard is a good alternative as there are several nice hotels and other Wynyard accommodation here too. Wynyard is best known for its fields of tulips and the Bloomin’ Tulips Festival which takes place over 10 days in October. Another highlight is hiking up to Table Cape, one of the most prominent landmarks in the area, from which you get some great views and there’s also the old lighthouse here too.

Boat Harbour
Boat Harbour is a picturesque little town, originally called Jacob’s Boat Harbour after Captain John Jacob. Boat Harbour Beach, which is actually the name of a separate township, is very popular and as the name suggests, the main feature is the nice sandy beach. Boat Harbour Beach is another great little spot to spend a night or two and there are some great Boat Harbour accommodation places here. This actually makes a good base from which to explore the Rocky Cape National Park which is right on its doorstep, as there is no camping in Rocky Cape.

For a fantastic range of North West Tasmania accommodation, visit Book it Now.

‘Touring Tasmania – Devonport to Rocky Cape National Park’ by Claire Bolgil

Mersey Bluff Lighthouse

Having spent a day exploring the caves of the Mole Creek Karst National Park we had several options for which direction to head in. We will be visiting the next national park on our list, Cradle Mountain-Lake St Claire, but decided that heading north back up to the coast and to the city of Devonport was best at this point.

Devonport is Tasmania’s third largest city though one of the busiest in terms of tourists because the Spirit of Tasmania ferries from Melbourne dock here, making this a popular place to start or finish a holiday in Tasmania.

Devonport started life as Port Frederick and then as Mersey River. The name of the Mersey River remained but the town again had a name change when it was split into two separate halves – Formby and Torquay, finally, when these two towns rejoined in 1890 the name Devonport was settled on.

Devonport has an array of places to stay, but being the popular travel gateway that it is places can get booked up in advance in the peak season. So if you’re planning on staying in a Devonport hotel you’d be advised to book this in advance rather than find everywhere is full. For a full list of great Devonport accommodation, visit Book it Now.

What to See and Do in Devonport
Devonport may be famous for the ferries, but there are also some interesting attractions in the city which visitors should stick around to see.

Scenery – Devonport is an attractive town with some appealing architecture but the area also has some pretty scenery – places like Mersey Bluff and the photogenic Mersey Bluff Lighthouse are good to visit. Don’t miss the penguin viewing area at the lighthouse. Mersey River Cruises is a company operating cruises up the Mersey River estuary, giving you further opportunity to see the city and the surrounds.

Museums and Cultural Centres – The Devonport Maritime Museum is an interesting place to spend an hour or two, as is the Tiagarra Aboriginal Cultural Centre. This is a museum dedicated to aboriginal history.

Don Village and Don River Tourist Railroad – The Don River Railway is a fun attraction for the whole family to enjoy. You can see steam and diesel engine locomotives and get to ride one of the vintage Tasmanian trains for a 30 minute return journey. In Don Village, just a short distance outside Devonport, you’ll find the Don Village market which is a country market and a good place to stock up on supplies.

Imaginarium Science Centre – Devonport’s Imaginarium Science Centre is a hands-on place where you can find out how things work by taking part in experiments on a variety of themes. Kids will certainly enjoy all the hands-on stuff here!

‘Touring Tasmania – Devonport’ by Claire Bolgil

Marakoopa Cave (Photo: Tourism Tasmania and John De la Roche)

After a good night’s rest in Deloraine we were raring to get going to Mole Creek Karst National Park as we’re keen to see the spectacular caves and karst formations there!

About the Mole Creek Karst National Park
Visitors have been coming to the Mole Creek Karst National Park for many years to admire the great cave systems here, but the actual national park was set up only quite recently in an attempt to control entry into the cave systems and therefore protect this spectacular area. The Mole Creek Karst National Park was declared in 1996 and is the only national park in Tasmania that was created specifically to protect the karst formations.

What to See and Do at the Mole Creek Karst National Park
For many visitors the highlight of a visit is the two accessible caves of Marakoopa and King Solomon, those these are just two out of over 300 different caves and sinkholes in the region. The park is also popular for spending time enjoying outdoor life with walks, picnicking and more.

Both Marakoopa and King Solomons Cave are open to the public and guided tours are available and highly recommended.

Marakoopa Cave
Marakoopa is a Tasmanian Aboriginal word which means ‘handsome’, and once you’ve seen inside this cave you’ll understand why it’s called this! The highlights of this cave are the two underground streams and the amazing large display of glow-worms! On the 45 minute guided tour you’ll also see caverns, including the Great Cathedral and the Gardens.

King Solomons Cave
45 minute tours are available for the King Solomons Cave too where you’ll see a plethora of stalactites and stalagmites! The good thing with this tour, and with the majority of the Marakoopa cave tour, is that all age groups and all levels of fitness can do it. If you however want to experience a more adventurous form of caving there are tour companies who offer beginners tours in other caves which can last for half a day or a full day, and all necessary equipment is provided.

Unlike some of the national parks of Tasmania, there are no camping facilities here at Mole Creek Karst National Park so you’ll have to plan your visit around staying in a hotel in one of the nearby small towns like Mole Creek or go back to Deloraine or up to Devonport.

‘Touring Tasmania – Mole Creek Karst National Park’ by Claire Bolgil