A Sunday road trip along the coast line
The ferry from Melbourne to Tasmania takes you across the Bass Strait to the north-western coast of Australia’s only island state. Dotted with charming villages, stunning beaches and delicious seafood, the Bass Strait coastline is perfect for a Sunday road trip. Your journey starts at Devonport, where the ferry docks. Before setting out, however, visit some of the local attractions such as the Devonport Maritime Museum and the Tiagarra Aboriginal Cultural Centre. Also check out the penguins at the Mersey Bluff Lighthouse.
Try out local delicacies
From Devonport, take the Bass Highway westwards via Ulverstone. The small town of Penguin lies about 30 km from Devonport and is home to The Big Penguin. Sunday is market day in Penguin and the Penguin Market is one of the largest in Tassie. It’s a covered market, so you can sample the gourmet fare and browse the craft stalls no matter what the weather.
The next big town is Burnie, one of Australia’s largest container ports. The town is also home to the country’s largest single malt distillery. Why not take a tour of the Hellyers Road Distillery to see how premium whisky and vodka are made? Also take a stroll through the Fern Glade Reserve and try to spot a platypus or two.
Get active and see the sights
After Wynyard, make a pit stop at the Rocky Cape National Park with its quiet beaches, bays, headlands, caves and rock shelters. It’s a wonderful place for a picnic but be sure to leave some space in your belly for later. That ‘later’ comes after a further drive of only a couple of minutes, where you turn right off the Bass Highway and onto the peninsula that is home to the little town of Stanley. As a fishing port, one of Stanley’s specialities is good, old-fashioned fish and chips. This will sustain you for hikes around the beautiful area and for a visit to the Stanley Seaquarium. For the best views not only of Stanley but of the Bass Strait, take the chairlift to the top of The Nut, the landmark that stands sentinel to the eastern part of town.
From Stanley, driving straight back to Devonport normally only takes about an hour and a half and at SIXT car rental we’ll have the perfect car for the journey.
