West Coast

The West Coast region covers 9574.5sq kms and the West Coast municipality is the gateway to Tasmania's wilderness. Coastal populations include Strahan, situated on Macquarie Harbour, and the picturesque shack sites of Granville Harbour and Trial Harbour. The inland towns of Queenstown, Zeehan, Tullah, and Rosebery are all within a short distance from magnificent lakes, rivers, rainforests, dunes and historic sites. The West Coast has a population of approximately 5500 people. It is celebrated for its tourism, mining, and fishing whilst the clean air, mild climate and strong commitment to community make the West Coast a fantastic and unique place to be.

Tasmania ’s west coast is still wild and rugged. As you travel west along the Lyell Highway through the Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park or south from Devonport you know you are entering an ancient landscape. Dense forests line the highway, dark rivers tumble through steep gorges, and deep and wide lakes open up before you.

Tiny towns, such as Rosebery and Tullah that once housed hundreds of miners are now quiet and peaceful. Look out for Montezuma Falls, near Rosebery, our tallest waterfall. If you are travelling from Hobart, you enter the bleak landscape of Queenstown, following the road as it spirals for more than 90 bends down into the remains of the world’s richest gold and copper mine. It would have been a difficult life in those days, and when you meet the people of Queenstown, you hear their deep pride in their town and its history. From Devonport the road takes you through Zeehan, which was once a wealthy silver town. Make sure you stop into the West Coast Pioneers Memorial Museum to learn of the town’s once rollicking mining past.

For attractions and sightseeing, visit Attractions Australia.