Rainforest at Weldborough Pass

Wilkins Tourist Maps produces a free map in this area. You can pick up a North East map from accommodation houses, attractions and businesses, and some information centres in towns in this area. Click here for names and addresses of outlets where they are available.

Select an area from below to automatically open it on this page.

SEE TOURING MAP

  
© Copyright Peter W. Wilkins

THE NORTH EAST & FLINDERS ISLAND

A drive along the scenic Derwent River

The North East of Tasmania is a mix of dense rainforest in the south, the Blue Tier range with extensive walks in the centre, and the beaches and plains of the northern coast. It also includes the 70 or so islands of the Furneaux Group including Flinders and Cape Barren Islands. Flinders Island is dealt with by itself in this guide.

Heading east from George Town on the Tamar Valley Tour the first stop in the north east is Bridport. A small fishing town on Andersons Bay, it is a popular holiday destination for Tasmanians and visitors and several large resorts provide accommodation. Fresh fish can be bought at the wharf and Bridport is the port for travellers by boat or charter plane to Flinders Island.

From Bridport head south to Scottsdale and the Forestry Centre and get some information on what to see and do in the area. To the east you get into forest country. large stands of old growth forest will be seen from Branxholm on with the road winding through and providing exhilarating contact with nature. The Weldborough Pass Walk takes you into the forest and further on, from the turn-off to Goulds Country, is a loose surface road leading to the peak of the Blue Tier through large ferns and trees to the walks which lead from the summit.
The area around Derby and Moorina was once a prolific tin mining area and a museum at Derby provides information on this area. At Moorinna a Chinese section of the cemetery contains remains of many of the Chinese miners who provided much of the labour for the works. An old battery has been restored near Moorina and can be visited.
A little further towards St Helens is the small town of Pyengana. There is a dairy outlet here offering local cheese and produce and a little further along the same road is the highly popular 'Pub in a Paddock' a landmark in the north east and a place you must visit for a drink or a meal.

To the north, east of Bridport instead of heading south to Scottsdale are the small coastal towns of Tomahawk, Boobyalla and Musselroe Bay. popular getaway destinations and fishing spots in a protected area along the Bass Strait coast.
Just south is Gladstone and the access road to Mt William National Park, the historic Eddystone Light, and the small fishing town of Ansons Bay. Many roads in this area are loose surface and road conditions may vary. Despite this, it is a fascinating area to visit and explore and a road leads from Ansons Bay to St Helens on the east coast.
South of the Tasman Highway between Launceston and St Helens there is much to see. At Legerwood there is an avenue of wooden sculptures cut straight from standing trees and remarkable to see. South east of Scottsdale are the Cuckoo Falls, and on the road past the Pub in a Paddock are the St Columba and Ralph Falls.

The north east offers a wide variety of attractions from forestry to mining and has extensive beaches and rugged coastline. It joins the Tamar Valley and Launceston sections to the west and the East Coast North to the south. Make sure you allow some time to explore it on your visit.