Burnie is a pretty seaside town on the north coast of Tasmania, 2 hours (147 km) from Launceston and an hour (49 km) from Devonport.  Once just a historical port city, it has blossomed into a vibrant city featuring waterfalls, bushwalks, gardens and art galleries. The city also boasts of the best quality milk and a good cheese making factory.

We spent 3 amazing days here on our way from North west Tasmania en route to Hobart.

A LOT TO SEE AND DO IN and AROUND BURNIE

1) Walk to the Local Burnie Park and admire the waterfall

Burnie Park can be described in just one word – lovely.

It is quite close to the town centre, just off the bass highway, and overlooking the Bass Strait. You will be charmed by its lush sweeping lawns, shady walkways and huge trees, plus a big children’s playground.

The highlight of this park is the unique Oldaker waterfall located at one end of the park. There is a good walking trail to this waterfall, along a gravel path, up a few stairs and through a strip of natural rainforest. The water from the waterfall meanders through a narrow man-made stream to a lovely small lake near the children’s playground.

Another unusual feature in this park is the 175-year-old Burnie Inn. Originally a pub, it was restored and relocated in the park in 1973.

The Park is very well maintained and there are many BBQ spots, shelters and benches. The park was just a short walk from our Airbnb and it was a pleasure to spend some peaceful time here.

2) Stroll through the river valley at Fern Glades Reserve and spot a platypus

Fern Glades Reserve is less than 4 kms from the city centre. The drive itself is beautiful – along Fernglade Road, which is flanked by flora and mature trees.

The walk starts in the Fernglade Reserve and continues along the Emu River via the walking track. The path has about 150 species of ferns and orchids, spread alongside this track. We were surprised to find such a peaceful riverside oasis very close to the city centre. The pathway has several informative signboards.

There is a lovely view of the river from the bridge and a weir creating a small waterfall. Also, a pond and a belvedere add to the scenic beauty of this place.

This place is said to be a great site for spotting a platypus. But we were not lucky enough to see any.

The reserve is the perfect place for a picnic with barbecue tables and restroom facilities.

3) Enjoy the experience at the Little Penguin Observation Centre

At the end of the west beach on the Bass Strait, you will find the perfect Penguin observation centre. Except for the winter months, it is open at dusk to see the penguins come ashore.

It was a wonderful penguin viewing experience.

We were lucky that our Airbnb accommodation was right on the main road facing the Bass Strait and beach and it was just a stone’s throw away.

The setting was very natural and the observers could get a good view of the penguins just on the other side of the fence. There were volunteer guides who gave a good informative talk before dusk and had a good question-answer session.

Photographs were allowed only with the red torches.

If you are passing by Burnie, take this opportunity to watch these little penguins from just a few meters away.

4) Boardwalk along the beach and Bass Strait

One amazing thing about Burnie waterfront is the continuous long boardwalk that the city has provided for long walks by the water. The boardwalk and the wide promenade make a great path to walk especially at sunset to get a good workout and nice views!

The walk passes through the huge octopus waterpark with fountains for kids and a nice restaurant (Bayview’s restaurant and lounge bar) on the beach.

The best bit about it is the colour LED strip along the handrail of this promenade that lights up the walkway for dusk and night viewing.

5) Waterfront Eastern Promenade Lookout

There is an interesting key visitor attraction at the end of the boardwalk on the west beach.

The walk ends with a viewing platform with benches and a water fountain. There is a huge rectangular frame and camera stand with signage installed at this viewing platform.

Just sit or stand by the frame and take your Burnie memory image with the beach and strait in the background. This thoughtful setup is provided by #discoverburnie and it is so cool!

6) Visit Guide Falls

This is our favorite attraction in Burnie!

At about 19 kms south of Burnie, there is a spectacular waterfall that is easily accessible.

There is an option to park at the lower level or upper level. At the lower level, there is picnic area as you start walking. An easy walking track leads to some smaller waterfalls and we almost thought that is it.

But no!  On walking further, through a gravel path and past large boulders, we followed the Guide River upstream for about 200 meters to reach the awesome two-tiered Guide falls!

The height of the falls is about 25 metres but it is the sheer force of this plunging beauty that makes it spectacular.

Then we saw the stairs leading to the upper car park. On reaching the top, we saw the viewing platform, and that offered another lovely perspective of the Guide falls from above.

The upper level of the falls is wheelchair accessible. Barbecues and picnic tables are provided and it is a beautiful place to spend some time viewing this beauty!

7)Enjoy Emu Valley Rhododendron Garden

Another beautiful place in Burnie is Emu Valley Rhododendron garden – a treasure of large green spaces in a city.

The garden offers walking tracks, lakes and bridges. There is a bit of diverse bird life, and platypus and echidna too. There is also a nice tea room and pleasant, helpful staff.

The landscaping of this garden is quite impressive and includes four lakes, some waterfalls, several bridges and well-maintained paved paths.

We had a peaceful walk around the lakes, pausing at the pavilions and statues along the path. There are some geographically defined areas as per the origin of the plants such as Japan, Korea, Himalayan region, China and North America.

It is interesting that this 11-hectare property is a private garden built and operated by volunteers (mostly seniors) from North west Tasmania!

A day trip – Table Cape in Wynyard

Finally, if you have more time in Burnie, you could do a day-trip to the awesome Table Cape in Wynyard.

Table Cape is a dramatic landform sticking out into Bass Strait with spectacular views from the lookout as well as the top of the lighthouse.

Around October, this place has fields full of multicolored Tulips – a beautiful experience while in the field and an amazing view from the motorway.

Burnie is truly a lovely little town to explore for a few days. If you are touring Tasmania, it is worth spending sometime here.

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