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Voykit pocket guide · Australia
Burnie
Give Burnie one night as a Bass Highway stop between Devonport and Stanley, or two if you want Cradle Mountain as a day trip.
Burnie is Tasmania's fourth-largest city, a working deep-water port on the north-west coast with a compact centre, north-facing beaches and a foreshore boardwalk where little penguins come ashore at dusk from October to March. It is a practical overnight stop on the Bass Highway, about 40 minutes west of the Spirit of Tasmania terminal at Devonport, and a base for Cradle Mountain, Stanley and the Tarkine. The city itself needs half a day, not three.
- Country
- Australia
- Best months
- Nov–Apr (warm, long evenings, penguins present Oct–Mar)
- Avoid
- Jun–Aug (wet, cold, 13–14 °C days; penguin viewing closed)Jun–Aug (wet, cold, 55–57 °F days; penguin viewing closed)
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- AUD
- Money
- Currency is the Australian dollar (AUD, A$). Contactless cards and phones are accepted almost everywhere, including public transport in the big cities; some small cafes are card-only.
- Daily spend
- Budget A$90–140 excl. bed · Mid A$150–230 excl. bed · High A$250+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Telstra has the widest outback coverage; Optus and Vodafone (TPG) are cheaper and fine in cities and along highways.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 000 · From a mobile 112 · SES (storm and flood) 132 500
- Plugs
- Types I · 230 V · 50 Hz · Angled two- or three-pin Type I, shared with NZ, Fiji and China; sockets have their own switch — turn it on.
- Tipping
- Cafés and casual meals: Nothing; a tip jar is optional.; Restaurants: Not expected; 10% for very good service in a nice restaurant if you wish.; Taxi / rideshare: Round up or nothing.; Tours and guides: Optional; A$10–20 for a great day guide.; Surcharges: Weekend and public-holiday surcharges of 10–15% are legal if shown on the menu.
- Water
- Tap water is safe in cities and towns; in remote places use signed drinking taps. Carry plenty on any outback drive or walk.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets in parks, beaches, shopping centres and petrol stations (servos); the National Public Toilet Map app lists them.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | A$4.50–6 |
| Fish and chips at the foreshore | A$18–28 |
| Pub main course | A$25–38 |
| Draught beer, 570 ml | A$9–13 |
| Metro Tasmania single bus fare | about A$8 |
| Taxi, 5 kmTaxi, 3.1 mi | A$18–25 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | A$15–35 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- BWT · Burnie Airport (Wynyard)
- About 15 km west of Burnie; Qantas and Rex flights from Melbourne; rental cars, taxis and a shuttle to Burnie (check current operators)About 9.3 mi west of Burnie; Qantas and Rex flights from Melbourne; rental cars, taxis and a shuttle to Burnie (check current operators)
- DPO · Devonport Airport
- About 60 km east; alternative if BWT flights do not suitAbout 37 mi east; alternative if BWT flights do not suit
- LST · Launceston Airport
- About 150 km east; about 2 h by carAbout 93 mi east; about 2 h by car
Typical fares
- Burnie Airport (Wynyard) → Burnie, shuttle
- about A$20–30, about 20 min
- Redline coach Burnie → Devonport
- about A$13, about 1 h
- Redline coach Burnie → Launceston
- about A$40, about 2 h
Get around
The centre is walkable: CBD to the foreshore is about 10 minutes on foot. Metro Tasmania buses run local routes and to Wynyard, Somerset, Penguin and Ulverstone; single fares are around A$8. A car is the practical choice for Cradle Mountain, Stanley, Guide Falls and Fernglade.
See and do
Known for
- Little penguin viewing at Parsonage Point
- Working port and foreshore redevelopment
- Hellyers Road Distillery
- Gateway to Cradle Mountain and Stanley
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Stanley and The Nut | Bass Highway west via Wynyard, about 1 h by car | About 1 h each way |
| Cradle Mountain | B18 south via Ridgley and the C132, about 1 h 30 min by car | About 1.5 h each way |
| Devonport | Bass Highway east, about 40 min by car; Redline coach about 1 h | About 40–60 min |
| Wynyard | Bass Highway west, about 20 min by car; Metro Tasmania bus | About 20–30 min |
| Queenstown and the west coast | A10/Murchison Highway south via Tullah, about 2 h 30 min | About 2.5–3 h |
| Tullah | A10 south, about 1 h 15 min by car | About 1.25 h |
Sleep
- CBD and Wilson Street
- Walk to cafés, the museum and the foreshore; best for one night without a car.
- Foreshore and West Beach
- Beachfront motels and the surf club; 10–15 min walk to the centre.
- Somerset (7 km west)
- Caravan park and beachside cabins; needs a car.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Thank you | Thanks |
| Excuse me | Excuse me |
| How much is it? | How much is that? |
| Can I pay by card? | Card OK? |
| Where is the toilet? | Where's the loo? |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake or 'G'day' / 'How are you going?'; first names from the start; avoid: Formal titles; long answers to 'how are you'
- Rounds: Buy your round ('shout') when drinking in a group; avoid: Leaving before your shout
- Queues: Queue patiently; sitting in the front seat of a taxi when alone is common; avoid: Pushing in — it is noticed
- Country: Listen to Welcomes and Acknowledgements; use local place names when offered; avoid: Touching artefacts or photographing ceremonies without permission
- Beach: Swim between the flags; respect lifesavers' instructions; avoid: Swimming at unpatrolled beaches alone
- Humour: Expect teasing and understatement; laugh along; avoid: Taking dry sarcasm literally or boasting
- Walking and driving: Keep left on footpaths and escalators; wave thanks to drivers who let you in; avoid: Stopping on the road to photograph kangaroos
Scams and watch-outs
- Penguin viewing is seasonal (roughly Oct–Mar) and weather-dependent: check the day's guide times before you walk out.
- Wildlife is protected: no torches or flash on the penguins, keep your distance.
- Distances on the west coast are long and wildlife crosses the road at dusk: avoid driving the Murchison Highway after dark.
- Summer bushfire risk: check Tasmania Fire Service advice before any bush or national-park day.
- Many kitchens stop serving by 20:30–21:00; eat early or check hours.
Burnie is a small, low-crime city and safe to walk by day; the real risks are wildlife on the roads at dusk, cold wet weather any month, and summer bushfire closures.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Burnie yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Little penguin viewing at Parsonage Point
- Working port and foreshore redevelopment
- Hellyers Road Distillery
- Gateway to Cradle Mountain and Stanley
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Burnie City Council: www.burnie.tas.gov.au/Home
- Metro Tasmania — Burnie timetables: www.metrotas.com.au/timetables/burnie/
- Hellyers Road Distillery: hellyersroaddistillery.com.au/
- Wikivoyage: Burnie, revision 5060315 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5060315
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Burnie
Can you take me to this address, please?
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Burnie; consulates-general are in Melbourne and Sydney, and the nearest foreign consular offices for most countries are in Hobart or Melbourne.
Tipping is not expected in Australia.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/burnie). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.