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Voykit pocket guide · Australia
Gladstone
Skip as a base: 139 people, no restaurants, no fuel after 6pm. Stop 1–2 hours for the cemetery and fossicking area, or sleep one night at the pub.
Gladstone is a former gold and tin mining village of about 139 people in north-east Tasmania, on the B82 between Scottsdale and the coast. There is no public transport in or out, no restaurant apart from the pub, and one general store that closes at 6pm. Come for the 1880s cemetery, the miners' cottages and the public gemstone fossicking area, then move on.
- Country
- Australia
- Best months
- Nov–Apr
- Avoid
- Jun–Aug (cold, wet, short days)
- Stay
- 1 night
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$60–100 excl. bed · Mid A$100–160 excl. bed · High A$160+ 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 mobiles 112 · Health advice line (24 h) 1800 022 222
- 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 or hot food at the general store | A$4–12 |
| Pub counter meal | A$25–40 |
| Draught beer at the pub | A$7–10 |
| Petrol, per litre | A$1.80–2.10 |
| Fossicking in the public area at Fly By Night Creek | Free |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- LST · Launceston
- About 2 h by car via Scottsdale; the nearest airport with scheduled flights. Hobart (HBA) is about 3.5 h.
Typical fares
- Gladstone → Scottsdale by car
- about 30 min on the B82; no fuel at the Gladstone end after 6pm
- Gladstone → St Helens by car
- about 1 h 15 min on the C483, partly gravel
- Gladstone → Launceston airport by car
- about 2 h via Scottsdale
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Car only. There is no bus, train or shuttle to Gladstone. Arrive from Scottsdale on the B82; the roads from Bridport and St Helens are partly gravel and slow. Inside the village everything is a short walk, but the fossicking area and bush trails need the car.
See and do
Known for
- 1880s cemetery with Chinese miners' graves
- Gemstone fossicking at Fly By Night Creek
- Old churches and miners' cottages
- Quiet B82 stop between Scottsdale and the coast
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Scottsdale | B82 west by car | About 30 min |
| Bridport | B82 west then north, partly gravel | About 1 h |
| St Helens | C483 south-east, partly gravel | About 1 h 15 min |
| Mount William National Park | C483 south-east by car | About 1 h 30 min |
Sleep
- Chaffey Street (the only street with beds)
- Gladstone Hotel, 37 Chaffey Street: bar, log fire, large evening meals, no wifi. Telstra mobile signal only.
- Elsewhere in the north-east
- Scottsdale, Bridport and St Helens have more beds and food; Gladstone is a stop, not a base.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Where is the general store? | Where's the general store? |
| Is the road sealed all the way? | Is the road sealed all the way? |
| Do you have fuel? | Do you have fuel? |
| Is there anywhere to eat tonight? | Is there anywhere to eat tonight? |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
| Where is the fossicking area? | Where's the fossicking area? |
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
- No fuel outside general-store hours: fill up in Scottsdale or St Helens before you arrive.
- The store is the only shop and does not carry much fruit or vegetables: bring supplies.
- Old gold mine shafts in the bush around Fly By Night Creek and the Mt Cameron Fire Trail: stay on tracks and keep children close.
- No wifi at the hotel; Telstra is the network that works.
- Gravel roads from Bridport and St Helens can be rough after rain: check conditions before committing.
Very low crime; the real risks are gravel roads, mine shafts off-track, no fuel after 6pm and no mobile coverage outside Telstra areas.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Gladstone yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- 1880s cemetery with Chinese miners' graves
- Gemstone fossicking at Fly By Night Creek
- Old churches and miners' cottages
- Quiet B82 stop between Scottsdale and the coast
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Tourism Tasmania: www.discovertasmania.com.au/
- Mineral Resources Tasmania — fossicking: www.mrt.tas.gov.au/
- Wikivoyage: Gladstone (Tasmania), revision 5208736 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5208736
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Gladstone
To 37 Chaffey Street, please
To 37 Chaffey Street, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance000
- From mobiles112
- Health advice line (24 h)1800 022 222
No consulates here; the nearest are in Hobart and Melbourne (check).
Telstra is the network that works; there is no wifi at the hotel.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/gladstone-tasmania). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.