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Voykit pocket guide · Australia
Penguin
Give Penguin half a day: the Big Penguin, the heritage walk and the Sunday market, then sleep in Burnie or Devonport. One night only if you want the coast at dusk.
Penguin is a small Bass Strait town of about 3,800 people on Tasmania's north-west coast, midway between Burnie and Devonport. It is a timber and mining town turned seaside stop, known for the Big Penguin on Main Street, a 28-stop heritage walk and a Sunday market. Almost everything sits on one street facing the water, so it works as a two-to-three-hour break on the coast drive rather than a base.
- Country
- Australia
- Best months
- Nov–Apr; Dec–Feb for warm beach days
- Avoid
- Jun–Aug (wet, windy, 13–14 °C (55–57 °F) days)Jun–Aug (wet, windy, 55–57 °F (13–14 °C) days)
- Stay
- 0–1 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 · Police non-emergency (Tasmania) 131 444
- 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$5–7 |
| Café lunch | A$18–28 |
| Pub main | A$25–38 |
| Motel or pub double room | A$120–280 |
| Fuel, unleaded | A$1.80–2.10 per litre |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- BWT · Burnie Airport, Wynyard
- About 40 min west by car; regional flights only
- DPO · Devonport Airport
- About 40 min east by car; the usual arrival for Spirit of Tasmania passengers
Typical fares
- Taxi, Penguin to Burnie
- about A$35–50 (check)
- Taxi, Penguin to Devonport
- about A$70–95 (check)
- Hire car, small, per day
- A$60–110 (check)
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
The town is walkable end to end in about 20 minutes. A car is needed for the cemetery lookout, Gunns Plains and any onward coast stops; Penguin Taxi Service covers short local trips.
See and do
Known for
- Big Penguin on Main Street
- Penguin Heritage Trail
- Sunday market
- Bass Strait foreshore
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Burnie | Car west on the Bass Highway, about 17 km (11 mi)Car west on the Bass Highway, about 11 mi (17 km) | About 20 min |
| Devonport | Car east on the Bass Highway | About 35 min |
| Wynyard | Car west past Burnie | About 45 min |
| Stanley | Car west via the Bass Highway | About 1 h 30 min |
| Queenstown | Car south via the B17 and the Murchison Highway | About 3 h |
Sleep
- Main Street (foreshore)
- Hotels and apartments on one strip facing the beach; walk to everything.
- Burnie or Devonport
- Bigger bed stock and later food; 15–30 min by car each way.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Thank you | Thanks |
| Where is the beach? | Where's the beach? |
| Is the market on today? | Is the market on today? |
| Can I pay by card? | Card OK? |
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
- Most food stops close by mid-afternoon; eat before 15:00 or drive to Burnie.
- The Sunday market runs Sundays only: check the date before planning around it.
- Bass Strait weather turns fast; carry a windproof layer even in summer.
- Fuel and supermarkets are in Burnie or Ulverstone, not in Penguin.
A quiet, low-crime town; the real risks are Bass Strait weather, wildlife on the highway at dusk and swimming off an unpatrolled beach.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Penguin yet. Suggested stay: 0–1 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Big Penguin on Main Street
- Penguin Heritage Trail
- Sunday market
- Bass Strait foreshore
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Discover Tasmania — North West coast: www.discovertasmania.com.au/
- Spirit of Tasmania: www.spiritoftasmania.com.au/
- Wikivoyage: Penguin, revision 4784327 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=4784327
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Penguin
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No consulates in Penguin; the nearest are in Hobart. US, UK, Canadian and other consulates-general are in Melbourne or Sydney.
Card and phone payment is normal; keep a little cash for the market stalls.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/penguin). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.