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Voykit pocket guide · Australia
Southport
Skip as a base: Southport is a fuel-and-toilet stop on the A6, 96 km south of Hobart. Sleep in Huonville or Dover and push on to Cockle Creek.
Southport is Australia's southernmost town, a former whaling station of about 135 people at the end of the Huon Highway. There is one cafe, one cottage and no shops. Its value is position: it is the last settlement before the C636 run to Recherche Bay and Cockle Creek, the southern end of the road network, and the turn-off for Hastings Caves.
- Country
- Australia
- Best months
- Nov–Apr
- Avoid
- Jun–Aug (cold, wet, short 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$140–220 excl. bed · High A$220+ 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
- 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 a cafe meal at the village cafe | A$8–25 |
| Pub meal in Dover | A$25–40 |
| Fuel, per litre (Huonville or Dover) | A$1.80–2.10 |
| Hastings Caves guided tour | A$25–30 |
| National park entry, per vehicle per day | A$20–45 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | A$20–40 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- HBA · Hobart Airport
- About 2 h by road via the Southern Outlet, Kingston and the A6; no public transport to Southport, so a car is required.
Typical fares
- Hobart → Southport by road
- about 96 km (60 mi), 1 h 45 min–2 habout 60 mi (96 km), 1 h 45 min–2 h
- Southport → Cockle Creek
- about 30 km (19 mi) on the C636, 40 min, partly unsealedabout 19 mi (30 km) on the C636, 40 min, partly unsealed
- Southport → Hastings Caves
- about 10 km (6.2 mi) on the C635, 15 minabout 6.2 mi (10 km) on the C635, 15 min
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
You need a car. The only sealed road in is the Huon Highway (A6) from Kingston via Huonville; it is a good two-lane road with a shoulder until Dover, then narrows. Fuel at Huonville or Dover: there is no petrol in Southport. C635 runs west to Hastings Caves, C636 southwest to Recherche Bay and Cockle Creek.
See and do
Known for
- Australia's southernmost town
- End of the Road at Cockle Creek
- Hastings Caves turn-off
- 19th-century whaling station
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Cockle Creek and Recherche Bay | C636 southwest from Southport, about 30 km (19 mi) of partly unsealed roadC636 southwest from Southport, about 19 mi (30 km) of partly unsealed road | About 40 min each way |
| Hastings Caves and Thermal Springs | C635 west from Southport, about 10 km (6.2 mi)C635 west from Southport, about 6.2 mi (10 km) | About 15 min each way |
| Geeveston | A6 north, about 30 km (19 mi)A6 north, about 19 mi (30 km) | About 30 min |
| Dover | A6 north, about 20 km (12 mi)A6 north, about 12 mi (20 km) | About 20 min |
| Cygnet | A6 north to Huonville, then B68 east | About 1 h 15 min |
Sleep
- Southport village
- One cottage and a handful of holiday rentals; book ahead in summer or you will drive back north.
- Dover, 20 min north
- More beds, a pub and a shop; the practical base for this end of the Huon.
- Huonville, about 1 h north
- Supermarkets, fuel and the widest choice of accommodation; use it if Southport is full.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Where is the nearest fuel? | Where is the nearest fuel? |
| Is the road sealed all the way? | Is the road sealed all the way? |
| Do I need to book the cave tour? | Do I need to book the cave tour? |
| Is there mobile coverage here? | Is there mobile coverage here? |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
| Where is the toilet? | Where is the toilet? |
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, no supermarket and no mobile coverage in places along the C636: fill up and download maps before you leave Dover.
- Wildlife on the road at dawn and dusk, and logging trucks on the A6: slow down and do not overtake blind.
- Cockle Creek and Recherche Bay are national park: no bins, no shops, carry out everything and check park alerts before you go.
- Summer accommodation is limited to a few properties: book weeks ahead or plan to sleep in Huonville or Dover.
Very low crime; the real risks are the drive, the weather and the emptiness. No fuel or shops past Geeveston, patchy mobile signal, and cold, changeable conditions even in summer: tell someone your plan and carry water.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Southport yet. Suggested stay: 0–1 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Australia's southernmost town
- End of the Road at Cockle Creek
- Hastings Caves turn-off
- 19th-century whaling station
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 — Huon Valley and Far South: www.discovertasmania.com.au/
- Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service — Southwest National Park: parks.tas.gov.au/explore-our-parks/southwest-national-park
- Huon Valley Council: www.huonvalley.tas.gov.au/
- Wikivoyage: Southport (Tasmania), revision 4996340 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=4996340
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Southport
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No consulates in the far south; embassies and consulates-general are in Canberra, Sydney and Melbourne. US citizens: the consulate-general is in Melbourne.
Fuel at Huonville or Dover before you head south; there is none in Southport.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/southport-tasmania). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.