Experience the best of Burnie

Burnie lies on Bass Strait on Tasmania's north-west coast, beneath a ridge of farmland. It is named after a director of the Van Diemen's Land Company, and it grew around its harbour, which still ships cargo from the north-west. A walk runs along the foreshore beside the water, and a regional art gallery marks the town's creative side.

The coast road east passes Penguin, a seaside town with a giant penguin statue, then Ulverstone and Devonport. To the west, Table Cape and Wynyard have tulip fields in spring, and Rocky Cape National Park has caves and quiet beaches. Inland, the highlands of Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park rise to the south.

The red soil of the north-west grows potatoes, onions and other vegetables, and dairy farms supply cheese and milk. Crayfish and other seafood come from the coast, and the cool, maritime climate keeps the pastures green.