Descend to the bountiful lands of Tasmania’s largest northern port city – Devonport. A land of luxury and leisure, Devonport oozes charm as the ‘gateway to Northern Tasmania’ featuring a treasure chest of spellbinding attractions. The world-renowned port is a key component of Tasmania’s tourism sector, transiting travellers and vehicles between Tasmania and Victoria.
Life's a breeze with your Hertz rental car, with a number of premier attractions just over the horizon. See the sights in and around town before branching further to Northern Tasmania. From the tranquil gardens of the Tasmanian Arboretum to Fairy Penguin spotting at Lillico Beach, to hiking one of Australia’s premier mountains or a day trip to Australia’s 2022 town of the year. Hit the road to lands less travelled on the adventure of a lifetime in The Apple Isle state.
Explore the Ins and Outs of the City of Devonport
Serving the mainland as the ‘gateway to Tasmania’, Devonport is a small town with a big lure as one of the most serene cities on the North Coast. Lust in luxury at the delicate composition of Devonport’s picturesque botanic gardens featuring over 1,500 individual plant species. A place of peace and tranquillity, The Tasmanian Arboretum supports many endemic Tasmanian plant species and some broader temperate plants from North America, South America, Europe, New Zealand, Eastern Asia, and the Mediterranean. Enjoy a picnic lunch in the shade amongst the trees, birds chiming in the wind while resident platypus wade in the shallows, as you’re in the proclaimed ‘best place to see Platypus in Tasmania’.
From cuddly Platypus to Fairy Penguins, Devonport has its fair share of local celebrities. The Lillico Beach Conservation Area, only a 15-minute drive in your rental car, is a coastal reserve and home to a small colony of Fairy Penguins. Best visited between September to April, Fairy Penguins are nocturnal, leaving for the sea at dawn and not returning until after dusk. Volunteer guides frequent the reserve, educating guests on the conservation and characteristics of these remarkable little penguins.
Sitting pretty on the outskirts of the city centre is Devonport’s very own Thomas the Tank – the Don River Railway. Operating solely as a non-for-profit organisation the Don runs on the blood, sweat and tears of their members and accompanying volunteers with the aim of preserving Tasmania’s unique railway history to share with others. Several mind-blowing restorations have breathed new life into these iconic trains with volunteers orchestrating hourly tours of the reconstructed Melrose Line via a vintage diesel locomotive or old-fashioned steam locomotive.
Other awe-inspiring places in Devonport to explore include Home Hill, Mersey Bluff & the Mersey Bluff Lighthouse, Bass Strait Maritime Museum, Antique Emporium and Southern Wild Distillery.
Cruise through Tasmania with the ultimate day trips from Devonport
As the gateway to Tasmania and beyond, Devonport is blessed with endless possibilities to explore life in Northern Tasmania. A fantastic base for seeing the sights, hit cruise control and descend the map in search of greener pastures.
Only a 90-minute drive southwest of Devonport is one of Tasmania’s greatest natural treasures – Cradle Mountain. Some of mother nature’s finest engineering, revel in the majesty of the park’s ancient rainforests, glacially sculpted valleys, alpine meadows, sparkling lakes, and grandiose mountains. Wander the Lake Dove Walk for panoramic views of the otherworldly Cradle Mountain or the Weindorfer Walk through sections of dense forest. Home to the famous Overland Track (65 kilometres long), explore the heavenly Cradle Valley and Australia’s deepest lake – Lake St. Clair.
A trip to Launceston, an hour drive from Devonport may be just what the doctor ordered as one of the oldest and most peaceful cities in the country. Voted Australia’s ‘Town of the Year’ in 2022, Launceston offers a wealth of splendour including – Cataract Gorge, City Park, Queen Victoria Museum and Prince’s Square. The agricultural powerhouse is also one of only two Australian cities to gain UNESCO status for gastronomy – a salute to the city’s premier culinary heritage.
With a mountain of things to do in Australia’s most underrated state, Tasmania is your oyster with your Hertz rental car. From the windswept lands of Rocky Cape National Park to Tasmania’s iconic Tassie Devils at Devils@Cradle Conservation Sanctuary, Tasmania’s highest waterfall – Montezuma Falls or the breathtaking karst caves and Glow Worm Tour at King Solomon & Marakoopa Caves. Start your Northern Tasmania journey today from the wonderful Devonport Airport.
