Suggestion on what to do in Burnie, Tasmania?

[Kiwi_cruiser]

We have never been to  Burnie, Tasmania before.

 

I was wondering would you recommend doing here for the day??

 

If you have been to Burnie, before, what things did you do there for the day??

 

Any ideas / suggestions are very welcome 😀

[ckone]

I sent an inquiry to Discoverburnie.net and received an email about a hoho as noted below. I have never been either and was looking for suggestions. 

“It’s a nice relaxed way to see our main features including a panoramic lookout over the city and your ship in harbour.

 

Other stops are the beautiful Fern Glade Platypus Reserve, world class Emu Valley Rhododendron Gardens and our famous Hellyers Road Whisky Distillery. This Hop-On, Hop-Off circuit departs and returns to our Visitor Information Centre at the Makers’ Workshop where you can talk with working artists, indulge at the Makers’ Café or enjoy the experience of making cotton paper by hand at Creative paper Tasmania (usually $15 but FREE for Attractions bus ticket holders).

 

You cannot book this bus but I suggest starting early in the day to allow time to relax at your favourite places.

 

A FREE shuttle service operates throughout the day to bring you from shipside to the Visitor Centre from where this bus departs and returns.“

[Tansy Mews]

On 10/3/2019 at 10:53 AM, Kiwi_cruiser said:

We have never been to  Burnie, Tasmania before.

 

I was wondering would you recommend doing here for the day??

 

If you have been to Burnie, before, what things did you do there for the day??

 

Any ideas / suggestions are very welcome 😀

 

I have a booking to visit Stanley and the Nut (volcanic plug with a walking path up top - chair lift up) plus Highfield historic house. Since I haven't been yet, can't guarantee anything.

 

However you can get good advice from the tourist authority. This section of the website is just for cruisers.

http://www.discoverburnie.net/Home

Be sure that you are covered in case your ship can't get in. It can happen. It did last year for an Oceania ship.

 

Also I did read elsewhere on CC that people regretted not going up Cradle Mountain. We opted not to because we don't want to spend much of our day in a vehicle, going up a twisty mountain!

 

Frances

 

[Rusty1963]

The Wings Wildlife Park is also worth a visit.  It’s family owned and fairly small but has a good selection of animals and interactive.   We went on a ships excursion but you can also hire a car.  The seaside town of Penguin is pretty and a nice stop to walk about.

[matamanoa]

We used Robyn from Play A Round in Tassie and were very pleased with her tour.  

[GUT2407]

Been there a few times, I think Crasle Mountsin is too far, as much as I love the place, you use most of the day travelling, though if you do go it is one time I would choose an excursion over hire car as there is some beautiful scenery that you miss while concentrating on the roads.

 

Last year we hired a car and headed towards Devonport visiting chocolate factories, Cheese making plants, Berry farms etc, you could also add in some wineries, and a feed of fish and chips right on Bass Strait. A great day out.

[ent704]

We used Robyn from play around in tastier and she was fabulous!!!! She showed us more of Burnie and Tasmania  than anyone we spoke to on our ship. She is flexible and will take you where you want to go as well.  Only takes a very small group and is very personable!! Fabulous day with her!!

[roothy123]

We were in Burnie yesterday and also a week before on two cruises.  The first day I didn't plan anything and took one of the (few) excursions you could book at the Makers Workshop, where the shuttles drop.  It was called something like Scenic Surrounds and was operated by Crawn Motors in a small bus with maybe 7 other people.  I think it was about 3 hours.  It was OK for the money ($75 AUD) but not fantastic.  The first stop was at Fern Glad, a place where the elusive and unusual platypus can be seen -- but rarely during the day.  We saw nothing and just wandered a short ways for about 10 minutes.  Then we went to Hellyers Distillery and were given our choice of a sample of their product - whisky, including the cream kind.  We were there maybe a half hour.  We also went to a waterfall but there has been a real drought in Australia, including Taz, and it was nice but not spectacular.  We also went to a lookout where I photographed a lighthouse and nice scenery.  We were in the town of Wynyard as well, and perhaps made one other stop.  The countryside was pretty and the weather was good.  

 

Yesterday we went with 2 other people I found on my Roll Call on a 4 hour tour in the area - east along the coast to see Mersey Bluffs (scenic) and a lighthouse, and eventually to Devonport - a pretty nice town on the water.  On the way we made a short visit to the little town of Penguin and a 10 minute stop at Ulverstone where there's a very interesting clock.  Then we went south to Sheffield, which has a lot of beautiful murals.  It was a custom tour by That's The Spirit Tours and they did a great job.  Stuart, one of the owners, took us around, gave us  lot of great info, and had scoped out exactly where I wanted to go before hand to make sure parking was available, determine best time of day, etc.  It was a little over 4 hours and $125 AUD.  It was much better than the Scenic Surrounds tour the week before.  I would recommend That's the Spirit in a heartbeat - and it's even better if you're interested in a particular thing - scenery, art, quirkiness, lighthouses, whatever.  You can customize the tour, as long as That's the Spirit feels they can do what you want in 4 hours or so.  The car was comfortable for the 4 of us - largest person sitting up front and 3 in the back.  However, if you have 4 larger people, you may want to book 2 cars or ask for a larger vehicle.  The price is the same - per person, and Stuart and his brother Todd were willing to take just 2 of us if that's what we wanted.  So I'd suggest hiring these guys to take you where you want to go, or to suggest an itinerary.  From feedback I got on the ship, people also enjoyed their ship's excursion to Wings Wildlife, but the gardens they were taken to were kind of a disappointment - perhaps due to the draught??  

 

Afterwards on our first day, we took the shuttle into the town.  The shuttle makes 3 stops, and you'll get that info when you get to Burnie and get on the shuttle.  Town has a number of regular and thrift shops, but nothing particularly unusual in terms of shopping, but the Makers Workshop (1st shuttle stop) has really nice things made by artists.  Some of the artists are working right there. Burnie also has 2 museums, but we didn't go to those.  While at Makers, you might want to walk out the back, across the railroad tracks, and look on the boardwalk for mounds of concrete that can be housing penguin chicks.  You'll likely need to get down on your hands and needs to see them, though.  The penguins come to the burrows at night.

 

We were met by the mayor of the town at the port, and on our first visit, some musicians.  Also met by a sniffing beagle - no food is allowed to be taken off the ship, and Australia takes that very seriously.

 

Enjoy Burnie; it's a nice place!  Say hi to Stuart or Todd Ashdown for us (Ruth the lighthouse nut & Howard the character.)

Edited January 11, 2020 by roothy123

[Mrs f.]

10 hours ago, roothy123 said:

We were in Burnie yesterday and also a week before on two cruises.  The first day I didn't plan anything and took one of the (few) excursions you could book at the Makers Workshop, where the shuttles drop.  It was called something like Scenic Surrounds and was operated by Crawn Motors in a small bus with maybe 7 other people.  I think it was about 3 hours.  It was OK for the money ($75 AUD) but not fantastic.  The first stop was at Fern Glad, a place where the elusive and unusual platypus can be seen -- but rarely during the day.  We saw nothing and just wandered a short ways for about 10 minutes.  Then we went to Hellyers Distillery and were given our choice of a sample of their product - whisky, including the cream kind.  We were there maybe a half hour.  We also went to a waterfall but there has been a real drought in Australia, including Taz, and it was nice but not spectacular.  We also went to a lookout where I photographed a lighthouse and nice scenery.  We were in the town of Wynyard as well, and perhaps made one other stop.  The countryside was pretty and the weather was good.  

 

Yesterday we went with 2 other people I found on my Roll Call on a 4 hour tour in the area - east along the coast to see Mersey Bluffs (scenic) and a lighthouse, and eventually to Devonport - a pretty nice town on the water.  On the way we made a short visit to the little town of Penguin and a 10 minute stop at Ulverstone where there's a very interesting clock.  Then we went south to Sheffield, which has a lot of beautiful murals.  It was a custom tour by That's The Spirit Tours and they did a great job.  Stuart, one of the owners, took us around, gave us  lot of great info, and had scoped out exactly where I wanted to go before hand to make sure parking was available, determine best time of day, etc.  It was a little over 4 hours and $125 AUD.  It was much better than the Scenic Surrounds tour the week before.  I would recommend That's the Spirit in a heartbeat - and it's even better if you're interested in a particular thing - scenery, art, quirkiness, lighthouses, whatever.  You can customize the tour, as long as That's the Spirit feels they can do what you want in 4 hours or so.  The car was comfortable for the 4 of us - largest person sitting up front and 3 in the back.  However, if you have 4 larger people, you may want to book 2 cars or ask for a larger vehicle.  The price is the same - per person, and Stuart and his brother Todd were willing to take just 2 of us if that's what we wanted.  So I'd suggest hiring these guys to take you where you want to go, or to suggest an itinerary.  From feedback I got on the ship, people also enjoyed their ship's excursion to Wings Wildlife, but the gardens they were taken to were kind of a disappointment - perhaps due to the draught??  

 

Afterwards on our first day, we took the shuttle into the town.  The shuttle makes 3 stops, and you'll get that info when you get to Burnie and get on the shuttle.  Town has a number of regular and thrift shops, but nothing particularly unusual in terms of shopping, but the Makers Workshop (1st shuttle stop) has really nice things made by artists.  Some of the artists are working right there. Burnie also has 2 museums, but we didn't go to those.  While at Makers, you might want to walk out the back, across the railroad tracks, and look on the boardwalk for mounds of concrete that can be housing penguin chicks.  You'll likely need to get down on your hands and needs to see them, though.  The penguins come to the burrows at night.

 

We were met by the mayor of the town at the port, and on our first visit, some musicians.  Also met by a sniffing beagle - no food is allowed to be taken off the ship, and Australia takes that very seriously.

 

Enjoy Burnie; it's a nice place!  Say hi to Stuart or Todd Ashdown for us (Ruth the lighthouse nut & Howard the character.)

Interesting  about your comment of no food is allowed to be taken off the ship..didn't know that....all the Australia  ports?    Shall look into That's the Spirit....we shall be on the Oceania Regatta next January 

[GUT2407]

42 minutes ago, Mrs f. said:

Interesting  about your comment of no food is allowed to be taken off the ship..didn't know that....all the Australia  ports?    Shall look into That's the Spirit....we shall be on the Oceania Regatta next January 

About the only food you can take off is sealed, prepackaged commercial food.

[roothy123]

14 hours ago, GUT2407 said:

About the only food you can take off is sealed, prepackaged commercial food.

Well, I don't know what the actual law is in Australia, except that we were told it was the Biosecurity Act 2015, and that we could be fined almost 13,000 AUD or get 12 months in prison if we were caught.  The cruise director had to make an announcement every morning while in Australia that NO food could be taken off, and there was an announcement in the daily paper that basically stated the same  This was apparently to prevent the spread of African Swine Fever.  There was also a video on our TV as well, as the detection dog during both of our stops in Burnie, Tasmania.  

 

We also had to go through pretty strict immigration/customs checks - face to face on the ship pre-Australia, and we personally had to fill out another Incoming Passenger Card so we could get off in Burnie for the second time.

 

We've been told that New Zealand will be a little less vigilant, but since we haven't gotten there yet, I can't say for sure what will happen.

 

But food was quite available in all the Australia stops, so not taking food off the ship wasn't really a problem. 

[Kiwi_cruiser]

Thank You everyone for your information and replays, very helpfully 😊