Burnie

Burnie sits on Tasmania's northwest coast, a small port city where you can smell the sea from most streets. A free shuttle runs from the terminal to the Burnie Discovery Hub, which houses the arts centre and museum. The Makers' Workshop nearby displays local handmade paper and artisan goods. In the evenings, little penguins waddle ashore at the Penguin Observation Centre on the foreshore, though you'll need to time your ship departure carefully to catch them. Outside town, a 17-kilometre coastal trail runs through rainforest to Oldaker Falls, and platypus often appear in the Emu River at Fernglade around dusk. Wings Farm rescues Tasmanian devils, wombats and kangaroos and lets visitors get close. For food, Hellyers Road whisky, Ashgrove cheese and Anvers chocolate are all produced in the area and sold in shops along the waterfront. Cradle Mountain is about 90 minutes away for a full-day trip.