Five towns to stop by on Tasmania's Murchison Highway

Getting in the car and heading off on a weekend away or a day trip to small and medium-sized towns down the highway can be a fulfilling experience with hidden gems and great local hospitality. Here are a few highlights down Tasmania's Murchison Highway.

From: Zeehan in Tassie’s wild west coast region to Burnie on the north coast.
Named after: Mount Murchison, near Tullah, where it is said to be good luck to throw a sausage off the summit to ward off animals (seriously?). The mountain itself was named after Roderick Murchison, who was a prominent 19th century British geologist.
Route numbers: A10
Length: 147km
Best bit: Difficult to say, it’s all so scenic! Parts of the highway have been used as competitive stages in Targa Tasmania so if you like twisty bits, Mount Black near Rosebery should get the juices flowing.

Let’s start in Zeehan, where the Murchison Highway was officially opened in 1963. Mount Zeehan was first spotted by Abel Tasman in 1642 but it wasn’t until the lead and silver mines were opened up in the 1890s that the town really blossomed. So you have Victorian veranda-clad buildings in the main street and a highlight is the West Coast Heritage Centre, a museum of the area’s history housed in the decorative School of Mines building. The Spray Tunnel loop is a one hour walk taking in 100 metres of disused railway tunnel.

Driving through the lush west coast of Tassie is one thing, but for a real taste of the wilderness, you’ll want to walk. Check out Montezuma Falls, which at 104 metres is Tasmania’s highest waterfall. It’s a three-hour out-and-back track just outside Rosebery that follows an old tramway with easy gradients and plenty of forest scenery.

Tullah is on the shores of Lake Rosebery, which was formed by damming the Murchison River for hydro-electric power. The town itself is a small outpost for fishing and supplies but don’t miss the Wee Georgie Wood steam railway which operates most weekends on a 130-year-old narrow gauge railway.

Stop at Hellyer Gorge if you’ve stocked up on some of Tasmania’s famous fresh produce and feel like a picnic in beautiful surroundings. There’s a river walk with lush tree ferns and water rushing over boulders, or the old myrtle forest walk takes in forests of this ancient tree species.

Burnie is relatively big by Tasmanian standards with a population of 27,000 and is at the northern end of the Murchison Highway. It’s on Emu Bay, has a large shipping port and there’s quite a bit to see and do. The lush surrounding countryside makes it a premier dairy region, so drop into The Cheese Shop to compare various varieties. It’s at the Makers’ Workshop, a contemporary centre on Burnie’s foreshore showcasing all sorts of local industries, crafts and produce. Pop out of town a little to see the Emu Valley rhododendron garden and stroll about its 11 hectares of loveliness, or track down some local seafood or fish and chips at one of the many eateries.

Perhaps surprisingly, Burnie is also a renowned drawcard for beautiful 1930s Art Deco buildings. Check out the Burnie Art Deco Trail to see some striking commercial and industrial buildings, plus some private homes that were built to attract the captains of industry at the time.

Related: Five towns near Hobart you should road trip to this weekend

Related: Four points of the Compass

Related: Five of our favourite Tasmanian road trips