The North-West is Tasmania's agricultural heartland, blessed with rich red basalt soils that produce fine dairy products, beef, and vegetables — particularly potatoes, which grow exceptionally well in this climate. The coastline is pleasant for much of its length, broken by the industrial town of Burnie, which is a functional stopover rather than a destination.
For the adventure-minded, the North-West matters most as the northern gateway to Tasmania's World Heritage wilderness. The Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park is the most visited entry point, and rightly so — the Overland Track, which runs its full length, is one of Australia's great long walks. But two other areas deserve attention if time allows: the Walls of Jerusalem National Park, a high plateau of dolerite columns and glacial lakes, and Rocky Cape National Park on the coast, known for ancient Aboriginal caves. Further west, the Tarkine — one of the largest temperate rainforests in the Southern Hemisphere — and the Great Western Tiers escarpment offer wilderness on a different scale altogether.
The two main towns are Devonport and Burnie. Devonport is the natural starting point for visitors arriving on the Spirit of Tasmania ferry from Melbourne, and it has enough services and accommodation to make a comfortable base for the first night. Inland, Deloraine and Sheffield are both worth a stop — Sheffield in particular is known for its outdoor murals covering almost every building in town. The region rewards a slow drive rather than a straight push south to the national parks.
