Things to do

• Beaconsfield Mine & Heritage Centre
• Seahorse World
• Platypus House
• Holm Oak Winery
• Small Wonder Winery
• Miners Gold Brewery
• Low Head Lighthouse
• Low Head Penguin Tours
• Badger Beach Lookout

Beaconsfield is a former gold mining town near the Tamar River. This town was put on the world stage with the Beaconsfield mine collapse on 25 April 2006. Miners Todd Russell and Brant Webb spent 14days buried below the mine before being rescued. The Beaconsfield mine shut down in 2012 and was purchased by NQ Minerals for $2 million. You can take a self guided very informative tour with Beaconsfield Mine & Heritage Centre. There is so much to see in the centre with a lot of history of this town. Once you get out into the mine you can get up and close and experience where the miners days were spent above ground. Allow a couple of hours to take everything in, it is well worth the visit.

We could not visit this place without going to a few wineries close by. We visited Small Wonder and Holm Oak Wineries and enjoyed the expansive vines on both properties and pig feeding and sensory garden at Holm Oak Winery . You can also make your own picnic basket here at Holm Oak or make your own cheese board. There is a section where you can make your platter. I think this is ingenious as you can choose just what you want to eat . Both wineries were very accomodating and informative. I came away with Pinot Wines as the cooler climate makes for a good vintage.

Just down the road across the Batman bridge is George Town. George Town is the largest town in the north-east of Tasmania on the eastern bank of the Tamar River. There is so much to do here from visiting the lighthouse and penguin colony or the Bass and Flinders Maritime Museum . We spent an hour in the museum it was so interesting and met a man who had done blasting back in the 1970s to make the entry to the port deeper. The cost for the museum is $10 pa well worth the visit.

Next door to the museum is Head Pilot Accomodations , this is where the pilots back in the days and their families lived. They are well worth a look and have the comforts but the authenticity of that era.

Sea horse world is a sea horse working farm that gives you unique access to these magical creatures. I was so excited i had the chance to hold on to one such an experience. The tour is a 45min very informative tour and there are also sharks and other sea life on the tour.

We drove out to Badger Beach Lookout. This is a grade 2 -3 walk and the views are amazing. You can see as far as the town of Burnie to the west. The water was crystal clear and the beaches looked inviting. I almost stood on a tiger snake so just be cautious as always as the day was warm and attracts them to the heat.

We free camped at Garden Island 12km out of Beaconsfield and it was absolutely magic. We stayed 3 days out here and enjoyed being right on the water. Paul put the kayak in and tried to fish but the current was quite strong so mission aborted after an hour. I also got to watch a big ship come in on our first morning very impressive.

Allow minimum 2 days for this area as there is so much to take in.