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Queenstown

Population 2120

The discovery of gold and other mineral resources in the Mount Lyell field in the 1880s led to the rapid emergence of Queenstown. Continuous mining here from 1893 to 1994 produced over 670 000 tonnes of copper, 510 000 kilograms of silver and 20 000 kilograms of gold. Operations began again in 1995, and are now owned by the Indian company Sterlite Industries. The town has modern facilities, but its wide streets and remaining historic buildings give it an old-mining-town flavour. In certain lights, multicoloured boulders on the hillsides, denuded through a combination of felling, wildfire, erosion and poisonous fumes from the smelter, reflect the sun's rays and turn to amazing shades of pink and gold. However, many Tasmanians view the place as a haunting reminder of the devastating impact humans can have on their environment.

Visitor Information

Queenstown Galley Museum, cnr Sticht and Driffield sts; (03) 6471 1483

Nearby national parks

Nearby towns

  • Strahan

    This pretty little port on Macquarie Harbour, on Tasmania's forbidding west coast, is the last stop before a long stretch of ocean to...more

  • Zeehan

    After silver-lead deposits were discovered here in 1882, Zeehan boomed and between 1893 and 1908, the mine yielded ore worth $8 million,...more

  • Rosebery

    Like the nearby towns of Queenstown, Strahan and Zeehan, Rosebery found its economic niche in mining. The region is also known for its...more

In Town

Galley Museum The museum is housed in the Imperial (1898), Queenstown's first brick hotel, and displays over 800 photographs and general memorabilia of the history of the west coast. Cnr Sticht and Driffield sts.West Coast Wilderness Railway This restored 1896 rack-and-pinion railway travels over 34 km of river and forest track to Strahan. It crosses 40 bridges and passes through pristine wilderness areas. Bookings on 1800 628 288.Spion Kop Lookout: views of Queenstown and surrounding mountains; off Bowes St. Paragon Theatre: cinema; McNamara St. Historical walk: takes in 25 locations of historical importance; 'The Walkabout Queenstown' brochure from visitor centre.

Nearby

Mt Lyell Mines: guided tours of the mines north of town, either surface (1 hr) or underground (3.5 hrs); bookings on (03) 6471 1472. Iron Blow: original open-cut mine where gold was discovered in 1883; Gormanston; 6 km E. Linda: ghost town; 7 km E. Mt Jukes Lookout: superb panoramic views; 7 km S. Lake Burbury: excellent brown and rainbow trout fishing; picnic areas; 8 km E. Nelson Falls: short walk through temperate rainforest leads to falls; 23 km E. Valley views: spectacular views from Lyell Hwy as it climbs steeply out of town.

Fishing spots near town

Bronte System 78 km

Trout anglers probably already know that Tasmania’s Central Highland lakes are among the best in the world. Many offer fly- fishers an opportunity to sight-fish for tailing trout around the lake margins.... Find out more


Little Pine Lagoon 86 km

Little Pine Lagoon is not much to look at, but is highly regarded by fly-fishers for its springtime tailing trout and summer dun hatches. Some anglers rate it Tasmania’s premier fly-fishing water. This small water... Find out more


Great Lake 95 km

A year-round trout fishery, Great Lake is one of Tasmania’s best known waters and a thriving centre for holiday homes. Brown trout were first released here in 1870 and they still dominate the fishery with an... Find out more


Arthurs Lake 110 km

Tasmanians claim that ‘even novices can catch trout in Arthurs Lake’. This probably explains why this waterway is Tasmania’s most popular trout fishery, hosting more anglers than any other water... Find out more


Lake River 128 km

‘Tasmania is in drought, we simply don’t have enough water,’ said my guide Roger Butler as we departed Hobart for Lake River, which joins the Macquarie River south of Launceston. We reached our... Find out more


Salmon Ponds 138 km

Most Australian trout anglers regard Tasmania as the nation’s premier trout destination. It’s like Tasmania was purpose-designed for trout, with hundreds of lakes and a cooler climate. Mother Nature... Find out more


The Springs 171 km

Visitors to Hobart who are short on time can get a trout fix less than 20 mins’ drive from the CBD at an exclusive fishery called The Springs. It is a year-round fishery and is restricted to a maximum of two... Find out more


Twin Lakes 194 km

I always thought the title of John Gierach’s entertaining book Where the Trout are all as Long as your Leg was a little farfetched, until I realised it related to a time when he was five years old. I am a little... Find out more


St Helens 241 km

Most mainlanders once regarded Tasmania’s east coast seaport of St Helens as a gamefishing destination, and little else. Anglers came here to head offshore in search of marlin, tuna and sharks. However, the... Find out more


Eco-friendly activities around town

Beachcombing near Strahan 21 km

Wander the wilds of Ocean Beach on the west coast, its shores battered by waves and winds, and strewn with kelp. This is western Tasmania at its finest.... Find out more


The Overland Track 59 km

Deservedly the most well-known, multiday walking route in Australia, this 65- to 80-kilometre route through Cradle Mountain– Lake St Clair National Park is a classic (for national park information, see park entry... Find out more


Tarkine Trails 64 km

Delve deeply into the temperate rainforest of the Tarkine Wilderness on a multi-day bushwalk with Tarkine Trails. Unashamedly made up of conservation activists, the company is keen to show you why the Tarkine area should... Find out more


Trowunna Wildlife Park, Mole Creek 92 km

One of the most respected and long-running wildlife parks in Tasmania, Trowunna is involved in conservation, education and rehabilitation. There is a wide range of wildlife on display, including devils, reptiles, quolls... Find out more


Gunns Plains Cave 98 km

Located just south-west of Gunns Plains (some 23 kilometres south-west of Ulverstone), this is yet another great limestone cave. It has one of the largest shawl formations in the Southern Hemisphere, glow worms aplenty... Find out more


Giant crayfish research, near Ulverstone 115 km

Tasmania has the largest freshwater crayfish in the world, and they can grow up to a metre in length, with claws that could cut a person’s hand off. You can go out on a research trip with the world’s expert... Find out more


Hiking the Penguin to Cradle walk 116 km

If you want to embark on a little-known, but highly varied Tasmanian bushwalk, try part or the entire 80-kilometre Penguin to Cradle walk. It starts at the coast, goes through a mix of rural areas, woodlands, canyons,... Find out more


Creative Paper, Burnie 117 km

Make your own paper with recycled bits and pieces on a half-hour tour at this non-profit, community-based enterprise. They use all sorts of odds and ends to make their eco-friendly papers, including old jeans, fruit pulp... Find out more


Platypus Encounters, Latrobe 118 km

Three brothers almost single-handedly turned an old quarry site into one of the most reliable places in the world to see wild platypus. In fact, the guided tours have never failed to encounter a platypus in Warrawee... Find out more


Tarkine Forest Adventures at Dismal Swamp 142 km

This is a strange mix of natural history, art installations, public relations for Forestry Tasmania and a wild and riotous 110-metre slide. The experience is set in the only known sinkhole in the world with a thriving... Find out more


Golf courses around town

Tasmania Golf Club 180 km

The challenge a golf course presents can often be measured by the quality of player it produces. At Tasmania Golf Club, the name Goggin crops up regularly on the honour boards. Lindy Goggin, a three-time Australian... Find out more


Royal Hobart Golf Club 181 km

Royal Hobart Golf Club has come a long way from humble beginnings. It started out at Sandy Bay, not far from where Wrest Point Casino stands today, in 1896. Known as the Newlands course, it was an incredible par- 89:... Find out more


Barnbougle Dunes Links 197 km

Bridport used to be a sleepy fishing village on Tasmania’s north-east coast. That all changed in 2004. In December of that year Barnbougle Dunes Links opened for play on the eastern outskirts of town – and... Find out more


Barnbougle Dunes Links (Lost Farm course) 199 km

When Barnbougle Dunes opened for play in 2004 it did have a few critics who suggested it was too far away from the golfing masses to be financially successful. How wrong they were. If a golf course is good enough,... Find out more


Cafes & restaurants around town

Penghana B&B

In the magnificent dining room of the Penghana B&B, diners enjoy a beautiful evening meal with a touch of decadence, surrounded by more than 100 years of history. A brief à la carte menu lists traditional... Find out more


Nearby eco-friendly places to eat

Purple Possum Wholefoods and Cafe 225 km

Purple Possum is in the great little town of St Marys, midway between St Helens and Bicheno. The cafe is wholly vegetarian, and you can take away a range of organic fruit and vegetables and locally grown supplies.... Find out more


Nearby breweries

Two Metre Tall Company 136 km

Ashley Huntington actually is 2 metres tall – probably taller if you include his mop of curly hair – and his generous height is also the name for the craftbrewing enterprise he runs from the Derwent... Find out more


Boag's (J.Boag & Son) 150 km

With several different owners over the past 100 years, J. Boag and Son typifies the sometimes turbulent history of Australian brewing and the minor miracle of surviving at all into the 21st century. Scotsman James Boag... Find out more


Moo Brew 162 km

With its striking, glass and steel brewhouse perched high above the Derwent River, Moo Brew is probably the best-appointed microbrewery in the land. It’s also part of Moorilla Estate, situated on the outskirts of... Find out more


Cascade Brewery 169 km

It’s impossible not to wax lyrical about the Cascade Brewery. It is the oldest working brewery in the country, one of the quaintest-looking industrial buildings and it’s located in the most picturesque of... Find out more


Iron House Brewery 236 km

When White Sands Resort came on the market a few years ago it proved too tempting for Devonport businessman John White, who already runs several companies bearing his surname. Rebranded as White Sands Estate, the... Find out more


Campsites around town

Queenstown Cabin And Tourist Park 1 km

This cabin park in Queenstown’s south has a full list of facilities and is a good central site from which to explore the region’s mining history and startling natural features. There is everything you might... Find out more


Lake Burbury camping area 10 km

This vast scenic lake is the west coast’s aquatic playground, with watersports and excellent seasonal trout fishing (licences are required). Lake levels vary in some years, reducing boat access. Grassy picnic and... Find out more


Thureau Hills camping area 11 km

This remote spot on the edge of pretty Lake Burbury is used by campervans, motorhomes and caravans but there are no facilities so you need to bring your own everything. The lake offers fishing and boating, with a... Find out more


Darwin Dam camping area 16 km

This remote camping area at the southern tip of Lake Burbury is located deep within the forest, 25 km south of Queenstown, along the unsealed Mount Jukes Rd. There is free camping beside the dam and in clearings bedside... Find out more


Macquarie Heads camping area 31 km

Strahan is a must-see destination in Tasmania, and the starting point for cruises along the iconic Gordon River. This grassed shady camping area is 15 km west of town, along Ocean Beach Rd, then left along a rough... Find out more


Lake Tahune hut 31 km

This hut 9 km from Lake Vera is heated with methylated spirit. It’s best to bring your own, as supplies are limited. No camping is allowed at nearby Frenchmans Cap.... Find out more


Collingwood River campsite 32 km

This small camping area with no facilities is in the ferny rainforest on the eastern side of the Lyell Hwy A10, where it crosses the Collingwood River, 40 km west of Derwent Bridge. This is where seasoned adventurers set... Find out more


Lake Vera 34 km

This coal-heated walk-in hut is 16 km from the trailhead.... Find out more


Loddon River 36 km

This camping site is on the first leg of the track to Frenchmans Cap. No facilities.... Find out more


Philps Creek 38 km

This walk-in bush campsite between the Frenchmans Cap trailhead and Lake Vera has no facilities. ... Find out more


Caravan parks around town

Queenstown Cabin and Tourist Park 1 km

This is a good basic park with a range of facilities. It is the only park in the immediate area. Bookings are required in peak periods.... Find out more


Discovery Holiday Parks – Strahan 21 km

Explore the impressive western coastal region from this resort-style park, only 1.5 km west of the centre of Strahan. It has good facilities and we stay here when we visit the town. Bookings are required in peak periods.... Find out more


Treasure Island Caravan Park 29 km

This park is in a lovely rural setting with lots of trees. Facilities will suit travellers passing through. Bookings are required in peak periods.... Find out more


Rosebery Cabin and Tourist Park 34 km

This is a small park with basic facilities, but good for an overnight stop or longer stay. Cash only is accepted.... Find out more


Lake St Clair Lodge 51 km

This park, on the southern shores of Lake St Clair, is 5 km from Derwent Bridge. It has basic national park-style amenities and is located next to the interpretive centre within the park boundary. A national park permit... Find out more


Discovery Holiday Parks – Cradle Mountain 64 km

Set in bushland just outside the World Heritage-listed Tasmanian wilderness area, this quality park has good facilities including a large recreation building with open fireplaces. It is a popular camping site for walkers... Find out more


Wayatinah Lakeside Caravan Park 85 km

This is a neat lakeside park with basic facilities at a budget price and suitable for a night or two. Bookings are required in peak periods.... Find out more


Wings Wildlife Park 99 km

Staying here is a different experience. There is trout fishing, bushwalking, kayaking, golf, and more. The park has good facilities including powered sites, but we would opt for the unpowered riverfront camping area. The... Find out more


Deloraine Apex Caravan Park 110 km

With good facilities, this park is about a oneand- a-half hour drive to Cradle Mountain and about half that to Great Lake. There are good bushwalks in the area. Bookings are required in peak periods.... Find out more


BIG4 Ulverstone Holiday Park 115 km

This is a good quality park with spacious grassy areas and a range of facilities, about 1 km from the town centre and close to the surf club on East Beach. Bookings are required in peak periods.... Find out more


Hotels, motels & B&Bs around town

Empire Hotel

Dating from Queenstown’s glory days at the turn of the 19th century, when mining brought wealth and status to the town, today the Empire is a slightly faded old beauty but she still shows the elegance of the times... Find out more


Mount Lyell Anchorage

This Edwardian bungalow, a block from Queenstown’s centre, offers luxury accommodation in four individual rooms with private bathrooms. Although the house is 100 years old, the interior decor is clean, minimalist... Find out more


Penghana B&B

With no expense spared, this fine two-storey mansion was built as the mine manager’s residence in 1898, with spacious rooms, exquisite carved woodwork and a magnificent blackwood staircase, so it’s no... Find out more


Derwent Bridge Chalets

An hour and a quarter’s drive from Queenstown along one of Australia’s most incredible roads, Derwent Bridge is a popular destination at the southern end of Cradle Mountain–Lake St Clair National Park,... Find out more


Eco-friendly places to stay around town

Waldheim Cabins 58 km

You can steal a march on everyone else in the morning by staying in historic cabins at a beautiful spot within Cradle Mountain–Lake St Clair National Park, operated by the Parks and Wildlife Service. The cabins are... Find out more


Cradle Mountain Lodge 62 km

Live in the lap of luxury – old style – with a warm and welcoming central lodge, surrounded by individual cabins. Like nearly any large lodge, it does not have a perfect environmental record, but this... Find out more


Mountain Valley, Loongana 82 km

Mountain Valley is off the beaten tourist track, situated around 64 kilometres south-west of Devonport (due south of Burnie). Visitors here stay in rustic cabins with open fireplaces on a private and remote 60-hectare... Find out more


Curringa Farm 115 km

Near Hamilton, about an hour’s drive west of Hobart, this eco-accredited 300-hectare property gives visitors a taste of sustainable farming practices.Give a couple of day’s notice and you can tour the farm,... Find out more


Peppermint Ridge Retreat, Woodbridge 181 km

Even without the stunning views over the D’Entrecasteaux Channel from 6-metre-high windows, the pademelons that hop around, or the free-range eggs and organic vegetable garden that guests are allowed to raid in... Find out more


Rainbow Retreat 229 km

The owners of this 30-hectare nature reserve at St Marys are wildlife carers who rehabilitate then release wildlife on the property, so there are plenty of their old friends wandering around, including wombats,... Find out more


Rest areas around town

Lake Burbury Camp Area 10 km

20 km E of Queenstown (L) or 65 km W of Derwent Bridge (R) Large open grassed campground located 1 kilometre west of the highway near the lake. Good facilities. Limited shade. GPS: S42 05.789 E145 40.454... Find out more


Lake Burbury Rest Area 10 km

T/O 15 km E of Queenstown (R) or 70 km W of Derwent Bridge (L) Small area located at the boat ramp 4 kilometres south of the highway. Limited shade. GPS: S42 08.35 E145 39.10... Find out more


Rosebery Park Area 33 km

South side of town Large parking adjacent to the highway on the banks of the river at Stitt Park. Good facilities. GPS: S41 46.968 E145 32.403  ... Find out more


Tullah Park Area 39 km

Off the main street into town (opposite shopping centre) Large parking area on the shores of Lake Rosebery. Limited shade. GPS: S41 44.172 E145 36.947  ... Find out more


Franklin River Park Area 41 km

60 km SE of Queenstown (R) or 25 km NW of Derwent Bridge (L) Very small area adjacent to the highway. Good facilities and shade. GPS: S42 12.931 E146 01.214... Find out more


Tullabardine Dam Rest Area 45 km

T/O 105 km S of Somerset (L) or 1 km N of Tullah (R) Large area 6 kilometres east of the highway at the dam. GPS: S41 41.127 E145 39.388... Find out more


Fossey River Rest Area 70 km

67 km S of Somerset (L) or 39 km N of Tullah (R) Large area just off the highway surrounded by forest. Good facilities. Limited shade. GPS: S41 27.048 E145 37.263... Find out more


Nive River Rest Area 78 km

44 km SE of Derwent Bridge (R) or 5 km N of Tarraleah (L) Small area adjacent to the highway on the riverbank. Good facilities. Limited shade. GPS: S42 17.921 E146 27.511... Find out more


Bronte Lagoon Rest Area 79 km

28 km SE of Derwent Bridge (R) or 21 km N of Tarraleah (L) Small area adjacent to the highway on the shores of the lagoon. GPS: S42 10.777 E146 30.033... Find out more


Bradys Lake Camp Area 80 km

36 km SE of Derwent Bridge (L) or 13 km N of Tarraleah (R) Small open grassy area located 1 kilometre off the highway on the shores of the lake. No facilities or shade. GPS: S42 13.920 E146 29.820... Find out more


Little Pine Lagoon Camp Area 88 km

T/O at Miena via Marlborough Highway Small camping area located 12 kilometres south-west of Miena. NOTE: Access road part unsealed. GPS: S42 00.005 E146 36.661... Find out more


Hellyer Gorge Rest Area 90 km

40 km S of Somerset (L) or 66 km N of Tullah (R) Pleasant area adjacent to the highway surrounded by forest. Good facilities and shade. GPS: S41 16.409 E145 36.908 ... Find out more


Ouse Rest Area 106 km

East side of town Large grassed area adjacent to the highway at Grace Nicholson Apex Park. Limited shade and facilities. GPS: S42 29.125 E146 42.859... Find out more


Pumphouse Bay Camp Area 108 km

T/O 13 km SE of Miena (L) or 43 km NW of Bothwell (R) Large open area on edge of the lake 6 kilometres north of the highway via Poatina Road. NOTE: Access road part unsealed. GPS: S41 59.977 E146 51.076... Find out more


Bethune Camp Area 109 km

T/O 7 km SE of Ouse (R) or 7 km NW of Hamilton (L) Large grassed area 2.3 kilometres south-west of the highway via Dawson Road. NOTE: Self-contained vehicles only. GPS: S42 32.135 E146 43.837... Find out more


Blackburn Creek Rest Area 112 km

29 km SE of Miena (R) or 27 km NW of Bothwell (L) Large open area adjacent to the highway. Limited shade. GPS: S42 10.356 E146 54.285... Find out more


Jonah Bay Camp Area 112 km

T/O 13 km SE of Miena (L) or 43 km NW of Bothwell (R) Large area in a natural bush setting on edge of the lake 10 kilometres north of the highway via Poatina Road and Gunns Marsh Road. NOTE: Access road part... Find out more


Lagoon of Islands Rest Area 114 km

T/O 20 SE of Miena (L) or 36 km NW of Bothwell (R) Large area located 4 kilometres east of the highway (turn off at Steppes) on the shores of the lake. NOTE: Access road unsealed. GPS: S42 06.677 E146 56.163... Find out more


Parramatta Creek Rest Area 116 km

26 km NW of Deloraine (L) or 17 km SE of Latrobe (R) Pleasant area just off the highway among some large trees on the bank of the creek. Good facilities and shade. GPS: S41 19.830 E146 31.826 ... Find out more


Hamilton Rest Area 118 km

Middle of town Large grassed area just off the highway on the banks of the Clyde River. Good facilities including laundry (key from council offices with deposit). Limited shade. GPS: S42 33.571 E146 49.859... Find out more


Somerset Park Area 118 km

Middle of town Small parking area at the junction with Murchison Highway on the banks of Cam River. Good facilities. Limited shade. GPS: S41 02.487 E145 50.329... Find out more


Wynyard Park Area 122 km

East side of town Small parking area on the foreshore. Good facilities. GPS: S40 59.408 E145 44.545... Find out more


Pub with no Beer Rest Area 127 km

3 km SE of Bothwell (R) or 18 km NW of Midland Hwy (L) Large open area adjacent to the highway. Limited shade. GPS: S42 23.293 E147 02.645 ... Find out more


Sisters Beach Rest Area 129 km

T/O 13 km NW of Wynyard (R) or 54 km SE of Smithton (L) Small shady area on the foreshore 8 kilometres north of the highway. Very good facilities and shade. GPS: S40 55.007 E145 33.714... Find out more


Gretna Park Area 132 km

Middle of town Small area adjacent to the highway next to the sports oval and fire station. Good facilities and shade. GPS: S42 40.711 E146 56.161 ... Find out more


Prickly Wattles Camp Area 135 km

19 km S of Marrawah Large camp area just off the road in a natural bush setting 2 kilometres south of Arthur River township. NOTE: Access road part unsealed. GPS: S41 03.572 E144 40.758  ... Find out more


Peppermint Camp Area 136 km

17 km S of Marrawah at Arthur River Open camp area just off the road into town on the north side of Arthur River township. Good facilities. Limited shade. GPS: S41 02.923 E144 40.063  ... Find out more


Brickmakers Beach 137 km

40 km W of Wynyard (R) or 27 km E of Smithton (L) Large grassed area adjacent to the highway on the foreshore. Limited shade. GPS: S40 51.121 E145 21.905... Find out more


Pegs Beach Camp Area 138 km

42 km W of Wynyard (R) or 25 km E of Smithton (L) Large open grassy campground adjacent to the highway on the foreshore. Limited shade. GPS: S40 51.111 E145 21.153... Find out more


Black River Camp Area 139 km

T/O 44 km W of Wynyard (R) or 23 km E of Smithton (L) Very large area with numerous secluded campsites located 1 to 5 kilometres off the highway in the scrub near the river. Limited facilities and shade. NOTE: Access... Find out more


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