Tucked away in the very north-west corner is Woolnorth, Tasmania’s most surprising and thoroughly rewarding attraction. There are many aspects to take in here. Cape Grim played a harsh past in aboriginal history, where there were struggles between the local aboriginals and the european settlers.
Woolnorth features some of the prettiest and freshest coastline, Cape Grim. Since 1976, Cape Grim has measured the cleanest air in the world. There is an exciting new dairy operation and for visitors there are tours which allow the discovery of all these aspects to occur at once.
Key Visitor Information for Woolnorth
Woolnorth Weather
The weather here is nice, a little warmer than the west coast, but not as warm as other parts of northern Tasmania. Being located in the very corner of the
The average temperature in summer is 20 degrees celsius
The average temperature in autumn is 17 degrees celsius
The average temperature in winter is 13 degrees celsius
The average temperature in spring is 15 degrees celsius
Directions to Woolnorth
As Woolnorth is in the very north-west corner of mainland Tasmania, visitors often arrive here from destinations such as Devonport on the northern coast or drive up from the west coast, after visiting places like Arthur River, the Tarkine and Trowutta.
Devonport to Woolnorth is a 2 hour, 163km drive. Follow the Bass Highway west along the coast to Smithton, then take Montagu Road and continue west to Woolnorth Road.
If you’re traveling from the west coast, take the Harcus River Road if traveling from Marawah, or Trowutta Road if you’re slightly inland visiting Corinna, Trowutta etc.
Best Known for
While previously being known for its horrific past, Woolnorth and Cape Grim are now known for their rugged scenery, title of the world’s cleanest air, and the dairy farm.
History of Woolnorth & Cape Grim
The Cape Grim massacre occurred on 10 February 1828, when four Van Diemen’s Land Company (VDLC) workers attacked and shot a group of Aboriginal Tasmanians gathering food on a beach in the north-west of Tasmania. The bodies of some of the victims were subsequently thrown from a 60-metre cliff. The attack, which was a retaliation for an earlier Aboriginal raid on a herd of Van Diemen’s Land Company sheep, but also part of an expanding spiral of violence prompted by the kidnapping and rape of Aboriginal women in the area, is thought to have killed around 30 men. The horrific event occurred during the “Black War,” a period of violent struggle in Tasmania between British colonists and Aboriginal Australians from the mid-1820s to 1832.
Things to do in Woolnorth
Woolnorth and Cape Grim Tours
Woolnorth Tours offers the most complete way to see and learn about the Woolnorth and Cape Grim area. While most parts of Tasmania can be experienced and enjoyed without a tour, Woolnorth is a unique location where you can see far more with a tour.
The guide and business owner is Laura Dabner, the daughter of the previous guide/owner. As a proud local and Tasmanian aboriginal descendant, Laura has strong connections to the area and is a wealth of interesting knowledge that she is enthusiastic to share with visitors.
Wind farm operations, the science behind the boast of the Cleanest Air in the World, agriculture, aboriginal history, colonial history, native fauna, and Woolnorth Tours is the only method to stand on the clifftop at Cape Grim are among the topics covered throughout the tour.
Things to do near Woolnorth
Head down the west coast to see stunning coastal scenery and big waves at Marrawah and Arthur River. See culturally and historically significant aboroginal carvings at Mt Cameron South and Sundown Point. Drive east along the north coast and visit the cute village of Stanley where you can take a chairlift up ‘The Nut’ and see penguins.
Woolnorth Accommodation
Unfortunately there is little to choose from in Woolnorth, however there are some nice options only a few minutes away.
Platypus Waters B&B Smithton
Platypus Waters is a lovely, modern one-bedroom B&B in nearby Smithton that overlooks the gorgeous Duck River. Watch the ducks, geese, water hens, and fish move down the river from your private balcony, and keep an eye out for Jeremy the platypus.
Before beginning on your Woolnorth Tour or self-guided activities in the untamed Tasmanian Tarkine region, wake up to a fully equipped kitchen and fill yourself with a supplied gourmet breakfast.
Marrawah Beach Houses
On the edge of a 100 acre coastal property overlooking the ocean and scenic farmland, there are two great accommodation options. One is a studio, the other is a 2 bedroom cottage. It’s a great place to base yourself when visiting Woolnorth as well as the Tarkine and Arthur River regions.
