Port Sorell

What’s special about Port Sorell?

• Popular holiday retreat with holidaymakers in the summer months.
• Ideal for water sports, walks and wildlife observing.

Dive into some water sports including water-skiing and sea-kayaking at this picturesque coastal retreat. If you prefer to keep dry, you can relax on the sandy dunes, fish from the floating pontoon, play a round of golf on a local course, or walk along the picturesque foreshore. Port Sorell has a population of 1,950, which increases significantly in the summer months when holidaymakers flock to camping grounds and shacks. Its boat ramp is the busiest on the north-west coast.

Nearby are Shearwater, Hawley Beach and Freers Beach. At low tide you can walk to Penguin Island and Rabbit Island - the latter a hideout for bushrangers in the mid-1800s.

Just across the Rubicon River is Narawntapu National Park, abounding in Forester kangaroos, wallabies, wombats and even Tasmanian devils. At dusk, you can catch sight of little penguins scampering up the beach at Point Sorell.

Climate is temperate at Port Sorell, reaching an average maximum of 21 degrees Celsius (70 degrees Fahrenheit) in January and 13 degrees Celsius (55.5 degrees Fahrenheit) in June.

More things to do:
Swimming
Mountain biking
Bushwalking

The story of Port Sorell:
Port Sorell was established in 1822 by Lieutenant-Governor William Sorell and was once the largest town on Tasmania's north coast. The port traded in wattle bark, and thrived until it was outgrown by Devonport. Port Sorell even had a convict jail on Watch House Hill, which was later replaced by a bowling green. Little evidence of Port Sorell's history remains, as the original town was destroyed by bushfire.

Travel directions:
Port Sorell is just over an hours’ drive (117 kilometres/72.5 miles) north of Launceston and a 20-minute drive east of Devonport.