What’s special about Nubeena?
With a small population under 500, this distinctly low-paced town swells in number to five times that each holiday time. The area surrounding Nubeena offers some of the best lifestyle in the region. Fresh fish for the taking in unpoluted waters, camping and swimming, surfing on remarkable local breaks, easy days out to explore nearby local attractions which are some of the best known in Tasmania. This is a town where you will meet and mingle with the locals.
The township is located on the shores of Wedge Bay and further offshore is Wedge Island which is an important nesting habitat for the shearwater. Marine and birdlife dominate. There is a small local farmed salmon industry exploiting the pure waters of the bays which are flushed out to deep water on each tide. If you are into fishing then this area is for you!
While it looks temporary in places - shacks often make settlements look like that - it has the main facilities for the region including an 'emergency capable' medical centre, library, Council chambers, an active CWA and a Rotary Chapter.
Nubeena is a favorite destination for surfers who are attracted to the consistently good and challenging waves at Roaring Beach. There is a range of accommodation in the area and combined with nearby White Beach makes a great base to wind down and explore the area thoroughly. Pitch a tent, rent a holiday house or stay in a motel or B&B.
One of the most impressive trips you can do is a visit to the Maingon lookout, Remarkable Cave and the Palmers Hill lookout. Remarkable Cave is aptly named for the shape of Tasmania that can be seen at low tide. Not to mention Port Arthur and virtually everything else in a 40km radius. This is one of the most interesting areas for convict history in the whole of Australia.
The story of Nubeena
Nubeena was established as an outstation of Port Arthur and for many years was an important convict farming community. Coal was once mined in the north-west of the peninsula and the ruins of the soldiers’ barracks and convict quarters can be found at nearby Saltwater River. With inlets dotted all over the peninsula, maritime history looms large.
At 10.40pm on Friday, October 7 1910, the river steamer Nubeena ran ashore on Cremorne Beach in a strong westerly wind. The vessel had left Koonya on the Tasman Peninsular earlier in the day with 18 passengers, assorted cargo and about 40 cattle. While this story is not about Nubeena the township, it does paint a picture of life in another time when roads were non-existent and Nubeena was important enough to have a trading vessel named after it.
Travel Directions
Nubeena is located 113km south east of Hobart and just 12 km from the historic penal settlement of Port Arthur. From Port Arthur (A9) it is part of a circuit - via Saltwater River - back to the main road at Taranna (B37).
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