Discover Smithton

Smithton brings together culture, food production and landscape as distinct travel interests: the Circular Head Heritage Centre houses an extensive collection, and local tours are offered at an automated dairy and oyster processing facilities. At the same time, Smithton lies on the edge of Takayna / Tarkine. This lets you discover the area from several perspectives, from specific exhibits to its connection with the landscape.

Culture at the Circular Head Heritage Centre

The Circular Head Heritage Centre in Smithton has an extensive collection of fossils and geological specimens. It also displays local Aboriginal cultural objects and information about them. Visitors can browse the collection at their leisure or ask to see particular items. The varied exhibits offer several points of interest: natural history displays sit alongside representations of local Aboriginal culture.

The Smithton Visitor Information Centre offers maps, help with adventure planning and souvenirs. The centre also has a café and a screening room. If you’re looking for guidance on other things to do, you can make use of the planning assistance available there. As services and facilities can change, check the latest details before visiting.

Tours and cheese in Smithton

The La Cantara Cheese factory is located at Duck River Meadows Robotic Dairy in Smithton. The automated dairy offers daily tours. Times and booking options may change, so check the latest details before planning your visit. A tour of Duck River Meadows ends at the Duck River Meadows Pavilions. There, visitors can sample and buy artisan cheeses; the products available may vary.

Tarkine Fresh Oysters also offers tours in Smithton, where visitors can see the processing facilities on site. These tours must be booked in advance. Together with the dairy and cheese offerings, they provide different insights into local food processing. When planning, it’s worth noting the respective visitor requirements: dairy tour times and availability may change, while oyster tours require advance booking.

Smithton and Takayna / Tarkine

Smithton’s location on the edge of Takayna / Tarkine adds a connection to the landscape alongside the cultural and production themes. This is a different focus from visiting the Heritage Centre or touring a processing facility. When planning your trip, you can decide whether to focus primarily on collections and local culture, food production tours or the landscape.

Nature in the broader Circular Head Council destination

The broader Circular Head Council destination offers other nature experiences distinct from those in Smithton. The Nut Summit Circuit is a 2.7-kilometre loop across the plateau and takes about an hour. This approximate duration provides a practical guide for planning the walk. The Nut State Reserve is also a breeding area for short-tailed shearwaters, peregrine falcons, Australian kestrels and little penguins.

At Godfrey’s Beach, a specially built, red-lit platform lets visitors watch little penguins come ashore at night and make their way to their burrows. The Arthur-Pieman Conservation Area encompasses much of Tasmania’s extensive peatlands as well as some of the state’s largest dune fields. It can be explored in standard or four-wheel-drive vehicles, by canoe or on foot.

Rocky Cape National Park also offers a distinct nature experience in the broader Circular Head Council destination. It is primarily a day-trip park and is best explored on foot. Its landscape includes sea caves, rock pools and secluded beaches suited to fishing and swimming. This gives you a range of nature experiences to consider alongside Smithton’s collections and tours when planning your trip.

Choose accommodation to match your travel interests

When choosing a holiday rental in Smithton, you can use the local culture and food offerings as a guide; the nature destinations across the broader Circular Head Council area provide a separate regional focus. First, consider which of these themes you want to shape your stay. This can help you find a suitable place to stay based on the experiences that interest you most.

Discover more destinations: Falmouth, Robigana, Lake St Clair, Loccota, Longford, Carrick, Somerset, West Kentish.

See the broader travel guide: Tasmania.