The pit stop: Burnie
Burnie is a city on the rise. Once a centre of heavy manufacturing, now it’s bringing art into its heart and crafting some of Australia’s finest whisky.
Eat
Serving heavenly food inside a refurbished 1890s city-centre chapel, The Chapel’s all-day cafe menu features the likes of braised spiced cauliflower, mushroom bruschetta and The Chapel’s own house-brewed beer. Watch this space – the cafe is soon to open a brew pub around the corner.
Stay
Large rooms, large mirrors, large artworks, large views – boutique goes big at the Ikon Hotel, where 12 huge suites with iron-lace balconies provide a stay with real charm inside a landmark building.
Credit: The Chapel
Credit: S. Group
Credit: Chi Kueng Renault Wong
Shop
Industrial in appearance, and industrious inside, the Makers’ Workshop dominates Burnie’s foreshore. While the Makers’ Workshop has recently closed its doors to the public, work has begun on a new model for this community hub. Watch this space.
See
Burnie’s inner-city residents aren’t all human – every evening, little penguins shuffle ashore behind the Makers’ Workshop, where there’s an observation centre for easy viewing and, much of the year, volunteer guides on hand with a wealth of penguin intel.
Drink
Go to the source with a whisky tasting at Hellyers Road, the distillery created by local dairy farmers. It was crowned with the title of Australia’s best single malt whisky at the 2021 World Whiskies Awards. Distillery tours and cafe feeds are also on the menu.
Credit: S. Group
Credit: S. Group