Burnie, Tasmania - A Wildlife Adventure
- Paul Hallman
- Mar 4
- 6 min read
Updated: Mar 6
Our ship arrived into the Burnie harbor, and we were immediately greeted (again) by one of Tasmania's most distinctive sights—a massive mountain of wood chips towering near the dock. The morning skies, with clouds hovering over the hills, made it look like the day would be chilly and overcast but by the time our Captain docked, blue skies appeared and the temperature climbed to 22C. Our Tasmanian adventure awaited us beyond the port at the Wings Wildlife Park. The 1 hour bus ride turned out to be an interesting trip where we learned lots about the agricultural portion of life here.
Burnie and its History
Burnie is located on the northern shore of Tasmania, it's a city of approximately 20,000 residents. Founded in the 1820s, this port city has evolved from its early days as a timber and mining hub into a thriving regional center that blends working industry with agriculture and natural beauty. It was between the years of 1803 and 1853 that 75,000 convicts, mainly from Britain and Ireland, were sent to Tasmania and today approximately 20% of all residents still have convict roots.
The town's industrial story extends far beyond timber. The town was once home to the Southern Hemisphere's first paper mill, established in 1938, which operated for nearly 80 years. While the paper mill has since closed, its legacy lives on in the town's culture and the skills passed down through generations of workers.
That enormous pile of wood chips we spotted from the ship is no accident—it's a testament to one of Tasmania's most significant export industries. The Burnie port serves as a major export hub for plantation-grown wood chips, primarily sourced from eucalyptus plantations across northern Tasmania. It was impressive to watch a large bulldozer level the wood chip pile as truckloads kept arriving all day long prepping for shipment overseas.
Penguins of Burnie
One delightful surprise we discovered is that Burnie is home to a colony of Little Penguins, also known as Fairy Penguins. These are the smallest penguin species in the world, standing just about 30 centimeters tall. They nest along the rocky coastline and can sometimes be spotted waddling ashore at dusk to return to their burrows after a day of fishing in the sea.
The town clearly adores its tiny tuxedoed residents! On our drive today, we noticed that many of the garbage bins had been painted to look like penguins—complete with little flippers and beaks. Burnie even has a dedicated penguin viewing area where visitors can watch the penguins come ashore in the evenings during breeding season.
Note to reader - we didn't see any penguins !
The Scenic Drive to Wings Wildlife Park
The journey to Wings Wildlife Park was an attraction in itself. As our excursion bus wound through the Tasmanian countryside, we were treated to absolutely beautiful scenery. Rolling green hills stretched out on either side, with grazing cows contentedly munching on the lush grass. Tasmania's dairy industry is renowned, and it was easy to see why—the pastures looked like something out of a postcard.
We also passed several berry farms along the way. Tasmania's cool climate and rich soil make it perfect for growing berries, and the region is famous for its strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries. The neat rows of berry greenhouses against the backdrop of green farmland made for a picturesque drive even before we arrived at the wildlife park!
The fields were also filled with cattle relaxing and grazing as it's a big dairy and farming area. The main industry is the growth and harvesting of opium poppies which are done in massive fields. Tasmania produces approximately 50% of the world's legal supply of raw material for pharmaceutical opiates like morphine, codeine and thebaine, but as we passed the fields they had already been harvested. Apparently sometimes, the fields would require armed guards to protect from theft but barbed wire fences typically are adequate protection. Personal use of opioids can cause severe poisoning and sometimes death so they are always concerned about theft.
Captain America & Deadpool
Before we go any further, I should introduce our special travel companions. Our two youngest grandkids (ages 5 and 2) gave us one Captain America and one Deadpool Bobbleheads for Christmas, and we've made it a task to photograph them throughout our journey. We send the photos back home so the kids can see their adventures around the world. It's become a fun parts of our journey and today we had fun snapping photos.
Our Excursion to the Wings Wildlife Park
The highlight of our Burnie visit was Wings Wildlife Park, located in Gunns Plains. The park began as a passion project and has grown into one of Tasmania's premier wildlife experiences. The park spans over 30 acres of natural bushland and is home to the largest collection of Tasmanian wildlife in the state. What started as a small sanctuary has evolved into a conservation-focused facility dedicated to educating visitors about Australia's incredible native animals.
This remarkable wildlife sanctuary offers an intimate encounter with many of Tasmania's unique fauna—and everyone on the tour came prepared with their cameras and never stopped snapping photos of the wildlife residents.
The Friendliest Kangaroos Ever
The kangaroos at Wings were absolutely everywhere—and they couldn't have cared less about us! These relaxed roos were so tame and friendly that we could walk right up and touch them. We were able to get so close to these iconic Australian animals and we even saw a small baby albino kangaroo. Captain America & Deadpool got in on some great photos opportunities with their new kangaroo friends!
These guys just didn't care what was happening.
These Kangaroos didnt care who came by or who touched them,.
Tasmanian Devils: Small But Fierce!
If the kangaroos were the gentle giants of the park, the Tasmanian Devils were the feisty fighters! These little marsupials were incredibly active during our visit. We were lucky enough to capture video of them during feeding time, and let me tell you—when food is involved, all bets are off. We watched them fighting over their meal, snarling and snapping with those powerful jaws. For such small animals, they are absolutely fierce. I would NOT want to get into a fight with a Tasmanian Devil! The devils are endangered in the wild due to devil facial tumor disease, making
like Wings vital for their survival.
Tasmanian Devil - Scary animal and they had many in the same pen.
Nice teeth when angry, but it looks pleasant when sleeping
More Wildlife Encounters
Wombats — These adorable, barrel-shaped marsupials waddled about, seemingly unbothered by our presence.
Koalas — Perched sleepily in a small eucalyptus tree, watching with a careful glare as everyone snapped photos.
Native Birds — From colorful parrots to kookaburras with their distinctive laugh.
Echidnas and Platypus — Some of the most unique creatures on Earth.
He never moved the entire time we were there
Some of these residents entertained us with antics and smiles
These two just stood on the hill and posed for photos
The birds were so colourful and I was not able to post photos of all the birds we saw
Standing so tall and proud
After a wonderful day exploring Tasmania, we returned to the Coral Princess ready for an evening of entertainment. The ship's Theatre was hosting "Encore," a spectacular stage show performed by one of Princess Cruises' talented production cast groups.
These performers travel from ship to ship across the Princess fleet, bringing their song-and-dance productions to guests around the world. This particular show featured a dynamic mix of Broadway-style numbers, dazzling costumes, and incredible choreography.
The finale was moving—a powerful rendition of "You'll Never Walk Alone" and the harmonies filled the Theatre where everyone could feel the emotion in the room. I managed to capture closing performance on video. It was the perfect ending to an unforgettable day in Tasmania.
From the industrial might of Burnie's port with its towering wood chip mountains, to the charming penguin-painted bins in town, through the beauty of Tasmania's dairy farms and berry fields, to the gentle kangaroos and feisty devils at Wings—this port offered a perfect snapshot of what makes Tasmania a special place to visit.
Next port of call is Melbourne Australia
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