Nubeena

The Coal Mines, for the worst of Port Arthur's convicts

Nubeena is a small coastal town of 481 on the Tasman Peninsula. It's the closest settlement to the world heritage-listed Coal Mines Historic Site.

Nubeena is about 15 km (9.3 mi) from Port Arthur, the regional centre of the Tasman. For travel purposes, this article also covers the neighbouring town of White Beach.

Get in

Nubeena is a 12-minute drive west of Port Arthur via B37 (approx. 12 km). From Eaglehawk Neck, it is 26 km via the A9 between Eaglehawk Neck and Taranna and B37 west of Taranna.

See

• 1 Coal Mines Historic Site, Coal Mine Rd (C341), Saltwater River, toll-free: 1800 659 101, fax: 1800 659 202 (domestic). A world heritage-listed convict site, west of Port Arthur. While the entire peninsula south of Eaglehawk Neck was used as a prison for repeat offenders, the coal mines were for the egregious of the worst of the worst (yes, the disparity between social classes post-Industrial Revolution was so apparent to require a third-level repeat offenders prison.  

Eat

• 1 Nubeena Cafe, 1626 Main Rd, ☏ +61 3 6269 8710. M–Sa 8AM–4PM, Su 10AM–3PM. (updated Feb 2023)
• 2 The Pickers Pantry Orchard Cafe, 45 Parsons Bay Rd, ☏ +61 431 892 527. F–M 9AM–3PM. (updated Feb 2023)

Drink

• 1 Nubeena Tavern (TASkeno), 1599 Nubeena Rd, ☏ +61 3 6250 2250. The town's main tavern. (updated Feb 2023)

Sleep

Nubeena lacks accommodation outside the cheap unrealiable budget range of accommodation, as it's rare for people to actually stay in Nubeena. It's more common for travellers to visit the town as a side trip en route towards Coal Mines Historic Site after visiting Port Arthur.

• 1 White Beach Tourist Park, 128 White Beach Rd, ☏ +61 3 6250 2142. Check-in: 2PM, check-out: 10AM. (updated Feb 2023)

Go next

• Presumably, you'd have already visited Port Arthur before visiting Nubeena, but other good places on the Tasman Peninsula include Tasman National Park, known for its tall sea cliffs reaching up to 300 meters in some parts, Taranna, home to the Tasmanian Devil Unzoo, or Eaglehawk Neck, known for its Tessellated Pavement.

Routes via Nubeena

Taranna ← Koonya ←

NE B37 ESE

→ Port Arthur