Margate: Trails, History and Gardens

Margate brings together landscapes, history and garden culture in different ways: from the Dru Point Track, you can look across an estuary towards Mt Wellington; the Margate Tramway Track follows part of a historic coal route; and the Channel Museum explores the region’s heritage. Inverawe Native Gardens offers a different focus, with native Australian plants. This gives you the option to decide whether you’d like your trip to focus on trails and views, regional history or a visit to a garden.

Trails between the estuary and history

The Dru Point Track is 1.8 km long for the full return trip. Its broad, mostly flat, developed gravel surface defines the trail. It runs along the estuary of the North West Bay River, with views across the estuary towards Mt Wellington. The distance given refers to the entire return trip. The trail’s surface and views give it a different character from a route whose main point of interest is its history.

The Margate Tramway Track follows a section of the original tramway. Coal was transported along this route from the mine at Kaoota to the now-vanished wharf at the end of Gemalla Road. The named starting point and destination make the route’s former purpose clear: it carried coal from the mine to the wharf. A section of the Margate Tramway Track created in 2024 allows trail users to continue on to Baretta Reserve. The historic transport link and a more recent extension of the trail thus sit side by side on the same named route.

The Snug to Margate Shared Path has a different focus: it runs as a safe, nature-based corridor between Snug and Margate. Cyclists, people with strollers, walkers and joggers are all listed as users. When choosing between the trails, you can therefore weigh up specific differences: views across the estuary, the history of the coal tramway, or a corridor intended for several types of travel.

History and heritage at the Channel Museum

The Channel Museum showcases the history and heritage of the area around the D'Entrecasteaux Channel in southern Tasmania. More than 24 individual exhibits illustrate the region’s exploration and settlement, its industries and its community life. Its scope therefore extends beyond a single historical event, offering different ways to explore the region’s past. While the Margate Tramway Track focuses on a specific transport history, the museum provides a broader look at the region’s development and everyday life.

The museum includes a café serving snacks, meals and drinks; local ingredients are used where possible. As its current operating status should be confirmed, please check whether the café is open before your visit.

Inverawe Native Gardens and finding accommodation

Inverawe Native Gardens covers 9.5 hectares and is Tasmania’s largest designed garden of native Australian plants. This makes the garden a different focus from the trails and museum: here, the emphasis is on a landscaped setting featuring native flora. Together, these destinations showcase different sides of Margate, without needing to appeal to the same interests.

When choosing a hotel in Margate, it helps to decide which of these interests matters most to you beforehand. This lets you match the destination to your preferences rather than choosing based on just one attraction.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: New Town, Lindisfarne, Berriedale, Lauderdale, Glenorchy, Kingston, Sandy Bay, Warrane

For the broader travel overview: Hobart.