Comfort Inn Gold Rush is a motel at 65 Batchelor Street, Queenstown, in the Tasmanian West Coast region. It is described as a quiet spot, about two minutes from the West Coast Wilderness Railway and the town centre with its shops and businesses.
This page covers the motel and the country around it: what is within walking distance, how far the airports are, and what the weather does out here. If you are planning a Comfort Inn Gold Rush stay, the region is the bigger part of the story. There is also a separate Queenstown page for the Comfort Inn Gold Rush.
About Comfort Inn Gold Rush
The motel offers first-class standard accommodation, and is pitched as a base for exploring the wilderness, underground and surface mine tours, Gordon River cruises from Strahan, and the West Coast Pioneers Museum in Zeehan.
Listed facilities include a tour desk, restaurant and cocktail lounge, guest laundry, interior corridors, and outdoor, bus and truck parking. Pets are not allowed. Some items, such as the restaurant, laundry, lounge and fax machine, may cost extra.
In the rooms
All rooms are listed with a wake-up service, refrigerator, iron and ironing board, hair dryer, in-room desk, computer hook-up, and individual air conditioning and heating. Local calls are charged. Some rooms are accessible, and non-smoking rooms are available.
What is near the motel
Queenstown is a mining town, and most of what is listed sits within a kilometre or so of Batchelor Street.
| Place | Distance |
|---|---|
| Gravel football oval and Queenstown Recreation Ground | 0.5 km north |
| Douggies Underground Mine Tour | 1.0 km north |
| Galley Museum (mining history) | 1.0 km north |
| Queenstown Gallery Museum | 1.0 km north-east |
| Steam train to Strahan | 1.0 km west |
| Gravel Oval BBQ | 1.0 km east |
| Spion Kopf Lookout | 1.5 km east |
| Lake Burbury and Mt Jukes | 20 km west |
| Nelson Falls | 30 km south |
The Galley Museum holds the late Eric Thomas's photographic collection, which is considered on a par with the holdings of the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery and the State Library of Tasmania. We would put it on any rainy-day list.
Getting to Queenstown
The West Coast was isolated for a long time. At first the only way in or out was by sea, and there were no serviceable roads to the east until the 1930s or to the north until the 1960s. Railways were the main land link from the 1920s to the 1960s, and they ran to the north coast.
Today the airstrip is at Strahan, while the Queenstown airstrip is no longer a registered landing ground. The listed airports are Burnie (176 km north), Launceston (251 km east) and Hobart (260 km south). Devonport train station is listed at 225 km north. Locally, a taxi service is very close by to the north and the Tigerline bus is 1.5 km south-west.
The roads
The A10 Zeehan Highway runs into the region from Queenstown and heads north-west to Zeehan, where it becomes the Murchison Highway through Rosebery. At Queenstown the Lyell Highway changes from A10 to B24 and runs south and west to Strahan. Route B27, Henty Road, links Zeehan to Strahan.
All transport to the West Coast can be interrupted by severe weather. In bad winter conditions the roads may be blocked for days by ice and snow, so allow some slack in your plans.
Tasmanian West Coast weather
The region is much cooler and wetter than the east coast. Frequent low pressure systems bring heavy rain, snow and ice, and the West Coast Range shields the east, so some areas receive over 2,000 millimetres of rain a year.
In winter, temperatures at sea level hover around 10 °C, and morning frost is common when it is not raining. Inland it is colder, with winter maximums often failing to pass 0 °C. The snow line is typically around 900 metres, though snow has fallen at sea level several times in a winter. Summer is mild, with maximums averaging between 17 °C and 21 °C, though some days stay under 10 °C. Snow has even been known in midsummer. Pack layers and a proper rain jacket.
Wilderness, mining and history
The West Coast is mostly rough, isolated country linked with wilderness, mining and tourism. It was the site of an early convict settlement in Van Diemen's Land, and it contrasts sharply with the more developed north and east of the state.
For a short time in the early 20th century the region matched Hobart and Launceston for population and political power. After most of the Zeehan mines closed, its population stayed static or fell relative to the rest of the island. The forests, including Huon pine, have been burnt and exploited, and large areas are now conserved. The West Coast Piners worked the Franklin and Gordon rivers and their tributaries.
For wider reading, see the Wikipedia page on West Coast, Tasmania.
Planning more of your trip
We suggest starting with our Tasmanian West Coast guide for the overall picture. For other places to stay, browse West Coast accommodation, including Strahan Village. To fill your days, see the West Coast tours. For state-wide planning, the official site is Discover Tasmania.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Comfort Inn Gold Rush?
It is at 65 Batchelor Street, Queenstown, about two minutes from the West Coast Wilderness Railway and the town centre.
Are pets allowed?
No. Pets are not allowed at the motel.
Is there parking for buses and trucks?
Yes. Outdoor, bus and truck parking are all listed among the facilities.