Ida Bay Railway

The Ida Bay Railway is a 7 km, narrow gauge Heritage Tramway that operates 105 km south of Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.

Location and features
The Tramway was opened in 1919 to facilitate the transportation of Limestone from the quarry west of Lune River to a jetty at Ida Bay. During 1975, freight operations ceased. The Tramway was purchased by the Tasmanian Government in 1977 and leased to private operators for the purpose of a tourist attraction. Various lease holders ran the railway for years struggling to make a profit, but in 2004 the Line re-opened and has been running successfully for the last several years.

The two-hour round trip runs from the Lune River station through buttongrass bushland to the banks of Ida Bay and then onto the old limestone pier at Deep Hole, for a beachside stop before returning to the station.

Marked bushwalking tracks lead to Southport Lagoon. Barbecue facilities, toilets, picnic lunches, group bookings, twilight tours and overnight camping spots are also available.

The other places of note in the area are Dover, Southport, Cockle Creek and the Hastings Cave system.