# Macquarie Harbour Penal Station, Australia: what it is and when to go > Macquarie Harbour Penal Station is a former convict colony situated on Sarah Island, in Macquarie harbour, Western Tasmania in Australia. Interests: History. The best time to visit is March to November. In December there are 15 h 05 of daylight, and in June, 8 h 55. It has articles in 2 Wikipedias, so it is not one of the busiest places in Australia: one to enjoy at a calmer pace. Here is what it is, where it lies, when to come, how to get there and what else is nearby to turn it into a trip. - Address: https://kokai.app/en/paises/oceania/australia/sarah-island/ - Reviewed on: 2026-10-08 - Language: en ## In a nutshell - **What it is:** Former convict colony situated on Sarah Island, in Macquarie harbour, Western Tasmania · History - **Where:** Australia - **Best time:** March to November. - **Nearest airport:** MEL Melbourne, 528 km as the crow flies - **Coordinates:** -42.38958, 145.44738 ## What it is and where Macquarie Harbour Penal Station is a former convict colony situated on Sarah Island, in Macquarie harbour, Western Tasmania in Australia. It has articles in 2 Wikipedias, so it is not one of the busiest places in Australia: one to enjoy at a calmer pace. Its coordinates are -42.38958, 145.44738; the nearest main airport is Melbourne Airport (MEL, Melbourne), 528 km as the crow flies. How to get around Australia (train, car, bus) is covered in [its country guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/oceania/australia/#moverse). - [Where it is](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=-42.38958%2C145.447384) - [Directions](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=-42.38958%2C145.447384) It is one of the [History](https://kokai.app/en/paises/oceania/australia/historia/) places in Australia. In [Kokai](https://kokai.app/en/) it is already on your trip map next to the places you save yourself, and it goes into a day's plan with one tap. ## When to go The best time to visit Macquarie Harbour Penal Station is **March to November**. | Mes | Época | Hours of daylight | | --- | --- | --- | | January | Possible | 14 h 46 | | February | Possible | 13 h 40 | | March | Best time | 12 h 21 | | April | Best time | 10 h 50 | | May | Best time | 9 h 35 | | June | Best time | 8 h 55 | | July | Best time | 9 h 11 | | August | Best time | 10 h 17 | | September | Best time | 11 h 44 | | October | Best time | 13 h 11 | | November | Best time | 14 h 28 | | December | Possible | 15 h 05 | In December there are 15 h 05 of daylight, and in June, 8 h 55. Daylight hours are calculated from the site's latitude for the 15th of each month; when planning a full day on foot they matter as much as the weather. When to go to Australia in general, with its festivals and peak seasons, is in [its country guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/oceania/australia/#cuando-ir). ## Before you go to Australia To enter Australia there are 9 things to sort out before you leave, starting with “Domestic flights and car, booked in advance”: they are all, with their deadlines, in [the Australia checklist](https://kokai.app/en/paises/oceania/australia/#antes-de-salir). Currency: Australian dollar (AUD); plugs: Type I · 230 V · 50 Hz (its own adapter, with three flat pins in a V); emergencies: 000 for everything · 112 from a mobile. In [Kokai](https://kokai.app/en/) you tick off the checklist inside your trip, and each item reminds you when it is time to do it. ## What is nearby - [Macquarie Harbour](https://kokai.app/en/paises/oceania/australia/macquarie-harbour/): Large inlet on the West Coast of Tasmania, Australia · 7.7 km - [Kelly Basin](https://kokai.app/en/paises/oceania/australia/kelly-basin/): Bay in Western Tasmania, Australia · 8.4 km - [Flat Top Hill](https://kokai.app/en/paises/oceania/australia/flat-top-hill/): Mountain in Tasmania' Australia · 14 km - [Mount Sorell](https://kokai.app/en/paises/oceania/australia/mount-sorell/): Mountain in West Coast Range, Western Tasmania, Australia · 15 km - [South Darwin Peak](https://kokai.app/en/paises/oceania/australia/south-darwin-peak/): Mountain in Australia · 16 km Distances are as the crow flies. Everything else is in [the Australia guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/oceania/australia/). ## More in Australia: History - [Great Barrier Reef](https://kokai.app/en/paises/oceania/australia/gran-barrera-de-coral/): over 2300 km long coral reef off Australia's northeast coast, UNESCO World Heritage Site - [Sydney Opera House](https://kokai.app/en/paises/oceania/australia/casa-del-opera-de-sidney/): multi-venue performing arts centre in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia - [Macquarie Island](https://kokai.app/en/paises/oceania/australia/isla-macquarie/): sub-Antarctic island of Australia - [Royal Exhibition Building](https://kokai.app/en/paises/oceania/australia/royal-exhibition-building/): heritage building in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia - [Ningaloo Coast](https://kokai.app/en/paises/oceania/australia/costa-de-ningaloo/): coral reef in Western Australia - [Ediacara Hills](https://kokai.app/en/paises/oceania/australia/ediacara-hills/): low hills in South Australia, Australia Every Australia place under History, each with its season, is on [its page](https://kokai.app/en/paises/oceania/australia/historia/). ## Frequently asked questions ### What is Macquarie Harbour Penal Station? It is a former convict colony situated on Sarah Island, in Macquarie harbour, Western Tasmania in Australia. It has articles in 2 Wikipedias, so it is not one of the busiest places in Australia: one to enjoy at a calmer pace. ### When is the best time to visit Macquarie Harbour Penal Station? March to November. In December there are 15 h 05 of daylight, and in June, 8 h 55. ### How do you get to Macquarie Harbour Penal Station? The nearest main airport is Melbourne Airport (MEL), 528 km as the crow flies. From there, [directions](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=-42.38958%2C145.447384) opens the route on the map, and how to get around Australia is explained in [its country guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/oceania/australia/#moverse). ### How do I add it to my trip? With one tap. In Kokai it is already on the Australia map, next to the places you save yourself: add it to a day's plan, give it a time and, if you like, get a reminder when you pass nearby. ### What else is around here? Nearby you have [Macquarie Harbour](https://kokai.app/en/paises/oceania/australia/macquarie-harbour/), [Kelly Basin](https://kokai.app/en/paises/oceania/australia/kelly-basin/), [Flat Top Hill](https://kokai.app/en/paises/oceania/australia/flat-top-hill/). The rest is in [the Australia guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/oceania/australia/). Data from [OpenStreetMap](https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/2533420252), licensed under the ODbL, and from [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1756121), CC0. More about Macquarie Harbour Penal Station on [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macquarie_Harbour_Penal_Station). Daylight hours are calculated from the latitude. More in [credits](https://kokai.app/en/aviso/#creditos).