You’ll find plenty of Doo Doo down in Doo Town. This small community started as a timber station back in the 1830's. It would eventually become a shack community and that’s when the fun began. Somewhere around 1935, a Hobart architect by the name of Eric Round placed a nameplate on his shack. It read “Doo I 99.”
Being a small community, everyone in town learned of the nameplate quickly. Then a neighbour of Mr. Round responded with a nameplate of his own. It read “Doo Me.” The next neighbour plated his shack with “Doo Us.” And hence the name of Doo Town. The quirky tradition continues today just 79 kilometres southeast of Hobart on Pirates Bay near Eaglehawk Neck.
Doo Town is a beautiful 1-hour drive southeast of Hobart. Doo Town is a 3-hour drive south of Launceston and nearly a 4-hour drive from Devonport.
One House That Stands Out
Shacks might mean something different in Tasmania. A shack is a second home owned for the sole purpose of vacationing. And Doo Town is quite a beautiful place for a holiday.
This quirky shack town sits near the Port Arthur Historic site at the southern end of Pirates Bay. The whimsical names of the shacks might make you giggle, but the scenery will take your breath away. This picture perfect location demands a smartphone with a high-quality camera, and the funny captions for your social media pics are endless.
Take a walk around town to admire the funny shack name plates, and then take a nature walk which are some of the best Tasmania has to offer. Nearby Devils Kitchen, Tasman Arch and Blowhole are natural marvels. But be on the lookout for the one shack in town that lacks the word “Doo” on the name plate. Image Credit: Tourism Tasmania & Adrian Cook
Dog Lovers, Boat Spotters, Fishermen and Geology Buffs
The small shack village of Doo Town doesn’t have much to offer as far as infrastructure. In fact, the only place to grab a bite to eat is a local food truck. But Doo Town is a picture-perfect place to walk your dog along Pirates Bay. And it comes with the perfect backdrop. Local seafood fishing boats trawl in and out of the Bay. Join the many boat spotters on the coast of the Bay to identify each vessel.
Ask a few of the Doo Town locals why they live in this beautiful little town and you’re likely to hear one answer -- fishing. Pirates Bay features crystal clear and cold waters perfect for a fresh catch. Head on down to the pier to toss in a line and you’ll likely catch yourself a bunch of mackeral. And be on the lookout for massive fish. The world record Bluefin Tuna was caught in Doo Town weighing 108 kilograms.
You’re likely to run into geology lovers on their way to the Tasman Peninsula to visit the Devil’s Kitchen, Tasman Arch and Blowhole. Many will stop in town for a few cheeky nameplate pictures but they’ll linger for the thundering natural beauty all around Doo Town. Image Credit: Tourism Tasmania & Kathryn Leahy (Pirate Bay)
Doo Town is a pit stop. You won't find any accommodations. You'll have to head just north to Eaglehawk Neck.
Count the number of Doo-named shacks. Some of the names are quite inventive and quirky like Doo Drop In, Love Me Doo and Xanadoo. See if you can find the only house without a Doo name plate -- a shack named Medhurst.
Sit on Pirates Bay and watch the ships come in. You’ll also get stunning views down the Tasman Peninsula. It’s a worthy spot for a picnic.
Head down to the pier to watch the squid catchers. Talented fisherman jostle bait in the water to mimic an injured fish. Squid will rise from the depths to engulf the bait. Just make sure not to get hit with any ink as they tug their catch out of the water. Image Credit: Tourism Tasmania & Dan Fellow
You’ll have to get lucky to catch the only food truck in town during your visit to Doo Town. Or you can head down to Blowhole on the Tasman Peninsula for some of the best, locally caught fish and chips in the world.
The weather in Doo Town is pleasant and cool year-round, and it rarely snows. Expect a bit of rain now and then.
The origin of the Doo-dubbed shack names is up for debate. One version tells the story of Bill Eldridge buying a shack in Doo Town only to proclaim that, “This’ll do.” Another story spins the tail of a group of early 20th century friends that loved the Three Musketeers.
They named their shacks Doo I, Doo Me and Doo Us in honour of their favorite story. Yet another story says that Eric Round, the cheeky architect from Hobart, named all the shacks in town overnight.
Now the prominent sign in town is highly sought after by young theives. It was put up in 1965 and is now bolted down quite well. But, don’t worry, you’ll still be able to buy a souvenir version of the quirky sign in town. Now 38 shacks have the name Doo and day-trippers flood the town to marvel at the nameplates and scenery. Image Credit: Tourism Tasmania & Dan Fellow
Tasman Peninsula is just beyond Doo Town with the Devil’s Kitchen, Tasman Arch and Blowhole’ the latter of which is where you can find local fish and chips.
Nearby Tasman National Park is just south of the town next door: Eaglehawk Neck. There you’ll find wonderful bushwalks at Waterfall Bay.
