The little island of the south coast of Australia, Tasmania is often overlooked by Brits as a tourist destination in Australia – but it is a stunning, pristine landscape of stunning beaches, beautiful forest and mountains, interesting towns and villages bursting with personality.
We loved our time in Tasmania – it somehow felt familiar but also so new and unique. Maybe because a lot of the scenery reminded us of Scotland, with forests, mountains, and remote country roads, but also is distinctly Tasmanian, with gum trees, kangaroos, and tasmanian devils.
Read below to see how much we enjoyed our three week tour of the island hitting up the highlights of this gorgeous place.
AT A GLANCE:
- Fly in to Hobart or get the Spirit of Tasmania Car Ferry from Melbourne (this is what we did)
- Tasmania is loved for its pristine wilderness and beautiful landscapes – it’s an amazing place to explore the nature world and fantastic for all who love the outdoors. Cradle Mountain- St Clare National Park and Freycinet National Park, which is home to the famous Wineglass Bay, and the Bay of Fires are two must visit places on any itinery to Tasmania.
- The capital of the state of Tasmania is the city of Hobart, which is charming, with bustling markets, historic architecture, and some notable museums to explore.
MOST POPULAR
🍷 Wine Glass Bay
🔥 Bay of Fires
⛰️ Cradle Mountain
⛴️ Ferry to Bruny Island
🏢 Explore Hobart
🌪 Wildlife spotting – Tasmanian Devil
Things to do
Wine Glass Bay
Wineglass bay is a stunning beach in Freycinet National Park, which is located on the east coast of Tasmania.
The bays unique crescent shape is what inspired the name – it is similar to that of a wine glass, and also, rather gruesomely, the colour of the water often turned deep red in the 1800s due to blood in the water during whaling – the bay looked like a full glass of red wine from the hills above.
To get to Wineglass Bay, you will need to drive to Freycinet National Park and then head to Wineglass Bay Lookout Car Park ( TAS 7215) From the car park, walk up to the lookout (1.3k ascent) which offers stunning views over the mountains where you can see the beautiful crescent of the bay, with the strip of white sand practically luminous against the bright blue sparkling ocean.
From the lookout, we decided to walk down to the actual bay itself to spend some time on the stunning beach. This hike down to the bay through the bush took about 1 hour each way on well marked trails, but was well worth it for the stunning fine sand, an crystal clear waters which appear the most beautiful shade of turquoise blue. It is spectacular. We did this walk on a blazing hot day, and even though we were so hot, we couldn’t swim in the sea as the water was incredibly icy cold. It was great to put our feet in to cool down, though, and that was as much as we could bear!
We sat on the beach for a while before heading back (be aware the return journey is all uphill).
Top tip: Make sure you bring enough water and snacks for the walk down to the beach.
I always seemed to forget that alot of famous and popular beaches in Australia ( outside of bug cities) are mostly not as developed as in the UK, which is one of the countires many charms – I often turned up expecting a cafe or kiosk, and there was not one! The nearest place for refreshments is Coles Bay.
The bay also has zero shade, so we left sooner than we anticipated as we found it very hot sitting in the full sun.
Bay of Fires
The Bay of Fires on Tasmania’s northeast coast is an absolute gem that is one of, if not the most, top attraction on the island of Tasmania.
The Bay of Fires is famous for its glowing orange rocks, which get their appearance as they are covered in the substance orange litchen. The beaches have the softest white sand, and the bluest water you’ve ever seen. It kind of feels like paradise – unspoilt coastline, so beautiful, and when we visited, hardly another soul on the beach.
The area stretches from Binalong Bay to Eddystone Point, covering an area of 50k, in a region north of Freycinet (but still on the East Coast).
It’s the perfect spot to kick back, swim, snorkel, or wander along the beach. If you’re into hiking and walking, there are some amazing trails to explore, and beautiful sunsets. Find out more about the Bay of Fires region here.
Coles Bay
Coles Bay is a small town in the Freycinet area, and a perfect base for exploring the National Park. It has a convience shop, fuel, campground, and a playground for kids, and Coles Bay itself is a really lovely white sand beach worth a visit in its own right, and you can see the Hazards moutain range grom the beach making it lovely and scenic. It’s small place, and doesnt have a supermarket, so bear that in mind and grab some supplies on route before you arrive.
There are a few nice hotels, and alot of holiday homes/ cabins or camping to choose from for your accomodation. We found a lovely camping spot and stayed for 3 nights, which gave us plenty of time to explore the area, and use it as a base for the rest of Freycinet National Park.
A lot of people come here for fishing trips, and most people we were camping with had been out fishing- they did very well and shared their catch, and I have to say it was the most delicious fresh fish we have EVER eaten! So if you’re in to fishing – make sure you stop by here.
Hobart
Hobart, Tasmania’s capital, is a lovely place to spend and afternoon- technically a city, but with a friendly town feel, we enjoyed the historic buildings, parks and natural beauty – Hobart is set along the Derwent River, and the waterfront area is where we spent most of our time, with lots of restuarants and cafes – its a great place to wander and explore.
When we were here they had a fabulous food festival ( what a treat!) Needless to say we stuffed our faces – we also enjoyed walking around the Salamanca Market, a large historic outdoor market with 300 stalls selling food, drinks, local produce, arts and jewellery (held every Saturday at the waterfront)
Hobart is also famous for the MONA museum, the museum of old and new art, which is known for bold installations and provocative themes.
Bruny Island
Bruny Island is absolutely FABULOUS and a must visit when travelling to Tasmania. An island just of the coast, south of Hobart, Bruny Island is accessible by ferry from Kettering, a small town 30 minutes south of Hobart.
Bruny Island has a remote and adventurous feel, and such stunning and unique scenery. The most famous view point that is ‘The Neck‘, The Neck is a narrow strip that connects North and South Bruny Island in Tasmania. It’s one of the island’s most iconic landmarks, offering stunning panoramic views of the surrounding coastline.
A wooden staircase leads up to the Truganini Lookout, where visitors can take in the breathtaking scenery where you can see the ocean on both sides of the narrow strip of land.
The Neck is also home to little penguins (fairy penguins), which can be seen returning to their burrows at dusk.
The other must-see spot, or rather activity, on Bruny Island is the Fluted Cape Track, a coastal hike taking you through forest, cliffs, and wildlife rich bushland. We saw wallabies, seals, and Echidna.
This hike is a must-do for nature lovers and those looking for spectacular coastal scenery on Bruny Island.
Cradle Mountain
Cradle Moutain is another iconic landmark of Tasmania, and where we hiked the classic trail, which takes you from the visitors centre of Cradle Mountain – Lake St Clair National Park, to the summit of Cradle Mountain. It’s a strenuous 12.k hike but worth it for the incredible views. The other famous hike that takes you through Cradle Mountain National Park is the Overland Track, a multi day, 65k hike through amazing landscape and wildness scenery.
We stuck to the summit trail this time as we only had one day, and we were rewarded with views of mountains, lakes and panoramic views of the National Park.
The Nut
This was probably my favourite place in Tassy, which is a bold claim, seeing as everywhere is so beautiful. I really liked the unique feature of the Nut – I have never seen anything like before, it was so unusual, sitting on the beach looking up, it felt like we were on a another planet somehow.
It is a steep volcanic plug that rises dramatically above the town of Stanley in North West Tasmania, and the 30 minute walk up to the top offer amazing views of the surrounding area including the gorgeous Tatlows beach – a wide, long, sandy crescent bay on one side, and Godfreys beach the other – not as big but perfect for swimming, relaxing and viewing little penguins, who come back to there burrows at dusk.
The water was beautiful, the Nut was stunning, and we didn’t see a soul as we explored the area – we felt like we had found paradise and had it all to ourselves!
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