The East Coast (Northern Tasmania)
At the first sight of the coast your spirits rise and the need to stay in contact with the world begins to slip away. This is all you have been seeking -- the surf, the beach and the freedom of time...
Bury your toes in the sand and feel the tingle of the sea on Tasmania's stunning, secluded eastern coastline. Pack your boogie board, fishing tackle, fins and snorkel or just wallow in the pleasure of an east coast holiday.
Leave the Heritage Highway
to drive through the open plains of the Fingal Valley and follow
the course of the beautiful South
Esk River through the villages of Avoca, Fingal and St Marys,
until you reach the sea. From its northern headland at Eddystone
Point to Binalong Bay, the Bay of Fires is dotted with holiday
shacks, camping grounds and is blooming with wildflowers in
summer. Walk the beaches at dusk past surf rods anchored in the
sand,
or sift through the shells at the high tide mark to find minuscule
marvels of nature.
Scallops, sand dunes and life beneath the sea
All that glitters in St Helens is the reflected light of Georges Bay -- a resort town without the glitz, where life has slowed to a saunter. Walk to the edge of town and watch the fishing boats unload their catch -- rock lobster, scallops and deep water scale fish from the Continental Shelf -- served in season at restaurants along the coast. Complement your meal with a bottle of high quality wine from an east coast vineyard. From the sand dunes of St Helens Point through the Chain of Lagoons and Bicheno, the east coast is a ribbon of breathtaking beaches, granite outcrops and deserted caves -- sometimes peopled, never crowded -- edged by an underwater wilderness. Take a guided dive tour of the marine habitats of the coast with their unparalleled visibility and fish and plant diversity. Bicheno's Governor Island Reserve has some of the best temperate shore and boat diving in Australia. Charter a boat or hire a dinghy from one of the coastal towns or simply choose your spot and drop a line. Take your seat for the nightly penguin parade near Bicheno's Diamond Island.
The Hazards
Fringed with white beaches, crystal water and some of the most spectacular coastal headlands in Tasmania. Climb to the saddle of The Hazards and take in stunning Wineglass Bay -- an easy day-walk from beautiful Coles Bay. Or spend the night under stars and push on to Mount Graham and Cooks Beach, where cruising yachts lie at anchor. Nestling in sheltered Great Oyster Bay the placid waters of the resort town of Swansea are popular for boating, fishing and swimming.
Walk in the forest
North of Bicheno, the Douglas and Apsley rivers spill through the Douglas Apsley National Park, the largest area of undisturbed dry sclerophyll forest in Tasmania. Follow the easy and accessible 10-nature trail to the Apsley Waterhole, or walk to the lookout for a wonderful view of the river.
Camp by the sea
The pink granite monoliths of the Freycinet National
Park beckons travellers to explore the peninsula fringed with
white beaches,
crystal water and some of the most spectacular coastal headlands
in Tasmania. Climb to the saddle of the Hazards and take in
stunning Wineglass Bay - an easy day-walk from beautiful Coles
Bay.
Wander through the historic streets to the East Coast museum
and to the only bark museum in Australia.
or in a Penitentiary ......
Spend your day on the beach or take day-trips along the magnificent coastline to Triabunna and stop to enjoy Tasmanian Seafood along the way.
Continue on to Orford and take the ferry to Maria Island National Park and the ruins of the historic penitentiary which pre-dates Port Arthur.