Bruny Island and Channel
Beyond the mouth of the River Derwent, the fretted coastline of the D'Entrecasteaux Channel stretches south. Across its tranquil waters, the bays of Bruny Island. Around every bend is a new delight -- vineyards, orchards and stunning views across Storm Bay to the Tasman Peninsula.
Charter a yacht and sail around the south's dramatic Bruny Island landscape; drop anchor in a secluded Bruny bay and cast your line for a seafood lunch.
The Neck, Bruny Island
Take the vehicular ferry from Kettering and walk or drive to the island's beautiful nooks and crannies. Named Lunawannaalonna by Tasmanian Aborigines, Captain James Cook first visited the island in 1777, landing at Adventure Bay and tying his vessel to a tree -- still standing -- and named in his honour. Spend some time at the nation's oldest lighthouse built in 1836.
Visit Marvista Falls and the Fluted Cape State Reserve with its spectacular dolerite seacliffs, 270 metres high; or walk through wildflowers and the giant forests in Labillardiere State Reserve. Watch for native animals and settle into the sand dunes on the isthmus at dusk, to see shearwaters and fairy penguins return from the day's fishing at sea (not during winter). Ride a camel along the beach.
Cruise along the coast
Take the coastal route or cruise the sheltered waterways to the resort towns of Tasmania's Channel District, where delicate landscapes have become the homes and inspiration to many of Tasmania's finest crafts people. Climb the stairs to the top of the Shot Tower, built in 1870 for the manufacture of lead shot and stop by the Antarctic Centre at Kingston for a guided tour.
Take an empty basket and follow the signs to the cellar doors of fancily-run vineyards and sit back and stop by local bakeries and in the summer months, the gates of local fruit farms for sweet, black Tasmanian cherries and berry fruits. Picnic by the beautiful Snug or Pelverata Falls. Dive below the surface at the Tinderbox Marine Park or further down the Channel, to the 60-hectare reserve at Ninepin Point, where tannin-rich waters flow from the Huon River and draw abundant marine life, close to the surface.Visit the wildlife park.