Seal spotting, granite mountain hikes and wine tasting – where to visit around the East Coast of Tasmania
We’re currently in the throes of Euro summer content, with feeds full of island hopping, Aperol and late-night parties. However, for those of us with limited work leave and money, the prospect of a coastal getaway might not be completely off the cards – it just looks a little different. From daring hikes around Wineglass Bay to slow mornings seal spotting in Bicheno, here’s how you can experience Tasmania’s East Coast in one weekend.
When I arrive at Hobart Airport on Friday morning it feels like anything could be possible, even in a short three-day weekend. It’s been four years since I’ve ventured this far south of Brisbane and although I’m entering with what feels like fresh eyes, it’s as though time has stood still – or perhaps, that’s just the chill I feel as I step outside the airport doors.
I’ve reunited with a friend who took the flight from Sydney and we’re en route into Hobart proper, which feels more like a country town than a city, with the region’s population approximately 2.5-million less than Brisbane. Our Uber driver is a friendly man, explaining how, before we embark on our East Coast road trip, we should head up to Kunayi/Mount Wellington for panoramic views of the city.
We stop for breakfast at North Hobart cafe Room for a Pony, where I crunch on my Nutella-lathered sourdough toast as the sun peeks through the window, hitting my face. Our waiter smiles as he dishes out the classic ‘you brought out the sun’ line.
I could happily bask in this sun forever, but alas, we must leave as the adventure is only just beginning. A few blocks away sits our accommodation on wheels for the next few nights: a Japanese-imported Toyota HiAce, aptly named Kunanyi, after the mountain. Naturally, we start her off with a roaring 30-minute journey up to the summit, before picking up food and supplies and hitting the Tasman Highway bound for Coles Bay.
There’s something so freeing about framing the weekend around one activity. For us, that would be the sunrise hike up to Mount Amos in Wineglass Bay. Anything outside of that hike would be a bonus.
I’m in charge of the driving playlist, the delegation of snacks and the directions – though we aren’t too fussed if we end up off track. Fortunately, this highway leaves no room for that, with only one paved road leading us in and out of the Freycinet Peninsula.
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As the sun descends on our first day, we’re impressed by how long it has been lingering for. I’ve taken about 100 photos and listened to ten music tracks and the sunset is still painting a beautiful display of pinks, purples and yellows – like the packet of Starburst Chews I snagged for the trip. A quick internet search later confirms that Tasmanian sunrises and sunsets do, in fact, hang around for longer due to the southern latitude meeting the horizon at an oblique angle rather than straight down.
The sun finally fades to black as we pull up at the BIG4 Iluka on Freycinet Holiday Park. We cheer with a glass of Mount Freycinet labelled red wine before getting an early night ahead of the hike in the morning.
A 4:00 am wake-up doesn’t sound ideal on any kind of holiday, but I can already tell that this hike is going to be one for the books. Armed with headlights, double-layered clothing, celebratory snacks and an excellent attitude despite the early morning, we traverse through pitch-black wilderness on the 454-metre trek up Mount Amos. The clouds overhead not only hide the stars, but elevate my anxiety of having a mediocre sunrise, which was not a part of my Pinterest board.
However, to my surprise, the sun mimicked itself from the previous afternoon, rising ever-so-slowly as it develops into a true feast of colours, hitting the patches of white sand on Wineglass Bay.
“Never underestimate the sky,” my friend turns to me while heading back down the granite terrain. Our glorious sunrise has now faded into misty, rainy-weathered clouds again – the moment a mere shared secret between us (and our Instagram followers).
We move slowly through the rest of the day, taking in the sights around the national park, chatting to the locals, napping in the van after a brekkie burger and chai latte from Granite Freycinet, before making our way to Bicheno. Australian Traveller had recently awarded Bicheno as the number one best town in Australia, so I had to check it out for myself. Situated between the Bay of Fires and Wineglass Bay, the township of Bicheno has all the offerings of a quiet escape, mixed in with some top-notch seafood.
With hungry eyes, we approached The Lobster Shack, a staple for locals and out-of-towners to enjoy (yes, you guessed it) lobster. Here, customers can enjoy lobster a few different ways, including mornay, swimming in garlic butter or in one of the famous lobster rolls, alongside the fresh catch of the day, Aussie Tiger Prawns, abalone in garlic butter and more. With family-owned business Trigonia Seafoods dishing out the grub and Bicheno Brewing bringing the beers, The Lobster Shack is an iconic spot you won’t want to miss when exploring Tasmania’s East Coast.
No visit to Bicheno is complete without a visit to the Bicheno Blowhole. Just a short walk from The Lobster Shack and located between Rice and Waubs Beach, you’ll uncover a spot in the coloured granite where water from the Tasman Sea pressurises, causing an eruption with every high wave. Let’s just say, you can expect to get wet.
There are a few spots left on the agenda for our final day around Tasmania’s East Coast. Our first point of call is a coffee and chocolate croissant from the Governörs Bicheno before perching back down by the sea, where we watch a rookery of seals galumph across the rust-coloured rocks. I could sit and watch them for hours.
“What time is it anyway?” I yell out to my friend. She’s brushing her teeth outside while a kookaburra watches on from his roost – ahh, van life.
As it turns out, it’s 12:00 pm and though we could stay captivated by the seals for hours, it was time to hit the road back to Hobart.
The journey back is halted as we make a necessary detour to the Devil’s Corner Cellar Door for a tasting paddle and a dozen mixed oysters from Fishers of Freycinet. Settling in on the lawn beanbags, we reminisce on the trip with delightful views overlooking the Hazards Vineyard, Moulting Lagoon and Freycinet National Park – with the mountain we’d mastered in full view.
Back on the road, we marvel at the 1820s colonial architecture through Swansea, check out the convict-built landmarks like the Spiky Bridge (which is as spiky as its name entails) and stop in for a breath of fresh air on Kelvedon Beach, which is also home to the quaint Kelvedon Boat Shed.
Our arrival back into Hobart is a bittersweet reminder of all we have achieved over the last three days. The adventure ends with overloading on Japanese-inspired small plates and plum wine at Bar Wa Izakaya before settling into our cosy bed in art deco Alabama Hotel Hobart.
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