This is the third and last in my series on our trip to Tasmania – you can read about our visit to Port Arthur here and about what we did in Hobart and Richmond here.
1. Where to stay and eat?
Swansea is a delightful coastal town about an hour’s drive away from Wineglass Bay. We stayed at the Swansea Beach Chalets and our cabin had direct access to the beach and a view straight across to Freycinet National Park. I would’ve liked to stay somewhere on the opposite side of the water, but due to the school holidays, there was little accommodation left. So make sure you get in early if you’re heading over in peak periods. We were advised to eat at the Bark Mill Tavern and Bakery and we did so on a number of occasions – first for dinner and then breakfast the following morning. It was great.
2. Paying for entry to the Freycinet National Park
Once we arrived at the National Park we had to pay for a daily vehicle pass, which for a car for up to eight people cost $24. There is a lot of signage for tourists, talking about the flora and fauna of the area and also advising people what to do and what NOT to do. There are a number of quite advanced hikes, but most people do the 45 minutes up to the lookout over Wineglass Bay. Adam wanted to do the longer walk which would take us down to the beach, but we decided against it because we didn’t bring water. It was beautiful up there, a postcard sort of a day, which was the opposite of a lot of the weather we’d had up until that point.
Wineglass Bay
3. Take advantage of all the places you can go
After we got back to the car, we decided to explore some of the nearby destinations and I urge people to do the same – there’s so much more to see. Like Sleepy Bay, and its sapphire blue waters. If you walk the 15 minutes or so down to the bottom you find Little Gravelly Beach. The kids had a nice time playing on the rocks and exploring.
Further up the road is the Cape Tourville Lighthouse and Lookout – with views all around the local area. There is a wide inclined circuit ramp that sweeps around the top of the cliff that would suit those with some access issues, with some rest points (though not many, from memory) along the way. We leaned over the edge for a long time as we watched a large school of dolphins swim past on their way out to The Nuggets, probably hunting for food.
One last thing – if you need a toilet stop (because they’re very important when you have kids) at the Devil’s Corner Cellar Door. It has a lookout tower which rewards those who climb to the top with lovely views back across the peninsula.
Sleepy Bay
Cape Tourville
You can see more in the video below:
