Freycinet National Park trip guide: things to see and do
The perfect curves of Wineglass Bay is one of Tasmania’s most photographed locations. Freycinet National Park is a well known visitor magnet with landscape diversity providing a layered experience for visitors. A coastal view of rock strewn inlets and foaming surf, next door a quiet sheltered sandy beach weaves a spell. Then there is a granite mountain range, the Hazards, a dramatic backdrop ripe for photographers to build a portfolio of memory moments. Beach walks, snorkelling, fishing or sharing the joy of natural spaces with friends and family Freycinct answers the question, ‘What to do this summer holiday?.`
GETTING THERE
Freycinet National Park is located between Launceston and Hobart encouraging day trip excursions. A quick day trip is 2 ½ hours one way and is not recommended. Avoid day trip tours from either location. It is approximately 195km from Hobart and 175km for Lanceston.
TIP: Driving from either direction you will pass through Coles Bay township, Freycinet Marine Farm making for great stopping points. Coles Bay is the location hub for many guided tour operators giving visitors an opportunity to further assess their visitor experience options.
TIP: Remember, on your way to the park entrance, to check the turn off for Friendly Beach if it is on your bucket list.
Location of Freycinet National Park Visitor Centre
Summer average 23 -24c with the cool summer temperatures encouraging mainland Australia to flock to Tasmania for a respite from the heat of Australia. January and the school holidays can make some areas of the park seem crowded.
Spring and autumn visitor numbers drop with plenty of space for visitors to enjoy a sense of space and quiet. The weather can be changeable with the highest likelihood of rain, occurring 4-6 days a month. Spring is a popular time to visit, especially the school holidays. Avoid if possible.
Winter average temperature is 14c to lows of 6c at night. Winter is a time of whale migration with Ape Tourville and CT Lighthouse southern right whale watching hot spots.
Hiding in plain sight is Richardson Beach, a stretch of sandy shore directly opposite Coles Bay. Richardson Beach has a local favourite camping spot. Near the Visitor Centre is signage and the boardwalk towards the Richardson Beach Campground. Take a few steps on to the beach. You can walk the foreshore to Coles Bay town (approx 1.5km). Return at dusk for a sun-soaked orange hue view. TIP: Photo moment hot spot perhaps all to yourself. Pack a picnic, enjoy with the campground facilities just around the corner.
An instagram beach with picture postcard views and pristine sandy curve of a beach. If you’re into photography, it’s a great place for landscape shots.
The hub for water sports due to its sheltered waters. Snorkelling, diving or simply lazily swimming. You will need to bring your own gear with you as there are no vendors marketing rental equipment or second hand goods. At low tide kids will love the bay’s spectacular rockpools. Marine life is often present in the rockpools.
What a name, a perfect nominature for a slice of silica sand, that produces a quiet squeaking sound when you walk barefoot. The silica sand is a natural foot massage. The area makes an ideal photo moment on sunset with large granite boulders, orange lichen backlit and the rugged hills as a counterpoint. The Friendly Beaches are a long stretch of white sandy beaches that provide great opportunities for long beach walks, fishing and surfing. There is camping at Isaacs Point providing walkers with access to a pit toilet. There is no water available.
The cove is an extension of Coles Bay is miniature, picturesque invoking images of cosy togetherness. TIP: Another photo moment. The sheltered transparent waters contrast with lichen edged rocks making an intimate location for a couples photo selfie.
Honeymoon Bay
Tasmania, Australia
PARK LANDSCAPES
SCHOUTEN ISLAND
Freycinet National Park has its own remote, pristine island where there is no permanent human habitation. The island is accessible only by boat with its crystal clear water, abundance of birds and sea life and a mountain top quietly slumbering 1.6km offshore from the mainland park. The island has an extraordinary form with an ancient fault line creating half of the island is granite and the other half dolerite. The granite terrain is characterised with scrubby bush and towering eucalypts on the dolerite side. There is no settlement or ferry service.
How to do there
By tour boat – half hour boat ride from Coles Bay.
Popular with campers and kayaking buffs and walkers who relish the isolation, quiet and beauty of an island where nature reigns supreme. There are pretty sandy beaches as well as rocky granite bays.
Freycinet Aqua Taxi offers one way and return trips into Freycinet National Park.
Plenty of places for people photo moments, Freycinet National Park
Walks
Climb up Bear Hill which gives walkers a magnificent view of the entire Freycinet Peninsula.
Bear Hill summit walk:
Length: 6 kms
Duration: 3-4 Hours (loop)
One of the best views of the Peninsula this walk is 2 hours one way.
Crocketts Beach
This secluded beach is a great spot for swimming and snorkelling. There is a campsite which also includes a small hut and water tanks. Drop off and return via Aqua Taxi. Overnight option at the campsite.
Bird life: Little Penguins and Short-tailed Shearwaters breed on the island, along with other bird species such as the Tasmanian Native-hen. Australian Fur Seals haul out on the eastern side. Reptiles present include the Tasmanian Tree Skink, She-oak Skink, Southern Grass Skink and Three-lined Skink.
Little Penguins, Tasmania @John Harrison
Tasmanian Native-hen @Wikipedia
THE HAZARDS
Another name invokes a sense of unease. The granite mountains dominating the skyline are named after an early explorer, Mr Hazard. The granite is imbued with particles of orthoclase feldspar creating a slightly pink or orange tint when back lit in sunrise or sunset. The Hazards are not an easy grade climb rewarding the walker with sweeping views of the surrounding area if you make it to the top. For good vantage points of The Hazards check Coles Bay rocky points accessed from the Esplanade. Sunset and the foreshore rocks orange lichen glows in the setting sun.
A sealed road from Coles Bay leads to a boardwalk track around spectacular cliff tops and a lighthouse. The walk provides views of the craggy coastline. In winter it is a popular site for whale watching. The lookout point is 100m from the car park and there’s a very gentle walk you can do around the base of the lighthouse. The walk is wheelchair accessible. Views are of the precipitous granite slopes of Mount Parsons, in the middle distance the peaks of Mount Graham and Freycinet (highest mountain in the park) and slivers of white sand indicate the edges of Wineglass Bay. TIP: One of the classic spots for a sunset photo moment.
The closest toilet, picnic and electric barbecue facilities are 7.5km away, at Ranger Creek and Honeymoon Bay. Please note that drinking water is scarce in the National Park. Refill your water bottles from the visitor centre’s filtered/chilled water station. Taps are also located at Honeymoon Bay and the Wineglass Bay walking tracks carpark.
Cape Tourville Lighthouse
Coles Bay, TAS 7215, Australia
Sleepy Bay & Little Gravelly Beach @The Well Travelled Family
Start on Cape Tourville Road and look for the signposted carpark. A viewing platform with the temptation to walk an additional 30 minutes (one way) to Gravelly Beach. Little Gravelly Beach is littered with orange tinted granite outcrops and stones making another photo opportunity however care needs to be taken as stones / rocks can be slippery.
Length:
300m
Duration:
10 minutes
Grade:
Easy
LITTLE GRAVELLY BEACH (EXTENSION OF SLEEPY BAY):
Little Gravelly Beach is accessed via moderately graded steps from the Sleepy Track carpark to a lookout over the rocky Gravelly Beach. There is an information plaque describing Life under the waves. The walk to the beach is a great kids activity as there is contrast and lots to look at with iron red / orange stained granite shaped by the wild weather of Tasmania’s east coast. Take care as the rocks can be slippery.
Approximately 500m start from Freycinet Lodge is Honeymoon Bay. Walk from the Lodge car park to the end of the driveway. Walk through the gate opposite Cabin 21 and down to Honeymoon Bay. There are rock pools, a sandy beach and a picturesque cove. Remember your snorkeling gear and check out the genting amber pebbles in the pools and sand. The shaded she-oak trees invite you to picnic in this romantic setting.
Visitors sometimes make the mistake of thinking the lookout is adjacent to Wineglass Bay car park. The carpark is the start of a short steep track 250-metre climb to the saddle between Mount Amos and Mount Mayson where the lookout is located. Wineglass instagram popularity means the track can feel crowded in the summer peak season. Remember iconic views are worth the climb and rough track.
Length:
3km
Duration:
1 – ½ hours depending on stops
Grade:
Medium
TIP:
For an up close and personal view of the perfect arc of white sand the walk to the beach is an additional 30 minutes / 1 hour (loop). This walk is generally missed by day trippers who are heading back to the carpark. In the peak season the carpark can be overloaded with cars stretching considerable distance to the start of the walking track to the lookout. It is recommended you start early in the day to avoid the day trippers.
NOTE:
Please note that drinking water is scarce in the National Park. Refill your water bottles from the visitor centre’s filtered/chilled water station. Taps are also located at Honeymoon Bay and the Wineglass Bay walking tracks carpark Toilets at car parks. There are no toilets along the walking track.
Tip: Walk to the far end of Wineglass bay to take in the gorgeous east coast vistas of the Hazards granite mountain range, before returning to the start of the beach to continue the circuit. You will be following well marked signs. The walk follows the coast around the Hazards and returns to the carpark. You follow the signposted track to Hazards Beach through dry eucalypt forest below the rocky slopes of Mount Mayson, part of the Hazards range. Sparse forest cover creates frequent views across Great Oyster Bay and the town of Coles Bay beyond. Dropping down to Hazards Beach there is evidence of shell middens denoting Aboriginal seafood foraying. Walk along the beach, approximately 1km along the signposted final section is through the isthmus forested interior looping back to the carpark.
Length:
11km
Duration:
4 – 5 hours
Grade:
Medium / Hard
Note:
Please note that drinking water is scarce in the National Park. Refill your water bottles from the visitor centre’s filtered/chilled water station. Taps are also located at Honeymoon Bay and the Wineglass Bay walking tracks carpark Toilets at car parks. There are no toilets along the walking track.
Strenuous 3 hour loop tram climbing Mt Amos provides for spectacular views of Wineglass Bay and the Freycinet Peninsula. This is a steep and demanding track over steep slabs of bare rock, appropriate footwear is required and the track is very slippery and dangerous after rain.
Length:
3.6km
Duration:
1 ½ (one way)
Grade:
Medium / Hard
Note:
Please note that drinking water is scarce in the National Park. Refill your water bottles from the visitor centre’s filtered/chilled water station. Taps are also located at Honeymoon Bay and the Wineglass Bay walking tracks carpark There are no toilets along the walking track.
4WD necessary to get to the start of the walking track to Bluestone Bay. The rough vehicle track leaves the Cape Tourville Road approximately 1km from the lighthouse car park. The bay is a glorious homage to rocks with blue/pink boulders rounded smooth by nature framed by stunning cliffs as a backdrop. You will have passed a rock climbing camp and might strike it lucky to watch rock climbers clamber the sea cliffs with sea surging below.
Length:
5km (driving with 15-20 min walk)
Duration:
Variable
Grade:
Easy/Medium
Toilets:
No facilities
Bluestone Bay
Tasmania, Australia
BEST MULTI DAY TRAMP
Bushwalkers along Hazards Beach, Peninsula-Circuit @Dan Broun
Cover all the best Freycinet National Park walks (including Wineglass Bay) in one go with the complete Freycinet Peninsula Circuit, covering the entire length of the Freycinet Peninsula on both the east coast and west.
Stops:
Hazards Beach, Cooks Corner, and Wineglass Bay campsites which are free to visit and no reservations are required. Pit composting toilets. You will need to carry water supplies and leave only footsteps. The park does not allow fires to be lit. The park encourages walkers to circuit anticlockwise to help the park manage the spread of root rot, a disease which kills the beautiful trees of this national park. There are a number of guided walking tours whereby you are accompanied by a guide and food, drink and accommodation in lodges is catered for.
Across the summer period, Freycinet National Park rangers offer informational activities, including guided walks, talks and slideshows. If you’re visiting with kids, this is a great way to teach them about Freycinet while keeping them entertained.
Ranger-guided tours
Tasmania, Australia
COLES BAY GUIDE
Coles Bay sits at the foot of the granite mountains known as the Hazards, right on the edge of Freycinet National Park and Wineglass Bay. Coles Bay itself is a small settlement with some outlets closed during the winter months. There is a general grocery store and post office.
Coles Bay is the hub for guided tours which range from cruises to Wineglass Bay and beyond, guided walking tours, indigenious immersive narratives, aerial flights. The town is just outside the National Park boundaries and is a hub for a walking holiday in Freycinet. You can also hire a kayak or just soak in the view of the Hazards while you eat dinner or drink coffee at one of the cafes.
Top of Mt Amos over looking Wineglass Bay, Freycinet National Park
Freycinet National Park Visitor Centre
Visit the Freycinet National Park Visitor Centre for your information on things to do in the park. This includes the various walks that range from short walks to multi-day walks. The Visitor Centre also takes bookings for camping. The Park Shop sells park passes and a range of products from books to clothes and other outdoor gear.
TRAVEL PACK INFORMATION
Freycinet National Park
You will need to purchase a National Parks Pass to visit Freycinet (and any Tasmanian National Park) – fees range from $11 to $115 depending on the number in your group, duration of visit/s and which other Tasmanian parks you plan to visit. Campground fees are additional.
Please note that drinking water is scarce in the National Park. Refill your water bottles from the visitor centre’s filtered/chilled water station. Taps are also located at Honeymoon Bay and the Wineglass Bay walking tracks carpark.
Electric barbecues, picnic tables and toilets are located at Honeymoon Bay and Ranger Creek.
Freycinet National Park is a Fuel Stove Only Area. Fires are strictly forbidden.
Drones are not permitted to be used within the National Park or surrounding reserves.
Please take all your rubbish out when you leave.
ENTRANCE FEES
Like all of Tasmania’s national parks, Freycinet requires visitors to hold a valid Tasmanian parks pass, which you can purchase online.
SAFETY
Tramping boots and clothing layers. Remember to carry water.
Freycinet National Park – Flora and Fauna
Freycinet National Park is one of four major East Coast reserves that provide a major contribution to the reservation of dry sclerophyll (hard leafed) vegetation communities. Some common plants that you may see are:
Banksia – (Banksia marginata) also known as Honeysuckle Banksia, it has a bright yellow flower that occurs throughout the year.
Tasmanian Blue Gum – (Eucalyptus globulus) is the state’s floral emblem, it is common on the peninsular usually identified by its bluish gumnuts lying on the ground.
Oyster Bay Pine – (Callitris rhomboidea) is a native pine that is endemic to the East Coast of Tasmania.
She-oak – Three types of Allocasuarina are found in the area; Bull Oak, Coastal She-oak, and Drooping She-oak.
White Kunzea – (Kunzea ambigua) was used by early settlers for tea, when flowering in the spring they give off a pleasant honey scent.
Orchids – There are at least 43 different species of orchid found in the park. Of conservation interest are the; Horned Orchid and the Rusty-hooded Orchid.
The park also has Phytophthora Root Rot (Phytophthora cinnamomi) – This is a fungus that attacks and kills many native plants and is easily spread by humans; either on footwear, or by car and bicycle tyres. Head to the Parks and Wildlife Tasmania website for up to date information.
Some of the local fauna includes:
Wallabies – Bennett’s Wallabies and Tasmanian Pademelon are commonly seen in the area.
Possums – The most common is the Brush Tail, also present: Ring Tail, Pygmy and the introduced Sugar-glider.
Quolls – Eastern Quoll are common in the Park, while the spotted tail Quoll is harder to see.
Tasmanian Devil – The population on the Freycinet Peninsula has suffered greatly due to the Devil Facial Tumour Disease, catching a glimpse of these shy animals is rare.
Echidna – It is possible to see these during the day foraging for ants.
Wombats – Mostly nocturnal and live in burrows up to 20m deep.
Rodents – There are the native Swamp Rat and Water Rat, while the New Holland Mouse is also present at Freycinet.
Bats – There are also a variety of bats, the most common being the Lesser Long-eared Bat and the Little Forest Vespadelus (or Eptesicus).
Marine Mammals:
Bottle-nose Dolphins – There is a local pod that is often seen at Wineglass Bay and occasionally in Coles Bay.
Australian Fur Seal – There are seal colonies on Schouten Island and Ile des Phoques (that is found between Schouten and Maria Islands). Seals may also be seen hauled out on the rocks around Freycinet Peninsula and at times along the east coast beaches.
Whales – Whales are often seen during their annual migration, usually seen on the eastern side of Freycinet Peninsula. The whales seen here are more commonly the Southern Right Whale and Humpback Whale, less frequently sighted are Pilot Whales.
Birds:
Wedge-tailed Eagle – The Tasmanian population is a separate subspecies to mainland Australia and is listed as endangered.
White-breasted Sea Eagle – Another large raptor that lives predominantly in coastal areas. Both the Wedge-tailed and White-breasted Sea Eagle nest and breed within Freycinet National Park.
Peregrine Falcon – This bird has occasionally been spotted at White Water Wall.
Waders – Hooded Plovers and Pied Oystercatchers are a couple of the waders that breed along Freycinet’s beaches; they nest just above high water and the eggs are camouflaged to blend into the sand, making them prone to trampling by walkers.
Silver and Pacific Gulls – are commonly seen in the area. The Pacific Gull is a large and strikingly coloured gull with a prominent red tipped beak.
Crested Tern – Roughly the same size as a Silver Gull, it is distinguished by a vivid yellow beak and black head with a short crest. They are often seen diving for fish in the Freycinet area.
Short-tailed Shearwater (Mutton Bird) – This migratory bird visits Australia between September and May. In between it flies to the north Pacific and the Bering Sea. It returns to Australia in the summer to breed.
Australasian Gannet – The best place to see Gannets is off of Cape Tourville where they can be seen diving for food from a great height.
Little Penguins – Little Penguins are also regular visitors to the Freycinet area.
*Source Freycinet National Park Freycinet Adventures tour operator.