Lavished with immense natural beauty, it’s no wonder travellers gravitate towards Tassie’s Freycinet National Park. This one, singular peninsula hosts copious wonders: rose-pink granite mountain ranges, sweeping, empty chalk-white beaches, impossibly clear turquoise waters, and rugged verdant bush, home to wallabies, echidnas, pademelons and all kinds of birdlife. Almost every feature within the confines of this national park seems supersized and magnetising in its high definition colour.
While the principal draws here are undoubtedly nature-based, that’s not to say Freycinet is a one-hit wonder. A handful of storied wineries call this little pocket of the East Coast home, and the oysters grown in the pure bay waters are prized across Australia. Moreover, a number of bucket-list hotels pepper the area’s shores.
No visit to Freycinet National Park is complete without a bushwalk or three. The picture-postcard view that most visitors make a beeline for is the one that overlooks Wineglass Bay. Arguably the best lookout point is atop Mount Amos – a walk that is steep in parts, and takes around three hours, return. Those feeling less ambitious can take the less formidable Wineglass Bay Lookout Track, which can also be extended into the four-hour Wineglass Bay and Hazards Beach circuit.
There’s a smattering of fine wineries with cellar doors in these parts. Visit quaint country idyll Spring Vale, known for its pinot noir, where the tasting bench is located in a historic, heritage-listed stable. Neighbouring Craigie Knowe Vineyard happens to be the oldest vineyard on the east coast and is known for its cheese platters.
Take a tour of Freycinet Vineyard (available by appointment only), which also produces its own extra virgin olive oil. Or pay a visit to Devil’s Corner Winery, with its spectacular views and modern architecture.
Gorge on the dramatic peaks and bays of Freycinet National Park from above, with a scenic flight, or get closer to the action with a cruise or paddle around the park’s pristine waterways. Or break up adventures in the wilderness with a round of golf at the local nine-hole course.
Freycinet’s number one scene-stealer, five-star Saffire is all about experiential luxury. Stays include a range of complimentary activities, such as the hotel’s hallmark oyster farm experience, or coastal walks with an Indigenous guide; they’re also all-inclusive, with meals and select drinks included too. Saffire’s suites are minimalist and spacious and almost every one boasts staggering bay views.
If you’re looking for a little boutique luxury at a lower price point to Saffire, try the coastal pavilions at Freycinet Lodge. Open since 2018, these slick cabins feature immersive bay or forest vistas from the floor-to-ceiling windows, and an expansive deck with an outdoor tub and hammock-style netting that’s ideal for an afternoon snooze. Freycinet Lodge’s Coastal Pavilions also made it into our coveted list of 100 Unique Stays. Find more of Tasmania’s unique stays here.
Set on a 1,200-acre resort in the thick of eucalypt forest, eco-certified Freycinet Resort offers beautiful views from its elevated position on the side of Mount Paul. Embrace the stillness from your ocean view studio, or larger hazards view retreat; both room types include breakfast provisions, but beware that there are no restaurant or cooking facilities on-site.
There’s a handful of different sites to pitch a tent within the Freycinet National Park. Try Friendly Beaches camping, also known as Isaacs Point, which occupies a plot among coastal scrub with basic facilities (pit toilets and no fresh water). Or Freycinet Overnight Walker Camping, accessible on foot, and featuring composting toilets. The beachfront campsites of Richardsons Beach, Honeymoon Bay and Ranger Creekpick are arguably the pick of the bunch, situated just metres from the water’s edge. They also feature accessible toilets, and accessible powered and unpowered sites.
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Within Freycinet National Park proper there are few dining options beyond Freycinet Lodge, which offers tipples galore and a sizable menu at its Hazards Bar & Lounge, casual cafe-style dining at Richardson’s Bistro, and smarter seafood-leaning restaurant The Bay.
The nearby seaside village of Coles Bay has a few more options up its sleeve. The Ice Creamery wins rave reviews for its Tasmanian-made ice cream, but also puts out some seriously good thick-cut chips and fried fish. ScaleFish Takeaway is popular for its mix of fresh fish (from locally caught sea urchin and oysters to prawns), poke bowls, filled rolls and salads. And for a slap-up, sit-down breakfast, lunch or dinner, pay a visit to Geographe Restaurant and Espresso Bar, which specialises in wood-fired pizzas and delectable housemade cakes.
A little further afield, but well worth the drive, lies the rustic, family-run, waterfront Melshell Oyster Shack, which does one thing and one thing only: oysters. See also the slightly more upscale Freycinet Marine Farm, open from 9am until 4pm daily, and serving up wildly fresh local seafood platters on its deck.
To reach Freycinet National Park from either Hobart or Launceston, the drive is approximately two-and-a-half to three hours on sealed roads. Public transport is extremely limited, so it’s best to hire a car, unless you’re intending to book an escorted tour. Tasmania’s scenic and accessible East Coast was built for road trips, so if time allows it pays to take it slow.
There’s no true ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ season to visit Freycinet National Park, which is open year-round. Visit in November if exploring in full sunshine is your primary motivator. Visit in December if you’d like to exploit the longer days. Visit in January if you’re hoping to avoid rain. And visit in February if you fancy a dip in the sea.
The Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair (DAAF) returns 5-7 August 2022 – both online and in Darwin! Immerse in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art, design and culture with over 70 Art Centres from across Australia. Image credit: Puna Yanima, Mimili Maku Arts and photo by Tim Coad
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