The east coast of Tasmania, which begins at Cape Portland, at the the north-east corner of the state, features wide sweeping beaches punctuated by headlands of granite, much of which is covered in orange lichen. The crystal clear waters, the ribbons of clear white sandy beaches and the brightly painted rocks that punctuate them, have led to these beaches being ranked internationally among the best in the world.
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The Bay of Fires, a beautiful piece of wilderness coastline in the north-east corner of Tasmania, stretches from Eddystone Point in the north to Binalong Bay in the south. Characterised by stunning blue water, fishing lagoons, spotless white sandy beaches and orange lichen covered granite boulders, the area is often mentioned internationally in lists of the world's top beaches.
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Jutting out between The Tasman Sea and Great Oyster Bay on Tasmania s east coast, the Freycinet Peninsula is a rugged and beautiful stretch of land, noted for its white-sand beaches, secluded coves, panoramic vistas, rocky cliffs and excellent bushwalks through the Freycinet National Park. In its own way Freycinet National Park is one of Australia's most interesting wilderness areas. This 10,000 ha park is alive with unusual animals - Tasmanian pademelons, white-breasted sea eagles, red-necked wallabies - and in season offers spectacular displays of rare native flora, notably a wide variety of native orchids. It is hard to imagine a more peaceful and awe-inspiring piece of coastline.
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Maria Island is a unique location where the visitor feels they have left civilization behind and stepped into another world. There are no noisy cars or machinery, just the sound of the wind rustling in the trees and the occasional bird calling to another. The air is clean; the only smells that accost the nose are the perfumes of the plants in the bushland and the salt in the air, blown off the sea which surrounds you. The whole place is a treat for the senses, and an opportunity to experience something civilisation lost more than a century ago.
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Forestier Peninsula is connected to the mainland at East Bay Neck, near the town of Dunalley at its northern end. At Eaglehawk Neck, the southern end of the Forestier Peninsula is connected to the Tasman Peninsula. The peninsula measures about 20 by 15 kilometres. By far the most well known feature of Forestier Peninsula is the Tessellated Pavement, situated a short distance from Eaglehawk Neck on the shoreline below the Lufra Hotal. This unusual geological formation gives the rocks the effect of having been rather neatly tiled by a giant.
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An extremely scenic part of Tasmania that is dominated by rolling pastures and heavily timbered hills and surrounded by dramatic coastline of sheer cliffs, towering rocky outcrops, sheltered bays and sea caves. Walking tracks and kayaks give access to the area's more isolated corners. And if that isn't enough to entice you to jump on a plane to Tassie and go see it for yourself, there's the added bonus of the peninsula being steeped in Australia's convict history; it contains some of the country's most important convict heritage sites, the jewel in the crown being the Port Athur settlement.
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Of all the convict related historic sites around Australia, none so graphically tell the story of Australia's convict past that the ruins of the convict settlement at Port Arthur. The place is a window into modern Australia's beginnings, and paints a vivid picture of the lives and times of those poor wretches who were transported to Australia from Britain to start a new life on the other side of the world. From 1833, until the 1850s, it was the destination for the hardest of convicted British and Irish criminals, those who were secondary offenders having re-offended after their arrival in Australia. Rebellious personalities from other convict stations were also sent here, a quite undesirable punishment. In addition Port Arthur had some of the strictest security measures of the British penal system.
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Tasmania’s North East has a rich and ancient history, incorporating over 40,000 years of continuous habitation and significant Aboriginal Heritage. The Tebrakunna Visitor Centre near Little Musselroe Bay provides informative displays about the traditional owners, as well as details about the Musselroe Wind Farm (on which this centre is located) and the agricultural history of the Cape Portland Farm still in operation beneath the turbines. The Tebrakunna Visitor Centre is named after the land and includes displays and information about the wind farm, the traditional landowners, the history of the Cape Portland property and the maritime and mining history of the greater North East region.
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164 km from Launceston (2 hrs 15 mins drive)
54 km from St Helens (1 hr 5 mins drive)
Gladstone is the accessway to Mount William National Park, an isolated wilderness area fringed with gorgeous bays stretching from Ansons River to Musselroe Bay. The landscape is one of rolling hills, rugged headlands and pristine white-sand beaches, some strewn with pink-granite boulders, while in the north a string of marshy lagoons sits behind windswept coastal dunes. Nestled in the far north-east corner of the State, the park is an important area for the conservation of Tasmania's coastal heathlands and dry sclerophyll plants. Whether you fish or swim; watch birds or wander by the sea, there's always something more to see in this beautiful national park.
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46 km from St Helens (53 mins drive)
At over 90 metres Ralphs Falls is Tasmania's highest single drop waterfall, a streaming ribbon of water plunging over a sheer rock face. Soak up the beauty of the rich, rolling farmland surrounding Ringarooma en route to Mt. Victoria Forest Reserve and Ralph Falls. From Ralphs Falls picnic area, choose the 20 minute return walk to through a wonderland of moss, ferns and Myrtle forest to Norm's Lookout and the face of Ralphs Falls. At over 90 metres Ralphs Falls is Tasmania s highest single drop waterfall, a streaming ribbon of water plunging over a sheer rock face.
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46 km from St Helens (53 mins drive)
Cash's Gorge is a beautiful but relaxed walk of approximately 40 minutes on boardwalk through rainforest, stands of tea tree, sphagnum moss and rugged terrain returning to the car park. Cashs Falls is located in Cashs Gorge south east of Ringarooma, and west of Pyengana on New River. The river flows through a very steep gorge making access to the waterfall incredibly difficult. There are no tracks or paths that lead you to Cashs Falls, and any attempt to reach the waterfall will require experience in off track walking in Tasmania, as well as many hours of time. Despite the close proximity to Ralphs Falls, this is a reasonably hard long hike. Start on west side of the Ralphs Falls car park, and follow circuit which returns to east side of car park.
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37 km from St Helens (40 mins drive)
Not far from the small town of Pyengana is St Columba Falls, one of Tasmania's highest waterfalls, with water plunging 90m from the Mt Victoria foothills to the valley of the South George River. There is a delightful walk from the car park to the falls through one of the most captivating rainforests you will see in a long time.
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6 km from St Marys (9 mins drive)
The challenging climb to the top of the cone shaped St Patricks Head is rewarded by stunning forest and coastal views. It is a not an easy walk (there are where metal cables and ladders are used to help the climber) but the view is spectacular and well worth the effort. A more accessible vantage point is South Sister Peak. The coast, the valley and the Mathinna Plains are just a few landmarks that can be seen from South Sister. Access to the walking track is from a well signposted rioad off the main road between Conara and St Marys. Walk duration: 2-3 hours.
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8 km from St Marys (15 mins drive)
The South Sister peak is a local icon, popular tourist destination, and recreation area. The South Sister and surrounding forests are unique having enormous biodiversity. There are many threatened species (both flora and fauna) which have been identified in the area. To visit South Sister, from St Marys, take the German Town Road and turn left at the South Sister signpost. This is an easier lookout as the main vantage point is only a 10-15 minute walk from the car park. Climbing to the top of the summit is popular with most tourists however there are many walks over the South (and North) sisters.
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52 km from St Marys (45 mins drive)
32 km from Fingal (29 mins drive)
Evercreech Forest Reserve is home to the tallest White Gums in the world. They are known as 'White Knights' because they grow to a height of 90 metres. The reserve has many short bushland walks through the forest including a loop past the 'White Knights' and to Evercreech Falls. Apart from these spectacular trees, large ferns and mountain streams abound, many flowing dramatically over falls deep in the forest.
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55 km from Fingal (48 mins drive)
Some 70 plus metres tall, Mathinna Falls consists of four drops, only two of which can be seen from the viewing area. Access is a via a 30-minute return walk from the car park and picnic area. The falls are close to the Evercreech Forest Reserve. The falls are located off Mathinna Plains Road near Mathinna. Other falls in the area include Maidstone Falls and Hardings Falls,
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5 West Street, St Helens
Serpentarium is a heated indoor reptile exhibit and museum displaying exotic captive breed reptiles, unique indigenous artefacts with gem and crystal displays. Featuring the Green Anaconda, Reticulated Python and our Indian Star Tortoises. Experience our interactive and interpretive keeper presentation at 12:00 noon daily.
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Bicheno
East Coast Natureworld is a natural wildlife and Ecology park near Bicheno. Experience the freedom to roam and relax in 160 acres of parkland and lagoon, or get involved and hand feed some of the free ranging Kangaroos. Here, you can see native Australian wildlife up close, including Tasmanian Devils, Tassie Tigers (Snakes and cats of course), wombats, kangaroos, bettongs, koalas, pademelons, lorikeets, pelicans, Cape barren Geese, Eagles, Owls, Native and Exotic Parrots and much more, Natureworld also operates as a rescue, breeding and rehabilitation sanctuary for orphaned or injured wildlife.
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25 km from Bicheno (39 mins drive)
An inland reserve that lies between Bicheno and St Marys, Douglas-Apsley National Park (32 km south) encompasses three river catchments (Douglas, Denison and Apsley), gorges, cascades, rocky forested hills and a heath plateau. Its points of interest include spectacular dolerite boulders and rugged hills, historically explored and mined coal measures, sweeping coastal vistas, varied bushwalks, brilliant wildflowers, forest floor native orchids, waterfalls, swimming holes, and abundant birds and wildlife.
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7.2 km from Swansea (6 mins drive)
An unusual stone bridge near Swansea which is more like a causeway, Spiky Bridge was built in the period 1845-48 by convicts from the Rocky Hills probation station on the east coast of Tasmania. The structure is an edifice to convict craftmanship. Previously named La Farelles bridge, its present name derives from its distinctive parapets.
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22 km from Orford (34 mins drive)
About halfway between Copping and Orford in the heart of the Wielangta Forest, the Sandpit Forest Reserve picnic area provides a great stopping point for a picnic in one of the two stone shelters once used by Aborigines. Wielangta walk is a 2 hour return walk that follows the route of an abandoned tramway to the remnants of the old timber milling township of Wielangta. The mill operated from 1911 to 1924, with cut timber carted on trams down the coast to Rheban where it was loaded onto a jetty and shipped off. There is another shorter walk through the rainforest (20 minutes return) at Robertson's bridge.
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7.2 km from Swansea (6 mins drive)
Located at Nugent, Redbanks is a renowned wild fishery (the fish grow naturally in the lakes) and pheasant shooting location. People come from Britain, New Zealand, Europe and America for pheasant shooting and trout-fishing. Visitors can navigate their way through numerous outdoor activities including clay target shooting, archery, javelin and rifle shooting under the guidance of accredited coaching staff.
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A small historic coastal township that has gained notoriety as a centre for deep sea and river fishing. Swansea sits on Great OysterPointing west across Ringarooma Bay, Cape Portland is the north eastern tip of Tasmania. It was named after the Duke of Portland by Matthew Flinders during his 1798 circumnavigation of the island in the sloop Norfolk with George Bass. It is an important bird breeding area for the Cape Barren Goose, Chestnut Teal and the threatened Hooded Plover. There is a small fishing community at Cape Portland.
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Time has stood still at Ansons Bay. This small fishing village on the far north eastern coast of Tasmania hasn't changed since the 1940s. The temporary fibro houses, the tinnies waiting to be pushed off in search of fish and the quiet and sleepy holiday ambience make it one of those wonderful secrets which is known only to the locals and a select group of anglers. Fishing is spectacular around Ansons Bay. The best time to visit is in October and there are plenty of great fishing spots. The Bream fishing is especially good and the best bet is to fish in around 2 foot of water around the weed patches. There are also plenty of great Australian Salmon to be caught on the Anson River.
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The Bay of Fires, a beautiful piece of wilderness coastline in the north-east corner of Tasmania, stretches from Eddystone Point in the north to Binalong Bay in the south. Characterised by stunning blue water, fishing lagoons, spotless white sandy beaches and orange lichen covered granite boulders, the area is often mentioned internationally in lists of the world's top beaches.
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10 minutes north of St Helens is the little community of Binalong Bay, which marks the beginning of the Bay of Fires. Originally a fishing hamlet, the town is now a village with a large proportion of holiday dwellings. Noted for its rock and surf fishing, it is here that visitors first see the bay's large expanse of untouched coastline, lined with clean, white beaches punctuated by picturesque granite outcrops covered in orange lichen. With an array of accommodation, fishing and diving facilities, and a general store and cafe, Binalong Bay is an idyllic location for those seeking a 'holiday in heaven' and an ideal starting point for walks along the coastline.
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Situated on Georges Bay, St Helens is the largest town on the north-east coast of Tasmania. A popular resort for fishing, swimming and other aquatic activities, its position makes St Helens a good base from which to explore the whole north-east corner of Tasmania. The town is famous for its crayfish, scallops, abalone and flounder. The Scamander River is noted for its bream.
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A popular holiday town and its beaches are ideal for swimming, surfing and fishing. The Scamander River is noted for its bream, while beach fishing and gamefishing in the deep waters offshore are also popular. Scamander is also northern Tasmania's major surfing centre. Located at the mouth of the Scamander River, Scamander is sited on a particularly beautiful and quiet stretch of coastline, noted for its secluded beaches which are popular with surfers and surf fishing enthusiasts.
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Explore The Hinterland
Little Swanport is a small village on the shores of Great Oyster Bay, between Swansea and Triabunna. It takes its name from the Little Swaqnport River and sits alongside the little river's mouth. Just north of Little Swanport is Mayfield Bay camping area, a popular spot among caravanners looking for a little seaside camping and fishing. The beach also has boat-launching access. If you are not into fishing, there is a lovely beach that offers good snorkelling, wonderful views across Great Oyster Bay to Freycinet Peninsula and the 1845 convict-built Three Arch Bridge is nearby. The reserve has shady trees and toilet facilities but you'll need to bring your own drinking water and camping gear.
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Situated in the Esk Valley, Fingal is the centre of Tasmania's coal mining industry. Evercreech Forest Reserve in the Fingal area is the home of the famous White Knights, the tallest white gums in the world. Finga's wide main street features several impressive 19th Century buildings. The Holder Brothers Store dates from 1859 and nearby is the old Tasmania Hotel, constructed, in part, from the stones which were originally used to build the Prison Barracks in the 1840s. It became a hotel in the 1850s and is now the local Tourist Centre. It sells arts and crafts from the district.
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Cornwall is a small, strangely-quaint coal mining town in the Fingal Valley. The Blackwood mine, also known as the Cornwall colliery, is run by the Cornwall Coal Company. It is the only supplier of coal mined in Tasmania. The major consumers of Tasmanian coal are currently the Cement Australia plant at Railton and the Norske Skog newsprint mill at Boyer. Production of raw coal in 2009 and 2010 totalled 646,148 tonnes, with 372,441t of saleable coal produced.
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Somewhat of a ghost town today, Mathinna was once the scene of an important gold strike. After gold was discovered at Mangana, Mathinna was for a time was the third largest town in Tasmania. The Mathinna goldfield started, like many others, with the discovery of alluvial gold in Black Horse Gully. The area contains one of Tasmania's largest gold mines, the New Golden Gate. The area is riddled with abandoned mines, prospects and old workings, and is mostly crown land, meaning fairly easy access.
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Pyengana is a rural farming region with sites of such significant natural beauty and it is well worth leaving the highway that bypasses it, and stopping to savour a little of what it has to offer. Not far from Pyengana is St Columba Falls, one of Tasmania's highest waterfalls, with water plunging 90m from the Mt Victoria foothills to the valley of the South George River. There is a delightful walk from the car park to the falls through one of the most captivating rainforests you will see in a long time.
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East Coast Central
Bicheno is a charming fishing port on Tasmania's east coast, which in recent years has grown in popularity as a holiday resort. One of Bicheno's more well known coastal features is the town's blowhole, which is located near the Esplanade Reserve. Nearby is also the Rocking Rock, 80 tonnes of rocking granite, which has been rocking for thousands of years. The Bicheno Blowhole is located right next to the water, along the sandy and granite coastline. Like most of Tasmania's east coast, Bicheno is noted for its distinctive red lichen on granite outcrops and its impressive blowholes. Granite coastal boulders can be found at the Blowhole and run north for 300m to a large block with more at Peggys Point.
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Situated at the northern edge of the Freycinet National Park, Coles Bay is the service town and entry point for the wonderful Freycinet National Park. As such it is well served by accommodation, caravan sites and camping facilities. It is one of the justifiably famous wilderness beauty spots on Tasmania's east coast. The town came into being in 1934 when it began to become a popular haunt for fishermen and bushwalkers. Coles Bay is also the major tourist centre on Tasmania s east coast and though it has plenty of holiday accommodation, the increased popularity of the Freycinet Peninsula as a tourist destination has meant you need to book ahead if you intend staying here overnight or longer.
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Jutting out between The Tasman Sea and Great Oyster Bay on Tasmania s east coast, the Freycinet Peninsula is a rugged and beautiful stretch of land, noted for its white-sand beaches, secluded coves, panoramic vistas, rocky cliffs and excellent bushwalks through the Freycinet National Park. In its own way Freycinet National Park is one of Australia's most interesting wilderness areas. This 10,000 ha park is alive with unusual animals - Tasmanian pademelons, white-breasted sea eagles, red-necked wallabies - and in season offers spectacular displays of rare native flora, notably a wide variety of native orchids. It is hard to imagine a more peaceful and awe-inspiring piece of coastline.
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Schouten is a rugged island with the highest point, Mount Storey (400 metres). Mt. Daedalus is the summit peak of a substantial granite area on the island and small tin workings can be seen in the vicinity. The island is surrounded by cliffs, broken by sheltered bays. A north-south fault line divides the island where the eastern part of the island is composed of granite while the western part is dolerite overlying sedimentary and supergroup rocks.
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A small historic coastal township that has gained notoriety as a centre for deep sea and river fishing. Swansea sits on Great Oyster Bay and gazes across at the rugged mountains of the Freycinet National Park. It is a pretty setting and it boasts a very substantial number of historic homes and buildings which give this fishing and holiday destination a distinctive charm. Swansea is 134 km from Hobart; 133 km from Launceston; 67 km from Campbell Town on Great Oyster Bay.
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Little Swanport is a small village on the shores of Great Oyster Bay, between Swansea and Triabunna. JThere is a lovely beach that offers good snorkelling, wonderful views across Great Oyster Bay to Freycinet Peninsula and the 1845 convict-built Three Arch Bridge is nearby. ust north of Little Swanport is Mayfield Bay camping area, a popular spot among caravanners looking for a little seaside camping and fishing.
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A prosperous fishing port and timber town located on the shores of Spring Bay, Triabunna began life as a whaling base in the 1830s. The townsite was once a garrison town for the Darlington convict settlement on nearby Maria Island. The town is today driven largely by its fishing industry (it is known for its scallops and abalone) and the huge woodchip mill at Point Home (it can be clearly seen from the ferry across to Maria Island). Triabunna is the starting point for tours and/or visits to the island and the many wilderness beauty spots on Tasmania s east coast.
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Maria Island is a unique location where the visitor feels they have left civilization behind and stepped into another world. There are no noisy cars or machinery, just the sound of the wind rustling in the trees and the occasional bird calling to another. The air is clean; the only smells that accost the nose are the perfumes of the plants in the bushland and the salt in the air, blown off the sea which surrounds you. The whole place is a treat for the senses, and an opportunity to experience something civilisation lost more than a century ago.
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Situated on a substantial coastal inlet called Prosser Bay, Orford is an attractive coastal hamlet. The village is centred around the mouth of the Prosser River. Beyond Prosser Bay are the waters of the Mercury Passage, with the strong relief of Maria Island providing a spectacular backdrop to the view. Orford has several clean, picturesque beaches - including Raspins, Millingons, Spring and Rheban - with a popular campsite at Raspins Beach. Nearby is the well-regarded 9-hole Orford Golf Course and the Darlington Vineyard.
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The district around Buckland was originally known as Prosser Plains. It was settled in the 1820s and the oldest house in the district 'Woodsden', which lies north east of the town, was built in 1826. In 1846 Governor Franklin renamed the tiny settlement Buckland, after William Buckland, Dean of Westminster (1845-56) who as a noted geologist (he had been appointed Professor of Mineralogy at Oxford University in 1813) had tried to reconcile geology with the Bible. The Buckland timber mill operated from 1948 until 1981.
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The small village of Nugent is notable for its local hall, in which many small gatherings occur for the locals only, maybe extending to nearby towns such as Sorell, Buckland and Dodges Ferry. It is a stereotypical "small country town", an ever shrinking group of small establishments. Nugent is 46 km north-west of Hobart and 35 km west of Richmond.
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East Coast Southern
Forestier Peninsula is connected to the mainland at East Bay Neck, near the town of Dunalley at its northern end. At Eaglehawk Neck, the southern end of the Forestier Peninsula is connected to the Tasman Peninsula. The peninsula measures about 20 by 15 kilometres. By far the most well known feature of Forestier Peninsula is the Tessellated Pavement, situated a short distance from Eaglehawk Neck on the shoreline below the Lufra Hotal. This unusual geological formation gives the rocks the effect of having been rather neatly tiled by a giant.
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The small village of Nugent is notable for its local hall, in which many small gatherings occur for the locals only, maybe extending to nearby towns such as Sorell, Buckland and Dodges Ferry. It is a stereotypical "small country town", an ever shrinking group of small establishments. Nugent is 46 km north-west of Hobart and 35 km west of Richmond.
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An extremely scenic part of Tasmania that is dominated by rolling pastures and heavily timbered hills and surrounded by dramatic coastline of sheer cliffs, towering rocky outcrops, sheltered bays and sea caves. Walking tracks and kayaks give access to the area's more isolated corners. And if that isn't enough to entice you to jump on a plane to Tassie and go see it for yourself, there's the added bonus of the peninsula being steeped in Australia's convict history; it contains some of the country's most important convict heritage sites, the jewel in the crown being the Port Athur settlement.
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The east coast of Tasmania, which begins at Cape Portland, at the the north-east corner of the state, features wide sweeping beaches punctuated by headlands of granite, much of which is covered in orange lichen. The crystal clear waters, the ribbons of clear white sandy beaches and the brightly painted rocks that punctuate them, have led to these beaches being ranked internationally among the best in the world.
Tasmania's East Coast is really as beautiful as photographs of it suggest. It therefore comes as no surprise that its most popular attraction, Wineglass Bay, has been labelled one of the world's top ten beaches. Recognised as one of Tasmania's most iconic destinations, Wineglass Bay is located on the stunning and pure Freycinet Peninsula, an area full of turquoise waters, scenic surrounds and a cool, crisp atmosphere that invigorates the soul. To the Peninsula's south is Maria Island, a unique location where the visitor feels they have left civilization behind and stepped into another world. The whole place is a treat for the senses, and an opportunity to experience something civilisation lost more than a century ago.
A broad and sheltered bay which opens onto the Tasman Sea in its south, Great Oyster Bay is one of the most scenic stretches of water in Australia. The Tasman Highway runs close to the West Coast of the bay with spectacular views of the rugged granite peaks of the Hazards of the Freycinet Peninsula which are incorporated in the Freycinet National Park, and Schouten and Maria Islands to the south. Sea kayaking in the sheltered waters on the east side of the bay from Coles Bay is very popular, with many small and isolated beaches on the Freycinet Peninsula to explore. Recreational fishing is also popular activity in the bay with flathead, Australian salmon, trevally, trumpeter and squid regularly caught. Dolphins and Australian Fur Seals can often be seen and whales often frequent the bay in winter.
In stark contrast is the hinterland, a mountainous area where once miners extracted tin and gold from the ground, but today farmers plough patchwork quilts of rich dark soil, where bountiful crops grow alongside verdant pasture. But the untamed natural majesty of the region's rugged mountainous terrain is never far away, encircling the farmlands are deeply wooded rainforests where the White Knights, the world's largest eucalypts, grow in abundance, rivers flow over waterfalls and wildlife abounds.
It comes as a surprise to many first time visitors to Tasmania's east coast that, outside of the state's mountainous and wilderness areas it is one of the least populated regions of Tasmania. Its largest town, St Helens, has a population of only 2,200. That said, tourists are more than adequately catered for in terms of places to stay, eat, and with visitor-focused things to do and places to go, for the simple reason that tourism is the mainstay of the region's economy, with little else to provide employment .opportunities.
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