On Tasmania’s east coast sits the Freycinet National Park, packed full of rocky head lands and short steep mountains with an abundance of wildlife and preserved beaches.
The national park is mainly a peninsula running from north to south and is one of the most well-known and popular national parks in Tasmania, especially on the east coast. Chose between easy family friendly day hikes that are accessible to most, such as the Cape Tourville Lighthouse Circuit where you’ll get unspoiled views just a short distance from the car park, or tougher walks such as the up-hill climb to the Wineglass Bay lookout. There’s also a range of other hiking trails that are suited to serious and experienced hikers.
Around every twist and turn on the windy road that go through the Freycinet National Park will be highlighted with views that make you feel as though you’re on a movie set. It’s an incredible place and well worth stopping-in for a day or two when you’re touring Tasmania’s east coast.
The Freycinet Peninsula took around 400 million years to form and is mainly made of two large granite blocks and is the home to a variety of wildlife and once home to several indigenous tribes, making the area formally recognised for it’s cultural significance and heritage.
There are many vantage points throughout the national park where you can views right across the peninsula. You’ll need to have a park pass to enter the national park, which can be purchased from the Parks Tasmania website or when you enter the area.
Wineglass Bay is the most well-known part of the Freycinet National Park and has a gruesome history. Many visitors believe the name was derived from the curved shape bay when in-fact it came from the clear turquoise water turning red with blood from the Whales, as the bay once had a busy Whalers station operating here.
Getting to the Freycinet National Park
The Freycinet National Park is around a 2.5 hour drive from both Hobart or Launceston, although you’ll want to allow extra time to stop at other incredible places along the way as there’s just so much to see on this scenic and breathtaking island.
Whether you’re driving there from Hobart in Tasmania’s south or Launceston in the north, you’ll eventually find yourself on the Tasman Highway. You’ll need to turn right at Coles Bay Road, then just follow it to south all the way into the national park. Most places to visit will be on Coles Road or on a track that leads off of it.
If you’re making your way up the east coast from the south along the Great Eastern Drive, then it’s about a one hour drive to get into the park from Orford, where the touring route begins.
