Freycinet National Park

Before you go

• The Wineglass Bay Lookout is about 1.5 km each way on steps. Go early in summer, when the car park fills and the path has little shade.
• The sea is cold and the beaches mostly unpatrolled. Swell and currents can be strong, so swim only with care and never alone.
• A park pass is needed, and the Richardsons Beach campground must be booked well ahead for summer and school holidays.

Wineglass Bay and the Hazards

Three pink-tinged granite peaks, the Hazards, rise above the western side of the bay. The track climbs to a saddle for the classic view of the white curve of beach, then drops by a long stairway to the sand. Many walkers continue across the isthmus to Hazards Beach and back in a circuit of about 11 km.

Beaches, lighthouse and wildlife

Friendly Beaches, in the north of the park, is a long open stretch of sand with a short dune walk. Cape Tourville has an easy cliff-top loop that is lovely at sunrise. Wallabies graze near the campground at dusk, and white-bellied sea eagles are sometimes seen over the bays.

Getting there

Coles Bay is about 30 km off the Tasman Highway at Swansea and roughly 2.5 hours' drive from Hobart. The park entrance is a few minutes beyond the town. Bicheno, about 45 km north, is the nearest larger base for fuel and food. Roads are sealed, but wildlife is active at dusk.

FAQs