COVER STORY
From tucked-away gems to sprawling stretches of white sand, Tasmania’s pristine coastline of almost 5000km offers a beachside experience to suit every taste. It’s just a question of knowing where to look and how to get there
With summer now upon us, discover the best places to feel the sand between your toes and reconnect with nature
T here’s no doubt Tasmania is known for its spectacular shorelines. Freycinet is the state’s most visited national park and a key tourism site, attracting about 300,000 people a year. Images of Wineglass Bay at Freycinet and the Bay of Fires further north are virtually synonymous with Tasmania’s tourism brand. But for many locals and visitors, the state’s coastline is best experienced beyond the “aspirational beaches”, says Jen Fry, manager of Visitor Strategy for Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service.
“Freycinet is one of the most significant places people go in Tassie and it’s certainly a great drawcard,” says Fry. “But one of the great things about visiting Tasmania, or even just being a Tasmanian, is there are so many wonderful beaches.
“It’s great to get that experience of looking down on to Wineglass Bay and that beautiful white sand from the lookout at Freycinet National Park, but you can also then travel 30 minutes from the carpark at Freycinet and be the only person on the beach at Friendly Beaches.
“It’s within Freycinet National Park as well and it’s the white sand, red rock beach that we associate with the Bay of Fires.”
Some wonderful sandy beaches are off the beaten track in more isolated spots. Such wonders include South Cape Bay, a four-hour walk from Cockle Creek along the famed South Coast Track in southern Tasmania; Hopground Beach on Maria Island; and Trousers Point Beach on Flinders Island. Others are well known to locals, such as Stumpys Bay in North-East Tasmania and Trousers Point Beach on Flinders Island.
There are also many rocky, cliff and surf beaches worth seeking out. “The South-East coast and far North West are good for surfing, and there’s Shipstern Bluff, where the surf is massive. One of the alluring things about Tasmanian beaches is you get to stumble upon them,” says Fry.
“When you’re driving and you’re near the coast and see a little carpark, there’s probably a beach there and you can hop out and stumble on something that you’ve never experienced before and never even knew was there. That’s an important part of being in Tassie – being able to take the time to do that every now and then.”