After the stop at Mole Creek Caves, it was late afternoon by the time we were back on the road, heading towards the east coast of Tasmania. The destination for the evening was Swansea, a pretty seaside village on the perimeter of Great Oyster Bay overlooking the peaks of Freycinet National Park. Here we would be spending the night before exploring Freycinet Peninsula on Day 4 of our roadtrip.
Click here for an outline of our Tasmanian adventure
Sun setting as we make our way to the east coast.
On the way to Swansea we stopped at Campbell Town, site of the oldest bridge on Tasmania’s National Highway. The Red Bridge was built in 1838 using penal labour, and is the oldest surviving brick arch bridge in Australia.
Freycinet Peninsula is the location of the famed Wineglass Bay, possibly Tasmania’s most photographed natural scene. With it’s fine white sand and clear turquoise waters, it is often mentioned as one of the world’s top ten beaches. There are numerous trails in the area of varying lengths and difficulty. The hike up to the viewpoint is easy and the most popular – a better option is the trail to the summit of Mt. Amos for a fantastic 360-view of the peninsula, but given that was a more strenuous and time-consuming trek, we settled for viewing platform.
Afterwards we headed to Cape Tourville, a 10-minute drive up the peninsula, for spectacular coastal views and a visit to the unmanned lighthouse located there. I actually found the scenery here more enticing than Wineglass Bay – perhaps because it wasn’t crowded with other visitors.
The Red Bridge over Elizabeth River in Campbell Town.
Duck, Duck, Duck, Goose! Sculptures at the Red Bridge.
Seaside town Swansea on the east coast.
Our seaside chalets, perched high over a private beach.
A wisp of the Milky Way despite the moonlit skies.
Enjoying a stunning sunrise from our balcony.
Great Oyster Bay with the peaks of Freycinet Peninsula in the distance.
Seabirds and pier at Swansea.
View of Coles Bay from the Wineglass Lookout trail.
This is as challenging as it gets (not very) on the Wineglass Lookout trail.
The distinctive pink granite of The Hazards range, Freycinet Peninsula.
The famous Wineglass Bay.
Rugged, dramatic coastline at Cape Tourville.
On the Cape Tourville circuit.
Cape Tourville Lighthouse.
Beautiful scenery at the cape – and no crowds.
Beach walk along the coastline.
Peter Lam Photography 