Bruny Island is one of Tasmania’s southernmost accessible islands. Particularly during winter, the long stretches of rocky coastlines and beaches look amazing. You may have driven to Bruny Island before by yourself, however, today I would like to share with you how I enjoyed a full-day tour with Bruny Island Safaris.
The Bruny Island Safaris tour guides are quite different from traditional tour guides. They employ only Bruny Island locals and Tasmanian guides bringing local flavours to the day and this makes for one of the most personable and authentic tourism experiences.
Bruny Island (Credit: Bruny Island Safaris)
We set off from Hobart early in the morning on our Bruny adventure. I recommend dressing warmly (especially in the winter) as it can cool down a fair bit when walking around the Cape Bruny Lighthouse viewing gallery. We explored the Neck Lookout and Wildlife Reserve which had absolutely jaw-dropping, 360 views.
What’s great about this trip is I didn’t need to pack any food. A picnic-style morning tea was set up on a pristine beach with Bruny Island cheese, wood-fired oven baked sourdough and freshly shucked Bruny Island oysters. We also visited the Bruny Island Cheese Company and Get Shucked oysters so I certainly had my work cut out to ensure I didn’t overeat.
Driving from the North end to South Bruny, we visited lots of food producers, lookouts, and sweeping beaches with short walks. Lunch was served at Hotel Bruny - an extensive menu of locally caught fresh fish, succulent local lamb, salmon, and seafood chowder. If you travel with a family member or a friend, I suggest ordering the popular seafood platter for two (gluten-free and vegetarian options available for visitors with dietary requirements).
In the afternoon, we visited the historic Cape Bruny lighthouse which was built in 1836 (the only Southern Tasmanian lighthouse open for tours). At 114 metres tall, it towers over the spectacular dolerite cliffs of Cape Bruny and offers panoramic views of the rugged coastline. Climbing the lighthouse and hearing its history was one of the most memorable experiences of the day. We then gradually made our way back to the Northern end of the island where our bus jumped on to the ferry to take us back to Kettering and back home to Hobart. An absolutely fantastic way to spend a winter’s day in Tassie!
Luna Liu - Senior Team Leader (Finance and Administration)
Tasmanian Travel and Information Centre