We had an epic day of great weather down in Southern Tasmania last Saturday – blue skies and sunshine. A day which simply called out to me to take a trip down to the Tasman Peninsula with stunning vistas.
I make it a point to stop for a coffee with a view at Cubed Espresso Bar at the Pirates’ Bay Lookout just before Eaglehawk Neck. Not only is the coffee great, but the views are priceless. One of the best parts of living in Tasmania is there are stunning views everywhere but the Tasman Peninsula is truly special. I was tossing up between hiking Cape Hauy or Cape Raoul, but the choice in front of me was quite obvious as I’d only done Cape Raoul twice and Cape Hauy leaving from Fortescue Bay is a hike I’ve done 4 times.
The drive to the trail head is quite easy. There are newly installed toilet and parking facilities close to the trail head. Once you’re on the trail, it is pretty straight forward – the trail starts off through forest and it takes about 30 minutes or so to get to the spectacular lookout pictured below.
Cape Raoul (Credit: Adi Munshi)
The trail gently makes its way down to the cape where dolerite pillars and crashing waves are pretty much what you can really take in. When you’re atop the cape, there are fantastic views of Tasman Island and the surrounding region. I would have taken 3 hours to complete the trail, but given my passion for Tassie, I landed up hiking with a couple of visitors who “sucked” all the information out of me on everything Tasmania. It was my fault for mentioning I manage the visitor centre, but I landed up spending a good 45 minutes sharing hiking and camping tips, and other “must-dos”. There was a good trade off as I didn’t have to worry about selfies as they took some pretty cool photos of me. I also spent another 35 minutes at the cape with a couple who were caravanning around Tassie for 6 months and I must say they knew the state better than several locals whom I have come across.
The day was spectacular as was the hike. I was looking for a good place to eat after the long hike and landed up at McHenry’s Distillery for a cold beverage and a cheese platter which just hit the spot. The wonderfully indulgent "Wicked Cheese" left me feeling sluggish, so I decided to cool off with a dip in Tasmania's refreshing waters.
Cheese platter at McHenry's Distillery (Credit: Adi Munshi)
Driving back towards Port Arthur, I stopped at Safety Cove Bay which was just perfect – I was the only one on the beach, the sun was still warming the sand, the water was quite warm by Tasmanian standards (at least in the shallows), and the scenery like everywhere else – spectacular.
Safety Cove Bay (Credit: Adi Munshi)
The “swimming” aka floating on my back left me feeling hungry so a quick stop at the Dunalley Seaside Market (which has wonderful views) was to be my last stop for the day before heading back to the city.
If any of the above inspires you to “come down for air” then, please speak with one of our friendly and knowledgeable local Travel Advisors 03 6238 4222 or via email at bookings@hobarttravelcentre.com.au.
Adi Munshi - Manager
Tasmanian Travel & Information Centre