Discover Tasmania: Hiking to Wineglass Bay

Wineglass Bay is one of those destinations that just kept popping up onto my Instagram feed. In fact, I’d be lying if I said that it wasn’t what made me want to visit Tasmania in the first place. Just give me some vivid blue ocean and dazzling white sands and you’ve got me. In case you aren’t familiar with Wineglass Bay, let’s end the suspense now with a quick snapshot…

Unless you opt for a scenic flight option – tempting but sadly out of our budget – the only way you’ll get this amazing view is to hike to Wineglass Bay lookout. We parked up and just as we were about to start walking, this little cutie hopped out of the bushes.

Wallabies are related to kangaroos but you can tell them apart from their much smaller size and vibrant rusty-coloured fur. It seemed quite unconcerned with the crowd it had drawn and in the end we had to tear ourselves away to start the walk.

It’s an easy, well signposted track but also uphill so bring lots of water on a hot day! I was definitely feeling the thigh burn after a little while. However after 45 minutes, we were rewarded with the most stunning view at Wineglass Bay lookout.

It was all peace and tranquillity until the wind tried to sabotage my photo efforts…

Shoot complete, we dithered at the entrance to the hiking trail down towards Wineglass Bay. For once, laziness didn’t win and we set off down the rocky trail. Although downhill towards the beach, this track is tougher than the first with rocky and slightly slippery parts.

We made it onto the beach and headed straight for a paddle in the clear water!

After a picnic lunch, we lay down and the warm sunlight had lulled us into a relaxed doze.

When we eventually managed to shake off the sleepiness, we had an unexpected visitor!

Another wallaby had come to wave us goodbye! With one last look at the sprawling sands, we turned away to tackle the steep track ahead.

All in all, I would definitely recommend hiking down to Wineglass Bay if you’re visiting Freycinet National Park. While it is tempting just to stick to the lookout point, it was definitely worth the walk to step on the cool sands of Wineglass Bay.

If you’re feeling adventurous, the trail continues past Wineglass Bay to The Hazards with beaches that looked just as perfect and even more secluded. We didn’t have the time or supplies for this – one 500ml bottle of water did not cut it for me – but it’s a great option to explore further off the beaten track!

Laura x

Want to know what we got up to on our Tasmanian road trip? You may like:

Hobart: Australia’s underrated brunch destination

The Ultimate Tasmania Road Trip Itinerary

Port Arthur Historic Site