For Tasmanians, ‘the East Coast’ starts at Orford in the south and ends at St Helens in the north. It’s a beautiful region with three National Parks (Maria Island, Freycinet, and Douglas Apsley) and a number of excellent wineries. A winning combination… On this trip we spent a few days exploring the southern half of the region.
Orford is where the highway from Hobart first hits the coast. It straddles the Prosser River, which flows into Prosser Bay with a number of nice beaches around the edge.
A little further north is Triabunna, which sits on Spring Bay. The ferry for Maria Island National Park leaves from here. From 1971 to 2011 Triabunna was home to the world’s largest woodchip mill. The former mill site is now being reimagined as a venue for conference and events. We drove out to have a look but the property was gated at the time. We did however encounter an Echidna along the way.
We stayed at Piermont Retreat, which provides upmarket accommodation and restuarant facilities on an old farm just south of Swansea. It sits in the western edge of Great Oyster Bay, looking towards the Freycinet National Park and its iconic mountain range known as the Hazards.
The northern edge of Great Oyster Bay is a narrow finger of land called Dolphin Sands. It reaches almost all the way to the Freycinet Peninsula, separated only by a lagoon outlet.
There are great views to the Hazards from here. At the tip of Dolphin Sands is Bagot Point, and the southern interface with Great Oyster Bay is known as Nine Mile Beach.
To the north of Dolphin Sands lies Moulting Lagoon, an important bird area protected under international convention.
We drove back towards Swansea then headed northeast to the Friendly Beaches. It’s a beautiful spot just north of the Freycinet Peninsula and is part of the Freycinet National Park.
Took in a late lunch at a winery overlooking Great Oyster Bay and the Freycinet Peninsula. Bliss.
On our last day we had breakfast at the Piermont Retreat restaurant and wandered the site before heading home.
Stopped at nearby Cressy Beach for some beachcombing.
Broke the journey to Hobart at Raspins Beach, on the northern side of Prossers Bay in Orford. It has great views of Maria Isiland. Somehwere we’ll visit on out next trip to East Coast Tasmania.
