Pink and orange granite rising out of turquoise bays. The white curve of Wineglass Bay beneath the Hazards. Dolerite columns forming Australia’s highest sea cliffs, with nothing beyond them but the Southern Ocean. Tasmania’s East Coast is all colour and light and this is the way to see it on foot.
No two days are the same. Climb St Patricks Head for your first view of the coast. Spend a full day in Freycinet National Park, walking over the saddle and down onto the crystal-clear water of Wineglass Bay. Cruise beneath the cliffs of Cape Raoul, step into the convict history of Port Arthur, then stand on the clifftops of Cape Hauy above the sea stacks known as the Totem Pole and the Candlestick.
Some of the cleanest air on Earth, and you feel it with every breath on these clifftops. Wallabies graze at the edge of Fortescue Bay, and from the water you may see seals, dolphins and at times migrating whales.
You carry only a day pack. Each evening you return to a comfortable bed and a good dinner. 2 nights in Coles Bay on the shore of Great Oyster Bay, and 2 on the Tasman Peninsula. Groups are small, your guides take care of every detail, and many of our guests travel solo. Come on your own or with a friend; from the first afternoon you’ll feel part of the group.
COLES BAY
Our base for the first two nights sits on the edge of Freycinet National Park, in beach-house-style accommodation. Evenings here are relaxed: dinner prepared by your guides, and time to get to know your fellow walkers after a day among the Hazards.
TASMAN PENINSULA
For nights three and four we stay in motel/hotel-style accommodation on the Tasman Peninsula, close to Port Arthur and Fortescue Bay, with pub dinners to round out the day’s walking.
INTINERARY SUMMARY
Day 1: Launceston to Coles Bay via St Patricks Head (3.4km)
Day 2: Freycinet National Park – Wineglass Bay and Hazards Beach circuit (11 km), or Mount Amos for experienced walkers in dry conditions (3.6 km return)
Day 3: Coles Bay to the Tasman Peninsula – Cape Raoul cruise and guided tour of Port Arthur Historic Site
Day 4: Cape Hauy and Fortescue Bay (9.4 km return)
Day 5: Tasman Arch, Devils Kitchen and the Blowhole, finishing in Hobart
WHAT’S INCLUDED
• 2 professional wilderness guides.
• 4 nights beach/motel style accommodation (twin share).
• 4 breakfasts, 5 lunches and 4 dinners.
• All delicious snacks on the trail.
• Transport during the tour and return transport to Hobart
• Cape Raoul Cruise.
• Short guided tour and entry to Port Arthur Historic Site.
• All national park fees.
• Emergency communications & group first aid kit.
• Alcohol is not included
Prefer to finish in Launceston? You can return to Launceston with your guides on Day 5, please note we will be arriving into Launceston around 8–9pm.
DAY 1: LAUNCESTON TO COLES BAY VIA ST PATRICKS HEAD
This morning we collect you from your Launceston accommodation and travel east through the Fingal Valley, a quieter, rural side of Tasmania, to the historic township of St Marys.
Our first walk climbs St Patricks Head, a distinctive peak that stands above the surrounding valleys. The climb is steep in places, and as we gain height the country opens out, with views towards the East Coast on one side and across the inland valleys on the other.
We cross Elephant Pass and come down to the coast. Time permitting, we stop for an afternoon wine tasting at an East Coast winery before continuing to Coles Bay, beside Freycinet National Park. Coles Bay is our base for the next two nights. Tonight your guides prepare dinner, and there is time to get to know your fellow walkers.
3.4 kms
Meals: Lunch & Dinner
DAY 2: INTO THE HEART OF FREYCINET
Freycinet became one of Tasmania’s first national parks in 1916, and today we spend the full day walking in it. The Hazards – a line of granite peaks that glow pink and orange in low light, rise straight from the water, with Wineglass Bay curving away on one side and Great Oyster Bay on the other.
Our walk is the Wineglass Bay and Hazards Beach circuit. The track climbs steadily over granite and gravel to the saddle above Wineglass Bay, then descends to the beach itself. From there we cross the wide, sandy isthmus to the long stretch of Hazards Beach, the halfway point, before returning along the coast through she-oak forest and coastal woodland beneath Mount Mayson, with glimpses across Great Oyster Bay.
For experienced walkers, and only in dry, settled weather, Mount Amos may be offered instead. It is a short but very steep climb over bare sheets of granite to an exposed summit with views down to Wineglass Bay. Parks Tasmania warns that the rock slabs are extremely dangerous when wet, so it is not suitable for every guest, and your guides will decide on the day whether it is an option. Only one of these walks will be completed. We return to Coles Bay for a relaxed evening and a second dinner prepared by your guides.
11 kms walking (Wineglass Bay & Hazards Beach circuit) | or 3.6 kms return (Mount Amos, guide discretion)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 3: SEA CLIFFS FROM THE WATER AND CONVICT HISTORY
An early start takes us south along the East Coast, through small towns and farmland to Orford, and on to the Tasman Peninsula, a near-island joined to the rest of Tasmania by the narrow isthmus at Eaglehawk Neck.
In the early afternoon we board a cruise to Cape Raoul, where columns of dolerite rise straight out of the Southern Ocean. Seen from the water, the scale of these sea cliffs is hard to take in.
Afterwards we join a short guided tour of the Port Arthur Historic Site. Port Arthur operated as a penal settlement from 1830 to 1877 and is one of the sites that together form the Australian Convict Sites World Heritage property. After the tour there is time to explore the grounds and buildings at your own pace, and to understand the lives of the people who were sent, held and worked here. We then settle into our accommodation on the peninsula, our base for the next two nights, and head out for dinner at a local pub.
Short walks around the historic site
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 4: CAPE HAUY AND FORTESCUE BAY
Today we walk one of the Tasman Peninsula’s great coastal tracks. From Fortescue Bay, the Cape Hauy track heads out through coastal woodland and open heath, the sound of the sea growing as we go. The track drops down a steep flight of mostly stone steps before climbing again towards the cape, a pattern that makes this a proper walk rather than a stroll, and one we repeat in reverse on the way back.
As we near the end of the cape, the land narrows and the view opens. Columns of dolerite rise from the ocean and plunge straight into the water, including the slender sea stacks known to rock climbers as the Totem Pole and the Candlestick. The scale is hard to judge until you see a seabird or a swell break against the base of the cliffs far below.
Along the way, your guides explain how dolerite forms these columns and point out the plants that survive on exposed coastal heath. After the walk there is time to enjoy the quiet, sheltered water of Fortescue Bay before we return to our accommodation for a pub dinner.
9.4 kms walking
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 5: ARCHES, CHASMS AND THE ROAD TO HOBART
On our final morning we visit three of the peninsula’s best-known landmarks near Eaglehawk Neck. Tasman Arch is a natural bridge of rock high above the water; Devils Kitchen is a deep, narrow cleft where the sea surges below and at the Blowhole, swell forces water through a tunnel in the rock. Short, well-formed tracks link the lookouts, and your guides explain how waves exploit weaknesses in the rock to carve each feature.
We then travel to Hobart, where we farewell our fellow walkers, having journeyed from Tasmania’s north through the granite mountains of Freycinet to the sea cliffs of the Tasman Peninsula. The tour finishes in Hobart. If you would prefer to finish in Launceston, you can travel back with your guides on request. Please expect a late arrival, around 8–9pm.
Short lookout walks
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch
YOUR STAY ON THE EAST COAST
COLES BAY
For the first two nights we stay in beach-house-style accommodation in Coles Bay, the small township at the gateway to Freycinet National Park. It is a short drive from the Day 2 trailhead, which means more time on the track and less in the vehicle. Evenings are unhurried: your guides prepare dinner, and the conversation turns to the day’s walk.
TASMAN PENINSULA
For the final two nights we stay in motel/hotel-style accommodation on the Tasman Peninsula, well placed for Port Arthur, Fortescue Bay and the Cape Hauy track. Dinners here are pub meals – one at our accommodation and one at a local venue.
Itinerary is subject to change due to weather, track conditions, access arrangements and other circumstances beyond our control. Walk distances and grades are Parks Tasmania published figures; guided walking times may differ.
NOTES TO CONSIDER
Our 5 Day Freycinet Tasman Explorer is a moderate to challenging walking holiday, mixing full-day coastal walks with a summit climb, a cruise and shorter sightseeing walks. We advise you to do as much training as you can before your tour with us, particularly on hills and steps. The more you train, the more comfortably you will handle the terrain and the more you will enjoy this part of Tasmania. It’s also important to come along with an open mind, ready for a great experience whatever the weather, whoever the group.
Coastal weather on Tasmania’s East Coast and Tasman Peninsula can change quickly, and exposed clifftops and granite slabs are affected by wind and rain. Our guides may adjust routes, timings or the order of activities to keep the group safe, and views and summits cannot be guaranteed. Quality rain jackets and over pants are essential. If you are at all concerned about your ability to do this walk, please call us here at Trek Tasmania on 1300 133 278 before booking – we’re happy to talk it through.
Note: This itinerary is subject to change with any change in regulations, access arrangements and natural circumstances beyond our control.
FREYCINET & TASMAN PENINSULA TRAIL NOTES
This journey suits walkers who are comfortable spending four to five hours on their feet on uneven ground, including long flights of steps and some steep climbs, on more than one day. No technical skills are needed.
Full walking days (Days 2 and 4). The Wineglass Bay and Hazards Beach circuit is an 11 km walk over steep granite, gravel, sand and rocky coast (Parks Tasmania Grade 4, approx. 4–5 hours). Cape Hauy is a 9.4 km return walk with many steps (Parks Tasmania Grade 3, approx. 4 hours).
Day 1. St Patricks Head is a steep climb 3.4km
Lighter days (Days 3 and 5) include the Cape Raoul cruise, Port Arthur Historic Site and short, well-formed lookout tracks.
Mount Amos (optional alternative on Day 2). 3.6 km return, approx. 3 hours, Grade 4. Offered only to experienced walkers, in dry, settled weather and at guide discretion. It is not run in wet conditions.
WHAT YOU CARRY
The things you need to carry on your walk each day are: your personal equipment for the day in a 25–30L day pack (with waist harness), wet weather gear, water, snacks, sunscreen and so on.
Please keep all other personal clothing and equipment in a smaller duffel bag or suitcase for our support vehicle to transport.
A comprehensive gear list is available in the Resources tab, detailing what is included in the tour cost, what is available for hire and what you will need to bring.
TREK TASMANIA
Experienced wilderness leaders. Small groups. Genuine human connection. Respect for the places we explore.
The East Coast can look gentle from a car window. On foot, it’s a coast of clifftops, steep stone steps, granite slabs and changeable weather, and our guides are there to make the right decisions about it: when to go, which route suits the conditions, and when a walk like Mount Amos is – or isn’t – the right choice for the group.
They also connect the landscapes to the stories: how dolerite forms the columns at Cape Hauy, why the Hazards are granite while the Tasman Peninsula is not, what life was like for the people held at Port Arthur, and where the food and wine on the table came from. They take care of the logistics, the meals and the timing, so you can concentrate on the walking and the company.
Trek Tasmania is part of the Trek Tours Australia family, alongside Trek Larapinta and Tarkine Trails.
ABOUT FREYCINET AND THE TASMAN PENINSULA
This journey links two very different coastlines. Freycinet, one of Tasmania’s first national parks (1916), is granite country: the Hazards rise straight from the water, glowing pink and orange in low light, with Wineglass Bay on one side and Great Oyster Bay on the other.
Further south, the Tasman Peninsula is a near-island joined to the rest of Tasmania by the narrow isthmus at Eaglehawk Neck. Here the rock is dolerite, and it forms some of the most dramatic sea cliffs in the country – the columns of Cape Raoul and Cape Hauy, and the arches, chasms and blowholes the sea has carved near Eaglehawk Neck.
The peninsula also holds one of Australia’s most significant convict sites. Port Arthur operated as a penal settlement from 1830 to 1877 and is one of the sites that together form the Australian Convict Sites World Heritage property.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY
This journey travels through the Country of Tasmania’s First Nations people. Today their descendants, many of whom identify as palawa or pakana, continue to maintain, practise and revive their culture, their language, palawa kani, and their connection to Country across lutruwita (Tasmania). We pay our respects to their Elders, past and present.
