Beach Archives - Traversing Tasmania

September 8, 2018September 8, 2018

Fossil Cove

Track start © emily@traversingtasmania 2018

At the end of a quiet street in the peaceful bushland south of Kingston is a secluded cove: Fossil Cove. There is no designated car park. A simple wooden sign post marks the start of the track. When we arrived, there was only one other car there. Don’t be fooled by the humble beginnings of your journey: Your destination is spectacular.

The track to Fossil Cove is easy to traverse, downhill. You’ll do the hard work on the way back up! There are well-defined stairs. Enjoy strolling through the bush and take time to explore the rock formations beside the track as you descend. I must admit that I rather like seeing the neighbouring properties too. What a place to live! In about fifteen minutes’ time, you’ll find yourself at the top of a staircase, staring out to sea.

Many delights await you. There are rock shelves and pools to explore, shells to find and an archway to walk through at low tide to a neighbouring cove. If you enjoy a spot of fishing, there are fish to be caught. When you sit down on one of the rock shelves, don’t be surprised by what lies beneath you.

Fossils

It’s easy to understand how Fossil Cove got its name. You’ll see for yourself the varied, intricate, multitude of fossils imprinted on the rock shelves. I could spend a long time admiring them. Fish, shells, from eons ago. Look up at your surroundings too. You’ll see a tree, clinging to the clifftop. There are views of the River Derwent, the South Arm Peninsula and Bruny Island.

What to Bring

The walk to Fossil Cove is a short one (approximately 45 minutes return) but do wear sturdy shoes as the track can be muddy. You never know how long you’ll stay exploring so bring some water and a snack. Check the tide times too. Unless you’re prepared to get very wet and walk on slippery rocks, access through the arch is limited to (very) low tide. Leave your usual beach paraphernalia behind and enjoy a different kind of waterside experience!

Getting There

Blackmans Bay is a 15-minute drive south of Hobart’s CBD via either Taroona (the scenic route) or the Southern Outlet. Once you’re in Blackmans Bay, head south on Tinderbox Road until you reach Fossil Cove Drive. When you reach the end of the cul-de-sac, park your car beside the road and begin your descent to the majestic Fossil Cove.

Cost

Fossil Cove is one of Tassie’s delightful freebies. Pay in kind by staying on the track, taking your litter away with you and leaving the cove’s contents behind for future visitors. Remember to take lots of photos! It is a truly remarkable place.

Nearby attractions include Taroona’s Shot Tower and, if you have a spare day, Bruny Island. Explore Tasmania’s south, east coast, midlands or central highlands or, further afield, north, north west, and west coast. Happy traversing!

June 16, 2018

Stanley

Little penguin colony © emily@traversingtasmania 2018

When I was a kid, I never knew what my favourite animal was because I had too many. I particularly hated being asked, “If you could be any animal, which would you choose?” For some reason, this question would be asked of my class from time to time and I could never give an answer that I was happy with. I can now say that I’d like to be a little penguin (or a short-tailed shearwater). It has nothing to do with flying or swimming but rather with the places that they live, which also happen to be my favourite spots in Tasmania: Bruny Island in the south, Bicheno on the east coast and Stanley in the north west.

In addition to being home to a colony of little penguins, Stanley also boasts The Nut (a volcanic plug), a lovely community, a picturesque outlook, beaches, fabulous shopping, heritage sites and beef and fishing industries. I could spend weeks in Stanley. Strangely enough, as it goes against the tourist trend, my favourite time to visit is during the winter months. It’s the light. The air is clear and crisp, the fields so green and the sea so blue and the sunrises and sunsets are spectacular. And, let’s be honest, who would climb The Nut in the summer months?

If you’re travelling to Stanley just for the day or the weekend, make sure that you arrive when the shops are open. My favourites are The Angel’s Share and Hearts N Crafts. You’ll find boutique clothing and accessories as well as Tasmanian whisky and spirits at The Angel’s Share and lots of homemade goodies at Hearts N Crafts. You’re sure to find something that appeals as you wander along Church Street.

Fishing Boat © emily@traversingtasmania 2018

Originally a fishing village, the fisherman’s wharf is a great spot to visit. Take a photo of the red boats against the backdrop of the sea or have a bite to eat at Hursey’s Seafood or buy frozen seafood from the Stanley Seaquarium. For a good coffee, visit Black Dog on Church Street. Locals rave about the food at Xanders too and highly recommend the summer barbecues etc. put on by them.

For a small town, Stanley has its fair share of historic buildings. A trip to Stanley wouldn’t be complete without a visit to Highfield House, the impressive homestead built by the Van Dieman’s Land Company in the 1830s. You’ll have stellar views of The Nut and Stanley from here. In town, you’ll find former-prime minister and Tasmanian premier Joseph Lyon’s birthplace. The old cottages, churches and buildings are lovely – be sure to have a good look around.

Finally, head up The Nut (you can read about my visit here) and enjoy the beaches. You’ll find the little penguin colony at Godfrey’s Beach. It’s a short but picturesque beach with gorgeous views of The Nut, Highfield House and Bass Strait. On the other side of town, you’ll find Tatlows Beach. It offers a longer walk and views of The Nut, Rocky Cape National Park, Port Latta and so on. You’ll enjoy breathing in the fresh sea air, no matter what the time of year.

What to Bring

Abbey’s Cottage © emily@traversingtasmania 2018

Bring sturdy shoes, weather-appropriate clothing and a camera so that you can enjoy all that Stanley has to offer. I like to bring basic food supplies although the town does have a well-stocked IGA and fabulous goods in the stores on Church Street. Having a red light torch for penguin viewing is also a must along with warm clothes as this is a night-time activity. Bring a good book too. Stanley is a place for relaxing.

Getting There

Tatlows Beach © emily@traversingtasmania 2018

Stanley is approximately a two-and-a-half-hour drive from Launceston or about a five-hour drive from Hobart. If you’re visiting for the day, you’ll find plenty of free parking in the town’s streets. The larger towns are Smithton and Wynyard. You’ll find the natural beauty of Rocky Cape National Park and Boat Harbour nearby too. If you’re visiting Tasmania, I highly recommend taking the time to explore this area as it is stunning.

Cost

Godfrey's Beach — Godfrey’s Beach © emily@traversingtasmania 2018

Attractions at Stanley range in price and opening hours. For free, you can climb The Nut, walk the beaches, use the public barbecues, explore the shops, take photos and visit Joe Lyon’s Cottage. You’ll pay to visit Highfield House, Stanley Seaquarium, Stanley Golf Course and to take the chairlift up The Nut. You can also cruise around The Nut with Stanley Seal Cruises or take a helicopter flight over the area if you wish to with Osbourne Heli Tours. Basically, a trip to Stanley can be as affordable or as lavish as you would like it to be. I highly recommend making like a little penguin and visiting one of my favourite Tasmanian towns.

Want to explore the region? Read about my travels in Tasmania’s north west. Travelling further afield? I’ve traversed the west coast, south, east coast, north, midlands and central highlands and can highly recommend several places to visit in each area.

April 25, 2018April 25, 2018

Ocean Beach

Ocean Beach is a 30+ km beach highway (for the right vehicle at the right time of day). You’ll see towering sand dunes, rolling waves and white, white sand. It’s a wild place. Just to give you can idea of how untamed it is, Ocean Beach lies between Hell’s Gates in the south and Trial Harbour in the north. Both places were named to let other travellers know what to expect in these waters: great difficulty!

You can drive onto Ocean Beach with a 4WD vehicle at several points. We entered the beach at Macquarie Heads. Macquarie Heads is particularly picturesque with views of historic lighthouses, fisherman’s cottages and rock walls as well as the dangerous Hell’s Gates passage out of Macquarie Harbour. It was a delight to drive in the blue water of our GPS screen while safely on Ocean Beach!

While I was walking by the waves at Ocean Beach Lookout, Mr. Traversing Tasmania tried to get the 4WD down the track to the shore but decided that he wasn’t brave enough! Ask locals for advice about when and where to access the beach. Note that there are two river mouths to cross and that you can get bogged. That’s not on my list of things to do while on holiday!

What to Bring

If you’re planning on driving your 4WD along Ocean Beach, bring recovery equipment and let someone know where you’re going and when to expect you back. It also helps to ask locals about which access points are currently safe to use. Bring your fishing gear for use at Macquarie Heads. Note that Ocean Beach is unpatrolled by lifeguards and is too dangerous for swimming. Bring food and water so that you can stay as long as you please and, as always on the west coast, bring clothing appropriate for wet, windy and/or cold weather.

Getting There

View north © emily@traversingtasmania 2018

If you don’t have a 4WD, you can still enjoy Ocean Beach. Just follow signs from Strahan along C250, Ocean Beach Road. A sign-posted right-hand turn and a short stretch of dirt road will see you arrive at the car park at Ocean Beach Lookout. Here, walk a wild stretch of sand with views of Macquarie Heads to the south or views of Henty Dunes and rugged ranges to the north. Just being beside the ocean is wonderfully restorative. I’m told by the locals that Ocean Beach is also one of the best spots to view the sunset.

Cost

Access to Tasmania’s beaches is free! This is something that I don’t take for granted. I do my part by taking all of my rubbish away with me. I also take three additional pieces of rubbish (bottle caps, gum wrappers, fishing line and the like) with me to do my bit for the ocean critters who don’t need waste in their environment. Enjoy the pristine wilderness that is Ocean Beach!

To read about more of my west coast adventures, click here.

March 13, 2018April 25, 2018

Macquarie Heads

Macquarie Heads are the headlands that meet at Hell’s gates, the narrow, shallow entrance of Macquarie Harbour. There are loud quad bikes, dirt-bikes and 4WDs everywhere, combined with a crisscross of kids and fishing rods. If you’ve seen the classic Australian film The Castle, you’ll be saying, “Ah, the serenity!” with a smile on your face. Noisy neighbours aren’t your only problem either. As we were walking back from the beach, a tiger snake (that’s a bad one, folks!) silently slithered away from the path. So… don’t go to Macquarie Heads? Well, actually, it was fantastic.

Strangely for the west coast, which has an average of 2.4 metres of rain each year, it was a fabulously sunny day. Many took the opportunity to go fishing. A few keen people went for a swim. I was content to paddle and gaze at the view of the harbour, ringed by mountains, and the lighthouses.

There are two gorgeous white lighthouses at Macquarie Heads. These have helped sailors to navigate the narrow, shallow passage into the harbour for many years. You’ll also see three fisherman’s cottages (inaccessible by road but apparently available as holiday rentals, accessed via boat). If you know where to look, you can just make out the two rock walls that were created by convicts in the 1800s in an effort to keep the channel deep enough and safe enough to sail through. It’s a photographer’s delight!

What to Bring

It’s the west coast so you’ll need your sunscreen, sunhat, beanie, scarf, gloves and your wet-weather gear. If you’re planning on staying for a few hours or longer, I’d recommend bringing your rod and tackle and trying your hand at catching lunch. You’ll also need to bring your own food, water and firewood (if fires are permitted at the time of year that you visit).

Getting There

Ocean Beach "Road" — Ocean Beach “Road” © emily@traversingtasmania 2018

Macquarie Heads is about a twenty-minute drive from Strahan on Macquarie Heads Road. You’ll see clear signs from Strahan. The road is partly sealed, partly dirt and is very picturesque with more views of Macquarie Harbour as well as pine forests. Once you reach the campsite, keep driving until you reach the final car park. You can also drive your 4WD onto the beach if the conditions are right (see my post on Ocean Beach for more on beach driving). Ask locals to show you the best entry to the beach (one is extremely sandy and best avoided).

Cost

Hell's Gates — Hell’s Gates © emily@traversingtasmania 2018

Macquarie Heads is free to visit for the day. You’ll find the best smelling bench-seat dunny (toilet) and glorious views. To camp, you’ll pay a small fee but have the benefits of grassed sites, a caretaker, a boat ramp and those views. Next time you’re in Strahan, take the time to see a very historic, very picturesque part of Macquarie Harbour.

Read more about my adventures on Tasmania’s wild west coast.

January 27, 2018

Greens Beach

Our swimming spot... — Our swimming spot… © emily@traversingtasmania 2017

Two days ago, we went for a beautiful swim at Greens Beach. Following the coastal track around to a rocky outcrop, the water was clear, cool and deep. We saw a school of tiny fish, a jellyfish and something that looked pufferfish-esque. Today, the tide was out. Way out. A lady sat in a deck-chair in the exact spot that I had been out-of-my-depth in the ocean two days before. Welcome to Greens Beach!

Low tide © emily@traversingtasmania 2017

Greens Beach is very popular with families. When the tide is in, its shallow expanse makes for warm water and a kind environment for beginner swimmers. If you like deeper water, walk out on the coastal track or on the rocks. When the tide is out, my only recommendation is to get in (once you’ve made the long walk across the sand to the water!) and enjoy yourself. If swimming isn’t your thing, you can walk along the beach or around the headland to West Head Lookout. There’s also a nearby golf course if you prefer a different sort of walk.

Views of Low Head Lighthouse make Greens Beach very picturesque. Like East Beach (on the other side of the Tamar River), you’ll also see the distinctive orange of lichen covered rocks. There are more treasures to be found in the rock pools.

What to Bring

Bring all the usual beach gear – towel, swimmers, sun-protective gear, water, friends, flotation devices and, of course, your deck chair. The takeaway shop across the road was doing a roaring trade when we visited the beach; I hear that they do very good chips.

Getting There

View of Low Head Lighthouse from the rocks © emily@traversingtasmania 2017

It’ll take you about 50 minutes to drive from Launceston to Greens Beach on the West Tamar Highway. Stay on the highway until Beaconsfield. After the petrol station in Beaconsfield, turn left, following signs for Greens Beach (C720). If you do stay on the A7, you’ll just take a scenic tour to Beauty Point (which I highly recommend!) before making it to Greens Beach. You’ll find parking spaces at the beach front and in nearby streets.

Cost

Swimming © emily@traversingtasmania 2017

All public beaches in Tasmania are free to access. You can also use the barbecues and amenities for free. If you’re feeling particularly sporty, there’s exercise equipment to use and there’s also a playground for the kids. All in all, Greens Beach is a great place to go adventuring!

Staying in Tasmania? There’s plenty to explore in the nearby north, midlands and north west regions.

January 21, 2018April 25, 2018

East Beach

Low Head Lighthouse © emily@traversingtasmania 2017

I visited East Beach last week for a quick swim on a hot day. When I arrived, I realised how much I’d forgotten about the location. For one, I’d forgotten that Low Head Lighthouse is visible from the beach. I had also forgotten that there is a giant sand dune at the other end of the beach. As if all of this wasn’t enough, East Beach faces onto Bass Strait. Whichever way you look, it’s a spectacular sight.

East beach is a surf beach. This might make you think twice about going there, particularly with kids, but it is a great beach for swimming. While I was there, kids in floaties swam in the surf with their dad and a toddler played with his father in the shallows. The water was warm and clear, the waves were gentle and the sun shone brightly. I would return there in a heartbeat.

Lichen and Pebbles © emily@traversingtasmania 2017

The beach is also good for exploring. Lichen-covered rocks (like those found at Bay of Fires) can be found at the lighthouse end of East Beach, along with many interesting pebbles and shells. The dunes are rich with coastal flora and a good walk along the shore will take you to the impressively tall sand dunes.

What to Bring

For an enjoyable day at any beach, always check the weather and wear appropriate clothing. In winter, you’ll need to rug up as the coast can be cold. In summer, bring your bathers so that you can go for a swim (the water is beautiful!) and wear sunscreen and protective clothing. You won’t find a store nearby so bring some food and water. Low Head Pilot Station is three minutes’ drive away and has a café if you’d prefer that.

Getting There

East Beach is about 45 minutes’ drive north of Launceston. Stay on the East Tamar Highway until it turns into Low Head Road. Turn right when you reach Gunn Parade (or East Beach Road – they create a loop). You’ll find ample parking at the beach near the picnic area.

Cost

East Beach Tourist Park © emily@traversingtasmania 2017

As with all public beaches in Tasmania, you can access the beach for free. East Beach has a basic toilet and change-room block available for public use. You can also use the adjacent picnic table and barbecue facilities. Nearby East Beach Tourist Park has wood carvings on display that are sure to entertain the kids. Enjoy your day!

On your way to or from East Beach, I recommend visiting Low Head Pilot Station and Lighthouse, the Bass & Flinder’s Centre and Watch House at George Town and Hillwood Berry Farm. I’ve also visited several other places in Tasmania’s north and on the east coast – happy travels!