When I was a child visiting Bicheno, one of the most special things we did was walk out to Diamond Island. This was a real treat because walking over a sandbar is fun and because, back then, even when the tide was low you tended to get wet. After a recent storm, the sandbar is now much bigger (or at least, it seems so to me!). I was a little bit worried that we wouldn’t make it to the island as low tide occurred at 5am. We arrived at Red Bill Beach at about 8:30am and found a wide, dry strip of sand to walk on. What a treat!
Diamond Island is a very special place because you can walk out to it. Also, it is basically a giant Little Penguin rookery. You can find the rare, small Swift Parrot here (we saw a pair!). The island has the fiery lichen-covered rocks that are unique to the East Coast and it has large, beautiful rock pools. You might even see a pair of pelicans like we did. As you can see, it would be shorter to make a list of reasons NOT to visit Diamond Island.
One reason not to visit Diamond Island is if you don’t think that you can make it back across. You do NOT want to be stuck on the island for 12 hours. It will get dark and cold and the penguins would rather be left alone. Another reason not to visit Diamond Island is if you have your dog with you. They are not allowed in the reserve.
As the island is a penguin rookery, there are no paths (except those made by the penguins). Do not step on the greenery! You don’t want to be responsible for a penguin home invasion. To be sure that you’re not treading somewhere that you shouldn’t, stay on the rocks. Traversing the island will take a little bit of thinking and leaping this way. It’s quite fun!
For information on Bicheno and how to get there, read this post. Once you’re in Bicheno, walk or drive to Red Bill beach, the surf beach near Diamond Island. It’s about a ten-minute walk (at a reasonable pace) from the car park and along the beach to Diamond Island. When planning your visit, check the tide times and make sure that you leave plenty of time to get back off the island on the same tide.
Unless you are fined for walking on the penguin rookery, there is no cost to visit Diamond Island. Remember to stay on the rocks and take any rubbish with you. The views of and from Diamond Island are beautiful. Take your camera and a sense of adventure and you’ll have a great time.
Read more of my adventures on Tasmania’s East Coast here.
While camping on Bruny Island, which you can read about here, we went for a bushwalk. Our destination was Cape Queen Elizabeth and I wasn’t sure what to expect. By chance, we timed our walk at low tide which turned out to be a very good thing!
The walk to Cape Queen Elizabeth begins with a car park and a 4WD track. Although it’s not the most scenic part of the walk, do take the time to admire the flora. It’s beautiful! The 4WD track takes you past the aptly named Big Lagoon which is, well, big! It’s also visible from the tip of Cape Queen Elizabeth so be sure to look out for it. After big lagoon, you’ll continue down the track for a few hundred metres before having a choice to make: beach or bluff? You can only make it across the beach during low tide. We had a quick look at this website to see if it was low tide in Adventure Bay and fortunately it was! We took the walk along the beach.
If you can’t quite manage the whole 3 – 4 hour walk to the point of Cape Queen Elizabeth, a good second would be to at least make it to Mars Bluff via Neck Beach at low tide. The rock formations are exceptionally beautiful from the beach! You’ll also have views of Cape Queen Elizabeth from the beach, framed by towering cliffs. Round the first cliff and you’ll find a crevice to explore. This takes you through to another beach. There are caves to explore here, including one that is uniquely rectangular! The water reaches into these caves at high tide so please make sure that you’re well out of the way by then. Rock formations can collapse at any time and you do explore these areas at your own risk.
Another highlight of Mars Bluff, which you’ll find around the next cliff, is the arch. I walked past it without even noticing it at first as it is so huge! It is an imposing natural structure. My husband climbed on top of it. I was content just to walk through it and photograph it! Make sure that you time your walk to coincide with low tide as the arch is unique and worth making the extra effort to see.
From the arch, walk to Miles Beach. I didn’t know this at the time, but there is a fisherman’s shack to be seen in the dunes at the eastern end of the beach. While at the eastern end of Miles Beach, take note of the location of a white pole. This is where you’ll need to go if the tide is too high for you to return via the shore. When we walked across it, Miles Beach was littered with crab shells and the sand had been shaped into intriguing patterns by the wind and waves. At the end of Miles Beach, there is another white pole, signalling the start of the walking track to Cape Queen Elizabeth.
The walking track again leads you through native flora. This time, you’ll see stunning white gums, stands of tea-tree and a mutton bird (short-tailed shearwater) rookery. Make sure that you stay on the track and take your rubbish with you to protect the birds. When you reach a fork in the path, take the left turn (an arrow made from rocks is on the ground to guide you). This takes you up to the tip of Cape Queen Elizabeth.
There are two main vantage points. The lower one affords stunning views of Adventure Bay and Fluted Cape. The higher vantage point gives you views of the rest of Cape Queen Elizabeth, down into a crevasse (take care), and on to the shadowy forms of what must be the Tasman Peninsula!
As it’s a 3 – 4 Hour walk, you will need to carry at least a litre of water per person, food, sunscreen, a hat, a basic first-aid kit and good walking shoes. From experience, I recommend wearing thick socks and/or bandaging your feet to prevent blisters with newer shoes. I also recommend wearing layers for warmth and taking waterproof gear if rain is forecast. Finally, remember your camera to take some amazing photos! It’s also handy to have your phone with you. I used mine to check tide times and a map of the track on the go.
For directions to Bruny Island, see my instructions at the bottom of my general post about Bruny Island here. Once you’re on Bruny, head south towards The Neck (follow signs from the ferry for Alonnah and Adventure Bay). Before you reach The Neck, you’ll see Bruny Island Honey on the right. Directly opposite this is the car park for the Cape Queen Elizabeth Walking Track. You know you’ve gone too far if you pass the airstrip.
Cost
There is no cost to walk the Cape Queen Elizabeth Walking Track. Make sure that you take care of the track by taking any rubbish that you see out with you.
To read more of my posts about Bruny Island, click here. For posts about southern Tasmania, click here.
This week, we camped with a friend on Bruny Island at The Neck Game Reserve Camp Ground. We had three days of unseasonably warm weather. The sky was gorgeous, bird-life was plentiful and the sound of the waves crashing against the shore lulled us to sleep.
There’s something wonderful about waking up to bird-calls and sunlight shining through trees. There’s something even more wonderful about strolling down to the beach, watching the sun rise higher and joining the short-tailed shearwaters paddling in the shallows. The Neck Game Reserve Camp Ground is right next to Neck Beach, with just the dunes separating the two areas. It is a spectacular piece of coastline.
We arrived at the camp ground at about 2pm. After we had set up camp, we walked back to The Neck Lookout. We dawdled, taking photographs, admiring the birds, and even stopping for a rest, and it took us about an hour and a half to get there. The Neck Lookout is unique as it is a rookery for both mutton birds (short-tailed shearwaters) and penguins. We could hear the penguins but it became too dark to see them (and we had a long walk back to the campsite). Next time, I’ll take a red-light torch (or even just a piece of red cellophane to put over a standard torch) so that I can see them at night! Make sure that you take care of the penguins by staying on the paths, taking all rubbish with you and not shining bright lights (including camera flashes) in their eyes.
The Neck Game Reserve Camp Ground has about thirty unpowered sites. When we were there, we shared the camp ground with caravans, campervans, 4WDs with pods on top, and even a cyclist with a tiny tent who was cycling the 60kms to Hobart the next day. It was a nice atmosphere and everyone was very respectful (toilet lid down, quiet at night, sleep-in in the morning… marvellous!).
Two pit toilets are available for use in two different locations. This means that the toilets are within easy reach of most sites. When we arrived, there was no running water but water was available the next day. To drink this untreated water, you’ll need to boil it for three minutes at a rolling boil. We brought our own drinking water and just used the water there for washing up. There are two picnic tables and a fireplace for day use. Camp fires are allowed at your site too, although you’ll need to bring your own firewood. I recommend also bringing your own fold up chairs, table and cooker to make cooking and eating at your site that bit more enjoyable.
For instructions on getting to Bruny Island, read my post about the island here. Once you’re on Bruny, head south towards The Neck. Follow signs from the ferry for Alonnah and Adventure Bay. Once you’ve passed The Neck Lookout, you’re close! A few kilometres down the road, you’ll see blue signs to The Neck Game Reserve Camp Ground on the left.
Camping at The Neck Game Reserve Camp Ground costs $10 per site (for two adults) and $5 for each extra adult. We paid $30 for two nights which is an absolute bargain considering the scenery! For up to date prices, see Parks and Wildlife’s information here. Sites are not able to be booked in advance and you will need cash (and a pen) in order to pay the fees via the self-registration box at the camp ground.
To read more of my posts about Bruny Island, click here. For posts about southern Tasmania, click here.
Notley Fern Gorge State Reserve is a unique place. You’ll find at least four varieties of fern, towering trees, Tasmanian native animals, and the giant, hollowed-out tree that bush-ranger Matthew Brady and his band of followers sheltered in during the 1820s.
Notley Fern Gorge is accessed via a circuit walk which supposedly takes one hour (I completed it in 35 minutes and stopped to take plenty of photos). The track is well-defined, with steps up and down the hill and bridges across the stream. You head down the hill (whichever way takes your fancy) and loop back up after walking through the gorge. It is amazing how different the flora is at the bottom of the gorge from that at the top of the hill; look out for fungus growing on fallen logs, fairy-tale moss-covered trees and plenty of ferns. Signs help you to identify the various plants, including common filmy ferns, hard water ferns, kangaroo ferns and mother shield ferns. Above the ferns are trees soaring into the sky, including white gums and blackwoods. It’s a very peaceful place.
If you’re not very steady on your feet (the ground is covered in leaf litter year-round which can be quite slippery) and don’t feel up to walking the full loop, Brady’s Tree is only five minutes’ walk from the car park. A hollowed, burnt out tree, this is reputedly where Brady and his men sheltered from the authorities about 200 years ago. It’s a fun place for kids to explore. There is also another hollowed-out tree nearby (just a few metres further down the hill).
Notley Fern Gorge State Reserve is located on Notley Gorge Road. From Launceston, head north on the West Tamar Highway. When you reach Legana, turn left onto Bridgenorth Road and then, after about 10 minutes, turn right onto Notley Gorge Road (C731). Ignore Google Maps and, if you’re using it to estimate travel time, add about five minutes. The turnoff to the reserve is signposted (although overgrowth can make it hard to see the sign from a distance). You can also read Notley Gorge Road from Frankford Road (it’s the right turn shortly after Glengarry as you travel towards Exeter). There is a car park, toilet and information shelter at the reserve.
There is absolutely no cost to visit Notley Fern Gorge State Reserve. Parks and Wildlife Tasmania do an excellent job of keeping the track in good order. Please respect their conservation work by keeping to the tracks and taking your rubbish with you.
Will you see an animal at Notley Fern Gorge State Reserve? Almost certainly. I saw two lizards and a native bird (sorry Mum; I’m still not a very good bird-spotter!). Will you see a mammal? Maybe. A bandicoot dashed across the track in front of me, too fast for me to take a photograph, and I heard a wallaby thumping through the undergrowth. If you visit at dawn or dusk, you’re more likely to see wildlife (including on the roads, so drive slowly and carefully!). We have previously visited the reserve during spring and saw a few pairs of mother and baby wallabies so I highly recommend a spring visit! Even if you don’t see a native mammal, Notley Fern Gorge is a beautiful place. If you’re driving through the Tamar Valley, you should definitely stop and take in a small slice of native Tasmania.
For more posts about places to visit in northern Tasmania, click here.
About ten minutes drive from Launceston, accessible via the West Tamar Highway, lies a fascinating place: Tamar Island. A long boardwalk leads out to the island, taking you between phragmites australis reeds and out over mudflats and the river itself. The boardwalk is open from dawn until dusk; we took the opportunity to have a picnic dinner on the island as the sun was beginning to set. It was beautiful!
On the walk out to Tamar Island, which takes 20 – 30 minutes (depending on how many things you stop to look at on the way!), you’ll see a variety of birds, such as pelicans, black swans and great egrets, and perhaps even a copperhead snake (which should be left alone as it is venomous! Be careful where you tread!). If you look carefully, you can see the wrecks that were sunk in the channel in order to improve the flow of water.
On Tamar Island, there are picnic tables, public BBQs (you’ll need to take your rubbish with you though), a toilet block, a jetty (giving access to the island via boat) and a European stand of trees. These were donated by the Hobart Botanical Gardens. Even stranger still is the tree that has grown around an abandoned piece of farming equipment!
The small but informative Tamar Island Wetlands Interpretation Centre, with its distinctive circular roof, is open from 10am to 4pm everyday except Christmas Day (9am to 5pm in summer). You can view birds from a hide 0.5km from the interpretation centre.
Cost
Although it is possible to walk to Tamar Island for free, your donation helps Parks and Wildlife. They aim to conserve the native flora and fauna of the island and wetlands.
To read more about my adventures in Tasmania’s north, click here. Further up the Tamar River, explore the Cataract Gorge by boat or on foot. Looking for another free, short walk? Try nearby Tailrace Park.
