This trek starts off from the Tasman Highway and heads south towards Coles Bay. This town is the major hub of Freycinet Peninsula and the first stop where you can stock up on food and fuel supplies, or obtain your park pass at the National Park visitor centre. Heading south, you soon arrive at the popular swimming and snorkeling spot called Honeymoon Bay - a place that presents amazing views of the two pink granite peaks of Freycinet - suitably called ‘the Hazards’. Further southwest, there are numerous holiday homes and a nice walking track at a place called The Fisheries.
There is a sealed road that heads around 6.4kms towards Cape Tourville and the lighthouse. Along the way you will stumble across Sleepy Bay, which reveals graded steps that lead to the rocky shoreline in which, despite its name, often experiences wild and rough seas. To get to the beautiful white lighthouse, you walk along the Cape Tourville Circuit - an easy 20 minute boardwalk that reveals amazing views of Wineglass Bay, ‘The Hazards’, and Friars further south. Back on the main road, there is a nice 4WD track that leads toward the Bluestone Bay area. This location also known as Whitewater Wall is a fairly popular spot, providing camping opportunities and rock climbing for the more adventurous. Little Bluestone Bay further south is an incredibly beautiful place, but the area has such a steep slope and is heavily vegetated that there is probably no chance of camping there. From Whitewater Wall/Bluestone Bay there is an alternative 4WD track that you can take back to the main road - it’s a little longer but well worth the effort.
Friendly Point is the next destination and you can get there on the Coles Bay dam 4WD track. This track is a relatively long 30 minute journey that meets the southern end of Friendly Beaches. Depending on the season and weather conditions, this beach can get quite wild, and a river can form blocking access higher up the beach. There is a nice and quiet campsite which is set back from the beach access and a locked gate to prevent people driving onto the beach itself.
The campgrounds at Moulting Bay are certainly nice but they can be quite crowded especially during the peak times. Another popular spot for camping is Friendly Beaches (Isaacs Point), which can be reached by turning off the main road 18km north of Coles Bay. This spot provides adequate campsites and basic facilities. The beaches are generally more protected from the winds and offer spectacular views and kilometres of unspoiled white sand.
How to Use this Trek Note
- To download this information and the route file for offline use on a phone, tablet, headunit or laptop, go to the app store and purchase ExplorOz Traveller. This app enables offline navigation and mapping and will show where you are as you travel along the route. For more info see the ExplorOz Traveller webpage and the EOTopo webpage.
Environment
The Freycinet Peninsula was formed over 400 million years ago and the tectonic (mountain building) activity below the earth’s surface resulted in the separation of a large
granite mass. Freycinet is in essence - two eroded blocks of
granite joined by a sand isthmus. These are ‘
The Hazards’ and the Mount Graham/
Mount Freycinet sections of the peninsula. The Freycinet Peninsula is one of the State's most scenic coastal areas. The imposing
granite peaks of ‘
The Hazards’ and the many white sandy beaches that dot the peninsula are among the highlights of the park.
The most identifying aspect of Freycinet is the pink to cream tinge that can be seen on the boulders and outcrops throughout the park. The pink tinge of ‘
The Hazards’ is caused by iron oxide impurities in feldspar, which is a component of
granite. Added to that is the
orange lichen cover on many of the rocks and when combined, produce the pink tinge that makes ‘
The Hazards’ and other areas which are dominated by
granite its intriguing look.
Bird Spotting
There are many species of birds that live in or stop over at Freycinet and the surrounding area. Some large birds you may see are white-bellied sea-eagles gliding overhead and large Australasian gannets diving for food in the ocean. In the forest and bushy areas, you may encounter smaller birds such as eastern spinebills, New Holland honeyeaters and yellow-tailed cockatoos. If you enjoy bird spotting, then
Moulting Lagoon Game Reserve is one place
well worth the visit.
History
Abel Tasman sailed past the region in 1642 and mistook the Freycinet Peninsula for an island. It would have been an easy mistake to make because the peninsula is joined to the mainland by a narrow strip of land. French explorer Nicolas Baudin named the land mass in 1802 after one of two Freycinet brothers, who were officers on his ship.
Those who have lived and worked on the Freycinet Peninsula since the early years of European settlement were whaling parties, tin and coal miners, and pastoralists. Old mine shafts, abandoned farmers' huts and the remains of whalers' camps today form part of the rich cultural heritage of the park.
The tranquility and majestic beauty of Freycinet's granite mountains and pure white, sandy beaches have long been admired by naturalists, artists and writers. The area was reserved as a national park in 1916, making it (along with Mt Field National Park) the oldest national park in Tasmania.
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