On our way to Freycinet National Park
The drive towards Freycinet National Park looked like the continuation of the tasting trail that we did on our way to Launceston. The only difference was that here it were mainly vineyards that caught our eye. First stop of the day was the White Sands Estate that had its own brewery, winery and distillery (IronHouse). it was too early to do some tastings, but we bought a nice bottle of gin to try later.
Then we were off to Bicheno where we wanted to see the famous blowhole. The sea was relatively calm so the activity was not as spectacular as we had hoped, but it was still a great experience and certainly worth a stop. In the evening, you could participate in tours to see the little penguins.
On our way back to the car, we saw the signage of the Lobster Shack. We had already plans for lunch but were not able to resist and ordered 2 lobster roles and half a dozen oysters as appetiser. We did not regret it, it was all very tasty (unfortunately Koen could not try the oysters because he is allergic…).
Lunch at Devil’s Corner
Next stop, Devil’s Corner, a Winehouse where we had planned to have our lunch. We started off with a wine tasting : Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and 2 types of Pinot Noir.
We bought one of the reds to drink with our wood fired pizza and it was needed because Koen did the ordering and went for the version with a lot of chilli… my mouth was on fire! That, however, was quickly forgotten because from the porch where we were sitting we looked straight at the bay, such a stunning view!
Freycinet National Park
In the afternoon we arrived at Freycinet National Park, at first sight very beautiful so we were excited to start our discovery. We stayed in the Freycinet Lodge and were very satisfied with our cabin. There were also new coastal pavilions that were top notch, you could take a bath on your porch with bay view (why not ?)…
First thing we did was visiting the visitor centre and then we enjoyed three walks : Oyster Bay, Cape Tourville with the lighthouse and Sleepy Beach where we found the coloured rocks. The lichens can have colours ranging from yellow/green to orange.
We had another perfect day … this trip was racing to the top of our all time favourite holidays !
Wineglass Bay and the Hazards Circuit
After a fantastic breakfast we left for one of the most famous walks in Tasmania, the Wineglass Bay and Hazards Circuit. I decided to put enough sunscreen on my face to avoid the lobster look in the evening. The hike was not the easiest and a little persistence from time to time was definitely needed… at least for me. It took me several little stops to get my breath back, but again, it was all worth it.
Before arriving at the lookout point for Wineglass Bay, you see a warning that tells you to not descend to the beach unless you are confident that you can climb the 1000 steps back up. Of course we were planning to go down! We only hoped that the Hazards route that started at the beach was not going to be too difficult and luckily it was not, but it was still tough.
Wineglass Bay seen from above was really stunning, you could continue taking pictures.
At Hazard Beach we found ourselves a nice spot for our picnic. We ate our sandwiches under the watchful eye of a seagull that hoped that some crumbs would remain.
The hike was exhausting but so beautiful.! We felt that we deserved a reward and therefore we drove to the Marine Farm to get some more oysters and other treats.
Before driving back to our cottage, we visited Friendly Beaches and Honeymoon Beach. Koen was very happy since finally he had the chance to take a swim in the beautiful water… which was freezing (besides him only some birds were in the water hahahah….).
The 2 days in Freycinet were really lovely. Time passed so quickly and we are again packing our luggage for the next leg of our trip : Maria Island.
