Tasmania Diaries | Part 2
Roadtripping along the incredible Tassie east coast
Driving along the Tassie’s east coast felt like we were in our Icelandic Ring Road era where tap water tastes like Evian and the air is remarkably crisp.
ICYMI: Last week’s newsletter - 72 hours in Hobart
The plan was to base ourselves in a sleepy coastal town called Bicheno (pronounced Ber-shee-no) for 3 nights. Bicheno is around 2.5 hours’ drive from Hobart. We hired a big car and set off on an ambitious plan to even pop into Launceston while we were up there.
Spoiler alert: it didn’t happen.
With kids to contend with (I discovered mine are allergic to road trips longer than 20 mins) being relatively close to places we wanted to sight-see was a sure-fire way for anyone to not lose their shit.
Bicheno is 30 mins drive to Coles Bay which puts you in Wineglass Bay and Hazards territory. 45 mins to the Cape Tourville Lighthouse/Lookout. 17 mins to Douglas Apsley National Park (and gorge/waterfall). Plus, there’s heaps to do in Bicheno itself, so you can cover a lot of ground in just a few days.
Bicheno feels incredibly isolated and slow, but enormously liberating. Our holiday home was lovely, what with its compost toilets, honey from the backyard hives and snacks for the wallabies that visited us every afternoon.
The town is small and opening hours reflect that so it’s all very random & flaky. You’ll rock up to a fish and chip shop at 5pm but will be met with a sign on the door: “Sorry!! Had to close bc we are out filleting”.
Wine/whisky/gin
The Farm Shed is also a wine and whisky shop that acts as a cellar door for local vineyards. Do a wine tasting there or pick up a bottle of wine or gin (they also have a postal service). It’s a beautiful space with stills at the back.
If you’re interested in single malts, check out Waubs Distillery perched right on the bay and do a tasting. Australian whisky is prohibitively expensive (compared to say, Scotch) but Tassie whisky is world-class.
Places to eat in Bicheno
Have seafood at every opportunity. Oysters, fish, lobsters, the whole gamut. I’m not an oyster lover by any stretch of the imagination but I’ll make an exception for Tassie oysters.
Coffee/breakfast
Governor’s Cafe
The Little Patisserie
Blue Edge Bakery
The coffee van on the roadside
The Farm Shed (unexpectedly my fave for coffee!)
In the morning, I highly recommend getting a coffee at Farm Shed then going next door to Blue Edge Bakery & picking up a carrot and almond cake. A 10/10 combo for morning tea. Their scallop pies are worth a go too.
For lunch or dinner, it’s mostly seafood options. There’s a hype around Lobster Shack and long lines to show for it —we tried it while it’s good, I wouldn’t queue for any longer than 10 mins tbh. Better to go to Tasmanian Coastal Foods along the main drag. For a sit down meal with million dollar views, Sea Life Restaurant is 10/10. It looks unassuming and very shacky from the outside but we had a really good dinner there (see below).
Or you can pack a picnic. Grab a vino from The Farm Shed and cheeses and pickled local octopus from the IGA. While this IGA is tiny, I love that it stocks Tasmanian produce like cheeses, chocolate and other lovely pantry-type goods.
Shopping
Obvs you don’t come to Bicheno to shop (though I seem to always find a way - funny that). There’s a small vintage shop I could have spent an hour in. I found a couple of martini glasses from the 1950s and a buttery soft leather jacket made in Italy that once belonged to a lady who lives in Bicheno. Her husband had just bought a Harley (back in the 60s) and bought her a leather jacket so she could ride on the back of his bike. I can only imagine how bittersweet it felt letting go of this jacket. Here it is!
The vintage shop only opens twice a week & it’s cash only. Prices are very reasonable. If you’re lucky you’ll get to meet Pop Up Steve who works there once a week and shares some great stories.
Around the corner are a string of small shops in Bicheno that are worth checking out: the coffee shop and patisserie that also sells linen dresses, soaps and raffia bags; next door is a cute little gift & souvenirs shop with a communal garden out the back; then there’s an ice cream and jigsaw puzzle shop and a couple of surf shops dotted around.
Places to visit/hike
Bicheno offered a great base from which to explore all that the seaside town itself offers, as wells sights further afield.
Fun fact: Bicheno is also regarded as a great spot to catch the Southern Lights
Whaler’s Lookout will reward you with a 270 degree view of Bicheno. 15 mins or so hike up. Still worth doing on a cloudy day but it’s sensational when it’s blue and clear.
Waubs Beach. Perfect for a dip on a warm day or a picnic.
Bicheno Penguin Watching via a boat tour that runs after dark (that’s when the penguins return to shore).
Bicheno Blowhole. Iconic little part of the town! Near the Lobster Shack.
Wildlife Park. Didn’t get a chance to do this but it looked like a fun way to spend a couple of hours!
Apsley Waterhole in the middle of Douglas Apsley National Park. Once you get to the carpark it’s a relatively easy bush walk to the Waterhole (10 mins). You can swim here - it’s actually not too cold in mid-summer. Just watch out for the danger noodles (the black snake that slithered past me just before I reached the waterhole is still giving me nightmares) during the walk.
From there you can keep hiking another 2.3km to the Gorge/waterfall. It’s a 3-5 hour return trip and probably not really suited for young kids or the elderly as it’s a slightly challenging & long hike.
Coles Bay & Freycinet
Visit the Foreshore Walk with its orangey lichen rocks. In front of you is Mt Amos with Wineglass Bay on the other side. Great to take the kids for some shell collecting. We found an empty sea urchin shell!
Back in Coles Bay township, have woodfired pizza at Géographe Cafe, ice cream afterwards next door then walk down to the pier to marvel at the incredible Hazards granite mountains.
Cape Tourville is nearby (15 min drive) with a boardwalk that snakes around the lighthouse. Here you get magnificent coastal views of Freycinet National Park, the white sands at Wineglass Bay, and The Nuggets.
Wineglass Bay is obviously mandatory if you are able. We unfortunately skipped it as the 5-6 hour hike was too ambitious for my elderly in laws…and probably for my 5 year old too. I’d love to come back and do it one day though!
Suggested stops between Bicheno and Hobart
Freycinet Marine Farm with THE BEST oysters and fish and chippies along the Tassie east coast (yeah I’m calling it).
Excellent vineyards —Gala, Frogmore Creek, Devil’s Corner.
Swansea - gorgeous little coastal town to stretch the legs. Pop into the gifts shop with lovely linen pieces and books. Also call into The Waterloo for a pub lunch (Thurs-Sun only).
Triabunna - nothing to see or do here except for lunch from The Fish Van and sit by the docks. Quite cheap but very good. Their pineapple fritters are SO GOOD.
Having travelled all over the world in our 20s, our Tasmania trip was something we have been wanting to do since starting a family. In total we spent a week in Tassie, and a week in Melbourne (we book ended Tassie with Melbourne, which I hugely recommend especially if travelling with kids).
Our only regret was not lingering a little longer in Hobart (an extra day or two would have also been fantastic to have up our sleeve in Bicheno). Oh, and if we had our time over, we should have gone to Launceston instead of back to Hobart to fly back to Melbourne. Looking in the rear view always gives you clearer vision, though! Tasmania, we’ll be back.
A v v very big thank you to many of you who kindly took the time to sling a lot of these recommendations my way. We had the best time. How I wish I could repay you all in Pigeon Whole Morning Buns!!