Tassie Trip 2015
Day 4
Bicheno - Freycinet National Park - Bicheno
Well typical to Tassie weather what beautifully ended the night before didn't continue till the next day. We awoke to overcast skies - but no rain thankfully.
Our destination today was Freycinet National Park and an 11km hike around Winglass Bay.
We got up and going early as we were warned that the car park fills pretty quickly as it's such a popular spot and it was pretty full at 9.30 when we got there after the 35min drive from Bicheno.
Driving through Coles Bay on the way to Freycinet at the end of the road was spectacular. The mountain range with craggy boulder granite rocks which are unique to this place were an amazing sight.
We commenced our hike at 10am and for the next 5 hours we would climb, walk and negotiate granite covered tracks, sandy paths and knotted tree root obstacles covering 11ks around this beautiful place.
We first stopped at the Wineglass Bay lookout after a pretty steep incline to the cover view . Just magnificent. Our only grumble was that we would see it under grey and patchy blue skies - not the full blown blue and sunshine we has been teased with in pictures.
After taking panoramics, selfies and whatever other types of pics that needed to be taken, we descended the 4ks to the beach itself. The sand here is the fine white/grey sand typical of this coast and the water crystal clear ......and very cold! Wouldn't stop our own Sally Fitz though getting in - with peer support from Joel and Lachie whilst everyone else explored the beach and rocks surrounding.
At the beach we were entertained by a pod of about 10 dolphins who majestically swam up and down the bay playing in its protective waters.
From the beach it's an 8k return loop via Hazzards Beach on the opposite side. It was a fairly flat walk along mostly sandy trails with some inclines over granite boulders to look out points. The whole return track winds around little bays in the overall Coles Bay providing beautiful panoramas of both the bay and the towering escarpment of the Hazzards.
Some pretty exhausted kids were glad to make it back to the start and weren't too impressed when I suggested we continue to do the 3hr climb to Mount Amos!
We decided to head over to Honeymoon Bay which is a series of little bays within the bigger Coles Bay area. It's a day use area only unless you are luckily enough to win a ballot that will let you camp in their camping areas. I snorkelled in the rather cold water chasing fish in and out of the sea grass on the bay floor. The pink granite is still a predominate feature right into the water here as well. Icod only last about 20 mins in the water as it just got too cold to continue. Later I found out the sea tempos only 15.5c!! Cayla and Joel joined me for a short time. Cayla in a wetsuit but again didn't like the cold.
We returned to Bicheno for dinner and to rest before doing the Bicheno Penguin Tour at. 9.30pm.
There is a regular steam of Little Blue Penguins that come ashore every night to their nests to feed their young or just to relax after being at sea. From Bicheno they swim 18ks to the edge of the shelf to feed at their feeding grounds before returning to shore. We weren't dissapointed. We had little penguins at our feet for an hour . No photos are allowed unfortunately, the flash will damage their eyesight.
We all wearily got back and piled into bed after 11 and a pretty eventful day.
Tomorrow will be a more relaxed affair as we explore Bicheno town and surrounds.