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Wineglass Bay Freycinet Peninsula Tasmania

Wineglass Bay

Wineglass Bay

One of Tasmania’s most popular destinations, Wineglass Bay was our first stop on a recent holiday to the Apple Isle. Arriving at Coles Bay early in the evening, we stayed two nights in Coles Bay, giving ourselves the whole of the next day to explore.

Access to the Freycinet National Park is by a Parks Pass, which can be purchased at the Visitor Centre or the carpark. If you decide to ride a bike, rather than drive, access is on a per person basis, rather than per car. A bike rack at the top of the car park shaped like a whale is conveniently placed to leave your bikes.

Rated at Grade 3, the track to the lookout is 2.6km return, with an estimated time of 1 to 1.5 hours to complete.

Whale of a Bike Rack Wineglass Bay
Whale of a Bike Rack

The Track Going Up

Starting as a gravel track the, path winds through beautiful Tasmanian bushland as it goes uphill. Many sections have steep steps to navigate the steepest sections, making the going easier than climbing over rocks. In one place it passes through a narrow gap between two boulders.

Extremely well maintained, you can see where your entry fee is spent, because the upkeep of the track must be huge.

Large visitor numbers in the peak season has resulted in the National Park Authority turning the lower section of the track into a one way loop. Although we went in winter, this was still a great feature, as you don’t meet people coming the other way and have to step off the path to let them pass.

The Views

Although the track is steep, the views make up for it, being amazing even on a cloudy day like we had.

A viewing platform half way up gives views back over Coles Bay.

The main attraction though is the view of Wineglass Bay, which is breathtaking. A one-way metal walkway provides different views of the bay, with several large platforms to look out from.

The views still looked great, even though it was cloudy. The low cloud clinging to the surrounding hills looked really good, adding a great feel to the area.

The Track Going Down

The first section of the return walk retraces your steps until you arrives at a junction off to the right. This takes you on the return loop, so that you do not hold up people on the upward leg. Once again there are many steps, although this time you are going down rather than climbing up.

The only wildlife we saw was a small wallaby that jumped off the track before we could take a photo. However, we were lucky, as another decided to visit our accommodation and sit on our veranda.

What Did We Think?

This was a great walk, even with the clouds because the views are amazing. Designed for tourists, the path is well maintained, so with plenty of rest stops the climb up is fun. Don’t rush, take breaks and admire the views and surroundings as you go.

Newnes Industrial Ruins and Bushwalking

View from our cabin balcony Newness Industrial Ruins Map

Newnes Industrial Ruins

Located in the Wollemi National Park the Newnes Industrial Ruins is a heritage listed collection of decaying ruins of a once thriving shale oil processing plant. Established in 1902 and closed in 1932 due to the availability of cheaper crude oil, all that remain are decaying buildings and processing plant. The area is great for bushwalking with great tracks to the ruins and the surrounding area.

Getting There

The drive from Lithgow to the ruins takes a little over an hour, or three hours from Sydney. Road quality varies from excellent sealed road, narrow winding road down to the Wolgan Valley and dirt road for the final 12km. The views from the road as you descend from the top are amazing but, unfortunately there are few spots to stop and take advantage of them.

Where To stay

Accommodation is available through the Newnes Hotel which has five self contained cabins. The hotel itself does not offer rooms and no longer operates as a hotel. You will need to brings your own food and drinks.

Camping is available at two spots on either side of Wolgan River, but you will need a four-wheel drive to cross to the far side. Booking for campsites is through New South Wales Parks and Wildlife.

We chose to stay in one of the cabins which proved to be very comfortable, with a comfortable bed and nice shower. You do need to bring your own bedding including sheets, blankets and pillows. You will also need to bring all food and drinks as there isn’t a kiosk on site.

Newnes Hotel

On arrival, we went to the Newnes Hotel to collect our keys. the owner also gave us a booklet with information on the area and a list of the walks available. From here we went to our cabin and unpacked before exploring.

Scattered around the Hotel area are some relicts of the past. Some old rail cars line the road to the river crossing and some old buildings are near the river bank. Across the road from the Hotel is a great view of the Wolgan River. With the recent rain it was flowing well.

Newnes Industrial Ruins Walk

Deciding to walk to the ruins first, we headed to the river crossing. As we were walking, we waded across, as the stepping stones were under water and did not look safe. If driving, you will need a four-wheel-drive to cross the river. Otherwise, leave your car at the crossing and walk across.

From the river to the start of the track takes around 30 minutes. It is flat and well graded, so an easy walk.

A locked gate is at the start of the walk along with a detailed map of the industrial ruins. The first ruins are the most interesting, a row of brick bee hive kilns. There are still 13 kilns in good condition with the other 80 odd kilns in various states of decay.

Also in the area are the remains of retaining walls and ruined buildings. It takes about two hours to walk around and take in the atmosphere of the place.

Philosophers Walk

This walk starts at the far side of the camp ground, where it crosses Little Wolgan Creek. As we were staying in the cabin, we walked the short distance to the creek early in the morning. Crossing the creek was easy, but after rain, and with a higher water level, it might be difficult without getting wet.

Heading uphill, the first section of the track is steep and rocky in places, but with amazing views of the surrounding mountains. Little piles of stones mark the way, and the track had recently been cleared, so it was easy to follow. Along the way we passed small rock overhangs and tiny caves, but didn’t see anything inside.

At the top of the hill you are rewarded with views over the forest, river and out to Mystery Mountain. After recovering from the uphill walk, we set off for the return leg, which was all downhill.

The Return Leg

Walking past the ruins of the manager’s house all we saw were old brick stairs, but not far away were two old Zephyr cars. A manager left them here and after several bushfires and forest regrowth they are rusty wrecks surrounded by trees.

This was a great walk with views through trees to the mountains, old ruins and rusty cars. With more time we would have added the Hidden Valley walk, but will do that on our next visit.

School Ruins Walk

Starting behind the cabins, this short walk takes you through trees and across a small creek to what is left of the old school. Time, weather, and bushfires have left only brick chimneys and scattered bricks to show where the school once stood. It was hard to imagine that a small town once stood here that required a school, when there is so little of it left.

What Did We Think?

We loved it here and could have stayed longer, because there are so many more walks to do. We would have liked to the walk to Hidden Valley and the Glow Worm Tunnels, but just didn’t have the time. With the old industrial ruins, great bush walking and amazing accommodation, this was a great visit.

To see what else there is to do in New South Wales, please see some of our other stories.

Our photos are available for purchase on

Fantastic Bruny Island Tasmania

Australian Fur Seals on The Friars Bruny Island Bruny Island Wilderness Cruise

Bruny Island

At 50kms long, Bruny Island has farms, food, forests, wildlife, beaches, and history, all within an easy drive. We spent two nights and two full days on the island and could have spent more because there’s so much to see and do.

How to Get There

Although accessible only by ferry, the island is still easy to get to, as the service runs regularly at 30-minute intervals. Check the timetable before going, to ensure you have the correct time. Tickets are purchased on the day of travel, as you enter the ferry terminal.

Cape Queen Elizabeth Track

Our first stop when we arrived was Cape Queen Elizabeth Track, where we walked to Bligh Rocks on the coast. This section of the walk took us one hour return for the five kilometres, plus another 30 minutes for photos and looking around. The full walk to the cape is 13km return, with an estimated 3 hours for the round trip.

Located opposite Bruny Island Honey, the track head has a small carpark next to the start of the walk. Commencing in coastal eucalypt forest, the vegetation changes to banksia scrub before reaching the beach on Moorina Bay.

This long sandy beach looks amazing and in summer must be a great place to relax, but in winter was too cold for a swim.

Bligh Rocks sit to the left of where the track enters the beach, with a gap in the rocks allowing access to the other side. At low tide access is possible on the ocean side, but is too dangerous when the tide is in. Through the gap, an arch gives access to a lovely small beach and more rocks.

Another arch further along, past this beach is accessible at very low tide, but was far too dangerous to attempt while we were there.

This was a very nice short walk and a great introduction to the island.

The Neck Lookout / Truganini Lookout

One of the best-known features of Bruny Island is the spit that connects the north to the south part of the island. A carpark located next to a lookout gives a wonderful view of the neck, as well as providing views up and down the coast.

There are a lot of steps up to the lookout, but platforms at regular intervals allow rest stops and the chance to take in the views as you go up.

A large viewing platform at the top has bench seats to rest on and admire the views. In the middle of the platform, is a memorial to Truganini, the last full-blood Tasmanian aboriginal. Born in 1812 and dying in 1876 Truganini, the daughter of a Mangana leader saw her mother killed by sailors, her uncle shot by a soldier, her sister abducted by sealers, and her fiancé murdered by timber-getters. The genocide of the original Tasmanian people is the darkest part of Tasmania’s troubled history.

Cape Bruny Lighthouse

Sitting on the far south-western corner of the island, the heritage listed Cape Bruny Lighthouse, is 114m tall and sits perched at the top of rugged cliffs. The coastal views are amazing, especially at sunrise and sunset. We timed our visit to arrive before sunset and were able to see some great views.

Adventure Bay Bruny Island

Our two nights’ accommodation were in Adventure Bay, allowing us easy access to most of the island because of its central location. The area has a small general store, selling most things visitors will need, a great beach, some interesting attractions as well as being the departure point for the Adventure Cruise.

Opposite the general store, near the pathway to the beach is a large sculpture featuring a world globe containing a whale. Whales are often seen during their migration as they pass off the coast. In the past whales were hunted, but that has long gone, and they are now protected.

Between Adventure Bay and the small marina, two monuments to Captain James Cook commemorate his visit here in 1777.

Coal mining was undertaken in the area from 1879 to 1890 and a small information board explains its history. Mining was very difficult, because it was located on the shore line and impacted by the sea. The coal seam can be seen from the lookout near the information board.

Beer, Wine, Whiskey, and Cider Tasting

Bruny Island has its own brewery, cider, whiskey, cheese, honey, and chocolate, so while there, take the opportunity to sample the locally made produce. We tried a few of the options and bought more to take home and enjoy later.

Bruny Island Wilderness Cruise

The highlight of out stay was the Bruny Island Wilderness Cruise. This three-hour cruise explores the rugged coastal cliffs and wildlife including seals, dolphins, and whales, if they are in the area. For the full blog of the cruise, click here.

Accommodation

We stayed in a self contained holiday house in Adventure Bay. This gave us a great place to explore from, while being able to relax in private. With places to eat nearby and centrally located for the Island’s attractions, we enjoyed our stay here.

What Did We Think

We really enjoyed out time here and could have spent several more days going on walks and exploring. The natural beauty and rugged coastline were amazing and the wildlife wonderful to see.

To read other posts about Tasmania, click here.

Our photos are available for purchase on