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.
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.