All alone on famous Wineglass Bay

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You’ve probably seen a photo of Wineglass Bay in a tourism advertisement.

The shimmering crescent of white sand meeting the turquoise water is easily recognizable.

Beautiful and remote, Wineglass Bay in Freycinet National Park is noted as Tasmania’s best beach, and one of Australia’s must see destinations. And it didn’t disappoint when we finally made the walk to The Lookout, and then onto the beach itself, last week.

We started our walk early, at 5.30am, as we wanted to reach The Lookout for sunrise, and to beat the anticipated crowds.

From the car park to The Lookout is approximately a 45 minute walk. A steady uphill climb, but a well-made path and whilst we didn’t have the kids with us this time (nanny and poppy were visiting) we did witness many others hiking with kids so it’s not beyond a family outing.

Once you reach The Lookout your reward is a spectacular view over Wineglass Bay.

Whilst we didn’t get our magical sunrise – the sky was completely covered in dark clouds – by arriving early we were fortunate to have the moment all to ourselves.

We had time to sit and take it all in, enjoy a light pre-packed breakfast, with nothing but the sounds of the surrounding bush and uninterrupted views

From The Lookout, the walk down onto the beach itself is steep but a short one of 20 minutes.

By the time we had finished our bite to eat and made the walk onto the sand, to our joy the clouds had started to lift and the suns rays brought to life what we had witnessed many times before in photos.

I couldn’t believe we were all alone on famous Wineglass Bay.

We had the whole beach to ourselves – rewarded for starting the day early. This must see Aussie destination was all ours to walk barefoot in the white sand and wade in the turquoise waters.

To allow time for the clouds to completely clear, we next made the 30 minute flat walk to nearby Hazards Beach, another famous beach in Freycinet National Park.

Along the track, we got lucky and came across a Wallaby going about his morning, and he was kind enough to pose so we could get a quick pic.

Once you reach Hazards Beach, you’ll probably experience what we did and again have this piece of paradise all to yourself.

Hazards Beach also looks amazing from the air, as Caz experienced on a previous trip to Freycinet earlier in the year.

But set foot on the sand and wander the rocks around the headland at the northern end of the beach and you’ll find pretty shells and starfish.

We spent about an hour on Hazards enjoying the serenity. The sky was completely blue now so we headed back to Wineglass get some better photos.

And there it was, in all its glory, showing off like we had envisioned. We set up the tripod – don’t forget the tripod for some selfies – and then just sat there in the moment.

But, this time, we didn’t have Wineglass all to ourselves. It was about 10am by now and we had been joined by a dozen others. Still not Grand Canyon crowded, but not the serenity we had at 6.am.

Wineglass Bay walks

The Lookout

1.5 hours return to one of Tasmania’s most celebrated views. The track is a short, fairly steep climb to the saddle between Mt Amos and Mt Mayson.

Wineglass Bay

2.5 hours return from the car park to The Lookout then downhill on to the beach. Take a 20 minute walk along the beach to the south will give you magnificent views back over the Hazards.

Wineglass Bay/Hazards Beach circuit

4 to 5 hours – from Wineglass Bay a 30 minute flat walk to Hazards Beach. Turn right and follow the beach to its northern end and join another track that follows the coastline for about 5 kilometres back to the carpark.

Other Ways to Enjoy Wineglass Bay

As mentioned, Caz experienced Freycinet and Wineglass Bay via seaplane earlier in the year. And you don’t even have to drive to Wineglass, this experience starts and ends in Hobart. It’s on my bucket list for a return visit.

Click play to see the scenic flight experience

You can also join the only cruise into Wineglass Bay like my parents did. Whilst you don’t get to set foot on the sand, you do enjoy a lunch on board overlooking the beach.

Wineglass Bay Tips

• Start early, arrive for sunrise and beat the crowds.
• Take a light breakfast and watch the day begin with magnificent views.
• Take a tripod for best photos + selfie shots.

Getting There

Wineglass Bay is approximately 2.5 hours drive from Hobart (195 kilometres) and two hours drive (175  kilometres) from Launceston.

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