Two Sams TravellingWe were lucky to be able to spend some time down at the Tasman Peninsula in 2020 and were amazed with how beautiful it was down there. There are so many things you can see and do in the area, but have summed it up into five different areas.
The Tasman Peninsula is famous for the multi day Three Capes Walk. If you are looking to do something shorter, you can do one of the Great Short Walks. We did Cape Hauy on a beautiful day in November and while it had A LOT of stairs, it was a great walk with amazing views and a great place to sit and rest at Cape Hauy before heading back. You can also do Cape Raoul, Waterfall Bay, Shipstern Bluff, or many of the other walks that are on offer in the area. The walk was well maintained, with plenty of areas to stop and take in the view.
Go for a hike
Try some gin
If you like a good gin, make sure you go to McHenry Distillery while you are in the area. The cellar door is open 11am to 4pm every day and you can try a flight of three different gins with tonic water. They recommend that if you are with someone, get one each and try six different types of gin. We went down that path and tried so many tasty gins. If you aren’t a huge gin fan, you can try some whiskeys as well. We walked away with some of their limited edition Summer Gin and it was all consumed fairly quickly once we got home!
Visit historic sites
One of the main attractions on the Tasman Peninsula is the Port Arthur Historic Site. The historic site is open 10am to 5pm each day and you can book online before you go. When you get there you can choose to go on a guided tour, or do a self-guided tour. We chose to do a self guided tour and with the help of the information guides we were able to make our way around and learn about the history of the site. You also go on a 25-minute Harbour Cruise and for an additional fee do the Isle of the Dead cemetery tour. The visitor centre has had a recent upgrade and has a restaurant with some great meal options, a gift shop, and an interactive gallery. If you are in the area, make sure you reserve a day to visit Port Arthur. If you have some time, also make your way up to the Coal Mines Historic Site and have a wander around. There are some short walks you can do in the area and you can check out some mineshafts.
Look at some great scenery
Where do we start! There are so many great things to look at in the area, so make sure you take some time to see everything. Some highlights for us include:
- Dunalley – stop and have some fish and chips by the water
- Tasman Bay National Park lookout (also stop a grab a coffee at Cubed Espresso Bar, the coffee is awesome)
- Tessellated Pavement
- Fossil Bay lookout
- Blowhole
- Tasmans Arch
- Devils Kitchen
- Cliffs Lookout point
- Maingon Bay lookout
- Remarkable caves
Visit the beach
We stayed at the White Beach Tourist Park while staying at the Tasman Peninsula and have beach access right near our campsite. The beach was great and the sunsets were incredible. While you are in the area, you could also check out:
- Roaring beach
- Lime Bay
- Safety Cove
- Pirates Bay
- Eaglehawk Bay
- Fortescue Bay
- Sloping Main
- Carnarvon Bay
There are so many things to see and do on the Tasman Peninsula and it is a beautiful part of the world. Make sure you add it in as part of your lap of Tasmania and spend a few days in the area.
