Two Sams TravellingBruny Island is located off the South-East Coast of Tasmania, and is two islands joined by a narrow isthmus known as The Neck. With spectacular views and an array of food and drinks to sample, Bruny Island is a great place to spend a number of days.
Both times we travelled to Bruny Island, we spent three nights on the island and our first days were spent travelling a few hours to our destination. If you were short on time, you could explore the island in one or two days, but having three full days allowed us to be able to see everything and also enjoy our stay.
Day one
Day one is more of a travelling day, getting from your destination to Kettering, where the ferry leaves for Bruny Island. You can only get to Bruny Island by ferry, but the trip is only around 20 minutes, and they have ferries leaving frequently every day so you don’t have to wait too long.
Once you arrive on the island, you can start making your way to your accommodation. Both times we stayed at Bruny Island we stayed in Adventure Bay, which is around 35 minutes from the ferry terminal. Adventure Bay is one of the main townships on Bruny Island and has a number of walks, tourist attractions and sheltered beaches to swim at. The view is spectacular and we would recommend staying there. For dinner, you can make your way around to Hotel Bruny for a massive pub feed. The food is fantastic here and the servings are large, but make sure you book in.
Day Two
You can start your first full day off on the island with a walk or a cruise. Both leave from the same destination, but on our last trip we chose the walk as it was winter and very cold. Located within the South Bruny National Park, the Fluted Cape walk provides you with stunning coastal scenery. You can choose to do the Grass Point walk, or go the full Fluted Cape walk. The full walk is very steep and would only do this walk if you are fit and able, but the Grass Point walk is flat and a lot easier. With stops, the full walk took us just over two hours. After you have finished your walk or cruise, you can make your way up to the very top of the island, and make your way down the food and alcohol trail.
The first stop is Bruny Island House of Whisky, where you can try and buy Tasmanian gin, whisky and liqueurs. A lovely, warm fire is available while you try, with the staff being very friendly and knowledgeable. Next stop is Get Shucked Oyster Farm and Oyster Bar where you can try some fresh, local oysters. They also have an oyster drive-through if you are pressed for time! The oysters here are so fresh and delicious, but there are other food options if you aren’t a fan. A
fter Get Shucked, you will drive down the road to Bruny Island Cheese & Beer Co. Grab a beer paddle and try some local beers on tap, and enjoy some cheese. You can even watch them making the cheese, with plenty of items available for takeaway. Afterwards, you will make your way down the road to Bruny Island Honey where you can enjoy free tastings, honey ice cream and a live bee display. The amount of honey based items here was amazing, and you can walk away with some soap and lip balm!
Now it’s time to take a break from eating and drinking, and to walk it off at Truganini Lookout (also known as The Neck Lookout). Climb 279 steps to get 360 views of The Neck and to take your photo with the amazing scenery as the backdrop. On your way back to your accommodation, drop into Bruny Island Chocolate Company to purchase some award winning chocolate and fudge.
If you are looking for something to do that evening, make your way back to The Neck to see if you are lucky enough to be able to see penguins returning to their burrows. We didn’t have any luck and had to leave due to rain unfortunately, and the second time we were out of season.
Day Three
Start your next day a bit slower, and take in some scenery with a walk or swim at Adventure Bay. Make your way to Bruny Island Premium Wines for lunch. On the way, stop at the Bruny Baker fridge to see if there is some freshly baked bread for you to purchase. If you are lucky, it still might be warm, but make sure you pick some up as it is delicious! Again, make sure you book if you are looking to have lunch at Bruny Island Premium Wines as it can get busy.
While you are waiting for your lunch, make sure you do a wine and cider tasting as it is delicious. Tastings are $5 and you can try four different items, and if you purchase something the tasting is free. We had the most delicious platter for lunch, but there are also burgers and other items available to eat.
After lunch, keep heading down south towards the Cape Bruny lighthouse. A short walk up some stairs gets you to the lighthouse, where you can take in the scenery and learn more about the history of the lighthouse. You can also do a tour for a fee. Just a warning that it gets very busy here and parking is limited, and it is also a dirt road to the lighthouse.
After exploring the lighthouse, make your way to Cloudy Bay and if you have a four wheel drive, take a cruise along the beach. Make your way back to adventure bay either by the sealed road, or take a shortcut that has some short walks that you can stop and do along the way. Enjoy another meal at Hotel Bruny, or purchase some local produce to make a meal of your own, or try your luck with some squid fishing
Day Four
Unless you want to check anything else out on the island (maybe the cruise or walk you missed out on), make your way back to the ferry to continue on to your next destination.
Bruny Island is fantastic and you can easily spend a lot of money! Even if you are based in the North of Tassie like we are, put some days aside and make the trip down to experience everything that Bruny Island has to offer.
