Wineglass Bay is one of the most talked about places in Tasmania, it has been called one of the top 10 beaches in the world and for good reason. Simply ask someone about Wineglass Bay and if they have been there, you will instantly recognize by the way their eyes glaze over as the memories come flooding back.

The bay is located in the Freycinet National Park, which is located approx. 2 ½ hours North East of Hobart on the Eastern Coast of Tasmania. When people think of Wineglass Bay, they are mistaken for thinking that it is called this because of the shape of the bay. However it has a much more sinister reason for the name, the bay was once used as a killing field for whales. Whales were slaughtered here, to extract the whale blubber to use as oil. When the bay was seen from a distance, the blood from the whales, made the bay look like a wine glass being filled with red wine. We have a terrible history indeed.

When you get into the park, you must stop at the visitors centre, where you can purchase your park pass and get some information on the area. We purchased a holiday pass, which enabled us to visit all of the National Parks in Tasmania, for a 8 week period, this includes Cradle Mountain.

When you leave the visitors centre, make sure that you check out the bay on your right as you are heading toward Wineglass bay, there are various entries but the main one is Honeymoon Bay. This is a spectacular beach and the water is crystal clear.  You are greeted with the beautiful mountains of Freycinet Park, which are named ‘The Hazards’

Don’t forget to check out the lighthouse which is on the left as you head toward Wineglass Bay. It is a slow drive up to the lighthouse, but when you get there the scenery is amazing. There is a short walk that you can take, where you can see from the other side of Wineglass Bay and out into the ocean.

After you have checked this out, head up to the Wineglass Bay carpark, where you are greeted with various wallabies who will literally chase you down, attack you and steal all of your food….

Okay maybe not that bad, but people have obviously been feeding them over the years. You can walk right up to them and pat them, as they are expecting food in return.

You can choose from various walks to Wineglass Bay, one which includes walking down to the beach. We opted for the shortest of the walks as the kids, wouldn’t have handled any further….neither would I for that matter.

The walk that we chose was still between 1.5 – 2 hours return, which we thought would have been sufficient. This walk is direct to the lookout to Wineglass Bay, and when I say direct, I mean directly UP! It is a steep climb, with a lot of stairs and steps and the track is quite uneven in some places, so watch your step!

When you eventually get to the top you can relax and sit down and enjoy the view which is spectacular and well deserved. Make sure you get enough photos, as you wouldn’t want to get to the bottom and have to go back up to get some more.

Make sure you carry enough water for yourself and the kids as there is nowhere to fill up on site. Wear good hiking shoes, carry a small first aid kit and be prepared for all types of weather.

As someone once said to me, “If you don’t like Tassie weather, come back in 15 minutes.”

For more information please click this link – Freycinet National Park

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