January 2020

On our previous trip to Tasmania we had travelled North out of Hobart and Southwest across to Port Arthur but we didn’t explore any of the lands to the South of the city. With a full day before we moved on we decided to jump on a day safari to Bruny Island.

First up – it is really two islands – North and South Bruny – both quite different yet because of a narrow isthmus, known as “The Neck” it is geographically one island.

We jumped onto our safari bus alongside a dozen other adventurers and heading south for around 30 minutes to the small town of Kettering and the ferry terminal. Since 1954 four vessels have operated as the Bruny Island Ferry service. We had about 20 minutes wait for our boat so we took a look in the terminal shop and loaded up on coffee and tea. All proceeds from this were to be granted to the ‘Island for an Island’ initiative to raise funds for the reconstruction of Kangaroo Island in South Australia that was being ravaged by wildfires that season.

There was a small marina next to the ferry terminal so we walked around and spotted a vessel called Westward – which is the only Tasmanian yacht to have won the Sydney to Hobart race twice. This is the premier yacht race in Australia that takes place each and every year on December 26th. Built from Huon pine it was designed, built and co-skippered (with George Gibson) by Hobart local Jock Muir to win both the 1947 and 1948 editions of the race.

Outside the handful of settlements on the island there are large tracts of eucalyptus forests and grazing lands. A large portion of the south eastern side of the island is preserved as a National Park. Historically it was inhabited by Aboriginal Tasmanians, who still maintain a large community on the island while Able Tasman is credited with the first recorded European sighting back in 1642. The name Bruny is in honour of French explorer Bruni d’Entrecasteaux (the channel we crossed is also named after him) who discovered it as a separate island in 1792.

North Side

After disembarking at Robert’s Point on the North side of the island we drove around to Great Bay and our first stop – an oyster Shed called Get Shucked so we could pick up some oysters for our morning tea. Tasmanian oysters are praised around the world for their taste and quality and Bruny Island have some of the best.

Our next stop was just down the road at the Bruny Island Cheese Company. They have branched out from their traditional roots to also brew craft beer and have a cheese and beer tasting experience.

South Side

Just south of The Neck was our last food stop before our morning tea was at the Bruny Island Chocolate Shop. They were also getting in on the Island for an Island campaign.

From there we drove down to Adventure Bay – one of the only two long beaches on the seaward side for our morning tea at the picnic site next to the Bruny Island Boat Club.

Our next stop was our most southerly one – right down onto the Southwesterly peninsula of the South Island and the Cape Bruny Lighthouse.

Australia has some fantastic lighthouses and this one was no different. The fourth oldest lighthouse in Australia, it is located on a bluff overlooking Lighthouse Bay and Courts Bay just on the mainland in front of Courts Island. This part of the world is notorious for shipwrecks with over 400 wrecks lying around Tasmania. In particular catastrophic shipwrecks of George III (Convict Ship) and The Actaeon prompted the Governor to fund construction of a lighthouse here on South Bruny Island.

First lit in 1838 it has had the longest manned period with lighthouse keepers in attendance all the way up to 1996 and was only electrified in 1959 – relying on oil up until that point.

We got to go up to the top and take in the amazing views – just before the rain came in as well as checking out the lighthouse keepers setup. There was a small museum in the old quarters with a bunch of photos, diagrams and paraphernalia.

Lunchtime

After our trip to the Lighthouse we jumped back on the bus and headed back up the island to Sunset Bay and the Bruny Hotel for lunch. (there is so much food on this tour!). It’s a real contrast – an ordinary looking pub (both inside and out) but it has amazing food, incredible views and a really great vibe. Next door was the Bruny Island Cider Company so we did a tasting and got some ciders to take with us on our road trip the next day. The fruit is all sourced from a farm over by Adventure Bay and carries on the rich tradition of apple farming on the island. William Bligh (of Mutiny on the Bounty fame) planted Australia’s first apple trees back in 1788 on Bruny Island.

We walked off our lunch over at Two Tree Point, where Resolution Creek meets the ocean. Its a nice beach with some local wallabies but it’s main attraction is that it is the exact location where multiple explorers came ashore to get fresh water from the creek. Captains’s Furneaux (1773), James Cook (1777) and Bligh (1788).73, Captain James Cook in 1777 and Captain Bligh in 1788.

On Bligh’s trip was Lt George Tobin, the expedition’s artist, who painted a picture of the spot and it’s two trees, which are still standing today making them over 250 years old.

A Road runs through it

We made our way back to the North Island for the return leg but first we had our penultimate stop at The Neck. It is quite something. First of all it is quite shallow so the lookout offers a 360 degree view of the entire island. Its also narrow, 100 metres in some places and 2 kilometres long, straddled on both sides by sandy beaches. At dusk fairy penguins can be seen burrowing in the sand dunes and shearwaters fly in from the sea. The lookout is named after an aboriginal lady called Truganini, the daughter of the aboriginal chief who worked tirelessly for unity between the different tribes.

The last stop was the Bruny Island Honey Company located on the main road just south of Great Bay. After that there was a short wait for the return ferry, but long enough for a local entrepreneur to come around hawking cherries – yet another Bruny Island speciality.

Final thoughts

Normally bus tours can be hit or miss. You only ever get glimpses of the good stuff while you waste time at a Jade Factory or at a substandard food stop. We cannot say this about Bruny Island Safari’s Tour – they cherry picked the best bits, gave us time to wander and explore and there was no wastage at all.

Bruny Island is definitely worth a visit on a Tasmania trip. Having done the tour we would like to come back with a car and stay on the island overnight, exploring the beaches and other spots. And eating and drinking all the wonderful food that the island has to offer.