I barely know where to start with this post. I could write a big long winded description of where we went and what we did. I could describe how to get there, where to stay and highlights along the way but this time I think I’ll just let the photos do the explaining and add some captions along the way. Suffice to say, Binalong Bay, The Bay of Fires and indeed the whole East Coast of Tasmania are some of, if not THE most beautiful places my eyeballs have ever had the pleasure of gathering photons from. I’m not going to suggest you take a trip to the East Coast of Tassie, I’m going to DEMAND you go there if you find yourself on this little island.
The sunset on our drive down was nothing short of spectacular! I’ve lost count of the number of stunning sunrises and sunsets I’ve witnessed in the last year. This photo wasn’t taken at high noon on a sunny day. It was taken at high….moon……on a clear night, right outside the house we were staying in. Yes…..I know……holy crap. Nighttiiiiime……..DAYtime. Chilling on the beach in the early hours, cold beer in hand, waves lapping ashore, the milky way still visible despite the super bright full moon almost directly above. That my friends is a little slice of heaven right there. I made it my mission to get up for the sunrise on our first morning. A little groggy from the night before and still nursing a sore knee from the Mount Field trip, I clambered out of bed and stumbled down to the beach at the crack of dawn. Worth it? You’re DAMN right it was! I picked up a new wide-angle lens for the trip after being left a little disappointed in Mount Field with a shot I just couldn’t quite fit in. The orange on the rocks, the orange in the sky, the sheer joy in my heart when I first ventured onto these rocks. The water was a tad rougher than this long exposure shot suggests. The first rays of sunshine burst out from behind the rocks. You could feel the heat from the sun as soon as it appeared. It was glorious. The following day we ventured further north to the Bay of Fires where Niall was like a kid in a candy store with all the rocks to climb and leap off. Reflecting on a beautiful day……I’ll show myself out. We think these fish had an exit path from this rock pool but they seemed pretty happy nonetheless. Amazingly coloured rocks…CHECK. Stunning azure waters….CHECK. Don’t you just want to dive right in? I stupidly forgot to bring my trunks 😦 These little bladders were washed up all along the shore. I think Chuck Norris was here and karate chopped this rock.
Wondering how on Earth those rocks got to be so orange? Here’s your answer. Colonies of brilliantly coloured Lichen. I’m really……Lichen…..the depth of field on this one………I’ll get my coat. A test shot for a bit of pre-sunset fun with Niall who leaps around the rocks with such speed and dexterity it’s scary. Brought my flashes with me to light up the rocks a bit to add some drama….. ……and general bad-ass looking light! Kudos to Niall for his patience in jumping across this gap and others. We had a visitor on our way down to the rocks. Another shot from later in the evening as the sky started doing its thing. As we returned from the rocks with the birthday boy Joan Marc (who had just caught an impressive flathead fish on the rocks!), we were witness to a glorious moonrise over Binalong Bay. On our last day, after leaving our ridiculously awesome beach house we made our way to the Peron sand dunes near Stieglitz. Can you spot our friend Daniel running across? I felt really bad with each step I took as it meant disturbing the intricate patterns created by the wind. Joan Marc and Eli look to be lost in the middle of the Sahara, however just over that horizon there’s a road. The Peron Dunes are an incredible sight. So…..much……sand! As if the sheer amount of sand wasn’t cool enough, in the midst of the main “bowl” of the dunes, there’s what I can only assume is a former seabed filled with this beautiful fossilised coral. I’ve never seen anything like it, amazing! The Gulch is a very quaint spot on the Eastern edge of Bicheno that looks like a scene more likely to be seen in the Mediterranean. So many different types of scenery on this one island. The famous Bicheno blowhole is a favourite amongst visitors to the area. You need to be careful where you stand at the blowhole as every now and then it lets off a huge burst which could easily catch you off guard and increase your dampness significantly. You’ve had a long day on the road back from the Bay of Fires? You’re hungry for a little treat, a little pick me up, some ice cream perhaps? GO HERE!!!! Kate’s Berry Farm is OM…..it’s NOM…..it’s OM NOM NOM NOM NOM……NOM!!!! The drive home was full of beautiful roadside scenes like this. What a trip, what a glorious trip.
Hi James, we are planning a round island road trip to Tasmania in Dec 2019 with our two boys (10 and 6yrs old) Your post on the East Coast is beautiful. If we were to do all those that you did in the East Coast from Peron sand dunes to bicheno, how many days do we need? Would you be able to share more on this area as to where did you stay and what other things can we expect to see? We are also intending to climb up to wineglass Bay lookout, and do Kayaking or ATV at freycinet. (1 night stay?)
How many nights in total would you recommend in order for us to include all the above in the East Coast?
Maybe subsequently, I Would also like to hear your views on cape Hauy, Hartz Peak, Narawntapu, Maria island etc.
Hi Agnes, sounds like a lovely trip you have planned. I would try and give yourselves as much time as possible in each place but you could certainly have a very nice East Coast experience in a weekend. To do Freycinet as well might be a bit of a stretch in a couple of days so if you had 3-4 days then you could do the whole East Coast. Cape Hauy is a day walk on the Tasman Peninsula, if the weather is hot it would be quite the slog. Hartz Peak is probably the easiest to do on a fine day, other than Mount Wellington of course. Narawntapu is really beautiful but a bit far away from the other locations you’ve mentioned. Maria Island is my favourite place in Tassie! I don’t know what it is about the place, I just think it’s wonderful. You could do a day trip there and see plenty but I’d recommend staying the night if you wished to see the southern end of the island. I hope you guys have a wonderful trip and please feel free to email me at czechingoutofhere@gmail.com if there’s anything else you’d like to know 🙂
Czeching Out Tasmania 
Beautiful pictures James. Just wait until you see Freycinet.
It gets better than that? Hot damn! 🙂
Well done James. It’s a pleasure looking at your pictures!
Hi James, we are planning a round island road trip to Tasmania in Dec 2019 with our two boys (10 and 6yrs old) Your post on the East Coast is beautiful. If we were to do all those that you did in the East Coast from Peron sand dunes to bicheno, how many days do we need? Would you be able to share more on this area as to where did you stay and what other things can we expect to see? We are also intending to climb up to wineglass Bay lookout, and do Kayaking or ATV at freycinet. (1 night stay?)
How many nights in total would you recommend in order for us to include all the above in the East Coast?
Maybe subsequently, I Would also like to hear your views on cape Hauy, Hartz Peak, Narawntapu, Maria island etc.
Hope to hear from you soon.
Thank you
(Fm Singapore)
Hi Agnes, sounds like a lovely trip you have planned. I would try and give yourselves as much time as possible in each place but you could certainly have a very nice East Coast experience in a weekend. To do Freycinet as well might be a bit of a stretch in a couple of days so if you had 3-4 days then you could do the whole East Coast. Cape Hauy is a day walk on the Tasman Peninsula, if the weather is hot it would be quite the slog. Hartz Peak is probably the easiest to do on a fine day, other than Mount Wellington of course. Narawntapu is really beautiful but a bit far away from the other locations you’ve mentioned. Maria Island is my favourite place in Tassie! I don’t know what it is about the place, I just think it’s wonderful. You could do a day trip there and see plenty but I’d recommend staying the night if you wished to see the southern end of the island. I hope you guys have a wonderful trip and please feel free to email me at czechingoutofhere@gmail.com if there’s anything else you’d like to know 🙂