On reaching a lookout flanked by rock walls dappled with bright orange lichen, I stood drinking in my first sight of Wineglass Bay - a crescent of shimmering white sands and azure water framed by looming sea cliffs and a wild hinterland of heath and forest. I'm staying at Freycinet Lodge, in the national park at the foot of the Hazards. Wineglass Bay Day Tours: Freycinet and Wine Glass Bay - See 307 traveler reviews, 181 candid photos, and great deals for Hobart, Australia, at Tripadvisor. See puretasmania.com.au for tour and accommodation bookings. Yet, however undeserved, the name Freycinet Peninsula stuck. There, in the middle of nowhere, was a tent kitchen in which a chef from the lodge was cooking up a storm. Work was centred on Saltwater Creek (north of Coles Bay) and Middleton Creek (near Bluestone Bay). "The coastline in this part of Tasmania is amazing as was the hospitality on the cruise.The pink granite of the Hazards and Freycinet Peninsula is stunning and we had an incredible display of wildlife with whales b..." "Highly recommend! An American whaler, Captain Richard Hazard of the Thalia, would give his name to the great granite peaks that loom over the bay and the bay itself would take its name from the whalers' method of hunting. Farming leases were also taken out on Schouten Island until the 1960s. The complex was re-built after a fire in the 1950s. The cabins look rustic on the outside but have all the mod cons within, except for - thankfully - telephones and televisions. Reviewed 15 November 2016 . He established shacks at ‘The Fisheries’ which were the forerunners of today’s holiday homes in the area. The sparkling waters and white sands of Wineglass Bay and Schouten Island soon became polluted with blood and putrid whale blubber as stations were established in those localities. ! To visit Wineglass Bay by sea will require a good seaworthy vessel and favourable weather conditions as you must cruise along the eastern side of Freycinet Peninsula, exposed to the Tasman Sea. The old hut, stone fish traps and a boat slip can still be seen today. Shore parties were established in sheltered bays during the winter months. Sealing parties had visited the offshore rocks and islands of Great Oyster Bay since the early 1800s. Get views of Wineglass Bay and Tasmania's Freycinet Peninsula from the deck of a boat on this half-day cruise. The sealer Joseph Stacey discovered coal after being washed ashore on Schouten Island in 1809. What a great experience while driving through Cairns and Port Douglas in your campervan. A red granite quarry has operated intermittently at Parsons Cove since 1934. This is a tour you will remember and reflect on for the rest of your life. Set sail with East Coast Cruises to explore Maria Island with experienced locals. By the 1840s shore-based whaling was in decline. And its name has nothing to do with the shape of the bay. Overview Visit Wineglass Bay and other Tasmanian landmarks with a full-day small-group tour from Hobart. Sheep and cattle grazing was being carried out on parts of the Freycinet Peninsula as early as the 1850s. Walks at Freycinet – Wineglass Bay Wineglass Bay can only be reached by foot or by boat. Australian Tourism Legend Robert Pennicott and his team of passionate local staff have been sharing Tasmania's scenery, wildlife and produce since 1999. Some of the stone can be seen in the walls of the Commonwealth Bank Head Office, Hobart. The old tramway was extended at this time. In 1906 tin leases were also taken out in the area between Sleepy Bay and Richardson’s Beach, but the operations were short-lived. The oil was shipped to Britain to be used for lighting and the whalebone for ladies' corsets and hoop skirts. For some 30,000 years they lived there off the bounty of the sea and the forest. Soon after, the mine was sub-let to Crockett who carried on operations for several years. In 1923 construction began on a railway to carry coal from Seymour to a proposed new jetty and loading facilities at Coles Bay. Whale watching is a mesmerizing experience, but only in Australia can you actually dive in and swim with them. This isn't cold, wet Tassie though. The whalers set up shore bases in the bay, sparking violent clashes with the Pydairrerme. Sea eagles soar above, black cockatoos and green rosellas flit through the trees, black swans glide on lagoons, native hens scurry through the scrub and penguins waddle up the beach to their burrows. Wineglass Bay's sensual shape and breathtakingly blue water has a white sandy beach exclamation point. For full functionality of this site it is necessary to enable JavaScript. Wineglass Bay Cruises is a 4½ hour cruise of the waterways surrounding Freycinet National Park from Coles Bay to Wineglass Bay on Tasmania’s East Coast. The small holiday town of Coles Bay borders the park, and the largest nearby town is Swansea. (We saw some places going for $2000+ per night – I kid you not!) Part of the Freycinet National Park - Tassie's oldest along with Mount Field - the peninsula takes its name from one or both of the brothers de Freycinet, Louis Claude and Louis Henri. To get there turn right from the Wineglass Bay track just before the Wineglass Bay Beach. After enjoying the delights of Wineglass Bay you cross theIsthmus to Hazards Beach. See seaside towns, historic sites, and coastal views as you travel to Freycinet National Park where you take an easy walk to the Wineglass Bay lookout, and view wildlife, beaches, and coves. They rise sheer from the base. It became known as ‘The Fisheries’. Wineglass Bay Day Tours: Wineglass bay whale watching cruise - See 307 traveler reviews, 181 candid photos, and great deals for Hobart, Australia, at Tripadvisor. With a rich history, and a unique natural environment this special part of the Australian coast is a must while visiting our island state. Freycinet Lodge offers sunset sea kayaking, 4WD tours and guided winery tours among other activities. Eastern Tasmania is the second-driest part of Australia after South Australia. Lunch was followed by a swim. They constructed a tramway and jetty, but the venture proved unprofitable. Wineglass Bay can only be accessed by boat or by foot. The Government then re-acquired the island and leased it to private concerns. This loop loop is 11.5 kilometers (7.15 miles) long, or a bit farther if you walk out along the beach at Wineglass Bay and take a pair of side trails to scenic overlooks. In 1859 Francis Cotton reported that a comfortable stone hut and several cultivated paddocks were being occupied by Mr Leggs. Beyond Wineglass Bay, there’s plenty more to uncover at Freycinet.