Cockle Creek/South West National Park

Cockle Creek is a tiny seaside settlement on the edge of Tasmania’s Southwest national park. Cockle Creek is two hours’ drive south of Hobart (148 kilometres/92 miles) via Geeveston.

Sheltered among the tranquil coves of Recherche Bay, Cockle Creek has campsites and basic facilities, and there are a number of excellent walks. A short stroll around the foreshore takes you to a whale sculpture and interpretation sign explaining the bay’s whaling history. Continue to the Fishers Point Navigation Light and Pilot Station Ruins, or take the well-marked track to South East Cape for stunning cliff-top views of the Southern Ocean and Maatsuyker Island.

Cockle Creek was once a thriving settlement of over 2,000 people. The area’s rich human history is reflected in Aboriginal sites, abandoned tramways, gravestones and ruins. This is the entry point to the Southwest national park, in Tasmania’s Wilderness World Heritage Area. The South Coast Track – one of Tasmania’s great bushwalks, begins (or ends) here.

French explorer, Bruni D'Entrecasteaux sailed into Recherche Bay in 1792 on a botanical expedition. The remains of a garden planted by the French were found here in 2003, resulting in the creation of a reserve to protect the area.

Current park passes must be purchased for entry to Tasmania's national parks. For full details please visit the Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife website.