The East Coast

• With long white beaches away from the crowds and seas of intense aqua, Tasmania's east coast offers a completely different Australian beach experience.
• Our mild climate and pristine secluded beaches means our coastline is perfect for walking, kayaking, diving,  sea cruises and relaxing.
• At the end of each day you can relax at an award-winning eco-lodge or tranquil beach house and indulge in the freshest seafood.

Download or view online this region's Holiday Planner. It is full of information on things to see, places to stay and where to go. You can kayak into world-renowned Wineglass Bay, picnic on a secluded beach or dive amongst the shipwrecks off Flinders Island. The choice is yours on this coast of wonders, from sipping coastal wine to exploring pristine wilderness.

Why explore the East Coast?

Whether they are fishermen, wine makers or walking-guides, you will hear a different life story from friendly locals whose values are shaped by the rhythms of nature, and the stunning beauty of the east coast. At its northern extremity is Flinders Island, where you can hunt for the Killiecrankie 'diamond', or dive into a world of giant crabs and crays.
At Mount William National Park, in Tasmania's north east, Forester kangaroos acknowledge visitors with casual indifference. Heading south, around the Bay of Fires, the sea is aqua and deserted shell-strewn beaches stretch for kilometres of silica sand. House-sized granite boulders reddened by lichens, are polished smooth by waves that thump and sigh as they crumple onto the shore.
Just before the small fishing town of Bicheno, is the Douglas-Apsley National Park, a landscape of rugged river gorges, waterfalls, and gently flowing rivers. Nearby, occupying a whole peninsula, is spectacular Freycinet National Park, with Coles Bay at its entrance overlooking crystal-clear Oyster Bay, an ideal place for diving, snorkelling, kayaking, boating and fishing. The park is dominated by the pink granite of the Hazards Mountains and best known for the perfect curve of Wineglass Bay.
Enjoy superb seafood of cray, scallops, oysters, salmon, and berries in Swansea, before the journey south and the first sight of Maria Island. The whole island is a national park, free of vehicles. It is a refuge for Forester kangaroos, wallabies and the round small pademelons. You can stay in the tiny settlement of Darlington, watch the Cape Barren Geese or any of the 130 resident bird species, and relax as you learn of the Aboriginal, convict and settler histories.

Read more about the East Coast on NeoNeighbourhood, an insiders' guide to unique travel experiences.

Key East Coast towns.

Bicheno - small fishing town with fantastic diving.
Freycinet and Coles Bay – good diving, snorkelling, kayaking or boating
Orford – popular destination for fishing and scuba diving.
St Helens  - for big game fishing and where you head inland to seek out Pyengana country cheeses.
St Marys – inland from the coast with amazing views from 600 metre rocky outcrop – look out for Elephant Pass.
Swansea - the oldest town, lies sheltered on Great Oyster Bay, facing the Freycinet Peninsula.
Triabunna - a local fishing port and where you can take the ferry to Maria Island. 
Flinders Island - an island of varied and dramatic landscapes.

Itineraries to help you explore the East Coast.

East Coast Escape - from the Bay of Fires to Orford.

North East Trail - from St Helens to Bridport and Launceston.

Local help from Tasmania's Visitor Information Centres is available at:

St Helens
61 Cecilia St
Ph (03) 6376 1744
Email: sthelensvic@bodc.tas.gov.au

Triabunna
Cnr Esplanade and Charles Street
Ph (03) 6257 4772
Email: triabunnavic@freycinet.tas.gov.au