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 The
2009 Lonely Planet International Guide hails Tasmania’s Bay of Fires at Binalong
Bay as ‘… the world’s ‘hottest’ travel destination, a castaway bay with a 29 km
ribbon of sea and surf spooling out from the old whaling town of St Helens…’.
Not only are the beaches blessed with the finest white sand but with a ‘… Bombay
Sapphire sea, an azure sky - and nobody’ the guide says. The Bombay Sapphire sea
certainly has an intoxicatingly appealing sound to it!
If deserted, never-ending stretches of sand and sea are what you crave as
your place to relax and unwind, then Tasmania’s East Coast boasts impressive
expanses of beaches, coves and inlets, with dramatic coastal scenery along the
way.
The coastal road south from St Helens passes the quiet seaside towns of
Beaumaris and Scamander, offering surfing and fishing plus well-marked walking
tracks and magnificent views of coast and hinterland. Falmouth, Four Mile Creek
and Chain of Lagoons pop up along the road to Bicheno.
Here, in the Douglas-Apsley National Park, walks through forests, where over
half of the State’s eucalypt species are found, are interrupted only by the
intermittent sounds of more than 65 bird species and cool tranquil rock pools.
Bicheno is home to East Coast Natureworld where you can meet Tasmania’s devil
and a visit to the Blowhole is a must.
Continuing south, passing several first class vineyards, the State’s oldest
historic coastal township of Swansea, settled in the early 1820s, appears, with
spectacular vistas of the Peninsula across Great Oyster Bay. Swansea is an ideal
base to explore historic midland towns, Freycinet National Park at Coles Bay,
with Wineglass Bay just beyond, and is only 35 minutes to the ferry for the
award-winning Maria Island experience. Swansea also offers a variety of good
eating places and excellent accommodation choices.
The Lonely Planet Authors of 2008 also just nominated Abbotsford Heritage and
Hosted B & B (www.swanseabedandbreakfast.com.au)
as their pick and ‘…one of the nicest places to stay … where the breakfasts are
divine.’ Lonely Planet warns however that ‘ …the No Vacancy sign goes up as soon
as one of the rooms is occupied, so, if you’re first in, you’ll have the whole
house to yourself’.
The Scottish owners of this elegant property are justifiably proud of
Abbotsford, where they offer warm hospitality in a private and peaceful setting
only a few minutes from the centre of the township, nearby beaches and coastal
walks. They are also thrilled to have received this accolade from the respected
Lonely Planet guide.
So, if you want a holiday with boots, backpacks and bush-bashing - Tasmania
is for you. If you prefer bays, beaches and basking in the sun, on quiet shores
listening to the waves and birds - then Tasmania is certainly for you too.
If you want a holiday with the lot – do we have it? I think so.
Author
Brenda Bourne is the website designer Webwoman
www.webwoman.com.au
and owner of
Mole Creek Lodge bed and breakfast
www.molecreekbedandbreakfast.com in Tasmania.
Passionate about hosted B & Bs and websites, she has combined her two interests
to create
Tasmania Bed and Breakfasts
www.tasmaniabedandbreakfasts.com.au
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