Freycinet Peninsula

The Freycinet Peninsula, which protrudes southward from Tasmania's eastern coast, is rugged and lovely. With the 300m orange granite Hazards as its backbone, a sparkling and sometimes turquoise sea, some lovely beaches and coves on both sides and the usual fascinating wildlife, this peninsula provides some great walking. It is also a perfect walking counterpoint to the Overland Track.

This National Park boasts varied woodlands, heath and some marsh, as well as crag, cliff and beach, and many birds (sea-eagles, cockatoos and honeyeaters as well as gulls).

The area was home for 20,000 years or more to the aboriginal Oyster Bay Tribe, who have left their shell middens. Conflict with Europeans ended with the infamous Freycinet Line of 1831, when settlers lined up across the territory to hunt out the remaining Aborigines.

There is a wide range of places to stay and eat, around Coles Bay near the park entrance.

• The Saffire Freycinet (www.saffire-freycinet.co.au) is top of the range, a superb place to luxuriate after some hard walking. Organises some excellent expeditions, too. Great food.
• We ended up staying at, and liked, a 2 bedroom cottage at Eagle Peaks (www.eaglepeaks.co.au).

Large visitor numbers mean crowds, concreted steps and railings on the trail to Wineglass Bay lookout and down to the bay. Once you go further, though, the place empties out.

Here are some of the walks available:

• Peninsula Track (or Circuit): a two day, 27km, trail around the wild and varied coast, taking in the two best beaches as well as the high ridge of the southern part of the peninsula, where the biggest views in the area can be viewed from 620m Mount Graham. Camp at Cook's Beach in the south-west.

• Wineglass Bay Lookout / Wineglass Bay: there are too many people on the concreted 30 minute climb to the lookout, with its fine views, and the near end of the huge, marvellous, curved beach that is Wineglass Bay, some 20 minutes onwards. But once further down the beach and across the shady Isthmus Track to Hazards Beach inside the huge Great Oyster Bay and along the internal hillsides back to the car park, you will escape the crowds - well, most of them.

• The Freycinet Experience is a four-day series of guided day walks to turn about the secluded friendly Beaches Lodge, said to get you to the best hills and coves of the Peninsula. (See www.freycinet.com.au for further information.) Very expensive.

• Mt Amos is a three-hour trudge up the nearest Hazard to Wineglass Bay, wonderful views from its 300m summit.

See our Tasmania page for further detailed information. Lonely Planet's Walking in Australia is good for this area.

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