The tiny Tasmania gem called Bruny Island was our home for 3 days.. and what great little stay it was! Located around 45-60minutes south of Hobart, Bruny Island is accessible via a ferry from the mainland. Home to sweeping views, untouched beaches, wilderness feel hikes and great locally produced cuisine.. here’s 6 things we really enjoyed from our visit. You can also check out our weekend stay in Hobart and our recommendations here!
Here’s 6 things we loved on Bruny Island (Tasmania)
Exploring the untouched beaches on Bruny Island
Crystal clear water and white sand make for some beautiful beaches surrounding Bruny Island. The island is home to so many little coves, bays and strips of sand, but our favourite beach was definitely Hanssons Beach. Situated nearby the more popular Adventure Bay, Hanssons Beach was less popular, had whiter sand, and clearer waters. Be prepared that the water isn’t warm, but it’s incredibly clear and well worth a swim.
The Bruny Island “Bread Fridge”
This is an iconic experience on Bruny Island that you can not miss. A local baker produces fresh sourdough bread every day, stocking his roadside store, a fridge, every morning/midday. Based on an honesty system (cash or bank transfer), the experience is unique, novelty, but the bread is also excellent! Located on the south of Bruny Island, this is one of the experiences you can’t miss during your stay. The bread fridge is worth the social media hype.
Enjoy a hike while on Bruny Island
Home to many trails, including beach tracks and hikes through the bush, Bruny Island also houses a couple of Tasmania’s top 60 short walks. We love a good day hike, and decided it was time to show little Luca a hike and some good views. Armed with our sourdough from the bread fridge (see above), we tackled the top rated Fluted Cape Walk. Located just past Adventure Bay, this walk takes you through the bush, and up to the towering views, before descending along the side off the rocky cliffs. The trail starts at the “Grass Point Trail”, and then turns up onto the Fluted Cape Walk trail. It has about 270-300m of elevation, and a total of 6-7kms. It took us 2hours of hiking, with a 20-30 minute “snack break” at the top. However, for those that aren’t capable hikers, it might take longer (and if you’re a gun hiker.. you’ll be able to ace it quicker). We recommend hiking shoes as the descent is a little slippery, especially if wet.
Enjoy the road trip views around Bruny Island
The drive around Bruny Island is spectacular, definitely some of the best road trip views in Tasmania. In particular, the iconic “The Neck”, is worth driving along. The narrow strip of road traverses between the ocean and the bay, linking “North Bruny” with “South Bruny”. Enjoy the views along the way, stop to take photos at the lookouts or roadside opportunities, and definitely visit the popular Truganini Lookout (which gives you the best view of The Neck).
Enjoy the local Bruny Island cuisine
We love locally sourced, carefully curated and well though out produce. Our friends had worded us up on some of the local produce, and it definitely delivered. You have everything from ocean to table oysters (Get Shucked), locally made cheese (Bruny Island Cheese & Beer Co), local honey, Bruny Island wines, a whisky distillery, a local chocolate company, a pub by the water, a raspberry farm, locally made cider.. there’s lots of options. Make sure to allocate some time to enjoy the locally made cuisine!
Enjoy the best coffee on Bruny Island at Lunawanna Café
We love a good coffee, and didn’t expect to that much on a remote island, however Lunawanna Café delivered excellent barista made coffee. Well worth visiting for your daily coffee!
There’s lots more to do:
Bruny Island has a lighthouse (note – there is a park entry fee required per car/person), lots more hikes/walks, great camping spots, an art gallery, scenic flights, penguin viewing, cruises and more. We chose to be active on our stay, but also to relax a little, so we didn’t get to “see everything”, and this was intentional.
Should I visit Bruny Island for a day trip or stay the night?
Bruny Island is the perfect day trip location due to it’s proximity to Hobart, however we encourage you to stay a night or 2 to fully experience the island. We are biased, having stayed 3 nights ourselves, but we found the extra time to be perfect for fitting in hikes, relaxed time on the beach, and “slower travel”. Where should you stay on Bruny Island? Be prepared there isn’t that much accommodation, or many big hotels. There are a few guesthouses, AirBNBs and cabins (like the great option we stayed at here). You can also camp at many locations and campgrounds on the island.
See our visit to Hobart and our favourite things we did below..
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