Bruny Island, Tasmania

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Where do nature loving
Tasmanians go for a holiday?

Bruny Island, of course. Bruny Island is a 362-square-kilometre (140 square miles) island off the southeast coast of Tasmania. My friend couldn't wait to take me there and even though it was off season and not quite everything was open due to Covid-19, off we went. By the way, it's not just Tasmanians who visit. The world is slowly discovering the wonders of Tasmania.

Bruny map.png

It is so convenient to get there, only 32.6 km (20.26 mi) or roughly 30 minutes drive from Hobart to the tiny village of Kettering where we caught the ferry. Bruny Island is divided into South Bruny Island (where its name is on the map, above) and North Bruny Island, and connected by a narrow isthmus. A tiny dotted line represents the ferry connection near the B66 label.

Once there, we bought our ferry tickets and drove the van into the ferry parking. We checked out the Oyster Cove Marina while we waited.

Ahead is North Bruny Island. The ferry ride is only 20 minutes so most people didn't come up to enjoy the view of it from the upper deck.

Check-in time at our B&B was a few hours off so we started by exploring North Bruny Island. The first photo is from there too.

Walking along the road, we discovered the remnants of an abandoned flower garden. It was mid-September so still winter there but the flowers were blooming.

Coming from a cold place, I'm not used to seeing flowers blooming in winter.

Inland, Bruny is mostly farmland and forest. Historically, the lumber industry used to be more prominent and, like many parts of Australia, there was a convict/settler history. It is also interesting to note that North Bruny had a quarantine station, first for influenza and later, for trees and plants. The quarantine station is now a historical site.

I had never seen a drive through oyster bar before. We parked and went inside for the full experience.

Nom, nom, nom. The oysters came from the nearby oyster farm. After a second order, we continued down the road to the honey store and then the cheese shop.

This is all locally made. Tasmania is getting a name as a foodie destination.

The Neck is the narrow isthmus between North and South Bruny Island. Here you will find boardwalks and viewing platforms where you can see penguins and short-tailed shearwaters at the Neck Game Reserve.

Another opportunity for exercise!

South Bruny Island is a little wilder.

We had rented a B&B in the tiny community of Adventure Bay. I doubt its population is higher than 200 and, as a holiday spot, it swells during tourist season. There are places to walk and normally there are tours to take out of Adventure Bay. Above, the bay itself is also called Adventure Bay.

Explorer, Abel Tasman was the first European to see the bay in 1642, and because it provided a safe anchorage, game, and had fresh water nearby, it became a popular anchorage for explorers.

Bligh Museum was an interesting stop for us. Do you remember the movie, "Mutiny on the Bounty?" Yes, it was named after that Captain Bligh who visited the bay in 1788 and 1792. Captain Cook, another name you might recognize, preceded him there in 1777. By 1798, Adventure Bay had whaling and timber stations.

Look! There's one!

Bruny Island is known for its population of white wallabies. The helpful volunteer at the museum told us where to look for them and we spotted this one the next morning. I previously posted on Bruny Island's White Wallabies.

After breakfast the next morning, we stocked up at the grocery store to explore South Bruny Island which features the beautiful South Bruny National Park. Although the weather had changed overnight, not unusual, he wanted to show me some of his favourite camping spots.