3 days in Binalong Bay and Freycinet

Start your winter morning the hearty way with breakfast made from locally sourced ingredients at Grain of the Silos in Launceston.

Then, set your compass east to St Helens History Room. The 2hr 10min drive is decent but the scenery sure is speccy.

Drive 1min north for lunch and sweet treats at family-owned the Bays Kitchen before heading 30min further up the road to Larapuna / Bay of Fires area, where turquoise water spills over orange boulders and into rockpools lining the shore. Hop in, if you’re feeling plucky. This colourful conservation area has been named Australia’s best beach for 2025 by national beach expert Brad Farmer, and you’ll likely find a stretch of cool, squeaky sand all to yourself in the Off Season.  

Drive 25min back down the road to picturesque Binalong Bay Beach for a beach walk. Cross the road and grab woodfired pizza for dinner at the Hub – Seaside.

Motor 1min south to your accommodation for the night: Japanese-inspired wellness retreat SABI. End the day with forest bathing or an ice plunge and sauna winter awakening.

Prefer beach views with your bacon? Set the alarm and drive 30min south of SABI to the River Mouth Cafe for sunrise breakfast on the beachfront at tranquil Scamander.

Keep the beach theme brewing, driving 40min down the scenic coastline and stopping in at East Coast Natureworld to mingle with the wombats along the green pastures of picturesque Bicheno.  

Calm the senses after all that creature cuteness with some hearty seafood chowder for lunch at Freycinet Marine Farm, a 30min drive south of your new wombat friend’s place.

While you’re here on the sunny Freycinet Peninsula, drive 15min south to the trailhead carpark and rug up for a short walk to famed Wineglass Bay lookout (1.5hrs return, parks pass required). Warning: views may cause breathlessness.

Refuel after the hike with dinner at the Bay Restaurant, a 5min drive north of the trailhead.

Then relax for the night and soak away the remaining day at Numie. Stargazers and nature-lovers – you won’t know where to look. Watch the sun melt into the Hazards mountain range from your fancy glamping tent before the sky turns on the shimmer.

Rise to the sounds of lapping water and swaying gum trees at Numie.

Duck 10min down the road to Granite Freycinet for your morning coffee and a scrumptious breakfast.

To bask in the area’s pristine seascapes a while longer, take a 2min walk to Muirs Beach and call ahead for Freycinet Paddle Boards to meet you there (they can meet you at a Coles Bay beach of your choosing). They’ll provide you with the essential outdoor adventure gear; from SUPs to kayaks and snorkels, and a warming winter wetsuit. This’ll help you work up an appetite.

Enjoy a leisurely drive 35min north-west to Craigie Knowe Vineyard and Floras Restaurant, where a tasty platter and warming glass of wine await, any day of the week. Or book ahead for Craigie Knowe’s French provincial degustation lunch in the vines, available Tuesday–Sunday.

Take a cruisy 2hr 10min drive down the coast, exploring beaches along the way until you arrive at Hobart, Tasmania’s capital. Wind down with Victorian-era elegance at the Orient Bar inside the retro walls of Hadley’s Orient Hotel for a vibrant array of cocktails and tapas plates. Then it’s time to hit the hay at the hotel: get cosy, soak up the grand old-timey atmosphere and let the memories of your salty east-coast adventure wash over you.