The Freycinet Experience

Freycinet National Park has its share of popular spots, but this luxury guided walk highlights the peninsula’s hidden trails and secluded beaches.

Meld curiosity with clarity and contentment on one of Tasmania’s longest-running eco-luxury tours: Freycinet Experience Walk. This off-grid adventure on the idyllic east coast swaps the outside world for gleaming white sand, turquoise seas and fully catered fresh meals.

Four days of hiking, swimming, boating and basking in Freycinet National Park uncover a deeper wellbeing experience than a quick expedition to Wineglass Bay.

“It’s one of our most popular national parks in Tasmania,” says Jess Durbin, a guide with Freycinet Experience Walk. “Yet if you go down the peninsula far enough, you don’t really see anybody, and it feels really pristine and separated from everyone else.”

Streaks of pink pattern the granite mountains; seasonal wildflowers bespeckle the forested hills; and secret bush trails trace the traditional paths of palawa tribes.

The ‘invisible lodge’

Every night, walkers experience top-notch hospitality at Friendly Beaches – a 10km stretch of cloud-white sand, lapped by bright-blue saltwater.

Friendly Beaches Lodge is integrated so seamlessly with the surrounding environment, it’s almost impossible to see. Walk through a cooling labyrinth of casuarinas until the crashing waves fade, and the timber-clad lodge appears.

Designed by architect Ken Latona and Freycinet Experience Walk founder Joan Masterman, this sustainable lodge merges the natural world with creature comforts (including a nice bath).

“We lead a completely off-grid operation,” says Isaac Masterman, marketing manager and grandson of Joan Masterman. “All our rainwater is collected off our roofs, all our energy is solar power.”

Nights are spent sharing tales by the woodfire, drinking boutique wine, devouring high-quality produce, and – if you’re lucky – catching the glow of an Aurora Australis or watery bioluminescence.

Schouten Island

The first day’s highlight is a boat journey to little-visited Schouten Island off the Freycinet coast. Glide past deserted beaches and watch seals lazing in the sun, perhaps spotting some dolphins or white-bellied sea eagles.

Land on the isle and hike Bear Hill (3km, 2hr) to see mountainous bushland swelling up from the sparkling sea. Return to the water’s edge for a dip in the sheltered shallows. Or swap the hike for an afternoon of flathead fishing; your guides can cook and crumb your catch back at the lodge.

Wineglass Bay: via mountain, or coast

Day two offers a tough choice – do you cut along the remote Freycinet coast, hopping from beach to beach? Or do you clamber up Mount Graham (579m) for panoramic views encompassing the famed Wineglass Bay and Hazards mountain range? You decide: the coastal walk is a 7hr, 14km affair; Mount Graham takes 8hrs over a more arduous 16km. 

Spend a gratifying afternoon at dreamy Wineglass Bay, then hike to the lookout before returning to the lodge. 

Bluestone Bay 

This 7hr, 14km adventure on day three starts at Bluestone Bay, with its smooth rocks and vivid-blue waters. Happen upon an often-deserted trail, a historical path of the palawa Oyster Bay Tribe. Hold a traditional stone tool, listen to fascinating flora and fauna facts, and enjoy a fresh lunch.

From the clifftops, survey the coastline stretching towards Cape Tourville. Scan the ocean for signs of sea- or birdlife. Hear only footsteps and birdsong on a ‘mindfulness walk’, where each hiker leaves distance between them and the next, to feel completely alone in the wilderness.

Emerge at the rocky southern corner of Friendly Beaches for a swim, then squeak along the white sand. Whatever’s waiting back at the lodge – fresh oysters, local cheese, gooey brownies – it’ll hit the spot.

Saltwater Lagoon

End the Freycinet Experience Walk on day four with a hike from Mount Mary to Saltwater Lagoon, then to Isaacs Point (3hr, 6km). In spring, delicate purple flowers drape the bushes beside you. Marvel at Mount Mary’s many fossils before descending to the secluded lagoon, where wallabies and pelicans dwell.

After a hearty local brunch (think warm mussels and wallaby curry), reflect on your adventures with your fellow walkers, and embrace a deepened sense of calm. Take one final stroll along Friendly Beaches to Isaacs Point, as the ocean waves its fond farewell.

Need to know

• Freycinet Experience Walk runs October–April.  
• Booking includes all meals, and transfers between Hobart. 
• The lodge can host up to 10 guests (group bookings and venue hire are available). 
• Receive a day pack, a high-quality waterproof jacket, hiking poles, maps, torches and interpretive materials during your experience.  

Freycinet National Park FAQs

What to do in Freycinet

Just as there are several ways to enjoy Wineglass Bay (hike to the lookout, plod along the sand, take a boat tour, climb atop Mount Amos), there are also many non-Wineglass-related things to do in Freycinet National Park. Go kayaking, snorkelling, boating or hiking; devour fresh seafood at a nearby oyster farm; or time your travels with whale season for a chance to glimpse the migrating mammals. Here’s a guide on what to do in Freycinet.

How do you pronounce ‘Freycinet’?

This peninsula playground ties with Mount Field as Tasmania’s oldest national park (1916). It was named after French navy explorer Louis de Freycinet, hence the general confusion around how to pronounce the very French-sounding ‘Freycinet’. The correct pronunciation is “Frey-sin-ay”, but locals will also accept “Frey-shin-ay” as an honourable attempt. Just don’t go around calling it “Frey-sin-net”, or you’ll stand out (and not in a good way). The only reasonable excuse for saying “net” in “Freycinet” is if you’re going fishing.

How far is Freycinet from Hobart? 

Freycinet National Park is a 2hr 30min drive (195km) north-east of Hobart. It’s even quicker from the north – just a 2hr drive (175km) south-east of Launceston. From Hobart, drive through stretches of bushland and farmland, winding up hills and skirting a fertile river before greeting the sweeping vineyards and vibrant seas of the east coast. Great stops on the way to Freycinet from Hobart include Orford, Triabunna, Maria Island and Swansea.