Bruny Island makes a great short trip by bicycle from Hobart, the Tasmanian capital.
You need as little as 3 days to cycle south from the city to the island, do a bit of exploring and return, although a week would be better to see more and take things at a more relaxed pace.
The route there is a simple one. Bike out of Hobart on Sandy Bay Road, keeping to the coastal road that runs through Taroona. In Taroona, take 5 minutes to visit the historic shot tower, once the highest structure in Tasmania.
Continue along the coast to Kingston, where you go straight ahead to join the B68 heading for Kettering. Stop at a fruit stand or two along the way and then follow the signs for the ferry dock in Kettering.
Cyclists pay just A$3 return for the 15-minute trip and ferries go throughout the day.
| Leaving Kettering 6:35am (not on Sunday) 7:45am 9:30am 11:05am 12:05pm 1:45pm 2:45pm 3:45pm 5:00pm 6:30pm 7:30pm (Friday only) |
Leaving Bruny Island 7:00am (not on Sunday) 8:25am 10:00am 11:35am 12:35pm 2:15pm 3:15pm 4:30pm 5:30pm 7:00pm 7:50pm (Friday only) |
WHERE TO GO
When you disembark, it’s nearly 30km on a mixture of paved and dirt roads to the first National Park campsite, just at the end of ‘The Neck’ – a narrow strip of land that connects the north and south parts of Bruny Island.
There aren’t many houses en route but you’ll pass a kiosk selling drinks at the ferry dock, a bottle shop and the Bruny Island Cheese Company, with wines and a range of gourmet foods in addition to hand-made cheese.
Just at the end of The Neck, you’ll come to a National Park campsite. A further 10km on, you’ll find Adventure Bay, with a caravan park and shops.
Three more free camping areas – at Jetty Beach, Prices Lookout and Cloudy Corner – are available on the far southern end of the island. From the end of The Neck to the southern campsites would be about 25-30km, perhaps too far for your first day out from Hobart but a good option for your second night.
Alternatively, stay camped on the shores of Adventure Bay and explore unloaded for your second day. This is a good option for weekends during the high season, when sites are highly sought after and the caravan park often fills up.
WHAT TO BRING
Bruny Island is quite isolated. There are a few general stores on the southern part of the island (Adventure Bay, Alonnah, Lunawanna) but you should be prepared to carry food. You might find it’s a long trip to the shop when hunger strikes. Internet access can be found in Alonnah and Adventure Bay. Adventure Bay also has an ATM.
Fill your water bottles before leaving the ferry dock on Bruny Island. You can get water at the public toilets behind the kiosk at the ferry dock. Take any extra water you need for the first night’s camping. Bruny Island is the only place where we arrived at a National Park campsite to find the rainwater tank completely dry and no other source of water for more than 10km.
WHAT BIKE
At least half the roads on Bruny Island are unpaved, so a mountain bike or sturdy touring bike with wide tyres would be perfect for the job. A racer would be unsuitable.