From beautiful beaches to choice cheese, bliss out on Bruny Island

Drive 30 minutes’ south from Hobart onto the frequent Bruny Island Ferry, and you’ll soon be enjoying nature’s sights, sounds, scents, tastes and textures. It may only be 50 kilometres long, and barely held together by an isthmus, but Bruny Island has more than enough pleasures to fill a day.

In fact, once you’re on island time you’ll want to linger in this paradise named after French explorer Bruni d'Entrecasteaux, who visited in 1792. It became a centre for whaling, mining and timber, but lately Bruny (as locals call it) is more about revelling in the wilderness and gourmet goodness.

Make a beeline for The Honey Pot roadside honey shop, and get into super-fresh oysters at Get Shucked, either at their licensed seaside cafe or to go from the world’s first oyster drive-through. Sample Bruny Island House of Whisky’s huge range of Tasmanian single malts, and whites and pinot noirs at the cellar door or restaurant of Bruny Island Premium Wines, Australia’s southernmost vineyard.

Bruny Island Chocolate Company goes beyond their name by also making fab fudge, while Bruny Island Berry Farm has treats like berry ice-cream for now and jam for later. You can also pick their little bliss bombs in season. Bruny Island Cheese Co. and Bruny Island Beer Co. bring together two of life’s tastiest pleasures in one special place. Don’t miss the raw-milk cheese – a rarity in Australia.

Hotel Bruny, the island’s only pub, is also the only place anywhere with Bruny Island Cider on tap – as if their country-pub-meets-gastropub fare, including piled-high seafood platters, wasn’t reason enough to visit. Other options when it’s time to tuck in include Jetty Cafe, Bruny Island Cafe, Penguin and Pardalote Coffee House and Bruny Island Seafood Restaurant.

Stroll along The Neck, that sandy isthmus just a few metres wide that joins North Bruny and South Bruny. From the lookout, an optical illusion makes sea level appear different on either side, while at dusk you might spot little penguins returning to their burrows along here.

It’s just one of numerous bird species on the island, classified an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International. All 12 of Tasmania’s endemic feathered friends are found here, including the endangered forty-spotted pardalote. No wonder twitchers love Bruny, especially during the biannual Bruny Island Bird Festival.

There are many ways to fall under South Bruny National Park’s spell, from spotting birds and a rare mob of white wallabies, to looking up at dramatic dolerite cliffs and towering eucalypts, or swimming at pristine white-sand beaches. Walks through its 5,000 hectares include the 90-minute-return Grass Point trail, which passes a whaling station’s ruins.

Bruny’s natural beauty inspires many of the Art Untamed gallery-giftshop’s original creations, including paintings and woodwork. The island’s cultural highlight is Nayri Niara Good Spirit Festival, which celebrates Aboriginal music, art, ceremonies and knowledge.

Built in 1832, Cape Bruny Lighthouse is Australia’s second-oldest. The regular 30-minute tours reveal its historic equipment, as well as a tip-top 360-degree panorama. For even loftier views, take off with Island Scenic Flights. Or get an eyeful of coastal scenery, including sea caves and cliffs, as well as marine wildlife like seals and dolphins, with nature-focused Bruny Island Cruises.

Get up close with nature on land at Inala Private Conservation Reserve, which offers everything from one-hour tours of their Jurassic Garden to multi-day wildlife tours of the island. Or balance hiking with fine food and accommodation on the Bruny Island Long Weekend guided walk.

Information included in this blog is correct at the time of publishing. Please contact individual operators for further information.