Best trails in South Bruny National Park
South Bruny National Park is located on Bruny Island, south of Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. Its landscape consists of towering cliffs, beaches, headlands, and marineland where you may spot humpback whales on their migration journey. The highest point in the park is Mt Bruny, that stands 504m high and offers panoramic views over the island and ocean. The best way to enjoy the park is on foot.
The island is a refuge for many threatened species most notable birds. Hooded plovers, swift parrots and forty-spotted pardalote's call the island home. The island has amazing array of different flora on it for the size and these can be divided in to areas such as heathland, eucalypt scrub and eucalypt forest that is predominantly made up of brown top stringy bark.
The Nuenonne clan of the South East Nation were the original inhabitants of the island and would travel to the Tasman Penisula and mainland Tasmania via Storm Bay. Evidence of their habitation can be found throughout the island, including middens, artifacts and quarries.
The island was also used by European settlers for various reasons including whaling which the relics of can still be seen today in the form of timber shacks on Grass Point and Cloudy Bay. The extensive hunting of southern wright whales was not to last long and the whales decline saw the industry crumble in the 1840s.
Access to the island is via Kettering on a ferry that is able to take both cars and regular passengers, the ferry runs regular services and does not need to be booked ahead of your trip. Be away when driving that there is only fuel found in one spot on the island and it's advised to fill up before reaching the island.
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Trail reviews for South Bruny National Park
South Bruny NP in all its glory! Long trail with stunning views over mainland Tassie to the Hartz mountain range and then north towards Bruny Island itself. Starts as an old and now unused 4WD track on the way out going clockwise. After Butlers Beach it becomes a walking track which is maintained fairly well save for a few fallen trees across the path. The track passes a few beautiful sandy beaches which become a little tricky to navigate at high tide, but you definitely can. It finished at the Jetty beach which is a gorgeous and well protected beach. I couldn’t traverse the beach to the finish at high tide but had brought bathers and a towel for a winter swim so finished the walk in bathers with pack and shoes on my back. Water probably about 10 degrees by crystal clear. A great finish for tired legs!!!
A beautiful trail in South Bruny. Really well maintained tracks. The initial ascent from the car park sneaks up on you but it turns into a beautiful leisurely hike through grasslands and really fragrant eucalyptus trees into secluded beaches. Well protected from the elements but certain parts of the track are muddy/ very slippery from recent rainfall so keep an eye on that