TASSIE RIDE #2 – out to Freycinet

Nearly there. Just a short ride around Coles Bay and I’ll be able to get off the bike and climb those Hazards.

It’s a relief to have an easier day in the saddle. 50 kilometres, 26 of them along the flat of Coles Bay Road, where the shoulder is wider, the traffic is generally slower and there are encouraging glimpses of the Hazards Range ahead.  

And Freycinet Peninsula is one of Tasmania’s most popular natural wonders – with good reason.

Beware of kangaroos trying to lift the front of your car off the ground.

Along with Cradle Mountain and Port Arthur, Freycinet is a must visit for any tourist spending a few days in Tasmania. Consequently the short walk up the Hazards Range to the lookout is busy. Everybody wants a photo of Wineglass Bay.

Here’s my shot – the same one that ten people per minute are taking.

To get a proper appreciation of Freycinet, it’s worth getting away from the crowd. So I take another half hour or so to climb down to Wineglass Bay…

Is there a more idyllic looking beach anywhere in the world?

…and from there hike across to the wild and windy Hazards Beach…

Hikers on the Hazards Beach

…and back to the bike around the coast route.

The coastal track around the Hazards.

Freycinet dawn.

I’ve been warned about the next leg of the ride. It’s a good haul up to the ominously named Devil’s Corner, with several awkward bends. I’ll make an early start and leave myself plenty of time to take it carefully.

The writer is the guest of Tasmanian Tourism and Tasmanian Expeditions.