Bay of Fires is one of those spots where you feel like you’ve got a corner of the world to yourself. This coastal gem is located in the rugged Tasmania, just off the southern coast of Australia, and it’s a region of contrasts—and we’ll witness all of that by ourselves with this 4-day hiking journey through the island’s East Coast. From the vibrant orange lichen that coats granite boulders to blindingly white sands that stretch for miles next to the sparkling blue waters, gorgeous views and spectacular landscapes are guaranteed! Tasmania is slowly becoming a booming outdoor hotspot, and if you want to experience a place that still feels wild and remote, this is an adventure you didn’t know you needed.
Embark on a transformative 4-day journey through the pristine beauty of Tasmania’s East Coast with fantastic local guides! Immerse yourself in the stunning Bay of Fires and its gorgeous landscapes, from coastal headlands and white sand beaches to orange lichen-covered rocks and crystal clear waters. With expert local guides that will give you a great historical insight into the area as well as make sure you’re safe throughout, this all-inclusive adventure is totally worry free. Cute cabins, luggage transfers, transfers during the tour, all meals, it’s all arranged—just come walk with and experience this awe-inspiring part of Tasmania.
Our journey begins at the Hotel Grand Chancellor in Launceston at 7:30am for a 7:45am departure. On the way to the northeast coast, we pass through Lilydale and the Pipers River wine region, stopping briefly at the beachside village of Bridport for a short break. Next, we head to Mt William National Park and the white sands of Cape Naturaliste, the northernmost point of our four-day wander. The first few hours are spent entirely on the beach, allowing you to find your natural walking pace and rhythm. Along the way, you’ll have the chance to observe resident seabirds like Oystercatchers and Hooded Plovers. Your guides can identify curious ocean life washed ashore, such as cuttlebones, urchins, and even shark eggs.
After a break for afternoon tea, we go inland for a one-hour return hike to the summit of wukalina/Mt William. At 216 meters (709 feet), it offers panoramic views of the surrounding area and, in clear weather, the Furneaux Islands, remnants of an ancient land bridge that once connected Tasmania to mainland Australia. We then return to the minibus and head to our accommodation to unpack and settle in.
Meals: Lunch and dinner
Hiking: 12 km / 7.5 miles, 4.5 hours
Difficulty: Easy to moderate
Accommodation: Shearers’ Quarters Cabins
After breakfast and preparing lunch, we set off for our longest day of walking. We return to Boulder Point at the far end of Stumpy’s Bay, continuing south along a scenic coastline dotted with small coves protected by rocky headlands. This section is particularly striking for its large granite boulders covered in bright orange lichen. We then reach the long sandy stretch of Cod Bay, one of the more remote parts of our walk, before following a series of inland tracks that cut through coastal heathland. These tracks are often bright with wildflowers and orchids, especially in early spring.
For lunch, we stop in a secluded spot, where there may be an opportunity for a swim. From there, we continue around a hidden lagoon surrounded by open marsupial lawns, keeping an eye out for wombats, Black Swans, and the Tasmanian Native Hen, a ground-dwelling bird unique to the area. Upon arriving at Deep Creek, depending on water levels, we may need to make a shallow wade across a small outlet to reach our afternoon tea stop, marking the end of the day’s walk. If the weather is good, this is a perfect spot for a refreshing dip. Time (and energy) permitting, you can walk an additional 20 minutes to Picnic Rocks, where the bus will meet us for the return to our accommodation.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Hiking: 14 km / 8.7 miles, 5-6 hours
Difficulty: Moderate
Accommodation: Shearers’ Quarters Cabins
Today’s walk is packed with highlights! We start our day at larapuna/Eddystone Point—adorned with its beautifully grand lighthouse, built in 1889 from locally quarried granite. This natural promontory is a fascinating site of historic importance to both European and Aboriginal Tasmanians, and we will spend plenty of time exploring the area. We then break out onto an expansive dune swept beach, often teeming with birdlife. Here we may observe gulls, terns, albatross and gannets—or occasionally migratory species such as short-tailed shearwaters and ruddy turnstones.
The remainder of the day is spent enjoying seemingly endless coves—each being worthy of their own picture-perfect postcard. There are numerous shelly beaches to inspect, and lovely small bays for swimming. This area also boasts some of the more interesting rock formations of the trip, awaiting decipherment from a creative types’ imagination. After passing across another dune swept beach, we finish our day at Ansons Bay, wading a narrowing in the lagoon to reach our designated afternoon tea spot, and meet back up with the bus.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Hiking: 14 km / 8.7 miles, 5-6 hours
Difficulty: Easy to moderate
Accommodation: Shearers’ Quarters Cabins
This morning, we’ll get a slightly earlier start before heading out for our final walk. Today’s hike is an interesting mix of changing landscapes within the Bay of Fires Conservation & Recreation Area—this walk is a hidden gem, a local’s secret. Consisting of historic Xanthorrhoea grass trees, sclerophyll forest and an array of wildlife, you will encounter ocean views from a higher vantage point and walk through a dynamic coastal environment. Beginning at Moulting Bay, we walk a small stretch of beach around the point towards the Georges Bay inlet, where you will have views of St Helens Oyster farm, Lease 65 and across the bay towards the township of St Helens and St Helens Point Conservation Area.
As we traverse a little higher, we encounter a woodland environment, home to many bird species and providing glimpses of the ocean and coastline through the tall trees. Somewhere along here, we will select a suitable shady lunch spot, and maybe take the opportunity for one last refreshing swim. Passing over a forested hill, it’s not much farther until we reach the end of our loop—this is a beautiful place to finish, before slipping back into the real world. We wave goodbye to the white sand and orange rocks of the Bay of Fires, before returning to Launceston via the lovely sea-side town of St Helens.
Meals: Breakfast and lunch
Hiking: 10 km / 6 miles, 4 hours
Difficulty: Easy to moderate
Your guides may swap Days 3 & 4 depending on weather and group dynamic. If so, it is lovely having a coffee in the township of St Helens with time to explore local artisan and produce stores. It is also a nice way to break up the beach walking days. If your guides decide to swap these days, you will return to Launceston from Anson’s Bay via Bridport.
Myself and 7 friends had an amazing four day adventure hiking the Bay of Fires. Our guides were amazing – the scenery was unbelievable. We are already organising next year’s trip which will definitely include Park Trek and Tasmania.
We (9 friends) all in our early 70’s have just completed the Bay of Fires walk in Tasmania. Bianca and Jess our tour guides were absolutely fabulous so knowledgeable and jolly good cooks. Icena shearer’s quarters are fabulous so comfortable. The evenings were great fun fabulous dinners. We laughed for four days!
What you get on this adventure:
What’s not included:
In order to join this Bay of Fires tour, good fitness is required. Some parts of the route are easy, with hardened or compacted surfaces and an occasional gentle hill section or steps. Some parts, though, may have rough surfaces, many steps, and steeper uphills. It’s also recommended that you have at least some bushwalking experience.
To learn about day-by-day distances and difficulty, check out the itinerary.
For more walking and hiking holidays in Australia, click here!
Essential items
Optional extras (recommended)
Main bag (please bring your gear in a soft (rather than hard) bag)
Group sizes and pricing
Bay of Fires tours can be arranged for larger groups. Contact us to make arrangements.
Min. age requirements
If your group has hikers under the age of 18, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.
The starting point of your Bay of Fires tour is Launceston, the largest city in northern Tasmania. There’s several ways to get there.
Make sure to reach Launceston at least a day prior to Day 1 of the tour, as you’ll have to meet your guide early in the morning for a transfer to your first stop of the tour. The exact starting point is Hotel Grand Chancellor in Launceston at 7:30am for a 7:45am departure.
We highly recommend that you cover all your bases with both medical and travel protection. To make your booking and traveling experience as carefree as possible, simply choose Redpoint—the official 57hours insurance partner!
Redpoint tailors their protection packages for adventure travel, offering a comprehensive travel program, even in remote locations. Trip cancellation, natural disasters, pandemic coverage, medical evacuation, primary medical expenses—regardless of the travel interruption that may happen, Redpoint will have you covered.
Once your booking is confirmed and your trip is paid in full, you will be offered to purchase Redpoint’s protection. If you need any help or require more information, let us know and we will be happy to help!
Deposits
You can secure one of the set dates with a 30% deposit upon booking. The remaining 70% of the trip price is to be paid 90 days prior to departure, at the latest.
Cancellations
Booking fees are non-refundable in all cases. During checkout, however, you can choose one of 57hours’ flexibility options:
Basic
Flexible
Super Flexible
Just back from the most amazing experience doing the Park Trek Bay of Fires walk. Our guides Matt and Andee were lovely, acknowledgeable, funny and flexible for our group. The landscape was stunning and the terrain was as described. Have already recommended it to so many friends and family and I will be doing another Park Trek next year as a result of the positive memories and experience I had with this tour group.