The Bay of Fires Adventure
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The Bay of Fires Adventure

Need to know

  • Best time to travel: Oct-April
  • Tour duration: 6 days
  • Group size: 10–18 travellers
  • Challenge grade: 2.5/5
  • Accommodation: Twin-share in 3-star hotels and farm house accommodation
  • Minimum age: 18 (younger ages considered on application)

Tour from AUD: Price available upon request

    Get in touch with us

    Fill in your details and we’ll get back to you soon

    Trip at a glance

    This is your chance to really immerse yourself in the rugged and untouched beauty of the Bay of Fires on Tasmania’s North East Coast. Named by Lonely Planet as some of the world’s ‘Most Beautiful Beaches’, there’s no doubt the Bay of Fires lives up to its reputation.​

     

    Your exclusive trek will take you across stunning coastlines and pristine beaches. Along the way, you’ll gaze over crystal-clear waters and marvel at bright-orange-lichen-covered boulders as you walk across magnificent bays. Departing from Launceston, you’ll visit Mt William National Park, the historic lighthouse at Eddystone Point, Ansons Bay and the sweeping, pristine Bay of Fires Conservation Area.  

     

    Expert guides will lead you across magnificent beaches and you’ll have the opportunity to swim in the crystal-clear waters of Tasmania’s East Coast while zig-zagging your way across granite headlands featuring extraordinary rock formations. Walking almost entirely on beaches, your adventure will be an active, yet relaxing escape with guides who will drive, cook and care for you. This is your chance to travel with purpose, you will reminisce about this once-in-a-lifetime adventure for years to come.

     

    Give back

    We know travel is better when you can give back as much as you get. That’s why we have designed our trips around contributing, supporting and participating in local projects and community initiatives that have a positive social and environmental impact.

     

    Each of our tours provide a unique way to get up close and personal with the destination and incorporate a fundraising target or donation  into the travel costs, which enables travellers to connect, give back and travel with purpose.

     

    If you are a charity, corporate or a private group interested in the Bay of Fires Adventure, please email us at info@soulfulconcepts.com

    Itinerary

    Day 1: Welcome to Launceston, Tasmania!
    Upon arrival in Launceston, make your way to the hotel and check in. You can choose to spend the rest of the day relaxing or explore beautiful Launceston and its surrounds. The city features historic streetscapes, heritage estates and is a vibrant hub for food, wine and culture. Or, if you want a head start on wilderness, Cataract Gorge is just a few minutes’ walk from the city centre.

     

    Accommodation: Hotel Grand Chancellor  or similar 



    Day 2: Cape Naturaliste to Boulder Point and Mt William Summit
    We begin our journey at Launceston’s Hotel Grand Chancellor at 7:45am for an 8:00am bus departure. On the way to the North East Coast we pass through Lilydale and the Pipers River wine region before taking a short break at the beachside village of Bridport.

     

    Then we’re on to Mt William National Park and the white sands of Cape Naturaliste – the most northern point of our four-day ramble. These first few hours are spent entirely on the beach, as each person eases into their own natural walking rhythm and pace. Along the way there are often resident seabirds to observe including oystercatchers and hooded plovers. Your guides will also be able to fill you in on the many types of ocean life that the changing tides wash ashore. We may discover cuttlebones, urchins and even shark eggs.

     

    After pausing for afternoon tea, we head inland to tackle a one-hour return walk to the summit of wukalina/Mt William. This is the highest point in the region at 216 metres. It provides walkers with far-reaching, panoramic views of the area we’ve taken so far, and beyond. In clear weather, the Furneaux Group of Islands stands proud – the lofty remnants of an ancient land bridge that once connected Tasmania to mainland Australia. 

     

    Then it’s back to the bus, heading to our accommodation to unpack and settle in.

     

    Accommodation: Icena Farmhouse

    Meals: B,L,D

    Trekking distance: 12km, 4.5 hours – easy to moderate 



    Day 3: Boulder Point to Deep Creek and Picnic Rocks
    After breakfast, we head out for our longest day of walking. Returning to Boulder Point at the far end of Stumpys Bay, we continue south along a lovely stretch of coastline featuring successive small coves protected by rocky headlands. This section’s famously contrasting palette is a photographer’s paradise featuring an abundance of large granite boulders covered in bright orange lichen. It’s easy to lose track of time exploring the rock pools and intricacies of this spectacular landscape.

     

    We soon reach the long sandy stretch of Cod Bay, one of the more remote sections of our walk, before picking up a series of inland tracks cutting across coastal heathland vegetation. These tracks are ablaze with wildflowers and orchids in early spring. For lunch, we find a lovely secluded nook – and maybe an opportunity for a swim – before continuing around a hidden lagoon encircled by open marsupial lawns that are habitats for local animals. Here we keep a sharp eye out for wombats, black swans and Tasmanian native hens.

     

    On arriving at Deep Creek, depending on water levels, we might need to make a shallow wade across a small outlet to reach our designated afternoon tea stop and the completion of our day’s walking. In good weather this is another lovely spot for a quick, refreshing dip. Energy and time permitting, there’s the option of continuing along the next stretch of beach for an additional 20 minutes of idyllic beach walking to the prominent rock formation of Picnic Rocks. Here the bus will meet the group, before returning to our accommodation.

     

    After nibbles, dinner will be a delicious two-course meal prepared by your guides.

     

    Accommodation: Icena Farmhouse

    Meals: B,L,D

    Trekking distance: 14km, moderate 



    Day 4: Eddystone Point to Ansons Bay
    Today’s walk is packed full of highlights. We start our day at iarapuna/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 going back for millenia, and we’ll spend plenty of time exploring the area’s wonderful natural and man-made attractions.

     

    Leaving the lighthouse, we break out onto an expansive dune-swept beach, often teeming with birdlife. Here we may observe gulls, terns, albatross and gannets, and occasionally migratory species such as short-tailed shearwaters and ruddy turnstones.

     

    The remainder of the day is spent enjoying seemingly endless coves – each worthy of its own picture-perfect postcard. There are beautiful shelly beaches to inspect, and lovely small bays for swimming. This area also boasts some of the trip’s most interesting rock formations, just waiting to be deciphered by creative imaginations.

     

    Moving across another dune-swept beach, we finish our day at Ansons Bay – wading a narrow channel in the lagoon to reach our afternoon tea spot, before meeting up with the bus to return back to our accommodation. 

     

    Accommodation: Icena Farmhouse

    Meals: B,L,D

    Trekking distance: 10km, moderate 



    Day 5: Humbug Point Loop
    We get an early start for our final walk. Today’s hike is an interesting mix of changing landscapes – a hidden gem, a locals secret. You'll encounter historic Xanthorrhoea grass trees, sclerophyll forest and an array of wildlife, you will enjoy ocean views from a higher vantage point and walk through a dynamic coastal environment set on higher ground above the beach. Beginning at Moulting Bay, we walk a small stretch of beach around the point towards the Georges Bay inlet, here 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 say 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.

    Accommodation: Hotel Grand Chancellor or similar 

    Meals: B,L

    Trekking distance: 10km, 4 hours, easy to moderate 

    Day 6: Departure Day
    Today we bid farewell to Launceston and our Bay of Fires Adventure. If you need assistance in organising an airport transfer or additional travel arrangements please speak to the Soulful Concepts team.

    Meals: B

    • What's included:
    • Two specialist guides, who will drive, cook and care for you
    • Return transport to and from Launceston for the trip. We use a comfortable mini coach with a trailer attached for luggage, including dropping off and picking up throughout each day
    • Meals as indicated in itinerary
    • We always have a thermos with plenty of tea, coffee, hot chocolate, biscuits and cake
    • Accommodation on a twin-share basis (single supplement available at additional cost)
    • National Park fees
    • What's not included:
    • Flights to and from Launceston
    • Airport transfers
    • Single supplement
    • Travel Insurance and/or ambulance cover
    • Items of personal nature
    • Vaccinations
    • Other services not listed in the inclusions column

    * Travellers are responsible for valid visas throughout the duration of the trip

    View full itinerary  
    Contact us  

    Unique experiences

    • Combine a bucket-list trip with purpose and achievement
    • Explore white sand beaches, granite headlands and fascinating forests
    • Get up close and personal with some of Tasmania’s unique wildlife
    • Discover endless coves, an historic lighthouse and jaw-dropping rock formations
    • Raise vital funds to help people who are blind or have low vision

    Need to know

    • Best time to travel: Oct-April
    • Tour duration: 6 days
    • Group size: 10–18 travellers
    • Challenge grade: 2.5/5
    • Accommodation: Twin-share in 3-star hotels and farm house accommodation
    • Minimum age: 18 (younger ages considered on application)

    Tour from AUD: Price available upon request

      Get in touch with us

      Fill in your details and we’ll get back to you soon

      Unique experiences

      • Combine a bucket-list trip with purpose and achievement
      • Explore white sand beaches, granite headlands and fascinating forests
      • Get up close and personal with some of Tasmania’s unique wildlife
      • Discover endless coves, an historic lighthouse and jaw-dropping rock formations
      • Raise vital funds to help people who are blind or have low vision

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