Wild beauty ... Bruny Island's dramatic coastal scenery.Credit:Getty Images
Wildlife and scenery are the main drawcards to this remote hideaway south of Hobart,writes Lee Atkinson.
Why go?
It's wild,lonely,beautiful and remote,the type of place you go to hide from the world in a cliff-top house and spend your days staring out to sea.
What it's known for
Wild scenery and wildlife are the two main drawcards on Bruny. The island is home to one of the largest colonies of the endangered forty-spotted pardalote,as well as penguins and shearwaters,rare white wallabies,seals,dolphins and whales in season,and the three-hour wildlife cruise is one of the most popular things to do on the island. It's also the best way to see some of Australia's highest and most dramatic sea cliffs,and the cruise takes you past sea caves and tall rock stacks. Cruises cost $110 for adults,$65 for kids or $340 for a family (two adults,three children).brunycruises.com.au.
What you didn't know ...
The first European to discover the island was Abel Tasman in 1642,and the first to set foot on it was Tobias Furneaux in 1773,who named Adventure Bay after his ship,but one of its most famous visitors was William Bligh. In 1788 and again in 1792 and 1809,Bligh anchored in Adventure Bay;the first time on the Bounty (before the famous mutiny),the last while virtually a prisoner aboard his ship,the Porpoise,awaiting trial after he was deposed as governor of NSW during the Rum Rebellion. Legend has it Bligh planted the first apple tree in Australia on his first visit,perhaps a hint of Tasmania's later"Apple Isle"fame. Learn about it at the Bligh Museum of Pacific Exploration.
What's new
Adventure Bay Retreat is a new luxury getaway set in 13 hectares of bushland in Adventure Bay,the main township on the island. The three-bedroom lodge accommodates eight;the adjacent cottage is set up for couples;and it's a stone's throw from the beach. Rates start at $240 a night a couple with a minimum two-night stay.adventurebayretreat.com.au.