Walking Track 1 Bay of Fires Walk

One of the world’s most beautiful beaches

The Bay of Fires Walk is arguably one of Tasmania’s most picturesque with views that change by the hour as the sun sweeps over the coast.

Tasmania’s Bay of Fires region is a popular destination for day-trippers and enthusiastic walkers who are catered for by several guided tour operators offering a range of experiences – from easy coastal walks to guided multi-day hikes that vary in distances covered and the degree of luxury offered.

The latter, more expensive option can involve overnight “glamping,” or accommodation in beach house or lighthouse-keeper cottages while the former can include less-exotic individual hikes utilising the basic campsites that are provided along the way. The duration of the guided walks varies, but four days is at the top end of the scale.

The Bay of Fires region – named by English Captain Tobias Furneaux in the 1770s after the sighting of Aboriginal fires along the coast that lit up the sky at night –stretches 50km along Tasmania’s north-east coast via larapuna/Eddystone Point in the Mount William National Park to Binalong Bay, not far from the picturesque fishing town of St Helens. Shell and bone-dumping grounds from cooking fires, known as middens, are still evident in some places.

The attractions of walking the Bay of Fires are consistent with the location: sandy white beaches, brilliant blue sea, orange lichen-covered granite rocks, lagoons and rocky bluffs, all against a thick low-lying coastal vegetation that is so representative of the region.

The vistas from the Binalong Bay viewing platform or the headland at The Gardens – named after the tracts of wildflowers that grow in the area – are breathtaking.

Along with aquatic treats such as snorkelling and whale and dolphin spotting, there’s also abundant bird life, as well as signs of the aboriginal activity that gave this area of the Tasmanian coast its name.

A typical four-day catered walk at the Bay of Fires will begin at Boulder Point near the low-lying Mount William in the north, then work its way south to finish near the fishing village of Anson’s Bay in the south, traversing rocky gullies and exploring small, secluded beaches along the way – including the signature Binalong Bay.

The distances covered can vary enormously and walking is generally not difficult because of the flatness of the terrain. That said, you may encounter areas of soft sand. But believe us, the rewards vastly outweigh the physical effort outlaid.

Bay of Fires Walk Elevation

Bay of Fires Walk details

Grade: 3

Days to complete: 4

Distance: Up to 50km

Requirements: Bookings recommended/optional. https://parks.tas.gov.au/

Note: Map pg 175, is showing a portion of the most ‘scenic’ part of the walk.