With enchanting bushwalking trails snaking to and from Mount William National Park, the 35 kilometre-long Bay of Fires is a resplended coastline bejewelled by quartz-infested beaches, backed by forests of eucalypts, she-oaks and sclerophyll plants. No wonder it is engraved onto many a traveller’s bucket list. Mine is about to be ticked off, as this granite world aflame with lichen-freckled rocks, has to be experienced in order to be believed. I arrive at Eddystone Point Lighthouse on Tasmania’s easternmost point, on what must be one of Tasmania’s stormiest summer days. This famous, locally quarried granite tower is visible from most of the Bay of Fires coastline, and juts out from the headland in its 42 metre-high confidence. With my tent pitched at the Deep Creek camping area, waterproofs donned and water bottles hanging from me like Christmas tree lights, I head south, needling my way through the narrow sand-packed and spongy (to the point of bouncy) path for Abbotsbury Beach. It is crisscrossed in snakeskin trails, but I’d need a tracker to identify their species. Gaps in the foliage tease as I steal glimpses of monster sand dunes, the colossal scale of which would challenge even the widest of wide-angle lens.
Once through the floury dunes, an expansive surf-bashed beach appears. Its abrasive salt-laden winds sandpaper my face, but they are of no bother for a meaty pacific gull, which I initially mistake for an albatross. I’m breathless – part from the stubborn wind and part from the view; it’s almost too much to take in. Impersonating one long impressionist canvas, Abbotsbury Beach beats any coastal stereotype. Its immensely high and wide dunes, under today’s angry sky, seem more like hectares of snowfields after the heaviest of blizzards.
Signboards warn that shorebirds nest on the dry sands here between September and March. Feathered nesters swoop if feeling threatened, so I take care to avoid stepping on their eggs and chicks by hugging the shoreline. Tragically, fairy terns are increasingly rare in Tasmania; only around 100 pairs remain.
I walk for three hours south of Eddystone Point, where I meet with the churning whirlpool of Ansons Bay’s outlet. I spot a lone kayaker halfway between here and Policemans Point. I’m not so brave, so instead observe pied oystercatchers scurrying in pairs across the virgin sands, and absorb what must be one of Australia’s most untouched natural wildernesses. The raw southerly wind helps carry me back north.
The sun joins me today at postcard-perfect Binalong Bay, the southernmost point of the Bay of Fires. Here, dense dunal paths weave through native coastal shrubs to a bleached beach grasping at luminous aquamarine waters. At one end, it is sealed by lichen-encrusted flame-red rocks and at the other melts into the swirling inlet of Grants Lagoon; a beauty almost too clichéd to believe. As the incoming tidal waters pummel at the sandy bed, shades of azure and cream blend seductively, coaxing fish to bodysurf the tide in a travelling Jacuzzi.
Full article available in our magazine.
Story and Photography: Marie Barbieri
Additional Photography: https://parks.tas.gov.au/
Marie is a true adventurer who absolutely loves going to new places and getting to know different cultures. She's a big fan of making new friends and she's managed to visit loads of countries across the globe.
Every place she visits, Marie finds something unique to enjoy. Whether it's the local food, the customs, or the stunning views, she always comes back with new memories and experiences that she cherishes.
Marie's travels have given her a treasure trove of stories about all the different places and people she's encountered. So, if you ever need some travel inspiration or just fancy a chat about different cultures, Marie's your go-to person.
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