Tasmania

Bruny Island

Last week we spent a very enjoyable four days on Bruny Island camping with our caravan on the beach.

Bruny Island is a small island off the south-east coast of Tasmania. It comprises North Bruny and South Bruny which are connected by a narrow isthmus known as the neck where we set up camp. 100 kilometres in length, Bruny Island is deceptively large with the same land mass as Singapore yet with only around 620 inhabitants (as opposed to Singapore’s 5.2 million!)

Access to Bruny Island is by vehicular ferry departing from Kettering, around a half hour drive south of Hobart and only one hour from home.

We certainly did not starve on Bruny !!! The island has attracted quite a number of unique artisans. We visited the Bruny Island Cheese Company twice (Nick from Gourmet Farmer fame), Bruny Island Winery twice, Bruny Island Smokehouse, Bruny Fudge Company and also Just Shucked Oysters which we enjoyed by our campfire that night.

A highlight of our visit was a four hour boat trip along the coast of Bruny with Bruny Island Cruises. Their open design boats, and excellence in maneuverability, allowed us to get up as close as possible to sea and coastal wildlife, cliff faces, sea-caves, and feel the joy of passing between the narrow gap between the coast and The Monument, a tall and slender sea stack. It was amazing.

PS: only 8 days until I leave for Italy, but who’s counting????

The Cape Bruny Lighthouse is the third oldest Commonwealth lightstation in Australia. The lighthouse is also the oldest continuous lighthouse tower in Australia under Commonwealth control.
The Cape Bruny Lighthouse is the third oldest Commonwealth lightstation in Australia.
The lighthouse is also the oldest continuous lighthouse tower in Australia under Commonwealth control.
Bruny Island
Bruny Island
The lookout at the neck
The lookout at the neck
A memorial to Truganini who was born in 1812 on Bruny Island. She was a daughter of Mangana, Chief of the Bruny Island people. Her name was the word her tribe used to describe the grey saltbush Atriplex cinerea. Before she was 18, her mother had been killed by whalers, her first fiance had died while saving her from abduction, and in 1828, her two sisters, Lowhenunhue and Maggerleede, had been abducted and taken to Kangaroo Island, off South Australia and sold as slaves.
A memorial to Truganini who was born in 1812 on Bruny Island. She was a daughter of Mangana, Chief of the Bruny Island people. Her name was the word her tribe used to describe the grey saltbush Atriplex cinerea. Before she was 18, her mother had been killed by whalers, her first fiance had died while saving her from abduction, and in 1828, her two sisters, Lowhenunhue and Maggerleede, had been abducted and taken to Kangaroo Island, off South Australia and sold as slaves.
Staircase in Bruny Island Lighthouse
Staircase in Bruny Island Lighthouse
The Neck near where we camped
Looking over the “Neck” near where we camped
Bruny Island Cruises.... well worth doing !!!
Bruny Island Cruises…. well worth doing !!! The other boat going through the “Monument”
The coastline was amazing
The coastline was amazing
"The monument"
“The monument”
It was stunning
It was stunning
An Australian Fur Seal
An Australian Fur Seal
A New Zealand Fur Seal
A New Zealand Fur Seal sleeping peacefully
Some of the cheeses at Bruny Island Cheese Company
Some of the cheeses at Bruny Island Cheese Company
Great cheeses
Great cheeses
This is not Bruny, but taken at home yesterday....cold, snowy and icy, although we were outside beside the new diesel heater...cosy
This is not Bruny, but taken at home yesterday….cold, snowy and icy, although we were outside beside the new diesel heater…cosy
Lucky we love the cold. We have been in Tassie for nearly one and a half years and have no desire to move. We love it here !!!!
Lucky we love the cold. We have been in Tassie for nearly one and a half years and have no desire to move. We love it here !!!!