Bruny Island

Bruny Island is an island of stunning natural beauty, close to Hobart in Tasmania. It's a possible day-trip from Hobart, but with boutique accommodation and plenty to offer for longer stays. The island is divided into North and South Bruny, joined by a narrow, picturesque isthmus called the Neck.

Understand


North Bruny is mainly farmland, and is relatively flat. South Bruny is more mountainous, and is more heavily forested.

The main towns for visitors are Adventure Bay on South Bruny. This is where the cruises depart from, and is adjacent to one of the three discrete sections of South Bruny National Park. There is accommodation here, and a bowling club for drinks and meals. If you are going to spot one of the White Wallabies, along the national park track here at dusk is your best chance, and the rainforest and walks are in the hills just about the town.

Not far from Adventure Bay is the town of Allonah. Here you'll find the post office, pharmacy, the pub, cricket club, school, medical centre, Police station and history room. The Bruny Island winery is five minutes south of Allonah.

There are smaller settlements, a few cafes and produce centres scattered around the Island with local produce.

South Bruny National Park
Parts of South Bruny, including Cape Bruny Lighthouse and a few bushwalking trails, are protected as South Bruny National Park and require a parks pass to visit. The park is an important wildlife reserve for sealife.



Points of interests mentioned on this page that are within South Bruny National Park will be marked with ( SBNP ) next to the description.

Wildlife
The island's vegetation includes sparse eucalyptus forests and heathland. Only a small portion consists of true forest and temperate rainforest. Extensive stocks of kelp seaweed are found in the sheltered parts of the sea.

Wallabies, possums, short-beaked echidnas and Tasmanian pademelons live on the island. Unfortunately, there are no wombats and Tasmanian devils. Bruny Island is particularly well-known for its albino wallabies, which have proliferated on parts of the island due to the lack of predators. A colony of fairy penguins lives at the Neck and can be seen returning from the sea in the evening (see below).

Visitor information

 * Tourism website

Get in
Kettering, the gateway to Bruny Island, is around 30 minutes drive south from Hobart, through the sleepy townships of Margate, Snug and Oyster Cove. For a more interesting drive, you can divert through Kingston Beach and Blackmans Bay. From Kettering, you can catch the car ferry, The Mirambeena, across to Bruny Island. The ferry costs $46 return per car (slightly cheaper off-peak). You pay the full amount at Kettering, and the return trip is "free". Helpful maps of Bruny Island are available at the Kettering ferry terminal. The crossing takes around 15 minutes, and the ferry departs promptly. You're expected to be there around 15 minutes ahead of the ferry departure time. There's a passenger lounge on the ferry if you're interested, or you can stay in your car. If taking a rental car, make sure to check in advance that you're allowed to take it on the ferry.

At the Kettering and Roberts Bay termini you can buy snacks and coffee. There are also public toilets at the terminals, but none on the ferry.

There is no car hire on Bruny, so you'll have to hire a car from Hobart. Some hire car companies don't allow their cars to be driven on to the island, so check before you book. Even those that do, may not insure you for an accident on the ferry. This is difficult to avoid if you aren't bringing your own car.

Foot passengers are carried on the ferry free of charge, but it is difficult to take advantage of this bargain offer, with no public transport available at either ferry terminus.

If you are taking the tour of the island, the tour company offers a connecting bus.

Bruny Island has a small airport for general aviation and charters. The airport is not within walking distance of any accommodation or facilities, so you'll need to arrange for someone to pick you up.

Get around
Bruny Island is approximately 100 km from one end to the other. The main road stretches the length of the island (Bruny Island Main Road (B66)), with branch roads to towns, beaches and attractions. Expect to take around 45 minutes to drive between the ferry and Adventure Bay or Allonah at the north of the South Island. Then another half an hour or so from there down to Cape Bruny.

The advisory speed limit drops to 45 km/h on many parts of the main road between dusk and dawn - due to the danger of hitting wildlife. Insurance on many rental cars does not cover damage done to their cars hitting wildlife between dusk and dawn.

The common ways to explore are by private car or by tour. There is no scheduled public transport on the island. There are no facilities provided on the narrow shoulders for cyclists.

Strictly observe speed limits to protect wildlife – unlike the rest of Tasmania, the maximum limit on Bruny Island is (including "changing road conditions" limits), not 100 km/h. Speed limits can drastically drop in wildlife-abundant areas, such as The Neck.

Do

 * The Fluted Cape is a 2.5-hour 4-km walk going through the eastern parts of the island, popular for wildlife watching. ( SBNP )
 * Grass Point trail is an easy trail, leading you to a former whaling station before whaling was officially banned. ( SBNP )
 * Where's Tasmania's Cape Le Grand, you ask (no, that's not Freycinet)? The 12 km (return) East Cloudy Head trail to, well, you guessed it, East Cloudy Head passes through some of Tasmania's whitest beaches. Out of the 6 km, 3 km of the trail is unmarked along Cloudy Bay Beach, while the other 3 km encompasses an old 4WD trail before you finally arrive at the peak of East Cloudy Head. ( SBNP )
 * Grass Point trail is an easy trail, leading you to a former whaling station before whaling was officially banned. ( SBNP )
 * Where's Tasmania's Cape Le Grand, you ask (no, that's not Freycinet)? The 12 km (return) East Cloudy Head trail to, well, you guessed it, East Cloudy Head passes through some of Tasmania's whitest beaches. Out of the 6 km, 3 km of the trail is unmarked along Cloudy Bay Beach, while the other 3 km encompasses an old 4WD trail before you finally arrive at the peak of East Cloudy Head. ( SBNP )



Buy
Supplies are available at the General Store in Allonah, the store in Adventure Bay, and at the shop at the ferry wharf at Roberts Bay.

Eat
There are a range of places to eat on Bruny, but the choice is much wider for lunch than for dinner. Throughout the day you can graze through the produce trail, trying cheeses, sausages, oysters, honey, fudge and wines. Most establishments work together to showcase what is produced on the island. If you travel down to Bruny Island Wines at Lunawannah, you'll get a choice of their wines, and can also purchase a tasting plate of local cheeses, or oysters, or honey, or other farm produce. Similarly you can stop at Bruny Island cheeses, and they'll be happy to give you a cheese plate and a glass of local wines.



There are a range of boutique offerings on Bruny Island as well, including:

Given the size and nature of the island, most of the establishments are owner-run, and can close in periods of low demand.

Drink
Bruny Island is home to the southern-most licenced pub in Australia and the country's most-southern vineyard.



Sleep
Please also see accommodation on Huon Trail.

Connect
There is a payphone by the ferry wharf, and in Adventure Bay at Allonah. Optus and Telstra have towers on the island, but the terrain and distances mean that there is no reception even on parts of the main road. Broadly speaking, reception is better on North Bruny than South Bruny. Optus has better reception than Telstra.

There is a post-office at Allonah, and a post-box at the ferry wharf.

Media

 * Bruny News is a monthly community-run newsletter with charming local news stories and information about local events and businesses. Available for $3 at the Adventure Bay store.

Stay safe

 * Road conditions deteriorate in and after rain, particularly in the more rainforest and steep areas of the South Island may not be suitable for 2WD traffic in parts.
 * Observe speed limits. 50 km/h in built-up areas, otherwise 90 km/h on sealed roads (not 100 km/h as found on mainland Tasmania) and 80 km/h on gravel.
 * Watch out for wildlife on the roads - particularly at night.
 * Check ferry times. Last ferry leaves before 7PM most nights
 * Always notify somebody if you are going bushwalking and carry a (NextG) mobile phone if possible.
 * Carry an EPIRB if boating and wear life jackets

Stay healthy
There is a 24-hour accident and emergency service on Bruny Island, and an ambulance. Call 000.

There is a pharmacy in Allonah.

Go next
Your only options are back on the mainland – Huonville, Hartz Mountains National Park and Kingston are all nearby.