Hop on a ferry from a town south of Hobart for a short journey across the D’Entrecasteaux Channel to an island fringed by beautiful, empty beaches and teeming with some of Tasmania’s most talented food and drink producers; this is Bruny Island. Despite being roughly the size of Singapore, the island has a permanent population of less than 1000, which should indicate the sense of remoteness you’ll feel when you’re here. By day, drop by cellar doors or walk the beach or bushland tracks. At night, feast on local produce finds on the deck of your rented beach shack, watching the crashing waves beyond, with a glass of fine Tasmanian wine in hand. Bruny Island offers the perfect holiday blend of nature, relaxation and indulgence.
Made up of two pieces of land (North and South Bruny) joined together by a narrow strip (The Neck), the island is a paradise for nature lovers, foodies and drinks connoisseurs eager to do what they love with relatively few else around. The only way to get to Bruny Island is by a 20-minute SeaLink Bruny Island ferry from Kettering, a 40-minute drive south of Hobart. The ferry runs about 20 times a day – check its timetable beforehand. As there are no taxis or public transport on the island, it’s recommended you bring your car over on the ferry.
Like most areas of Tasmania, Bruny Island has a cool temperate climate with four distinct seasons. The hottest month is January, with an average temperature of 17 degrees Celsius, and the coolest is in July when the average temperature is nine degrees Celsius.
A holiday to Bruny Island can be as indulgent or simple as you like it: the list of things to do ranges from cellar-door wine, gin and whisky tastings to easy or challenging multi-day hikes and nature spotting onboard a wilderness cruise. It really is a choose-your-own-adventure kind of destination.
If you prefer to explore the island with a local expert, choose from one of the many tours that package up the best experiences on the island into a neatly organised itinerary. It’s also a great way to fit more into a holiday (or you can follow our do-it-yourself day trip itinerary).
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Take full advantage of Bruny Island’s remote wilderness setting and pitch a tent at one of the island’s beautiful camping spots. It is also possible to bring your motorhome, camper trailer or caravan across the channel via the ferry and stay at one of Bruny’s caravan parks or campsites as well. Expect to fall asleep to the sound of lapping waves, as most sites butt up against the beach.
The rest of the accommodation on Bruny Island ranges from rustic lodge-style hotel rooms and self-contained apartments to luxury holiday homes. We’ve written a comprehensive accommodation guide to cover the best of the offering. Standouts include Cloudy Bay Beach House for its floor-to-ceiling windows and several decks with stunning coastal views; Cloudy Bay Villa, a light-filled, two-storey beach house with three bedrooms and an outdoor deck overlooking picturesque Whalebone Point; and for somewhere quirky, consider staying at the waterfront Free Spirit Pods.
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Bruny Island does have a few restaurants, including The Jetty Cafe at Dennes Point, Bruny Island Cruises Restaurant in Adventure Bay and Bruny Hotel Bistro. But eating here is mostly about picking up goods from the cellar doors of the local suppliers scattered around the island. You can even find a retro fridge on the side of the road stocked daily with fresh bread from the Bruny Island Baker.
Taste cheeses like white mould and washed rind washed down with a locally-made beer, tuck into fresh oysters at the island’s seaside farmgate, and bite into juicy berries at Bruny Island Raspberry Farm. And you have to leave room for Bruny Island’s honey, chocolate and fudge (you’ll also want to stock up on for when you get home).
Read our guide to feasting on Bruny Island for where to find the best restaurants and foodie experiences before you go.
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