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I thought I knew Tasmania until I set foot on Bruny Island. Jurassic cliffs, windswept beaches, untamed forests and crisp air – this tiny island feels so remote, despite being just a 20-minute ferry ride from Hobart. What surprised me most was that when I told my friends I was heading here for a weekend getaway, more than half had never even heard of it.
Bruny is basically Tasmania in miniature – an island off an island, just one island further out. From Hobart, it’s around a 35-minute drive to Kettering, where the vehicular ferry departs for Bruny (running every 20 minutes from 6.10am to 7pm during summer). Talk about remote yet ridiculously convenient!
The island itself is effectively split into two – North and South – joined by a narrow isthmus known as The Neck (also one of Australia’s best sunset lookouts). Driving the 100 kilometres from tip to tip would take roughly 1.5 hours, but the magic is in slowing down. Meet the artisan producers, walk the ancient tracks and discover the island’s rugged coastal beauty along the way.
Despite arriving on a full ferry, disembarking on Bruny Island hit me with an immediate sense of calm and isolation. I was one of the last cars off the ferry, with most travellers having already zoomed off on their adventures. I paused, taking it all in – the whisper of the wind, the calls of the seabirds and the crash of the waves hugging the coast.
The beauty of visiting a small island is that everything’s close at hand. With zero traffic, you can cover more in a single day here than you would in a typical city adventure – hiking, swimming, wining and dining... Bruny is literally your oyster. Speaking of oysters, they happen to shuck some of the best in Australia (get the mixed dozen at Get Shucked)!
Now, back to what makes Bruny so underrated – let’s start with the hikes. The island is home to two of Tasmania’s 60 Best Short Walks. My top pick is the Fluted Cape Circuit at the southern end of Adventure Bay. It’s a steep but rewarding climb, offering unbeatable bird’s-eye views of the Southern Ocean from some of Australia’s highest sea cliffs. Another must-do is the half-day Cape Queen Elizabeth Track, which winds through coastal forest before climbing up to 272 metres above sea level, revealing sweeping coastal vistas across The Neck. On both hikes, I passed only two other groups – and that’s saying a lot, given these are probably the island’s two most popular trails.
The beaches on Bruny are just as underrated as its hikes. Adventure Bay, on the island’s south side, is the standout, having ranked fifth on Tourism Australia’s Best Australian Beaches in 2023. Facing east and nicely sheltered, its waters are clear and relatively calm, and there’s lots to do in the area: cruises, kayaking, whale-watching, seal-spotting, hiking and looking for the elusive albino wallaby. Even in summer, I had the beach almost entirely to myself, sharing the sand only with a handful of picnickers.
Cloudy Bay is another wild, remote stretch of sparkling shore, ideal for surfers, while Mabel Bay, recommended to me by a local, offers a more off-the-beaten-path spot for a refreshing dip. Wherever you choose to swim, the cool water is as crisp as the fresh air and is bound to leave you feeling completely revitalised.
Beyond its convenient remoteness, natural beauty, epic walks and calm beaches, Bruny Island has plenty more underrated experiences on offer. We’d be here all day if I listed them all out, so I’ll give a special mention to its world-class gourmet food scene, its exceptional boutique stays (hello Tunnel Tasmania), and its towering lighthouse – Australia’s second-oldest surviving.