Australia
On the eastern coast of Tasmania, where the Hazards — a chain of pink granite mountains — rise dramatically from the Tasman Sea, Freycinet National Park protects one of Australia's most spectacular coastal landscapes. The park's centrepiece is Wineglass Bay, a perfect crescent of white sand framed by the pink granite peaks and turquoise water that has been voted one of the world's top ten beaches with a consistency that suggests the accolade is not mere marketing.
The character of Freycinet is defined by its granite. The Hazards — named by early European navigators who considered them a hazard to coastal shipping — are composed of a distinctive pink granite whose colour intensifies in the warm light of morning and evening, transforming from salmon to rose to deep crimson as the sun moves across the sky. This geological distinctiveness gives Freycinet a visual character found in few other coastal parks: the combination of pink rock, white sand, and turquoise water creates a colour palette of almost unnatural beauty.
The hiking in Freycinet ranges from short, accessible walks to multi-day wilderness circuits. The Wineglass Bay Lookout track — a moderate climb of about an hour return — rewards with the iconic view that has graced a million postcards. The descent to the beach adds another hour, and the sand, when reached, is as fine and white as it appeared from above. The Freycinet Peninsula Circuit — a two-to-three-day hike — explores the park's wilder eastern coast, where deserted beaches, rock pools, and the occasional Tasmanian devil track in the sand provide a bushwalking experience of authentic wildness.
The marine environment around Freycinet is exceptionally rich. Bottlenose dolphins frequent the bays, Australian fur seals haul out on the rocky points, and little penguins — the world's smallest penguin species — waddle ashore at dusk to their burrows in the coastal scrub. The waters are home to weedy and leafy sea dragons — bizarre, beautifully camouflaged relatives of the seahorse that drift through kelp forests like animated pieces of seaweed. Oyster farms in the nearby Great Oyster Bay produce Pacific oysters of superb quality.
Freycinet National Park is approximately two and a half hours' drive from Hobart, Tasmania's capital. The gateway town of Coles Bay offers accommodation ranging from bush camping to luxury lodges. Cruise ships visiting Tasmania sometimes include Freycinet as a tender stop. The best time to visit is October through April, with summer (December to February) offering the warmest swimming temperatures. Tasmania's maritime climate means weather can change quickly — layers and rain gear are advisable even in summer.