Just a hop, skip and a jump from Hobart sits one of the most magnificent islands on Earth. It’s a big call, we know, but humour us and continue reading - you can make up your own mind at the end of the article. In the meantime, we’ll prepare our best ‘I-told-you-so’ dance.
A big part of Bruny’s charm is its sense of ‘other-where-ness’, despite being just an hour from Hobart. You can only access the island by ferry or plane and the scenery is wild and beautiful, all white sandy beaches, winding roads and abundant wildlife.
Our first case in point is the Bruny Island Neck, a skinny piece of land connecting the north and south parts of the island. Climb the 279 steps to the Truganini Memorial for sweeping 360 degree views of the island before following the walkway down to the enticingly long stretch of beach, keeping an eye out for fairy penguins. The water’s cold down here but if you have a thick wetsuit and/or a lack of concern for your core body temperature, brave the ocean for a quick dip.
Speaking of cold, if you head further south to the Cape Bruny Lighthouse you’ll be able to bask in the knowledge that there’s nothing but ocean between you and Antarctica. Pretty cool, huh? This is by far the most remote part of the island, a fact which is drilled home by the surrounding windswept cliffs and not-too-distant seal colony on the rocks below. For great views and a bit of history, book yourself in for a Lighthouse tour. Bonus points if you remember to pack binoculars.
Now that you’ve sampled the beauty of Bruny from the land, why not hop on a boat to explore the coastline from a different angle. Bruny Island Cruiseswill get you up close and personal with caves, cliffs and blowholes and keep you at a safe but photo-worthy distance from whales, dolphins and sea eagles. Excellent.
We could go on about the scenery all day but we need time to discuss the island’s other main drawcard: its food. The local food economy here has been self-sufficient for years and, to our great delight, they have exceptional taste. There’s the Penguin Café in Adventure Bay with its famous homemade curried seafood pies; Get Shucked, a cleverly named oyster bar which serves up the freshest oysters you’re ever likely to eat, expertly pairing them with crisp champagne; The Bruny Island Cheese Cowhich offers an incredible selection of cheeses, an open fireplace and accompaniments such as crusty wood-fired bread and homemade quince paste; the Bruny Island Berry Farm where you can pick your own berries or indulge in one of the a-la-carte creations (we strongly suggest the berry coulis and fresh yoghurt – both made in-house); and Bruny Island Providore, the provider of the island’s famous fudge, truffles and chocolates.
With the food side of things covered, we feel we should also mention that Bruny does beverages. Which beverages? All of them. There’s Bruny Island Beer Co, Bruny Island Premium Wines, which has bragging rights as Australia’s southern-most vineyard,Bruny Island Cider, and Bruny Island House of Whisky, which serves up single malt goodness day in day out.
So there you have it: breathtaking scenery, abundant wildlife, delicious food and more beverage options that you can poke a stick at. Shall we cue the music?
