Touring Tasmania – Orford to Swansea

View of East Coast of Tasmania

This coastal drive between Orford and the Freycinet Peninsula gives travellers some of the most stunning coastal scenery in the whole of Australia. This is the kind of journey which should be savoured and remembered for years to come, therefore we hadn’t set ourselves any time limits; we planned to amble along, stopping at places where it was safe to do so and taking in the wonderful views around us. Here are some of the features, both natural and man-made, to be seen on this leg of the journey:

Great Oyster Bay
There are numerous spots long the way from where you can get fantastic views of the expansive Great Oyster Bay. This is a huge sweeping bay, spreading across to the Freycinet Peninsula and has the town of Swansea at the eastern end and Coles Bay at the western end. Great Oyster Bay is actually farmed for oysters and other shellfish and marine vegetables.

Berry Farms and Wineries
Onwards towards Swansea you have the opportunity to stock up on local berries and wine supplies, as there are a number of wineries and berry farms just outside Swansea. Kate’s Berry Farm is a highly recommended stop on your tour because not only do you get to sample the different berry products made here you can sit and admire the great view.

Wineries in the area include Freycinet, Coombend and Apsley Gorge and you might be pleasantly surprised by the different palate you’ll experience with these cool climate wines.

Spiky Bridge
When you see Spiky Bridge it’s easy to understand why it’s called this, but why it was built like this is not as apparent!

Located 7.5 kilometres (4.5 miles) from Swansea, Spiky Bridge was built by convicts (like so many other structures on Tasmania) in the early 1840’s. On either side of the bridge the edges have randomly sized spikes of rock sticking up out of them, which have been set into the mortar. We couldn’t figure out whether this was done for decoration and was part of the original design, or whether it was done this way for another reason entirely. One theory though, is that these spikes were put here to stop cattle falling of the bridge!

For all you East Coast accommodation requirements including Orford accommodation and Swansea accommodation, visit Book it Now for a great selection and great rates.

‘Orford to Swansea’ by Claire Bolgil