Day 1 of our Freycinet Peninsula Circuit adventure

Freycinet Peninsula Circuit, Hiking, Tasmania, Trail Journal

Granite peaks, turquoise bays and windswept beaches — Day 1 on the Freycinet Circuit delivered coastal magic from the very first step.

Wineglass Bay carpark to Cooks Corner (side trip to Brians Beach) | 16km

After parking our rig in the Wineglass Bay visitor carpark and signing the trip register, we tightened our packs, took one last look at the car, and set off on Day 1 of our Freycinet Circuit journey.

The track was well formed, easy to follow and mostly flat, meaning we had the luxury of actually looking at our surroundings instead of staring at our feet.

Within a kilometre or so, glimpses of coastline flickered through the scrub to our right, while the granite Hazards rose sharply to our left — bold, rugged and impossible to ignore.

As the track gently climbed, the bush opened every hundred metres or so, revealing sweeping coastal views that stopped us mid-sentence more than once.

Blue skies and puffy white clouds drifted overhead and, for the first time in weeks, we felt properly warm — a sweet taste of spring at last.

After passing a handful of long-dry creek beds, we spotted the turquoise waters of Hazards Beach shimmering through the skinny trees.

We crossed paths with a few day walkers, likely tackling the five-hour circuit, fresh-legged and moving quickly.

Sand the colour of caramel met clear blue water in striking contrast, while Mount Freycinet — tomorrow’s challenge — loomed ahead, quietly reminding us what was still to come.

Sandy dunes bordered the beach, and gulls tap danced along the shoreline, shuffling their feet in search of food.

After a brief (and very windy) lunch break at Hazards Beach camp, the trail led us through dense bush over the headland.

The path narrowed and was hugged by bushes dotted in dainty yellow and pink blooms. We kept an eye out for tiger snakes after a warning from a local ranger — spring warmth brings them out too.

Within an hour, we were walking along the light, creamy shores of Cooks Beach, weaving past big grey boulders coated in bright orange lichen.

We reached Cooks Corner camp 30 minutes later, a strong ocean breeze practically ushering us into camp — salty, wild and unmistakably coastal.

After pitching our tent in a sheltered grassy patch and chatting briefly with a few fellow hikers, we set off on a 6km, two-hour return side trip to Bryans Beach.

A thin but easy-to-follow path guided us through the scrub to a sheltered cove with spectacular white sand and sparkling water — the kind of place that feels almost secret. We couldn’t believe our luck.

We lingered over a snack, soaking it all in — just us and a single anchored yacht bobbing offshore.

Bryans Beach, while not a formal campsite, offered a wide stretch of flat grass and would make a dreamy ocean-view camp for those in the know.

Back at Cooks camp just after 4pm, we filled our bottles — only one of the three tanks had water, so we were glad we hadn’t left it any later.

We enjoyed dinner inside the historic hut, just the two of us — despite several groups camping nearby.

Then ended the day with a stunning windswept sunset on the shores of Cooks Beach, before crawling into our tent, the sound of wind and rolling waves outside.