Bay of Fires road trip: a Tasmania east coast plan

Bay of Fires road trip planning starts with St Helens, the largest town on Tasmania's north-east coast. Binalong Bay marks the southern end of the bay and is 9 km from St Helens. The bay runs north to Eddystone Point. The bay has white beaches, blue water and orange granite. A lichen gives the granite its colour.

Sources for this section: Parks and Wildlife Service Tasmania (PWS), Bay of Fires Conservation Area, Introduction; Wikipedia, Bay of Fires; Wikipedia, St Helens, Tasmania; Wikipedia, Binalong Bay.

Why the Bay of Fires

Tobias Furneaux named the bay in 1773. He commanded the ship Adventure, which sailed on James Cook's second voyage. That year Furneaux explored much of the south and east coasts of what is now Tasmania.

The Parks and Wildlife Service Tasmania (PWS) says Furneaux noticed numerous fires along the coast. This led him to believe the land was densely populated. The PWS adds that abundant evidence of Aboriginal people living there can still be seen along the coast today. It asks visitors not to disturb the Aboriginal middens, which are shell and bone deposits in the sand dunes. The middens are protected sites.

Sources for this section: PWS, Bay of Fires Conservation Area, Introduction; Wikipedia, Tobias Furneaux.

The route from Launceston or Hobart

Hobart and Launceston both link to St Helens by the Tasman Highway.

• From Hobart: the highway runs through places including Sorell, Orford, Swansea and Bicheno on its way to St Helens. Wikipedia's list of major intersections puts St Helens 249 km from Hobart.
• From Launceston: the highway runs through Scottsdale to St Helens. Wikipedia puts St Helens about 160 km east of Launceston.
• To Eddystone Point: the PWS says gravel roads lead to the southern end of Mount William National Park, near Eddystone Point. They run from St Helens via Ansons Bay (roads C843 and C846), or from Gladstone on road C843. To reach Gladstone from Launceston, the PWS says to travel via Scottsdale (roads A3 and B82) or via the East Tamar and Bridport (roads A8 and B82).

The PWS reminds drivers that between sunset and sunrise they share the road with wildlife.

Sources for this section: Wikipedia, Tasman Highway; Wikipedia, St Helens, Tasmania; PWS, Mt William National Park, Access.

Beach stops and things to see

The PWS says things to do in the Bay of Fires area include camping, boating, bird watching, fishing, swimming, surfing and walking. It splits the bay into northern, middle and southern sections.

Binalong Bay is a small coastal town. Wikipedia says it has a beach and a small harbour known as the gulch.

The southern section is in the Bay of Fires Conservation Area. The PWS says this section is a 13 km stretch of coast between Binalong Bay and The Gardens. To reach the southern section, the PWS says to take Binalong Bay Road (road C850) out of St Helens, then turn left onto road C848 at the sign for The Gardens. It says this is a sealed road that ends at private land at The Gardens.

The PWS adds that you can glimpse a scenic view of the bay by driving along the coast to The Gardens. Lady Jane Franklin, the wife of Governor John Franklin, named The Gardens. The PWS lists Taylors Beach and The Gardens Beach as day use only, with no facilities.

The middle section is near Ansons Bay. The PWS says you can reach it through Policemans Point or along the northern shore of Ansons Bay. You cannot cross the Ansons Bay outlet.

The northern section runs from the northern shore of the Ansons Bay outlet to Eddystone Point and lies inside Mount William National Park. The PWS says you can reach this section from Eddystone Road, just before the Eddystone Lighthouse. It says there is foot access only to Abbotsbury Beach, a 15 minute walk over the sand dunes. It says dogs are prohibited in this section because it is within a national park. The lighthouse car park has a toilet, a place to launch boats and picnic facilities. Picnic Rocks has picnic facilities and a pit toilet.

Sources for this section: PWS, Bay of Fires Conservation Area, Introduction; PWS, Bay of Fires Conservation Area, Southern Section; PWS, Bay of Fires Conservation Area, Northern Section; Wikipedia, Binalong Bay.

Camping along the bay

The PWS names these campsites in the southern section: Grants Lagoon, Jeanneret Beach (a day use area, with campsites at the adjoining Round Hill), Swimcart Beach, Cosy Corner, Sloop Reef, and Sloop Lagoon and Big Lagoon. It says none of them has water, firewood or rubbish collection, so bring your own water and firewood and take all rubbish away. The maximum stay at each is four weeks. It says Sloop Reef, Sloop Lagoon and Big Lagoon have no toilet, so bring your own.

The PWS page on the southern section also says food and petrol must be obtained from St Helens. For camping with facilities, it says to use the commercial caravan parks in the townships.

In the northern section, the PWS says the area is for day use only and tells visitors to carry drinking water. For camping, it points to Deep Creek, just north of Eddystone Point. It says the turn-off is on the left before the Eddystone Lighthouse. Facilities at Deep Creek include bore water, untreated tank water and pit toilets. Dogs are not allowed at the Deep Creek campground.

The PWS says park entry fees apply for the northern section. It points to its Camping and Cabin Fees page for camping costs. It also says there are no shops in the area. Bring your own food.

Sources for this section: PWS, Bay of Fires Conservation Area, Southern Section; PWS, Bay of Fires Conservation Area, Northern Section.

A simple two day plan

1. Day 1: drive to St Helens, then use Binalong Bay Road and road C848 to visit Binalong Bay and The Gardens. Camp at a southern campsite or return to St Helens.
2. Day 2: take the gravel roads from St Helens via Ansons Bay to Eddystone Point, then walk over the dunes to Abbotsbury Beach. Camp at Deep Creek or return to St Helens.

The PWS pages cited here were last updated in June and July 2008 (the three Bay of Fires pages) and January 2013 (the Mount William access page). Check with the PWS for current fees and rules, and check the road and weather before you go.

Sources for this section: PWS, Bay of Fires Conservation Area, Introduction; PWS, Bay of Fires Conservation Area, Southern Section; PWS, Bay of Fires Conservation Area, Northern Section; PWS, Mt William National Park, Access.