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Young family at Grass Point, South Bruny National Park.
Grass Point, South Bruny National Park (photograph: Chris Crerar)

South Bruny National Park

Wild seascapes, rich birdlife, and tall forests.

Find out more

FeaturesExpand/Collapse

  • Camping
  • Fishing
  • Kayaking
  • Overnight walk
  • Picnic facilities
  • Short walk
  • Swimming
  • Toilets

ContactExpand/Collapse

  • Bruny Island Field Centre
    c/- Alonnah Post Office
    Bruny Island TAS 7150
    Phone: 03 6293 1419

About

​There is something about Bruny Island that captures the imagination of those who visit and no place is this more evident than in South Bruny National Park – a place beloved for its striking landscapes and diverse coastal scenery.

South Bruny National Park’s towering cliffs are a spectacle set against the wild Southern Ocean. Atop one of the southern headlands is Cape Bruny Lighthouse, first lit in 1838 and today offering a fascinating insight into the history of this rugged coastline. Nearby Cloudy Bay is popular with surfers and ideal for long walks on the beach. You may even find yourself watching southern right and humpback whales on their annual migration as you explore the beaches and headlands of South Bruny.

Discovering the park on foot provides you with an opportunity to immerse yourself in the landscape – an experience enhanced by plentiful birdlife, coastal heathland and sweeping vistas. A visit to the short-tailed shearwater and little penguin colonies at the Bruny Neck is sure to be a highlight, not least for its iconic isthmus views.

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With beautiful walks along the coastline, lush rainforest to explore, and a rich history, South Bruny National Park is packed with remarkable experiences that will make your visit here a memorable one.

Situated at the southern tip of Bruny Island, and encompassing all of the coastline as well as some of the land between Fluted Cape and Great Taylor's Bay, the park offers numerous opportunities for walkers of all abilities. From the family-friendly track to an old whaling station at Grass Point, to the more challenging six-hour circuit on Labillardiere Peninsula, you can expect to see beautiful coastal scenery, abundant birdlife, and colourful patches of wildflowers and orchids.

Fluted Cape Track, one of the 60 Great Short Walks, provides the chance to spot sea eagles overhead, but the track is steep and there are unprotected cliff edges, so it's best left to experienced walkers. Even if you're not tackling the track, keep an eye out around the Fluted Cape entrance to the park for Bruny's unique white wallabies feeding in the paddocks at dusk.

Other species to watch out for as you make your way around the island include pademelons​, echidnas, wombats and brush-tailed possums. Bird-enthusiasts will enjoy the prospect of seeing swift parrots or hooded plovers, just two of the 120 bird species recorded on the island, and there are short-tailed shearwater and penguin rookeries dotted along the coastline. During migration season, there's a chance you'll spot humpback or southern right whales in the shallow, protected waters of Adventure Bay. 

Adventure Bay and Jetty Beach are both lovely stretches of sand that provide safe, sheltered spots for swimming, while Cloudy Bay is a popular destination for experienced surfers. Beaches are unpatrolled, and surfers should be mindful of strong rips.

To learn about some of the island's history, and admire the towering dolerite cliffs, head to Cape Bruny. The Cape Bruny Lighthouse is the second oldest lighthouse in Australia, and tours are available. Alternatively, explore the grounds and take some time to look out over the spectacular Southern Ocean, knowing the next stop south is Antarctica.

Camping is available within the park. For more details see Camping in South Bruny National Park. ​

​South Bruny National Park provides key habitat for a number of threatened species, particularly bird life. The hooded plover uses the sandy beaches and dunes to nest, and the swift parrot depends on blue gums for its specialised diet. Partridge Island protects one of the largest surviving colonies of the endangered forty-spotted pardalote. 

The vegetation of the park also has significant conservation value, and can be categorised into four distinct zones: coastal plant communities that receive a lot of salt water and spray; diverse heathland communities that include many species of orchid, including beautiful Christmas bells, and rare chestnut leek orchids; eucalypt scrub, dominated by black peppermint trees; and eucalypt forest dominated by brown-top stringybark. ​

The marine environment surrounding the park is home to seals and whales. The Australian fur seal, the most common seal in Tasmanian waters, can be seen around The Friars, and if you’re lucky enough you may encounter a rare visitor to the park, a leopard seal that has come ashore to rest. Leopard seals are the only seal to regularly prey on warm-blooded animals such as penguins, birds and other seals.

For more information on our wildlife please see Tasmania's wildlife.

Visit our caring for wildlife page for more information on interacting with and protecting our native animals.

Bruny Island was home to the Nuenonne clan of the South East nation of Tasmanian Aboriginal people, and the South Bruny National Park contains a number of important Aboriginal sites, including middens, quarries and artefact scatters. 

​On 15 January 1802, members of the Baudin expedition met with a group of some 60 Aboriginal men, women and children in Great Taylors Bay. The clan made frequent voyages between Bruny Island and the mainland and on occasions to the Tasman Peninsula directly across Storm Bay. They built huts, recorded at Adventure Bay in 1792 by Tobin who was Bligh's third lieutenant on the "Providence". 

The hinterland of the park provided food sources in the form of vegetable foods and game. There are signs of active hunting practices from regularly burned thick vegetation to make it easier to travel through and to encourage new growth to attract game. The Aboriginal heritage of the park and reserves on Bruny has a strong and continuing significance to the Tasmanian Aboriginal community. 

The first European to visit the region was Abel Tasman, who sailed along the shore in 1642, and the safe anchorage of Adventure Bay was later used by Tobias Furneaux, James Cook and William Bligh. French Admiral Bruni D'Entrecasteaux anchored in the bay in 1792 and gave his name to both the island and the channel that separates Bruny Island from the mainland.

In the early 19th century, whaling was carried out in Adventure Bay. There were whaling stations at Cloudy Bay and Grass Point in the north of the park where structural remains can still be seen today. With a focus on catching southern right whales during their annual migration, the industry was not sustainable. The drastic decline in whale numbers which resulted from over-exploitation saw the whaling industry collapse by the late 1840s. 

South Bruny National Park map Buy a map from TasMap
​​

Bruny Island lies just off the south-east coast of Tasmania, and a short journey by vehicle and passenger ferry from Kettering is required to access the island. Kettering is about 40 minutes from Hobart via Kingston on A6 and then B68.

The ferry departs regularly throughout the day, and there is currently no requirement to book in advance, but you should allow plenty of additional time during peak periods such as Easter. The 15-minute ferry ride lands on Bruny Island at Roberts Point. From there, travel by road (sealed and unsealed) to the southern part of the island.​​

Further ferry information can be found by visiting​ Sealink Bruny Island​.​​


Where possible, please avoid driving in our reserves at night. You are sharing the roads with our native wildlife, so take it slow and watch out for animals on the road.

​It's recommended to fill your car up with fuel before you arrive on Bruny Island. The only fuel available on the island is at Adventure Bay General Store. 

There is no ATM on the island and it is recommended that visitors planning to camp carry some cash.

​Find out other essential information for visiting Tasmania's parks and reserves on our know before you go section.

Take care on roads, particularly gravel roads and observe changing traffic condition signage. ​​

Experiences in South Bruny National Park

Tour the grounds of Australia’s second oldest lighthouse and enjoy sweeping views of the ocean at Cape Bruny in the South Bruny National Park.

South Bruny National Park

Cape Bruny Lighthouse

Tour the grounds of Australia’s second oldest lighthouse and enjoy sweeping views of the ocean at Cape Bruny in the South Bruny National Park.

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4 hours return, 12km, Grade 4

A long stretch of windswept beach and panoramic coastal views make East Cloudy Head a must-do walk in South Bruny National Park.

South Bruny National Park

East Cloudy Head

A long stretch of windswept beach and panoramic coastal views make East Cloudy Head a must-do walk in South Bruny National Park.

4 hours return, 12km, Grade 4
Read more
Fishing on the rocks at Friendly Beaches, Freycinet National Park

Tasmania has a wealth of excellent inland and ocean fishing locations where you can cast your line.

Statewide

Fishing

Tasmania has a wealth of excellent inland and ocean fishing locations where you can cast your line.

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2.5 hours return, 4km, walk clockwise only. A shorter, easier walk to Grass Point is also an option, Grade 4

A rich history, spectacular scenery, close-up wildlife and a variety or walking opportunities make Bruny Island a wonderful destination. You can see a lot on a day trip but, if you can, stay overnight as there’s plenty to see and do. The Grass Point walk is easy, will suit children and features some stunning coastal scenery.

South Bruny National Park

Fluted Cape

A rich history, spectacular scenery, close-up wildlife and a variety or walking opportunities make Bruny Island a wonderful destination. You can see a lot on a day trip but, if you can, stay overnight as there’s plenty to see and do. The Grass Point walk is easy, will suit children and features some stunning coastal scenery.

2.5 hours return, 4km, walk clockwise only. A shorter, easier walk to Grass Point is also an option, Grade 4
Read more
1.5 hours return, 4km return, Grade 2

Located within South Bruny National Park, the walk to Grass Point is an easy track which offers spectacular coastal views and a peek at the ruins of an old whaling station.

South Bruny National Park

Grass Point

Located within South Bruny National Park, the walk to Grass Point is an easy track which offers spectacular coastal views and a peek at the ruins of an old whaling station.

1.5 hours return, 4km return, Grade 2
Read more
5.5-6.5 hour circuit, 18km return, Grade 4

This track circuits the Labillardiere Peninsula, within the South Bruny National Park, one of the more remote corners of Bruny Island. The coastal and bush walk provides some great views of the Southern Ranges.

South Bruny National Park

Labillardiere Peninsula

This track circuits the Labillardiere Peninsula, within the South Bruny National Park, one of the more remote corners of Bruny Island. The coastal and bush walk provides some great views of the Southern Ranges.

5.5-6.5 hour circuit, 18km return, Grade 4
Read more

Accommodation

Stay Overnight

  • South Bruny camping

Easy access to the beach and beautiful ocean views are all part of the package at these South Bruny National Park campgrounds.

Bookings and more info

South Bruny camping