Easter weekend is the last big weekend to go out camping in Tasmania. It is more or less comparable to Labor Day weekend at home. I had the opportunity to join in on this and go on an overnight trip to Freycinet (pronounced Fray-SIN-ay) Peninsula on the eastern coast. Named by a French explorer, most of the peninsula is a national park. It's a lovely scenic place, popular with bushwalkers, campers, and wildlife lovers.
We headed out in the morning to see Wineglass Bay, which adorns many pictures of Tasmania. However, it's not easy to get to. The Australians who were on the beach seemed to prefer it that way, making visitors work to get there. I appreciate the remote nature of Wineglass Bay, but as I was huffing and puffing uphill I dearly wished for some sort of setup involving a ski lift.
The route to Wineglass Bay is between two mountains over what they call the saddle. The sign put up by park services describes it as "moderate." Being much more an academic than an athlete, I made a mental note to pass on any future walks considered "strenuous." It's a fairly pretty walk, although I only noticed that when I stopped for a bit of water. Otherwise I was watching my steps so I didn't twist an ankle. The path is littered with rocks, roots, and turns. It probably took 45 or 50 minutes to reach the top, where we were rewarded with a gorgeous panorama. Stretching out below in the distance was Wineglass Bay, looking very inviting after the rugged walk. The circular bay really does look like a wineglass, or at least two thirds of a wineglass. Quartzite sand gleamed white under the strong Tasmanian sun, and the bright turquoise water appeared serene from the lookout.
At the lookout I overheard several people remark, "It's too far." I thought quite the opposite. How could I get that close and not go down to the beach? Fortunately the people I was with felt the same, and we walked down for a picnic lunch and swim. There were other people on the beach, but not as many as I expected. I have a picture where it looks like I'm the only one there!
While Wineglass Bay is beautiful from the lookout, it's downright stunning from the beach. Outside magazine named it as one of the world's top ten beaches, and it's easy to see why. The water was amazingly clear and mesmerizing, partnered perfectly with the white sand. I didn't do much swimming because I didn't want to take my glasses off, as my vision is hopeless without them. (That and talk of a nearby seal colony that attracts sharks.) Even better than the water, which was a delightful temperature, was the vista before me. I had a wonderful time walking along, soaking in the scenery. Feeling poetic, I jotted down the following: There was never a wineglass with such wine as this. I am drunk on beauty.
The hard part was leaving. As the trees blocked my view of the blue water and the sound of crashing waves faded, I consoled myself with the thought of my comfortable bed and running water in Hobart.
Happily, other people alerted us to the presence of a wallaby near the end of the trail. It was a small wallaby, seemingly unbothered by the young children a couple of yards away. Instead its attention was on nibbling at the ground and an itch on one arm, which it scratched with the other in a human-like fashion. This marsupial eased the transition between the isolated, carefree beauty of Wineglass Bay and the reality of returning to Hobart.
There are some places that have to be experienced to truly appreciate the beauty, and Wineglass Bay is one of them. It was totally worth a night without running water - a statement I don't make lightly! I will cherish this experience, and my many pictures, forever.
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