Things to do on Bruny Island: The Perfect One-Day Itinerary

When it comes to dreamy island destinations around the Australia, Bruny Island ties neck and neck with most – all slow-paced, idyllic vibes, oysters aplenty and magical settings that feel quintessentially Australian. 

In a dream world, you’d have several days or even a week to explore this pristine part of Tasmania, but it’s definitely doable as a day trip. Before you head off, there’s a few things to keep in mind. 

The first is provisions – Bruny Island doesn’t have any big supermarkets or an abundance of petrol stations (there’s only one!) so make sure you’ve got snacks, water and petrol before you set off. A hot tip: bring a cheese knife, a cooler bag and even an ice pack if you can.

The second tip is to get your ferry timing just right. While you can pre-book a ticket, you can’t reserve your place on the ferry. In school holiday times and on weekends, the queue to get on the ferry can be hours long if you leave it too late in the day, so the earlier you reach the terminal at Kettering the better. 

Also, don’t rely on getting the last ferry back from Bruny Island. Remember that other day-tripping visitors might have the same idea, so make sure you allow plenty of time to join the queue and get back across to mainland Tasmania. 

Lastly, much of South Bruny is a national park, so if you plan to venture down there, ensure you jump online and buy a daily parks pass beforehand to avoid being fined.

Without further ado, allow us to show you our guide of things to do on Bruny Island, for that perfect one-day experience. 

First Stop: Oysters…and Cheese!

Even though we did advise you to bring snacks, we couldn’t make a things to do on Bruny Island itinerary without telling you to make two very famous stops on your way in – oyster bar, Get Shucked and The Bruny Island Cheese Co. 

Get Shucked opens at 9.30am, and it’s best to get in early, especially if you’re spending the day exploring. If you wait to get oysters on your way back, they could be sold out or the shop could be closed. This is where your cooler bag and the drive-thru line will come in handy! If you’ve got longer on Bruny Island, you can chill with a local wine and enjoy the view with your oyster lunch.

A little further down the main road is the Bruny Island Cheese Co. Pull in here for a coffee and stock up on some local cheese (and baked goods and craft beer, if you like). This is where the cheese knife will come in handy later if you want to stop for a picnic.

735 Bruny Island Main Road, Great Bay

1807 Bruny Island Main Road, Great Bay

Grab a photo at The Neck

It wouldn’t be a Bruny Island itinerary without a stop at the Neck, also located on the main road. This narrow strip of land joins North Bruny and South Bruny and offers a unique photo opp at the Truganini lookout, which plenty of visitors flock to. It’s worth waiting for a car spot to become free but at peak times you might need to be patient. 

Once you’ve nabbed a park, head up the 200+ stairs to enjoy the incredible sweeping outlook. On one side, there’s calm and beautiful bays, while on the other there’s nothing but wild ocean. 

At the top, there’s also a memorial to Truganini, the Nuenonne woman who was born on Bruny Island / lunawanna-alonnah in the 1800s and worked tirelessly to unite the Aboriginal people of Tasmania / lutruwita after colonisation. 

Bruny Island Main Road, North Bruny

Quick pitstop: Bruny Island Baker

A classic Tassie experience is pulling over to pick up local fare at a roadside stall, and one of the most famous on Bruny Island is the bread fridge located just past the Neck on the way to Alonnah. 

Stocked at around 9am each day, you can pick up loaves of sourdough and fruit bread for $8 and pop your cash in the honesty box at the bottom of the fridge. If you’re not carrying any money, there’s bank transfer info on the door. Don’t leave here without a bag of Anzac biscuits – this is what the locals come for.

Sheepwash Road, Alonnah

Head south to the lighthouse

While North Bruny is largely farmland, South Bruny has lots to see. While there’s plenty of gorgeous vistas to take in, the Cape Bruny Lighthouse is a must-visit thanks to its combination of stunning views and fascinating Tasmanian history. 

Walk up from the carpark to where the lighthouse stands to take in the sweeping outlook of the rugged South Bruny coastline and snap pics of the exterior of the 114-metre lighthouse, built in 1836. 

If you have the time, join the only guided lighthouse tour in southern Tassie – it’s the only way you can access the top of the lighthouse. You’ll also learn about the building’s convict history and the fascinating stories of its keepers over the years.

1750 Lighthouse Road, South Bruny

Explore Adventure Bay

After your lighthouse experience, backtrack up to Adventure Bay, which is on the east side of the island. If you didn’t buy enough bread, cheese and oysters (or you’ve already eaten through your supply!) stop at Hotel Bruny on Main Road in Alonnah, a casual pub featuring local fare.

Probably the most aptly-named spot on Bruny Island, there’s loads to do at Adventure Bay and it’s a great place to spend a few hours exploring. If you skipped the lunch stop, kick things off with a picnic at Adventure Bay Beach before setting off to look for the elusive white wallaby. There’s only around 200 of these adorable animals living on the island, and Adventure Bay is known to be a hot-spot for finding them. 

Lucky visitors who’ve seen them suggest going on one of the area’s walks and keeping your eyes peeled for flashes of white in the bush. The Fluted Cape Track is a stunning (if not slightly gruelling) 2.5 hour hike that begins with an easy walk to Grass Point before curving past Penguin Island and climbing up Fluted Cape for some magnificent cliff top views. 

If you’re short on time and energy, it’s 1.5 hours return to Grass Point. Chances are if you don’t see a white wallaby, you might see a seal sunning itself on the rocks or even a whale in the distance.

If you’d rather be the passenger and have a few hours spare, Bruny Island Cruises operates a three-hour boat tour from Adventure Bay and gives you the chance to spot wildlife as well as explore the sea caves and rocky outcrops that make up the Bruny coastline.

Adventure Bay, Bruny Island

Find the Arch

If you have time after your day of exploring, a fun detour en route to the ferry terminal is the Cape Queen Elizabeth Track to find the Bruny Island Arch.

It’s a bit of a trek to get there, but if you started your day early enough and didn’t do lighthouse tours or three-hour cruises, you should be able to squeeze it in. The walk is easy and takes you along a wide, flat trail. It’s best to go at low tide, when the trail goes along the beach and takes just over an hour return. You can still get to the Arch at high tide, but you’ll need to take a different, slightly longer route over Mars Bluff (about two hours return). 

After following the trail past Little Lagoon and Big Lagoon you’ll soon spot the Arch, an incredible rock formation on Miles Beach created by years of wild winds and seas. The entire Cape Queen Elizabeth Track is a fantastic walk, but is 12km all up – so during a day trip, the 6-7km hike out to the Arch and back is probably all you can manage.

Bruny Island Main Road, Great Bay

Head back to the ferry

Allow plenty of time before the last ferry, as the queue peaks towards the end of the day. You’ll likely be stuck in the car for a while, so make sure you have some cash handy to run across to the cherry stand on the main road. Nothing like a locally-grown sugar hit to send you off on your way.

Enjoyed our guide of things to do on Bruny Island and eager to set sail for more adventures? Check out our guide of island destinations around Australia, discover our Flinders Island accommodation favourites, or start planning a mega-trip around the state with our list of things to do in Tasmania. Cataract Gorge tour, anyone? 

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