The best things to do on Bruny Island

Bruny Island packs a remarkable variety of experiences into a small area. Here are our favourites, grouped by theme.

If you only do one tour

The island’s highlights are spread out, so a guided day is an efficient way to tick off many of the items below in one go.

Landscapes and lookouts

1. Climb to the Truganini Lookout at The Neck. A timber staircase climbs a sand dune to a viewing platform with the iconic view along the isthmus. The Neck guide.
2. Visit Cape Bruny Lighthouse. A historic tower at the end of a gravel road, with sweeping views over the Southern Ocean. Lighthouse guide.
3. Walk Fluted Cape. A circuit from Adventure Bay that climbs to cliff tops high above the sea. Walks.
4. Wander Cloudy Bay. A long, wild surf beach on the south coast. Cloudy Bay.
5. Explore the Labillardiere Peninsula. Heath, forest and secluded coves in South Bruny National Park. National park.
6. Catch sunset at Dennes Point. A quiet beach and jetty at the northern tip. North Bruny.

On the water

1. Take the wilderness cruise. Sea cliffs, caves and The Friars seal colony. Cruises.
2. Kayak or swim in Adventure Bay on a calm day.
3. Fish from a jetty — Dennes Point, Alonnah and Adventure Bay all have jetties; check Tasmanian recreational fishing rules first.

Wildlife

1. Look for white wallabies around Adventure Bay at dawn and dusk. Wildlife.
2. Watch penguins return at dusk from the viewing platform at The Neck (warmer months).
3. Go birdwatching for Tasmania’s endemic species, including the forty-spotted pardalote.
4. See fur seals at The Friars on the cruise.

Food and drink

1. Eat oysters fresh from the farm near Great Bay.
2. Taste cheese at the Bruny Island Cheese Co.
3. Sample whisky at the Bruny Island House of Whisky.
4. Try leatherwood honey and honey ice-cream.
5. Buy fudge and chocolate in Adventure Bay.
6. Pick berries in season.
7. Drink wine at Bruny Island Premium Wines in Lunawanna.
8. Buy bread from a roadside honesty box. Food and drink guide.

History and culture

1. Visit the Bligh Museum of Pacific Exploration in Adventure Bay. History.
2. Pause at the Truganini memorial at The Neck.
3. Learn about the lighthouse keepers at the Cape Bruny precinct.
4. Stay somewhere memorable — a beach shack, a retreat or a campground by the surf. Where to stay.

Planning tips

Do not try to do all 25 in one visit. Pick a handful, leave buffer time and enjoy Bruny’s slower pace. Use our itineraries as a starting point.