The Bay of Fires (indigenous name: larapuna)

 

The Bay of Fires (indigenous name: larapuna) is a bay on the

northeastern coast of Tasmania in Australia, extending from

Binalong Bay to Eddystone Point.The bay was given its name in 1773

by Captain Tobias Furneaux in Adventure, who saw the fires of Aboriginal

people on the beaches.

 

The Bay of Fires is a region of white beaches, blue water and

orange-hued granite (the color of which is actually produced by a lichen).

The northern section of the bay is part of Mount William National Park

the southern end is a conservation area

 

Mount William National Park

The northern end of the Bay of Fires

 

Mount William National Park is the colour of an impressionist’s palette.

Take your kayak, your snorkel, or just a tent and a towel

you may even have the beach to yourself.

​

 

This 13,899 hectare (34,345 acre) park on Tasmania's far north-east coast is idyllic. Low, undulating grasslands and dunes meet sweeping beaches and an ocean varying from emerald and azure in the shallows to bright blue and ultramarine in deeper waters. Kangaroos feed on the plains at dawn and dusk, and throughout the day birds twitter and bustle in the coastal heath.

 

The granite boulders encrusted with bright-orange lichen dotting the foreshore are the source of the fine white sand that gives the area so much of its allure: granite's high quartz content produces exceptionally pure sand.

 

Key Attractions in Mount William National Park

 

Forester kangaroos are prolific, as are Pademelons and Bennetts wallabies, all of which are best spotted at dawn or sunset. Echidnas, on the other hand, can often be seen ambling about during the day, while Tasmanian devils scavenge here at night. In spring and summer the heathlands abound in wildflowers, and the park is visited by approximately 100 species of birds.

 

This is one of the best places to snorkel in a State renowned for the excellent visibility of its temperate waters. Swimming and boating are also popular, though you should take care - the tides are strong and reefs just below the surface can be a hazard. Scuba-diving is best undertaken with a guide, as good sites are some distance from the shores of the park.

 

The Eddystone Point Lighthouse was built at the southern end of the park in 1889. This impressive and well-preserved structure is popular with visitors, though no tours of its interior are available.

Short and Long Walks in Mount William National Park

 

Short strolls and long beach walks are magical, and the summit of Mount William itself is an easy 90-minute return walk. You must carry your own drinking water wherever you go in the park.

 

On some walks you will find evidence of Aboriginal occupation in the form of large middens created by the discarded shells from long-ago meals of seafood. These are precious places that must be respected and protected by all visitors to the park.

​

East Coast Diving

 

Come and see why National Geographic magazine underwater

photographer David Doubilet describes diving in

Tasmania as 'an exquisite combination of lyrical beauty and the

wistfully bizarre.'

​

Diving in Tasmania

What's special about diving in Tasmania?

 

    Home to some of the best temperate diving in the world.

    Diverse and easily accessible underwater wilderness.

    You can explore the kelp forests of the Southern Ocean.

 

The spectacular coastline and clear, cool-temperate waters

are superb for diving in Tasmania.The visibility ranges from

12 metres (13 yards) in the summer to 40 metres

(43.5 yards)or more in the winter.

 

Tasmanian waters are home to a host of unique marine animals and plants. To help you explore the giant kelp forests, sponge gardens and caves or find sea dragons and our amazing invertebrates, check out the Tasmania's Dive Trail. It lists the best sites along Tasmania’s east coast between Flinders Island and Bruny Island.

 

You can scuba dive in the clear waters of Tasmania's Bay of Fires, weave your way through an impressive kelp forest on the Tasman Peninsula or explore a shipwreck off Flinders Island. Tasmania is well known for its many shipwreck sites, which provide fascinating insight into Australia's maritime history. Search out handfish and rare species such as the weedy sea dragon.