← Hobart Marathon·1 night

Bruny Island: Oysters, Cheese and a Convict Lighthouse

A short drive and a car ferry to an island of oyster farms, cheesemakers and sea cliffs, taken slowly over one night once the summer crowds have gone.

Duration1 night
TransitAbout 35 min by car to Kettering, then a 20 min SeaLink car ferry
DepartsHobart

After the Hobart Marathon: Bruny Island

The Route: Hobart → Kettering → Bruny Island (Adventure Bay) → Kettering → Hobart Airport Logistics: Hire car and the SeaLink vehicle ferry. South out of Hobart, across the D'Entrecasteaux Channel, down the island and back. Marathon Month: April Duration: 1 night

Hobart ──(about 35 mins by car)──> Kettering ──(20 mins SeaLink ferry)──> Roberts Point, North Bruny
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                                                                         (car south to Adventure Bay)
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Hobart Airport (HBA) ◄──(car via Hobart)── Kettering ◄──(20 mins ferry)───────────┘

The Hobart Marathon ends on Castray Esplanade on a Sunday morning in early April. Bruny Island works best from the Monday: a short drive, a seated ferry crossing and a night on the island, with nothing on the itinerary that requires a climb unless you want one.

April on Bruny Island: early autumn, after the summer holiday traffic that fills the ferry queues from December to February. Days are shorter and evenings cool, so plan the island's food stops for the middle of the day, when they are all open, and keep the evening for the accommodation. Check the SeaLink timetable before travelling: the ferry runs a seasonal schedule and the times change during the year.

Kettering is about 35 to 40 minutes' drive south of Hobart. The SeaLink Bruny Island ferry crosses from Kettering to Roberts Point on North Bruny in about 20 minutes and runs 365 days a year, with around 20 crossings a day between early morning and early evening. Tickets are return tickets and are not tied to a departure time: you take the next available ferry, and the return half does not have to be used the same day. Buy online in advance or at the Kettering terminal. Fares vary by vehicle and season, so check the current price on the SeaLink website.

Night One: Adventure Bay

Bruny is two islands joined by a narrow sandy isthmus, The Neck. North Bruny is farmland and small bays; South Bruny holds the forests, cliffs and the settlement at Adventure Bay, where most accommodation sits.

The food stops come first, on the drive south from the ferry. Bruny Island Cheese Co. on North Bruny serves its own cheeses with tasting paddles of beer brewed from Tasmanian-grown hops. Get Shucked at Great Bay farms Pacific oysters and sells them from its own counter a few minutes further on. Both are seated, low-effort stops.

The Neck is where the legs are tested. A car park sits at the isthmus, and timber stairs lead up from the dunes to a lookout with views across both halves of the island. There are a lot of steps. On the day after a marathon it is reasonable to look from the car park and leave the stairs for another trip.

Adventure Bay is the gentler option. The beach runs along the bay in front of the settlement, firm sand close to the water and level for as far as you want to walk. It is the best recovery walk on the island. Bruny Island Cruises runs three-hour wilderness boat trips from Adventure Bay along the cliffs of the south-east coast; they involve sitting rather than walking, but book ahead and check the weather, as the open-ocean swell can be rough.

Where to stay: 43 Degrees Bruny Island in Adventure Bay has mid-range rooms close to the beach, around A$200 (£106) a night, and puts the flat beach walk on the doorstep. Adventure Bay Retreat has larger villas on a 33-acre property for a quieter, more expensive night.

Where to eat: eat the main meal at lunchtime along the North Bruny food stops. Oysters from Get Shucked and a cheese plate from Bruny Island Cheese Co. are the island's defining pair. Evening options in Adventure Bay are limited, so check what is open on your night before arriving, or buy supplies on the way down.

Day Two: Cape Bruny and the Return

Cape Bruny Lighthouse, at the southern tip of South Bruny, was built between 1836 and 1838 with convict labour. It is a long drive on partly unsealed roads from Adventure Bay, and the path from the car park to the tower climbs. Guided tours run inside the tower; check times and prices before making the trip.

Allow time for the ferry queue on the way back to Kettering, particularly if returning in the afternoon.

Getting to Hobart Airport

Hobart Airport (HBA) lies on the eastern side of the Derwent, beyond the city. From Kettering, drive north to Hobart and across the Tasman Bridge. Allow at least an hour for the drive, plus whatever time the ferry queue adds, and return the hire car at the airport rental area.