Pull off the Tasman Highway just north of St Helens and follow the gravel lane past weathered fishing shacks to this half-moon bay that locals guard like a secret recipe. The beach curves gently between rocky headlands, its fine white sand unmarred by crowds even in the height of summer. She-oaks fringe the shore, casting dappled shade over picnic tables where you'll smell sausages sizzling on portable grills come Sunday afternoon.
“This is one of the rare east-coast Tasmanian beaches where the shallow, protected waters stay warm enough for comfortable swimming throughout summer.”
Credit: FlickrBeach houses on Surf Drive
The water here is protected, making it one of the few east-coast Tasmanian beaches where you can wade out fifty meters and still touch bottom. Children chase darting fish in the shallows while their parents float on their backs, watching white-bellied sea eagles circle overhead. The jetty at the southern end creaks under the weight of anglers casting for flathead, their lines cutting silver arcs through the air.
Wander north along the tideline and you'll discover rock pools teeming with periwinkles and anemones, their surfaces reflecting the impossibly blue sky. The beach empties completely by late afternoon, when the light turns golden and the only sounds are the rhythmic shush of small waves and the occasional cry of a Pacific gull. Bring everything you need—the nearest shops are back in St Helens, ten minutes south.
