The Bay of Fires is a must-stop destination on the East Coast of Tasmania. It sits along white sand beaches with plenty of camping or lodging options.
Pre-Planning
- Travel Logistics: The closest airport is to fly into Launceston, which sits at the north of Tasmania. We made a stop to Cradle Mountain first and then drove to Bay of Fires. The Bay of Fires is a conversation area highlighted in red above. It’s a strip along the sand from The Garden to Saint Helens-ish.
- Accommodation: Saint Helens is the biggest town that you’ll find close to the Bay of Fires. Some people stay at Binalong Bay, but there are very few food options there. There is also camping along the coves. We personally did an Airbnb in Saint Helens
- Permits: None
- Trip Length: 1.5 days is perfect here. Get in around sunset and go watch the sunset at Binalong Bay or Skeleton Bay (if you get lucky to have a sunset – it’s so cloudy here!). Then have a full day exploring the Bay of Fires area.
- Weather: Cloudly and cold in February (peak summer!). Not exactly a tan in your bikini type area, but beautiful nonetheless!
What to Do at the Bay of Fires
I was initially confused by what to do here when I was reading online blogs and then I realized the area is really simple. Start from Saint Helens in the morning and grab coffee at Coffee Away.
Pack a picnic basket or some snacks so you can spend the whole day there. There are no food options so it’s best to pack before so you don’t have to drive back and forth.
Drive North and stop at Swimcart Beach. Then hop on a couple hundred feet to Cosy Corner (both North and South).
Afterwards, take a 10 min drive to the Gardens.
The entire drive from Saint Helens to the Gardens is only 23 minutes! There’s really nothing “to do” here other than take pictures, relax and walk on the beach. But that’s the beauty of it!! Enjoy a slow, peaceful day here.