Bicheno: Coast, nature and unique experiences

Bicheno lies on Tasmania’s east coast along the Great Eastern Drive. Coastal paths, expansive sea views and encounters with wildlife reveal the town’s many different sides. There is also a penguin experience, an evening light and music event, and traces of early settlement history. When planning your trip, you can decide whether you’d like to spend most of your time by the water, on walking trails, or enjoying nature and cultural experiences.

Experience the coast and wildlife

Bicheno Penguin Tours takes visitors by short bus transfer to a private penguin breeding colony, where they can enjoy a guided encounter with little penguins. The tour departs from 1/70 Burgess Street in central Bicheno, opposite the IGA. Departure arrangements may change. For a different nature experience, East Coast Natureworld is located in Bicheno, amid 150 acres of natural coastal bushland and lagoons. The evening experience Devils in the Dark combines an encounter with Tasmanian devils with wine and cheese; availability and format may change.

The sea can also be part of your stay in different ways. Bicheno’s Glass Bottom Boat operates from Bicheno from September to April. Weather permitting, the trip offers glimpses of the wildlife that lives there and lush plant life that is rarely seen, accompanied by an expert guide. Those interested in diving will find the Governor Island Marine Reserve just off the coast, a temperate-water dive area. Kelp-covered reefs, sponge gardens and a diverse marine world are spread across more than 35 dive sites. Check conditions and access with an operator before diving.

Views and paths by the water

Whalers Lookout Scenic Reserve has two safe viewing platforms with different outlooks: one faces east over the sea and the Gulch, while the other looks out over the town and the western beaches. For a walk, the accessible 3-kilometre Bicheno Foreshore Trail links Rice Pebble Beach, the Bicheno Blowhole and Waubs Bay. Coastal conditions may affect the trail. The combination of a lookout and a foreshore walk makes Bicheno appealing both for a short time outdoors and for a longer exploration of the coast.

Close to town is Diamond Island Nature Reserve, a small rocky island home to coastal birds and penguins. At low tide, a sandbar allows you to walk from Bicheno’s shore to the island. Access therefore depends on the tide; plan your visit around the tides. The island and the marine reserve offer different nature experiences: one is about a coastal island and its birds, the other about reefs and the underwater world.

Evening entertainment and local history

Every evening, Bicheno Beams projects laser beams, colours and music into the night sky over the sea for about 30 minutes. The event takes place at Lions Park on Bicheno’s foreshore; program details may change between seasons. During the day, the East Coast Whale Trail has information boards and expansive sea views at its location on Douglas Street. From there, you can look out for whales, although a sighting cannot be guaranteed.

The Bicheno History Trail uses information boards to guide visitors through town and trace its origins as a sealing and whaling port. It adds a historical perspective on Bicheno to the experiences by the water. Together with the Great Eastern Drive, the lookouts and the nature experiences, it makes for a destination where the coastal landscape and local history go hand in hand.

Choose accommodation to suit your travel plans

The seasonal boat trip, which operates from September to April, and the tide-dependent route to Diamond Island each come with different timing considerations.

Discover more destinations: Dunalley, Nubeena, Strahan, Zeehan, Derwent Bridge, Sheffield, Strathgordon, Winkleigh.

Return to the main travel overview: Tasmania.