Tasmania: Freycinet National Park (Australia Part 16)

Our drive to Coles Bay took longer than we had hoped because we had to turn around and take a major detour: the direct route turned out to be a gravel road that we were not allowed to drive on with our rental car.

So we arrived at our hotel in Freycinet National Park a little later than planned.

The next morning, we took a catamaran around the peninsula to the picturesque Wineglass Bay.

Along the way, we first encountered some dolphins swimming alongside our boat for a while.

Later, we also saw whales, although they kept a much greater distance from our boat. However, occasionally the dorsal fins of a humpback whale and its calf emerged from the water.

On the way back, we stopped at a bay where some seals were resting on the rocks.

To be able to see the shape of Wineglass Bay from above, we hiked to the viewpoint above the bay. But before we started, we encountered some very friendly wallabies where we see most animals on hikes: the parking lot.

They hopped around between the cars and probably hoped for edible treats from the tourists. Since they were also happy to pose for selfies, we suspect that - contrary to the signs - they were frequently successful in this type of foraging...

When we arrived at the viewpoint, we had a beautiful view of the bay - even though another cute wallaby caught the attention of the photographer.

To end the day, we walked to the Cape Tourville lighthouse. The view was beautiful, but because of the icy wind, we actually wanted to go back to our warm hotel room soon.

But then we spotted a whale that was much more active than its counterparts in the morning, jumping out of the water repeatedly. So we stayed for a while and watched the marine mammal.