It seems I’m not the only one who assumed Bay of Fires is named after the beautiful firey-orange lichen covered rocks that line the white sandy beaches where they meet the turquoise blue sea. Seems like a fair assumption to me.
Turns out though it was named in 1773 by Captain Tobias Furneaux who saw the fires of Aboriginal people on the beaches.

This stretch of Tasmania’s East coast has been named by Lonely Planet as one of the hottest destinations in the world and is regarded as one of the most beautiful places in Australia.
It certainly was gorgeous. The water was an impossibly clear blue and if it was a degree or so warmer or I had a hot shower to go home to I would have ventured beyond the knee height I braved. Even in summer the water has an icy touch to it.

But even though it’s such an amazing place and the campsites are popular it was incredible how few people there seemed to be on the beach. The ones who were there were fishing, looking for rock lobsters and abalone, swimming and enjoying some family fun. But it only took five minutes of rock hopping to find a spot where one could feel alone in a beautiful and wild place.

Campsites are free and to my surprise even supplied a basic composting toilet (bring your own paper/water). Bookings can’t be made and are first come first serve but we still found a spot even in peak season. Travelling light certainly helps – having to find a space for a campervan vs a little tent may have been a bit trickier.
But we found this awesome site right on the beach with amazing views at Cosy Corner which seemed to definitely be one of the prettiest beaches.

 

No shops in the campsite areas – part of what makes it so nice, so make sure you stock up in St Helens which is a lovely stop for a seaside coffee anyway.