38km Run Through Freycinet National Park

I’ve dabbled in trail running but never fully dived into it. Over the last couple of months, I’ve had more time (and phenomenal trails) to focus on improving my running.

It was nearing the end of our two months living in Freycinet National Park I wanted to do something big, something that challenged me before we left. Recently I turned 38 and had been mulling over the idea of running 38km (23.6mi) to celebrate. The idea was a bit crazy since my longest run to date was 12km, a run I did in the last few weeks.

I was studying the trail maps to see what hikes I left to do on the peninsula. The only trail left to do was the farthest beach from our house, Bryan's beach. It was exactly a 38km round trip. I had my challenge. 

Up to the night before I wasn’t sure I was going to do it. But when I woke before dawn, I figured it was now or never.

The run started with a climb to the Wineglass Bay lookout. I had done this run several times, but starting in the dark gave my mind something new to focus on. 

The crisp morning air at the top had me feeling good. I flew down the other side of the saddle and across the peninsula to Hazards Beach. The next 1.25 miles was on the beach. Thankfully the sand was hard-packed. Around this point, a switch was flipped in my head. I went from maybe to 100% laser-focused on doing the whole thing. 

I stashed my day pack on Cooks Beach and ran the remaining 3 miles to the end of Bryan’s Beach, my halfway point.

On the return trip, the tide was starting to come in. The sand higher up on the beach was less firm. A slog. Back at my pack, I took a 5-minute break to eat all my snacks. The tide was even higher now on Hazards Beach. My legs were starting to burn.

I took the Hazards Beach Track, a slightly longer way back, to make my route 38km. This track is also more scrabbly with small ups and downs. It was starting to get hard to control my speed on downhills, which was freaking me out a little. But I had done this route many times and thankfully knew the terrain.

The last half mile on this trail stretched on for eternity. It was feeling like days. My lungs were burning along with my legs. Then the meticulously groomed Wineglass Bay Track appeared. All downhill to home. I was glad the parking lot was clear cause I was too exhausted to stop for traffic. 

I got home and collapsed on the floor.

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Mount Graham and Freycinet Summit

19 miles, 4,500 feet of elevation gain, and 2 summits. This is the hike I’ve been most excited about since we moved to Freycinet National Park. Between work and the shorter days, it’s been harder to actually squeeze into the schedule than I’d imagined. 

We headed off on the well-maintained track to Wineglass Bay. The beach is picturesque and the day is stunningly clear. After the beach, we climb up the much less manicured Penisula Track to Mount Graham. Rocks, roots, and a lot of vertical. Or, as I like to think, a lot more fun walking. We climb higher views begin to open up on either side of the peninsula. 

The track enters a long, flat, wet tarn field. Entering the bowl-shaped area feels remote even though I know we’re not all that far from the very popular Wineglass Bay. One more small climb and we tag the summit of Mount Graham. 

After a brief break, we drop down 600 feet into the saddle between the two peaks. Then up another 800 to the summit of Mount Freycinet. It’s slow going. The track up to Freycinet is closer to a scramble. But it’s definitely worth it. The views from the top are incredible.

Claiming the summit of Freycinet took longer than expected and we don’t linger too long at the top. After the scramble back down the trail becomes much more gradual. We had debated going back the way we came to make the hike shorter. But we're glad we didn't. The long way around turns out to be much faster walking. Especially after we get down to sea level at Cooks Beach. From here it is flat walking for the next 5 miles.

On Hardzards Beach we turn around and grab a golden hour view of Mount Freycinet. We even see a wombat running along the beach!

In the fading light, we walk along the Hazards Beach Track eventually returning home in the evening twilight.

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Scrambling Up Mount Parsons

Scrambling around on rocks is one of my favorite ways to hike. Especially, scrambling coupled with a choose your own adventure style route. And this hike you can do without climbing gear or difficult navigation challenges. 

As a disclaimer, this is not an easy hike. If the rocks were wet or frosty your day could go sideways fast. The exposed cliffs along the coast could drop off quite a ways. But on a sunny day, as we had, it made for an excellent time picking our way up the rocks to the top.

At the end of the short Sleepy Bay Track, we scramble up on the rocks and were greeted with a sign that warns us about the dangers of off-trail scrambling. The trail leading into the brush grows fainter and many side spurs appear. From here the fun begins. 

The track climbs about 1,000 feet over ~one mile of climbing. The strategy is to stay on the exposed rocks and avoid getting mired in the brush. We found it was easier to travel closer to the coast. This also gave us sweeping views over the Pacific.

At the summit, we have lunch looking out over Wineglass Bay, Mount Freycinet, and the endless ocean. A multi-day trip known as the Skyline Traverse can be made by continuing on to the summits of Mount Baudin, Mount Dove, and Mount Amos. Maybe another time.  

For us, it was back down more or less the same way we went up, along the steep coastal cliffs. We glance down and see the ocean churning. Dolphins! A pod of them was circling a school of fish. One-by-one they take turns jumping into the middle of the circle and feast. 

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Living In Freycinet National Park

Heading into the slower winter travel season with the international borders still shut we got the idea to look for underused vacation rentals to rent. What we didn’t anticipate was to find one that was INSIDE a national park.

Freycinet National Park is one of the most visited parks in Tasmania. Home to the iconic Wineglass Bay and a network of trails crisscrossing the peninsula, we’ll have plenty to do right out our front door. Or maybe not do. Our rustic vacation home has a deck in the treetops overlooking Coles Bay. An ideal place to sit and relax. 

If living at the trailhead to all the trails on the peninsula isn't enough, there is also a small private beach for residents. And our rental comes with two kayaks. Also, a few small wallabies living outside 😍 Unbelievable.