Bruny Island and the d’Entrecasteaux Channel
This itinerary goes southeast from Hobart and features an unusual and delightfully scenic part of Tasmania. An island off the coast of an island off an island – how different is that?!
Just 30 minutes drive southeast of Hobart, the fact that Bruny Island can only be reached by car ferry or on a tour makes it less frequently visited than a lot of other parts of Tasmania.
A visit to Bruny Island is a rare treat, and if you have the time in your Tasmanian itinerary to include it, you will have experienced the road less travelled.
Bruny Island has a very interesting and dark history. It was one of the first parts of Tasmania to be explored by early European seafarers. The Dutch were the first to arrive in 1642 when Abel Tasman sailed into Adventure Bay. Captain William Bligh, of ‘Mutiny on the Bounty’ fame, also visited Bruny Island in 1788 and 1792. Bligh’s crew planted some apple trees where they landed at Adventure Bay, and the descendants of these trees are said to be there today. The famous d’Entrecasteaux channel, and indeed the island itself, is named after the Frenchman Bruni D’Entrecasteaux who explored the island in 1792.
The Aboriginal people of the Nuenonne nation lived on the Island and across the Channel starting around 40,000 years ago. They were deeply mistreated by the new arrivals and nearly wiped out over the course of 50 years – their name for the Island was Lunawanna-alonnah.
The Aboriginal names live on – two of the towns on Bruny Island are named Alonnah and Lunawanna, and one of the island’s most prominent features, the Neck, is named after a young aboriginal woman – Truganini, who suffered deeply at the hands of early European arrivals.
Note to the Foodies:
Bruny Island is a haven for foodies…whether looking for cheese, oysters, honey, chocolate, beer, wine, or whisky (among many other delights), you’ll have your pick!
Keep your eyes open for a delicious surprise around every corner!
