Length: 10km
Duration: 3hrs
Grade: 3
Style: Return
Start: Banksia Campground
End: Banksia Campground

Location: Tasman National Park
Closest Town: Port Arthur
Distance from CBD: 100km
State: TAS
Latitude: -43.143016
Longitude: 147.962102

Keep the Trail Access info current...

Click Edit to Modify

Edit Access Conditions

Select items to indicate conditions for access to the trail.

2WD Access

4WD Access

Public Transport

Bitumen Road

Gravel Road

Steep Road

Winding Road

Speed Bumps

Vehicle Ford

Entry Fee

Large Car Park

Small Car Park

Accessible Parking

Accessible Toilet

Public Toilets

Drinking Water

Untreated Water

Picnic Shelter

Picnic Table

BBQ Facilities

Campfire Pit

Camping Area

Keep the Trail Features current...

Click Edit to Modify

Edit Trail Features

Tasman National Park...

Select items to indicate features found along the trail.

Concrete Path

Timber Boardwalk

Gravel Path

Sandy Trail

Rough Trail

Undefined Trail

Prams & Strollers

Manual Wheelchair

Motorised Wheelchair

Bicycle Trail

Mountain Bike Trail

Historic Rail Trail

Dog Friendly

Urban Walk

Coast & Beach

Historic Lighthouse

Waterfalls & Lakes

Rainforest Walk

Goldfields & Mining

Heritage Walk

Aboriginal Art

Alpine Region

Alpine Huts

Exposed Ledges

Rock Scrambling

Steep Terrain

Bush Bashing

River Crossings

Scenic Viewpoints

Well Marked

Drinking Water

Untreated Water

Fishing Spots

Swimming Spots

Overnight Campsites

Trail Running

Horse Riding

Bivouac Bay Walk is a 10km, grade 3 return hike, located in Tasman National Park, Tasmania. The hike should take approximately 3hrs to complete.

Hike Summary

Here in the Tasman National Park you can enjoy a coastline, remote from roads and houses without walking a long distance or climbing steep hills. The walk leaves from the squeaky white sands of Fortescue Bay and gives you close-up views of sparkling waters and large kelp forests. You might see a seal or dolphins!

Highlights

The William Pitt (43º 07' 37.54" 147º 57' 23.27")
About halfway along the track you will come to Canoe Bay, where the remains of a shipwreck can be clearly seen above the waterline. Built in the UK in 1904, the ship was a steam hopper barge named Andre Reboulas, later sold to the Dutch.

In 1907 she was renamed William Pitt and sold in Melbourne. She came to Hobart in 1940 for use in the construction of the floating Arch Bridge across the Derwent River. She was later scuttled in 1955 to act as a breakwater for small craft in Canoe Bay.

The Candle Stick and Totem Pole (43º 08' 21" 148º 00' 22")
Horizontally bedded Permian (marine) and Triassic (non-marine) sediments intruded by Jurassic dolerite dominate the Tasman peninsula. The action of the sea has produced a cliffed coastline with many erosion features noted for their grandeur. Nestled in a narrow chasm between the Lanterns at Cape Hauy, two such features, the dolerite towers of the "Candlestick" and the "Totem Pole" at Cape Hauy, are able to be seen across Fortescue Bay from the track leading to Bivouac Bay. See the Cape Hauy Great Short Walk for details.

About the region

Tasman National Park is a wild, yet accessible park of tall forests and a truly spectacular coastline. Waters from the Southern Ocean collide with the towering sea cliffs of the Tasman Peninsula, creating spectacular rock formations, including caves and arches. The coastal vegetation grows precariously close to the edges of the cliffs, creating a blanket of green that contrasts with the surging surf below. Australia’s highest sea cliffs have walkers on the award-winning, multi-day Three Capes Track in awe. Day walkers can also discover a slice of this beauty high atop the cliffs on shorter coastal walks at Cape Hauy, Cape Raoul and the world-famous big wave mecca, Shipsterns Bluff.

Getting there

Arthur Highway (A9) to junction with Fortescue Bay road (C344) which is 4km south of Taranna and 4km north of Port Arthur. Turn into C344 and drive 12km to Fortescue Bay. (This road is unsealed but is suitable for 2WD vehicles and mountain bikes.)