Mt William National Park, TAS

Mt William National Park is a great place to escape the crowds, as most people visit the Bay of Fires further south and bypass Mt William NP altogether. The park boasts long beaches teeming with wildlife, ample opportunities for fishing and bird watching, plus a number of drives and bushwalks that offer some truly spectacular views.

THINGS TO DO

As Mt William National Park is in the northern section of the famous Bay of Fires, you will no doubt be expecting beautiful beaches – and you won’t be disappointed. The white, sandy beach stretches out for miles, and makes for the perfect playground for any kid (and adult for that matter). This is also a great place to watch a magical sunrise or sunset.

A trip to Eddystone Point Lighthouse is well worth the drive, owing to the spectacular clifftop views it provides. There beach also offers a pretty picnic area to enjoy, and great fishing opportunities.

There is plenty of offroad driving to be done as none of the roads are sealed, but for a real 4WD adventure, you need to venture out to Eddystone Point on the C846 and take a right turn on to the 4WD track to Anson’s Bay (opposite the turn-off to Deep Creek Campground). The entire track is just 8km long but it has plenty of challenging spots where you need to take it easy. You can get close to the coast where you are rewarded with amazing views.

No trip to the National Park is complete without climbing Mt William (Bill Hill). Rising to the ‘height’ of 216m, you don’t need to be a mountaineer to make it to the top. At the end of the climb, we left the trees behind us, scaled a couple of large rocks and suddenly we were rewarded with views of the entire park.

Another easy walk to undertake is the Cobler Rocks walk, requiring only one and a half to two hours for a return trip. The walk will take you through coastal heath and onto the beach, continuing past the mouth of the lagoon and offering uninterrupted coastal views.

FLORA AND FAUNA

Nature lovers will relish Mt William’s coastal heathlands, which come alive with colour in spring and summer due to the wildflowers coming into bloom. The park is also home to an abundance of wildlife, including Forester kangaroos, wombats, echidnas, Tasmanian devils and Bennetts wallabies. Bird watchers will also be treated to sightings of honeyeaters, wrens, robins, finches, yellow-tailed black cockatoos, wedge-tailed eagles and more.

FAST FACTS

Getting there

Mt William National Park is about 330km north-east of Hobart and 150km from Launceston, on Tasmania’s north-east coast.

Activities

• Visit Eddystone Point Lighthouse
• Offroad driving from Eddystone Point to Anson’s Bay
• Hike up Mt William
  
  

Accommodation

There are six campgrounds to choose from, five in the north and one in the southern end of the park. Basic facilities include a pit toilet and bore water at Deep Creek, Stumpy’s 1 and 3 (only suitable for washing). Fees are payable at self-registration stations, $13 per night.

Discounted week-long camping tags can be purchased at the Gladstone store. Generators are allowed at Stumpy’s 3 and fires may be lit in fireplaces provided. You need to take your rubbish home with you.