The Bruny Island Cruise: What to Expect
The short answer. The Bruny Island cruise is three hours in an open boat under the sea cliffs of South Bruny, out to the seal rocks and back to Adventure Bay. It is cold even in summer, it can be rough, and the crew hand out waterproof jackets and ginger tablets. The 11am cruise runs all year; from 1 December to 28 April there are also cruises at 10am and 1:30pm.
Quick facts
- Length: about 3 hours on the water.
- Starts: 1005 Adventure Bay Road, on the island. Check in 30 minutes before.
- Times: 11am all year; 10am and 1:30pm as well, 1 December to 28 April.
- Runs: daily except Christmas Day, in all weather.
- The boat: up to 43 guests, a canopy overhead, open sides and a toilet on board.
- What to wear: warm layers, a beanie and gloves, under the jacket they lend you.
Three ways to join the cruise
The cruise leaves from the island, so the first choice is how you get there. The operator offers three ways, and the day you book decides how long your day is and what you eat. The first two can be booked here, and they are compared on Bruny Island boat tours.
| How you join | Where the day starts | How long | Food |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drive yourself | Adventure Bay, 30 minutes before | 3 hours, plus your drive | Buy at the base |
| Full day from Hobart | Franklin Wharf, 7:45am | 9.5 to 9.75 hours | Morning tea and lunch in the fare |
| The operator's bus from Kettering | Oyster Cove Marina, Kettering | About 8.25 hours | Buy at the base |
If you have a car, drive yourself and book the 3-hour wilderness cruise from $137. Allow about 90 minutes from Hobart, which covers the drive to Kettering and the ferry. Without a car, the full day from Hobart costs $210 and wraps the bus, the ferry, morning tea and lunch around the same cruise.
Which departure to choose
From 29 April to 30 November there is one cruise a day, at 11am, and you check in by 10:30am. From 1 December to 28 April the timetable widens to three: 10am, 11am and 1:30pm, with check-in by 9:30am, 10:30am and 1pm. The full day from Hobart always joins the 11am.
If you are driving down from Hobart on the day, the 1:30pm cruise gives you the most slack for the ferry queue. If you are staying on the island, the 10am frees the afternoon for the lighthouse or a walk. What each month brings, from wind to whales, is on the best time to visit page.
Check-in, the briefing and the jackets
Arrive 30 minutes before your cruise. At the base you check in, and the crew give a safety briefing, seatbelts included. Then they hand out full-length jackets that keep out wind and spray. Hoc P. remembered big red waterproof overalls, natural seasickness tablets and a crew that took safety seriously.
The boats are built for this coast. The seats are tiered and face forward, under a canopy, with open sides so nothing blocks the view. Each boat holds at most 43 guests, and there is a toilet on board, which matters on a three-hour trip.
The route, cliff by cliff
From Adventure Bay the boat runs south along the coast of the national park. You pass under towering cliffs and sea stacks, and the skipper takes you into the deep sea caves. At Breathing Rock the boat drifts close enough to hear the swell push through the rock. Anthony G. watched dolphins feeding on a school of fish and called the blowhole a surprise.
The boat slips through the narrow gap between the coast and a sea stack called The Monument. Then it heads for The Friars, rocks off the southern end of the island, near where the Tasman Sea meets the Southern Ocean. Australian fur seals haul out there, and rare seabirds nest. It is the one sight on the island you cannot reach from the land. The same coast from the cliff tops, on the Fluted Cape walk, is on the things to do page.
What you may see
Nobody can guarantee animals on this coast, and you should not expect a list. What you can hope for is a long one: sea eagles above the cliffs, dolphins surfing the bow wave, albatross on the wind, shearwaters over the swell and, in season, migrating whales. Aimee had humpback whales, seals, dolphins and albatross on one January cruise.
The seals are the one near-certainty, because The Friars is where they live. Anything more is a bonus, and the crew will point it out. Every day built around animals, on land and at sea, is compared on Bruny Island wildlife tours.
Seasickness: how to beat it
This is an open boat on the open ocean, and some days the swell is big. The operator offers natural ginger tablets to everyone as they board, and gives four more tips:
- Sit in the back third of the boat. It moves far less than the front.
- Stay cool. Keep your body temperature on the cooler side.
- Keep your eyes free. Keep your glasses clean, and avoid looking through a camera or binoculars for long.
- Skip the acid. No orange juice or coffee before you board.
Vanessa H. had dolphins swim past and a guide who checked that nobody was feeling ill. Her advice: if you get seasick, take something before you go. Tell the crew early if you feel unwell.
Cold, rain and what to wear
Everyone underestimates the cold. It is cold on the boats even in summer, so bring a warm jacket, gloves, a scarf and a beanie, with the waterproof going on top. At Cape Bruny Lighthouse, the island's long-running weather station, the mean maximum is 18.6 °C in February and 11.3 °C in July, before the wind on the water.
Jamie M. had sun, wind, sleet and hail on one trip, came prepared and loved it. Robert G. said the same thing more simply: wear plenty of layers. The cruise runs in all weather, and the operator can cancel if the sea is too rough, in which case you get your money back.
After the cruise
The 11am cruise is back at Adventure Bay at about 2pm. On the full day from Hobart, lunch comes next at the base restaurant, and the bus leaves at about 3pm for the ferry, with Hobart at about 5:30pm. The time on land is short, so this is a day for the sea, not the island.
If you drove, the afternoon is yours. Warm up with lunch at the base, then head south for the lighthouse, or north to climb the stairs at The Neck on your way to the ferry. The lighthouse grounds sit inside the national park, so you need a parks pass there.
Children, pregnancy and access
Children of all ages are welcome, and infants ride on a lap. You know best how yours will cope with three hours on the water; in the crew's experience, most children love it. The cruise suits pregnancy on most days, depending on the weather, so call ahead if the forecast worries you. The boat is not wheelchair accessible. If the cruise is not for you, the land days that see the cliffs from the lookouts are in our post on The Neck.
Onto the water, or the coast from land
Bruny Island Wilderness Cruise from Adventure Bay, Bruny Island
Three hours on the water under sea cliffs, into caves and out to the seal rocks. You drive yourself and take the ferry; waterproof jackets are handed out, and food is sold at the base.
From $137 per person
Check Availability
Full-Day Bruny Island Cruises Day Tour from Hobart
A three-hour sea-cliff cruise inside a full day from the Hobart waterfront, leaving at 7:45am. The bus, the ferry, tea or coffee and lunch are in the fare, with about an hour and a half of sightseeing on land.
From $210 per person
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All Inclusive Bruny Island Day Tour Plus Guided Lighthouse Tour
Morning tea on the beach, lunch over the water and three tastings, plus a guided climb inside the lighthouse. The ferry and national park entry are in the fare, and only drinks with meals cost extra. Leaves central Hobart at 7am.
From $203 per person
Check AvailabilityNext: Plan the land half of the day with where to see the white wallabies. Every fare sits side by side on Bruny Island Tours.