Ever heard of Wynyard in Tasmania?

Chances are you haven’t, and neither had we.  We were going to drive past it on our leisurely drive towards Stanley on the West and then on to the Cradle Mountains southward. By chance we decided to stop for a while to see just one sight and discovered much more.

Wynyard

Wynyard is a little seaside town in the northwest coast of Tasmania, located just where the Inglis River begins, all of one street with many cafes and restaurants. We went there to see its spectacular tulip fields and discovered its other charms.

Table Cape

The best attraction is the Table Cape – a dramatic landform extending into Bass Strait with awesome views from the lookout and the lighthouse. ‘The Cape’ – as locals refer to it – is a 180 metres high plateau which dominates the Wynyard coastline and offers spectacular views of Tasmania’s coast and agricultural farmlands. As you drive to the top of the remains of a 12 million-year-old volcano you’ll reach a viewing platform where, on a clear day, you can see George Town’s Low Head and mountain ranges over 175 kilometres away. You can take a short stroll along the cliff-top walking track to the Table Cape Lighthouse, the only operating lighthouse open (seasonally) for tours in mainland Tasmania. The lighthouse is lit by just a tiny globe whose light is amplified by a powerful magnifying lens. It has a history, too, and you can see its interior by paying a fee, but as far as the view goes it has the same magnificence when seen from the surroundings.

You can walk from one end of the Table Cape to the other and take in the fantastic panorama view.  But wait!!!  Just turn around, and you will see another magnificent view, rows and rows of tulips of every colour dotted among the greens and browns of the landscape.  It was October, and the Cape plateau was just masses of colour as the tulips were blooming. The rolling carpet of brilliant colours on one side, and the awesome ocean view on the other – you truly wouldn’t know which way to look.

Table Cape Tulip Farm

On to the Tulips now…………..

There are many tulip fields all around, and you can just stop by the wayside to see them from a little distance, for free.  But it is really worth it to pay the fee and get on to the field in the Tulip Farm.

When you are in the middle of a tulip field, all you see around is masses of colour – red, blue, yellow, pink, white – stretching in all directions, with the greens and browns of the meadow, plus the lighthouse, as background. Wandering around this wondrous spectrum of colour was really a once in lifetime experience for us town dwellers. It was springtime, during which there is just a fortnight when the tulips are in full bloom, and we were lucky to get there just then.

And the added bonus? Masses of Irises too…blue and white fields of them!

Wynward is a charming little town. While it may not be on top of the high-tourist list in Tasmania, it is the perfect place to get a countryside experience by staying in the few rural bed and breakfasts that this place offers. For the active types, there are beaches, fishing, swimming and  kayaking, to be topped off with relaxed waterside walks too! 

 

Wynyard, Tasmania, Australia
Table Cape lighthouse, Wynyard, Tasmania

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