Freycinet National Park is located 125 kilometres from Hobart on the peninsula of the same name, named in honour of French navigator Louis de Freycinet, on the east coast of Tasmania. On the border of the of the national park is the small settlement of Coles Bay, and the largest nearby town is Swansea. The park was established in 1916, and today it's Tasmania's oldest national park along with Mount Field National Park.
The park's territory consists of rugged coastline and enclosed Wineglass Bay, whose beaches have repeatedly been ranked among the top ten in the world. The park's famous sites are the rock formations of red and pink granite, as well as a series of jagged peaks called the Danger.
The park's inhabitants include various species of possums, flying squirrels, echidnas, wombats, pygmy cuscus, big-eared rat, kangaroo rat and the the long-nosed potoroo. The Tasmanian devil was once a common species of these areas, but the but today the marsupial population has plummeted due to a poorly understood virus, that's killing the animals. The park is a birdwatcher's paradise: the lucky ones can spot a white-bellied sea eagle soaring high above, or the a huge Australian cormorant diving into the ocean waters in search of food.
Fans of outdoor activities will find plenty of opportunities here: You can take a sightseeing trip to the perfectly shaped Wineglass Bay or you can or take a three-day trek around the Freycinet Peninsula, wandering the Friendly Beaches, which have become part of the Friendly Beaches, which became part of the park in 1992, swim in the crystal-clear waters and watch the park's wildlife. At Sleepy Cove you can diving or snorkelling. During the summer months, the park becomes particularly popular with campers who like to camp in tents, there are special car parks for them.
