Camping in Coles Bay

At the suggestion of our Tassie friends, we knew we wanted to see Wineglass Bay in the Freycinet National Park.  At the suggestion of Lonely Planet, the Tasmanian edition, we decided to stay in Coles Bay for 2 nights given its perfect location (2 km from the park).  And finally, in an attempt to save some money (we may or may not have purchased our entire bathroom just prior to arriving), we opted to camp at the highly recommended Iluka Campgroup and Resort. 

 

 Coles Bay Beach

Those familiar, I am not opposed to, and even enjoy a few nights of camping while on holiday.  However, while the location, amenities and staff were all exceptional, the 2 nights in Tassie were not the 5 star experience Martin had previously provided in France…but to be fair, it was completely understood.  Due to international and domestic travel restrictions, we had to limit our camping supplies to one checked bag rather than a full VW Golf.  With limited room, we had to forgo the 3 room tent, lounge chairs, and Bunsen burner in exchange for a 2 person tent, 2 sleeping bags, 2 yoga mats for sleeping on, one beach towel and two pillow cases.  It is actually quite amazing that we were able to even fit all that in one bag!

 Our impressive campsite

What we lacked in supplies, we made up for in style including my colorful language on the first night due to the wind and rain storm and Martin’s stylish new look… Apparently on the first night I was a bit of a tent hog, sending Martin to the corner where, even more unfortunately, Martin’s head was pressed against the netting of the tent.  Within minutes of slight exposure, Martin’s head became an open buffet to all mosquitoes in the vicinity.  He woke to find a large lump on his forehead and over 30 individual welts.  Thankfully they didn’t itch, it just looked like they did.

 The last shot of Martin before the bugs attacked!

With a market, café and pub nearby, we were set for food…including a dinner at the tavern on Monday night, and a BBQ on site on Tuesday (prompted by the cost of the dinner at the tavern).

Overall it was a great time and an experience I would love to repeat!

On a side note: I have now camped on 3 continents, all in different tents…just a few more to go