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Chase the Light: The Best Spots to Catch a Sunrise or Sunset in Tasmania
Chase the light across Tasmania’s most stunning sunrise and sunset spots.
There’s a certain magic to the way Tasmania plays with light. From mist-brushed highlands to brisk coastal stretches, the island reveals its beauty through flickers, flares and soft glows that seem to arrive on their own terms. The best moments aren’t scheduled; they’re stumbled upon in the hush before daybreak or during the last warm breath of dusk. You pull over without thinking, you stay longer than planned, and suddenly the world feels gentler around the edges.
A secret the island only shares when you’re really paying attention. These are the places where Tasmania’s light puts on its most unforgettable show.
Binalong Bay
Binalong Bay feels painted rather than placed at sunrise. The lichen-bright boulders take on vivid colour, the sea settles to a glassy sheen, and the coastline blushes under soft, pastel skies. Early risers wander the shoreline with only gulls cutting the quiet, toes skimming water that catches every shade of dawn. It’s a radiant morning reveal, made for barefoot steps, salt-clean air and that electric little rush when nature shows off without warning.
Cape Pillar, Tasman National Park
Cape Pillar greets sunrise with the presence of an open-air cathedral. The basalt columns rise in sheer verticals, catching first light in molten gold while the Southern Ocean moves below in a deep, steady pulse. Walk in before dawn, and the world feels suspended, a quiet ascent through eucalypt and shadow until the coastline reveals its full scale. When the sun lifts, the peninsula sharpens into something bright, sculptural and entirely stirring.
Bicheno Beach
Bicheno’s main beach greets the morning with pastel skies and a shoreline washed in gold. Early birds often catch penguins shuffling home from their nightly missions, and The Blowhole nearby adds its own dramatic punctuation as waves crash into granite. It’s a serene start to the day, best enjoyed with a warm drink and sand underfoot. The beauty here lies in its simplicity and the rare chance to have an ocean sunrise mostly to yourself.
Bicheno, Tasmania
Mount Amos, Wineglass Bay
For those seeking something heroic at dawn, Mount Amos offers a sunrise that stuns the senses. The climb is steep and requires steady footing, but the summit rewards you with a vantage that feels almost cinematic: Wineglass Bay curving below, the Freycinet Peninsula awash in early light, and slabs of granite glowing deep orange. Go only in clear conditions and start well before first light; the payoff is extraordinary when the sky opens.
Mount Amos Track, Freycinet, Tasmania
Bathurst Harbour
Bathurst Harbour moves at its own pace, and sunrise here is a revelation. Still water holds the first streaks of light as rugged peaks sharpen into view, while sunset paints the sky with molten colours that reflect so cleanly across the surface it feels like a second horizon. Reached only by boat or air, this remote sanctuary offers a level of stillness that stays with you long after you leave.
Southwest National Park, Tasmania
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kunanyi / Mount Wellington
High above Hobart, kunanyi delivers a spectacle twice a day. From the summit boardwalk, the city, river and distant ranges shift through soft rose, peach and violet tones as the sun rises or drops behind the peaks. Clouds drift beneath you like a tidal sweep of mist, and the air carries that crisp alpine snap no matter the season. Arrive early and dress warm; conditions change quickly.
Pinnacle Road, Hobart
Arthur River and the Tarkine Coastline
At Tasmania’s far west, Arthur River offers sunsets with serious presence. The coastline roars under the force of the Southern Ocean, waves colliding with rock and sky in a wild display of colour and motion. The landscape has an ancient energy, untouched and powerful, and the shifting light only amplifies its drama. This is an end-of-the-world moment in every sense, best suited to those who crave both solitude and spectacle.
Arthur River, Tasmania
Tessellated Pavement
The Tessellated Pavement feels almost unreal in the early hours. Its geometric rock formations stretch toward the sea like a stone mosaic, catching reflections of pink, mauve and molten gold in shallow pools at sunrise. Low tide reveals the natural grid in its clearest form, and the short walk to the shore makes it an easy yet breathtaking start to the day. Photographers adore this spot for good reason.
380 Pirates Bay Drive, Eaglehawk Neck
Alum Cliffs
Northern Tasmania’s Alum Cliffs offer a sunset framed by forest, river and escarpment. The trail winds through eucalyptus and cool rainforest before opening to a lookout that feels suspended above the landscape. As evening deepens, warm light spills across the tiers and settles over the valley below. It’s peaceful, grounded and often free from crowds, giving you space to breathe in the height of the moment.
Alum Cliffs Track, Tasmania
MACq 01
Stay at MACq 01 and sunrise becomes something you savour from your balcony, watching the harbour come alive in soft colour. The hotel stretches out over the water with a silhouette that hints at Hobart’s maritime past. Morning and evening light glides across the surface, pooling beneath the timber walkways and illuminating the city skyline. It’s a luxurious front-row seat to one of Hobart’s most beautiful daily transitions.
18 Hunter Street, Hobart
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Dove Lake
Dove Lake at first light is pure stillness. The water mirrors Cradle Mountain so perfectly that the scene feels painterly, especially when a thin layer of mist begins to drift. As the sun rises, the colours shift through cool blues and soft gold. Walk the boardwalk for multiple angles, or simply sit by the shore and watch the landscape sharpen with each passing minute. Autumn and winter bring added drama with snow-capped peaks.
Cradle Mountain, Tasmania
Maria Island
Sunrises and sunsets on Maria Island feel otherworldly. Stay overnight to watch the sky light up with no one else around: wombats grazing, waves lapping at the shore, and colours rippling across the sea. Catch sunrise from Darlington’s beach, or challenge yourself with a hike up Bishop and Clerk for a dramatic coastal panorama. With no cars and limited visitors, Maria’s silence enhances every natural detail, making golden hour an experience, not just a view.
Maria Island, Tasmania
The Neck and Truganini Lookout, Bruny Island
The Neck is one of Tasmania’s most striking vantage points. The lookout reveals the narrow isthmus between North and South Bruny, with sweeping views that capture sunrise in soft lilac tones and sunset in brilliant streaks of orange and violet. Mist often drifts across the sand at dawn, giving the landscape a dreamlike quality. It’s easy to access, with a payoff that feels far grander than the climb suggests.
Truganini Lookout, Bruny Island
Kingston Beach
Just south of Hobart, Kingston Beach delivers a relaxed start or finish to the day. Sunrise glows behind the headland, washing the shoreline in warm colour. Sunset softens across the River Derwent, casting gentle reflections across the water. Locals stroll, swim and paddleboard as the light shifts, creating a peaceful coastal rhythm that welcomes anyone seeking an easy escape close to the city.
Kingston Beach, Tasmania
Tasmania’s sunrise and sunset spots aren’t just beautiful—they’re transformative. From rugged coasts to serene lakes, each moment captures the island’s wild spirit, leaving you with memories that linger long after the light has faded. It’s nature, redefined. For more awe-inspiring Tasmanian experiences, explore these incredible national parks and discover the best spots to witness the island’s stunning wildflowers.
