Things to do in St Helens: Where To Eat, Drink, Stay and Play

Tasmania’s east coast is gorgeous, with azure-blue waters, white sand beaches and orange lichen-covered boulders. It’s a must-visit destination for anyone coming to Tassie for outdoor adventures, and a fantastic spot to base yourself in is St Helens. 

The town of St Helens — one of Tasmania’s major fishing ports — sits at the southern edge of the Bay of Fires, making it the ideal launch point for exploring this famously vivid stretch of coast. It’s also just over an hour north of Freycinet National Park, so a visit to Wineglass Bay fits easily into a day’s wandering.

There’s loads to see and plenty of delicious food in town, so we’ve rounded up the best things to do in St Helens, Tasmania.

Things to Do in St Helens: Eat

The Lifebuoy Cafe

For brunch in St Helens, head to The Lifebuoy Cafe, a charming little spot in the centre of town. The friendly staff serves coffee and delicious food: try the Canadian waffles or the house-made spicy beans stacked on a lentil and chickpea patty, topped off with avo and halloumi. 

An extra incentive to go to Lifebuoy is that it’s attached to a little homewares shop called Sco & Co., so you can pick up some trinkets once you’ve got your caffeine hit.

29 Quail Street, St Helens

Azuki Eating House

Azuki Eating House feels like one of those finds you almost don’t want to share. Warm, low-key and always humming, it turns out house-made dumplings, generous ramen bowls and sushi rolls packed with actual intention. Drop in for an easy lunch, grab takeaway for a beach picnic, or settle in for a relaxed dinner — the flavour, the welcome and the consistency are exactly why locals treat it as a sure thing.

34 Cecilia Street, St Helens

Skippers Fish Shop

Operating from a permanently moored fishing vessel, Skippers serves fish and chips right at the waterline. Gummy shark, scallops, and chowder are cooked in the galley and served with warm hospitality. Eating on the deck or at nearby picnic benches while boats unload their catch brings a distinct charm to this St Helens favourite.

5 Marina Parade, St Helens

Bay of Fires Lobster

Ever had lobster so fresh it practically waved at you before hitting the plate? At Bay of Fires Lobster, the Rainbird family has spent over 50 years pulling premium Southern Rock Lobster straight from Tasmania’s pristine waters. Held live in tanks and cooked fresh daily, this is seafood at its absolute peak. Go for a classic lobster roll or even a whole spanner crab feast.

Tasman Highway, St Helens 

The Wharf

Serving meals with a side of seaside views, The Wharf sits pretty on the edge of George’s Bay in St Helens. Locally sourced seafood is the star attraction on the menu, and with a location like this, how can it not be?

The Wharf also has Cape Grim scotch fillet, crispy pork belly salad and a sweet selection of desserts to keep hungry tummies full.

1 Marina Parade, St Helens

The Surfside

Just 10 minutes down the highway in Beaumaris, The Surfside makes a strong case for a quick detour — the burgers alone justify the trip. Add in weekly specials like curries, tacos and meatballs, and you’ve got a menu built for easy seaside dining. With its beachfront outlook, cold local brews and unpretentious charm, it’s where dinner naturally stretches into a long, salt-soaked evening.

269 Tasman Highway, Beaumaris

Lease 65

If you’re chasing fine dining, Lease 65 won’t scratch the itch — but if you’re chasing Tasmania’s best oysters, you’re in the right place. Perched on Moulting Bay, this no-frills favourite draws loyal crowds for its plump, briny beauties, harvested fresh and sold straight from the source. It’s a simple drive-in, pick-up operation (bring cash), making it ideal for a relaxed feast back at your Airbnb with a bottle of something cold.

444 Binalong Bay Road, St Helens

Things to Do in St Helens: Drink

The Social

This lively yet laid-back spot pours Tasmanian craft beers and wines from a restored vintage caravan tucked into its relaxed beer garden. Inside, it’s all retro charm, with a jumble of ‘60s and ‘70s furniture that somehow feels perfectly right. The food is unfussy and satisfying — burgers, Mexican, and whatever food truck rolls in that week. After a day roaming St Helens, The Social is exactly where you want to land.

32 Quail Street, St Helens

Priory Ridge Wines

Priory Ridge is the region’s lone vineyard and cellar door, and its Pinot Noir is something of a local jewel. White-wine lovers are covered, too — the Sauvignon Blanc is beautifully crisp. Tastings are intimate, so you’ll need to phone ahead, but settling onto the verandah with a glass in hand and those serene farmland views feels like time well spent.

280 Ansons Bay Road, St Helens

Easy, Tiger

You could spend an entire day at Easy, Tiger given it’s a bar, eatery, beer garden and a boutique cinema. The movies have been here for a while, but the beer garden extension is a relatively new addition, and locals head there in droves to sip local beers, and soak up the relaxed atmosphere.

7 Pendrigh Place, St Helens

Things to Do in St Helens: Play

Explore the Bay of Fires

St Helens is the best base for your Bay of Fires adventure, given it’s a town with plenty of amenities and is just a short drive to the must-visit spots.

Start at Binalong Bay with its crystalline waters and orange boulders and make your way up to Eddystone Point and admire its old stone lighthouse. In between you’ll find plenty of spots to pull over and take in the views, look for dolphins, climb over rocks and take a refreshing dip in one of the protected bays.

If you’d prefer a guided experience, embark on the Palawa-owned and operated Wukalina Walk, a four-day tour of the area. Aboriginal guides take walkers on a fascinating journey through Wukalina (Mt William National Park) and Larapuna (Bay of Fires), explaining the Palawa connection to the Country the whole way through.

Bay of Fires, Tasmania 

Cerise Brook Orchard

Cerise Brook Orchard is a relaxed farm where fresh fruit, good coffee and simple outdoor fun come together under Tasmanian skies. The one-hectare orchard grows cherries, peaches, plums, nectarines and blueberries, all harvested at peak flavour and sold fresh in the cafe or produce stall. There’s a laid-back chip-and-putt golf course and lawn games to enjoy, plus real-fruit ice cream and locally baked treats on offer — perfect for a sun-soaked stop between beaches and coast walks.

315 Medeas Cove Road, St Helens

Bay of Fires Winter Arts Festival

St Helens turns into a coastal muse each June long weekend when the Bay of Fires Winter Arts Festival sweeps into town. Galleries spill open, studios welcome curious wanderers, and the region’s creative heart beats louder than the winter swell. The headline draw is the Bay of Fires Art Prize, a serious $20K accolade that pulls in artists from across the country, but it’s the atmosphere that seals the memory — woodsmoke in the air, locals gathering over mulled drinks, and Binalong Bay glowing silver at dawn for the annual Dash n Splash. It’s art, community and mid-winter Tasmania at its most spellbinding. Want a reason to visit in June? This is it.

Every June long weekend

Ride the Famous Bike Trails

The St Helens mountain bike trails are renowned for having some of the most scenic views worldwide, attracting keen riders from all over. While expert-level riders hit the trails, there’s no reason you can’t give it a go if you’re feeling like a daredevil, as there are a few beginner/easy trails among the options.

Head to the St Helens MTB Trails site to find the perfect track for you to tackle. Local bike hire companies will have you all kitted out, and many Airbnbs come with bike lockup areas.

If you’d prefer to hike rather than bike, the St Helens Point Conservation Area in the north east is filled with hiking trails and opportunities for fishing and boating.

Flagstaff Road, St Helens

Learn the History of the Area

St Helens History Room is a local museum with over 1000 artefacts and 20,000+ photographs chronicling the region’s fascinating history. Learn about its Indigenous heritage and Captain Tobias Furneaux, the first white explorer who sailed into the bay in 1773, and beyond. 

From its past as a whaling station to its tin mining boom, there’s lots to learn about this quaint little port town. 

Mainly Maritime is another local museum that dives into, funnily enough, maritime history. Incorporating the Warship and Marine Corps Museum, there are carefully preserved records, uniforms, archives and artwork charting the history of St Helens and worldwide maritime exploration and warfare. 

61 Cecilia Street, St Helens 

13 Pendrigh Place, St Helens

Peron Sand Dunes

If you’ve got a taste for adventure, Peron Sand Dunes is where you’ll find it — an endless playground of golden slopes just outside St Helens. Whether you’re tearing it up in a 4WD, sandboarding down steep faces, or just soaking in the raw beauty of the coastline, this place is pure magic. The wind carves the dunes into ever-shifting waves, the ocean roars nearby, and for a moment, it’s just you, the sand, and the wild pulse of Tasmania.

Take a Kayak Tour

Local operator Secret River Tours runs kayak adventures around the St Helens area — you can explore St Georges Bay in town, cruise around the Scamander River (with its “secret” island in the middle) or even go gem fossicking for sapphire and topaz up north, about an hour out of St Helens.

The kayaks are pedal-operated, so you can have your hands completely free — helpful if you’ve picked the fishing option! The tour guides provide all the gear you need, so it’s a relatively easy way to get a unique view of St Helens and its beautiful surroundings.

St Helens, Tasmania

Pyengana

Pyengana is the sort of place that earns its detour. Set between rolling dairy country and pockets of ancient rainforest, it’s home to some of Tasmania’s most beloved cheese — Pyengana Dairy’s clothbound cheddar has genuine cult status. Pair it with a cold local cider, then wander to the Pub in the Paddock to greet Priscilla, the resident beer-drinking pig. When you’re ready for nature, St Columba Falls — one of the state’s tallest — pours through dense forest with cinematic force. It’s country hospitality in its truest form, where generous food, big skies and slow hours rule the day.

Things to Do in St Helens: Stay

Georgie Buoy

Once you check in to Georgie Buoy, you’ll feel like you’re also checking into the 1970s. This incredibly restored retro beach house has gorgeous views of George’s Bay, which you might not even notice given you’re too busy admiring the incredible vintage decor inside.

With two bedrooms, a wood fire and a spacious deck to enjoy the vista, it’s a great place for a couples’ trip or girls’ getaway.

9 Lawry Heights, St Helens

Happy Nomad

Happy Nomad is surrounded by greenery, giving a peaceful and remote vibe, but, it’s just a few minutes out of St Helens. The property is sprawling and spacious, with a large yard with a raised wooden patio to enjoy a BBQ and local produce as the sun sets.

The kitchen is fully stocked with whatever you might need, and the clawfoot tub is a must for soaking after a hike or bike ride.

112 Ansons Bay Road, St Helens

Swansong

For something a little more remote, Swansong is an off-grid, one-bedroom cabin offering a secluded St Helens accommodation option.

Built into the beautiful eucalypt forest, it has views overlooking George’s Bay that you can enjoy from your bed. With two adjoining pavilions, one with the kitchen and living and dining, one with the bedroom and ensuite, this unique property provides ultimate serenity.

443 Binalong Bay Road, St Helens

Calypso

If the 1970s aren’t your thing, maybe Calypso and its 1960s vibe might suit you better. Another wonderfully renovated and kitted out beach house, this two-bedroom property has two bathrooms and is another ideal base for two couples or a mates trip.

Fire up the BBQ on the deck, spot wallabies in the yard and enjoy a few sundowners after your big day of seeing the local sights.

16 Atlas Drive, St Helens

Ready to explore more of Tasmania after reading our guide to the best things to do in St Helens? Why not check out our guide for an epic weekend getaway or enjoy a relaxing afternoon sipping divine wine at one of Tasmania’s best wineries?