Saffire resort in Freycinet, Tasmania, Australia (Photo by Brad A. Johnson)

Halfway up the eastern coast of Tasmania, Australia, you’ll find the breathtaking Freycinet Peninsula—a protected national park that dips southeastward into the cold Tasman Sea, forming spectacular bays on either side. Fronting the wild Tasman Sea, you’ll find the legendary Wineglass Bay, renowned for its beaches, the best of which are accessible only by foot. On the island side, there’s the vast Great Oyster Bay, one of Tasmania’s most treasured troves of seafood: Pacific oysters, Angasi oysters, mussels (as big as chihuahuas!), rock lobsters, scallops, abalone, calamari, squid and sea urchins, plus flathead, bream, tuna, mullet, flounder, blue-eye trevalla… It’s a nature lover’s paradise and seafood lover’s dream.

Here are two great options for accommodations (each with terrific cuisine) overlooking Great Oyster Bay (which encompasses the smaller Coles Bay and Honeymoon Bay). Continue reading →