How to do winter on the east coast

Bicheno in winter means cool nights and bright lights. Here’s how local perfumer Hilary Burden recommends embracing the Off Season.

If you ask Undersong Perfumery founder Hilary Burden, her coastal home is “raw, elemental, moody”.

“The east coast of Tasmania in winter is skin-shedding, resetting, calming in a wild way,” she says. “If Tassie summers are golden, winters are silver – shimmering and opalescent.”

Whether you’re visiting Bicheno for its annual winter light show or seeking other seaside adventures, Bicheno perfumer and author Hilary Burden shares how to plan your best winter east-coast holiday.

Bicheno Beams: Your winter gateway to Tasmania’s east coast

On winter nights in July, Bicheno visitors and locals alike wrap up, rug up and wander down the main street to Lion’s Park for Bicheno Beams – the town’s free laser light show igniting the starry skyline with colour and song.

When Hilary’s not sharing her fragrances with guests at Undersong Perfumery on the main street, she’s joining the annual Bicheno Beams pilgrimage.

“Bicheno Beams shows how a small town has big energy for the great outdoors, even when it’s dark,” Hilary says. “The anticipation of that first beam and first beat is infectious. Everyone looks up, taking in the kaleidoscope of colour in the sky. It’s awesome to experience shared joy in a crowd.”

Why the east coast is a must-do this winter

Bicheno Beams isn’t the only Tasmanian east-coast event worth eyeballing. Hilary says visitors often come for the Beams but stay for the winter experience.

With its sunny days and cool nights, Bicheno in winter lets you dip your toes into Tasmania’s Off Season. Jam on a beanie for a morning beach walk, then shed your layers by lunchtime.

“The east coast makes me feel free and brave,” Hilary muses. "Any day, I can decide to take a road trip – the kind most people only dream of. You take a step outside your front door and you’re already on the road.”

An east-coast holiday is the ultimate uncrowded Tasmania Off Season experience. Soul-enriching scenery. Clear light, perfect for photography. Easy parking everywhere. Relax into Tassie pace – leave time for chats with locals, spontaneous stops and unrushed, unexpected experiences:

• Walk Wineglass Bay without the crowds
• Get intimate with tuxedoed locals on Bicheno Penguin Tours
• Discover scents of nature at Undersong Perfumery
• Grown-ups enjoy kids’ prices with East Coast Natureworld’s devils in the dark tour
• Watch whales migrate (June–July) and seals sunbake
• Sauna, ice plunge and rejuvenate at communal sanctuary Selkie Wellness
• Book east-coast Off Season accommodation offers featuring special packages and indulgent winter-exclusive add-ons.

For Hilary, winter on Tasmania’s east coast means “wild waves and misty beaches”.

“Sea fog rolling into town like a surprise visitor, cheery winter wattle lining the roadsides. Wearing beanies and shorts…” It’s all very Off Season.

The scent of winter is harder to pin down. Is it the salty tang on the coastal air, the warm briny aroma of seafood, the heady notes of whisky and wine? Maybe it’s Hilary’s woody GONDWANA Undersong eau de parfum, blending leatherwood leaves, sassafras, Tasmanian mountain pepper and celery top pine in an ode to the island’s rare and ancient Gondwanan flowering plants. Her fragrances are inspired by Bicheno’s salty air, like southern France where she studied perfumery, “but without the crowds”.

“Tasmania is a highly aromatic island, and Undersong fragrances are a direct response to the native botanicals that grow here,” Hilary says.

This Off Season, Hilary is hosting live distillations of GONDWANA botanicals. Book an hour-long experience to learn about native plant distilling and the history of perfume.

Where to base yourself

Having accommodation in Bicheno places you central to the east-coast region, offering slow, easy exploration. You’re 30mins from Freycinet National Park, a bit over 1hr from the Larapuna / Bay of Fires area and, importantly, Bicheno Beams is on your doorstep.

Looking for Bicheno beachfront accommodation options? There’s Beachend – hosted by Australian Olympic swimmer Shane Gould. She might even coax you into the 10°C sea for a dip. Or Cooinda on the Beachfront offers its on-site sauna for free during the Off Season, letting you dash into icy Waubs Bay between sweat sessions before falling asleep by the ocean.

Other places to stay on the east coast of Tasmania include Coles Bay bordering Freycinet National Park; Swansea, a laidback seaside town 45mins south of Bicheno and 1hr 50mins from Hobart; and St Helens with its crisp white beaches, 1hr north of Bicheno.

Must-haves for a luxury Off Season stay according to Hilary? Look for north-facing accommodation with an open fireplace and beach views. Outdoor baths, saunas and cold plunges don’t go astray. Local tip: book accommodation early for Bicheno Beams to lock in your dream stay.

What to do beyond the beams

Beyond Bicheno’s attractions, Bicheno’s beaches and Bicheno’s blowhole, there’s a bevy of things to do on the east coast of Tasmania.

Beaches you could have to yourself

• Friendly Beaches
• Dennison Beach
• Binalong Bay.

Douglas-Apsley National Park

• The national park is 20mins from Bicheno
• Plunge into an icy freshwater pool among eucalypt forests filled with birdsong
• Embrace mindful forest bathing on a walk through the park, ranging from the 15min Loop Track to the epic two-day Douglas River Falls hike for experienced walkers

Freycinet in winter

• 30mins from Bicheno
• Hike Wineglass Bay
• Take a Pennicott Wilderness Journeys boat tour
• Enjoy a scenic bushwalk around Coles Bay and Freycinet National Park, from the 20min wheelchair-accessible Cape Tourville Track to the dramatic 2–3-day 27km Freycinet Peninsula Circuit.
• Read up on walker safety info before you go.

The Larapuna / Bay of Fires area

• The Larapuna / Bay of Fires area is 1hr from Bicheno
• Stroll along beaches lined with orange-lichen boulders
• Revel in creative community spirit at Bay of Fires Winter Arts Festival (5–8 June).

By now, you’re probably sensing an ocean theme.

“Tasmanians are saltwater people,” Hilary says. “Hearing the waves at night, smelling the saltiness in the main street, the thought – if not the fact – of winter swims.”

These are all, according to Hilary, “healing qualities that ground you”.

Planning your east-coast escape

Creating your east-coast Tasmania winter itinerary? Leave margins for slower mornings, unhurried drives and scenic lookouts. Hilary recommends a blend of pre-scheduled activities and room for free roaming.

“It’s best to have a framework, then let each day unfold,” she advises.

You never know when you’ll be stopped for a chat with a local or what you’ll find when you take a turn you hadn’t planned. Even getting lost can be fun.

The Great Eastern Drive is the ultimate east-coast Tasmania road trip, best savoured like a fine cool-climate wine. While most east-coast winter days are sunny, it’s a wise idea to plan weather-dependent backup options. Like, say, winter oysters and bubbles at Freycinet Lodge beneath the Hazards mountains, or Freycinet Marine Farm’s Off Season-only signature scallop pie.

Plan all the essentials before you go: make a list of what gear to pack for winter and familiarise yourself with winter driving and road trip tips.

“Pack warm layers, a beanie and walking boots with good traction and a rug for lying under the stars,” Hilary says. “Slow down and enjoy the softer speed.”

And when in doubt, fill your days (and your stomach) with tasty east-coast food and drink. Seafood, wine, whisky…you’ll find no shortage of flavours this winter.