Almost everyone does Wineglass Bay the hard way. They drive to the car park, climb the granite saddle, look down at the most photographed beach in Australia, take the picture, and turn around. The ones who walk all the way down then discover the honest truth about Freycinet: the climb out is the difficult half, in the heat, at the end of the day.
There is a second way in, and it has been running out of Coles Bay for years — a water taxi. It is a private boat that lands you directly on the sand at Wineglass Bay, Hazards Beach, Honeymoon Bay or Schouten Island, on your time, and takes you back when you are ready.
Wineglass Bay cruise or Wineglass Bay water taxi?
They are different products, and the right one depends on what you actually want out of the day.
| Scheduled cruise | Water taxi | |
|---|---|---|
| Departure | Fixed daily time | Your time, inside 6am-10pm |
| Priced | Per person | Per boat |
| Who's aboard | Shared with the public | Your group only |
| Beach landing | Rarely — viewed from the water | Yes, straight onto the sand |
| Best for | Sightseeing, commentary, solos and couples | Walkers, families, groups of 4+, photographers |
A cruise shows you the bay. A water taxi puts you on it — and because it is billed per boat, the maths flips in your favour the moment there are more than four or five of you.
What a Wineglass Bay water taxi costs in 2026
Freycinet transfers start at about $197 all-in, per boat.
That number is finished. It already contains the operator's published rate, our commission, the platform fee and the card surcharge. Nothing is added at checkout, and nothing is per head.
| Trip | Typical time on water | Indicative all-in fare |
|---|---|---|
| Coles Bay to Wineglass Bay | 20-25 min | from $197 |
| Coles Bay to Hazards Beach | 15-20 min | from $197 |
| Swanwick Marina to Honeymoon Bay | 10-15 min | from $197 |
| Coles Bay to Schouten Island | 40-50 min | quoted on distance |
| Coles Bay to Bicheno Gulch | 60+ min | quoted on distance |
Across eight walkers, the return leg from Wineglass Bay works out around $25 each — which, if you have ever hauled yourself back over that saddle at 4pm in February, is the best twenty-five dollars available in Tasmania.
And you are not charged today. Booking places a temporary A$0 verification hold on your card. The fare is only taken when a Freycinet skipper accepts your job, or three days before pickup — whichever comes first.
The walk-in, boat-out plan (the one to book)
This is the itinerary locals recommend and visitors never hear about:
- Drive to the Wineglass Bay car park. Park, grab water, and take the graded track over the saddle. Allow 1 to 1.5 hours down at a comfortable pace, including the lookout.
- Stay on the beach. Two hours, three hours, all afternoon. Almost nobody lingers, so a bay that had forty people at 11am often has four by 2pm.
- Meet the boat at your booked window. You run home around the Hazards, seeing the peninsula from the water — pink granite, sea eagles, usually dolphins — instead of grinding back up the hill.
Two things to get right:
- Book the pick-up window before you leave the car park. Mobile coverage on the sand ranges from patchy to none. Do not plan to "call from the beach".
- Give yourself buffer. There is a 15-minute grace window, after which waiting time applies at $5 per minute to the card on file. Aim to be on the sand 20 minutes early and enjoy the swim.
The reverse — boat in, walk out — works just as well and gets you onto the beach before the day walkers arrive. Sunrise landings at Wineglass are the photographer's version of this trip.
Hazards Beach, Honeymoon Bay and the peninsula circuit
Hazards Beach is the western-side twin: a long, quiet, pale arc facing Great Oyster Bay, sheltered when the east coast is being hammered. It is the second half of the classic Peninsula Circuit walk, and a boat pick-up there converts that circuit from a hard full day into a very pleasant half day.
Honeymoon Bay is ten minutes from Swanwick — tiny, protected, granite-lined, and the easiest possible outing with small kids or grandparents aboard.
Schouten Island is the serious one. Drop-and-collect for campers and walkers, no facilities, no shop, no signal. Book both legs at once with the collection time fixed, and pack as though the boat is not coming back until it does.
Bicheno Gulch, 60 minutes north, is weather-dependent and worth it for the coastline alone.
What a beach landing is actually like
There is no jetty at Wineglass Bay or Hazards Beach — that is the point of using a purpose-built water taxi rather than a cruise vessel. The bow noses onto sand, the skipper holds the boat, and you step down into shin-deep water.
- Wear shoes you can get wet, or carry them and go barefoot.
- Dry-bag anything that matters: phone, camera, car keys, spare layer.
- Pack a windproof layer even in February — the run around the Hazards is cool at speed.
- Skippers carry correctly sized life jackets for children and will help with packs and eskies.
- One suitcase-sized bag plus a hand bag per person travels free; oversized items are $25 each, declared at booking.
Weather, safety and who carries the risk
Freycinet faces the Tasman Sea. Easterly swell closes the Wineglass landing, and no amount of wanting it changes that. Skippers assess conditions on the morning and will either move you to Hazards Beach or reschedule.
If the operator stands the trip down for weather or safety, you are refunded in full. You never carry the forecast. Ordinary customer cancellations are free up to 2 days before pickup; inside that window tiered charges apply because the boat and crew have been committed. Refunds default to wallet credit and can be cashed out to your original card whenever you like.
Eating and staying on the peninsula
The Freycinet food stops are all within a short run of the landing points: Freycinet Marine Farm for oysters straight out of Moulting Lagoon, The Bay Restaurant at Freycinet Lodge, and Saffire Freycinet at the top end. Coles Bay itself has the bakery, the pub and the general store for walking supplies.
If you want a table and a boat in one move, the waterfront venue directory holds Tasmanian venues with the booking panel already locked to the right landing point.
Booking a Wineglass Bay water taxi
Open the booking engine and start typing Coles Bay, Wineglass, Hazards or Swanwick — the landing points appear as you type. Set passengers, date and pick-up window, and a live all-in fare comes back with the boats that can actually do it. Pay online and your QR boarding pass arrives by email and SMS.
If nothing is free at your exact slot, the job is broadcast to every eligible Tasmanian operator rather than dead-ending on a contact form. One engine, the whole fleet — that is what Water Taxis Australia is for.
Hours: 6:00 am to 10:00 pm, seven days. Same-day bookings close at 9:00 pm; later trips and tomorrow's runs go through Book Later.
More reading
Questions we hear a lot
What is the difference between a Wineglass Bay cruise and a water taxi?+
A cruise is a scheduled group tour on a fixed loop with a fixed departure time — you share the boat and you see the bay from the water. A water taxi is a private transfer: your boat, your time, and it lands you on the sand at Wineglass Bay or Hazards Beach so you can actually walk the beach. Cruises are priced per person; water taxis are priced per boat, so groups of six or more usually pay less by taxi.
How much is a water taxi to Wineglass Bay?+
From about $197 all-in per boat for a Coles Bay to Wineglass Bay transfer. That is the finished figure — the operator's rate, our commission, the platform fee and the card surcharge are already inside it. Schouten Island and Bicheno runs are quoted on distance and time.
Can I walk to Wineglass Bay and catch a boat back?+
Yes, and it is the best way to do Freycinet. Walk over the saddle from the Wineglass Bay car park (1 to 1.5 hours down), spend as long as you like on the sand, then take the water taxi back around the Hazards to Coles Bay instead of climbing back over. Book the pick-up window before you leave the car park — there is little to no phone coverage on the beach.
Where is Hazards Beach and can a boat land there?+
Hazards Beach sits on the western, Great Oyster Bay side of the Freycinet Peninsula, about 11 km by foot from the car park and 15 to 20 minutes by boat from Coles Bay. It is a beach landing with no jetty, and it is the usual alternative when easterly swell closes the Wineglass side.
Is there a jetty at Wineglass Bay?+
No. The boat noses onto the sand and you step off into ankle-deep water. Wear shoes you can get wet or carry them, and dry-bag phones and cameras. Skippers do this several times a day and will help with packs.
Do Wineglass Bay boats run all year?+
Yes, inside the 6:00 am to 10:00 pm service window, seven days. Freycinet is exposed, so easterly weather can close the Wineglass landing on the day. If the skipper stands the trip down for safety you are refunded in full.
Can a water taxi drop us on Schouten Island for camping?+
Yes, as a drop-and-collect. Book both legs together with the collection date and time locked in, and carry everything you need — there are no facilities on the island and no way to change the plan once you are ashore.
How many passengers fit on a Freycinet water taxi?+
Usually 8 to 12 per vessel. Bigger walking groups are handled with multiple runs or a charter vessel; the booking engine only shows boats that can legally carry your passenger count.
Ready to lock in your trip on the water?
Live fare, instant confirmation, one clean receipt. If the operator can't cover your slot we issue an automatic full refund — no phone calls, no forms.
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