My favourite beaches in Tasmania

One of the many things I love about Tasmania is the expanse of incredible beaches on offer, often only a short drive away from where you are living or staying. In particular, I love the fact that you might visit one of these beaches in the middle of summer, and be one of the only people on the sand or in the water (a very foreign concept for someone who grew up in Sydney). I thought I'd put together a list of my top five favourite beaches in Tasmania, though it was hard narrowing it down to just five, given how many beautiful, clean, serene and uncrowded spots there are in this amazing state.

1. Boat Harbour Beach (North-West Coast)

There is no doubt that my number one favourite beach in Tasmania is Boat Harbour Beach. Located about 20-25 minutes' drive from Burnie, the beautiful white sand, clear blue water and smooth rocky boulders make this beach such a picturesque spot. It is also a dog-friendly beach, which made for quite a few fun weekend trips with Moose when we lived in Burnie. You can also grab a coffee or lunch at the Boat Harbour Beach Surf Lifesaving Club if you feel like a drink or meal while enjoying the incredible views.

2. Denison Beach (East Coast)

Denison Beach is a recent discovery for me, but I'm so glad I was able to visit this spot on the east coast, about 10 minutes' drive north of Bicheno. This is a great beach for surfing, and on a Saturday afternoon in summer, I was the only one in the water, and we only saw a couple of other people on the beach in the two hours that we spent here.

3. Redbill Beach (East Coast)

Redbill Beach is also just north of Bicheno, and is another beautiful dog-friendly beach that is also great for smaller wave surfing. It is lined with a number of beautiful red rocks that are typical of the east coast beaches, and I was in awe of just how clear the water was when I went for a Sunday morning surf there a couple of weeks ago. It is also very close to the town of Bicheno if you feel like swinging through town to grab some post-beach fish and chips, or a coffee and sweet treat from the Little Bay Patisserie.

4. Somerset Beach (North-West Coast)

Another one of my favourite beaches on the north-west coast that is only a 5-10 minute drive from Burnie is Somerset Beach. Moose and I would often start our day with a walk or run along Somerset Beach, which stretches for kilometers and was particularly stunning on a winter's morning as the sun was rising over the horizon. Even though there are restricted hours over summer during which dogs are allowed off-leash, we found that there was still plenty of time for Moose to run around freely, and it was even better during winter, when dogs are allowed off-leash at any time of the day.

5. Kingston Beach (South Coast)

The beach that we visit the most is Kingston Beach, which is a 15 minute drive south of Hobart's CBD (and only about 5-10 minutes from where we live). Kingston Beach is definitely the most popular beach in this list, due to it being a very social dog beach, and the handful of cafes and restaurants lining the beach are a big draw card for locals on the weekend. We usually head to Kingston Beach once of twice a week to give Moose a run, and also love stopping by Beachfront 32, the Salty Dog, Fika or Robby Brown's for a meal. If you feel like going for a coastal hike, the Alum Cliffs Track starts at Kingston Beach and winds through the bush, providing stunning views over the ocean.