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A Bruny Island cruise is a three-hour coastal adventure in an open-sided boat, with huge sea cliffs, caves and wildlife spotting along South Bruny. Expect fast runs between slower viewing stops, fresh sea air and spectacular scenery! It’s worth booking for the dramatic coastline, the energetic boat ride and the wildlife watching along the way. Here’s what you’ll find on board, where to join the cruise and how to get ready for the trip!
This is Bruny from the water: stunning cliffs rising above your seat, rocky gaps beside the boat and stretches of coast to explore beyond Adventure Bay. Get ready for a very different view of the island!
The boats carry up to 43 passengers in forward-facing, tiered rows. There’s a canopy overhead, but the sides are open, so you’re out in the sea air rather than tucked inside a cabin. The wide-open view is one of the best parts: look sideways at the cliffs, not through a window!
A marine toilet is on board, below deck and down four steps. Access is narrow, and the skipper can restrict its use when sea conditions make it necessary. Use the toilets ashore before boarding rather than leaving it until the boat is under way.
The South Bruny coastline is the star of the cruise. Beautiful sea cliffs, caves and rock formations give you plenty to watch between wildlife stops. The boat travels quickly between areas, then slows for a closer look. That change of pace is part of the fun: an energetic ride followed by time to take in the view!
The Monument, a sea stack beside a narrow gap in the rocks, is one of the iconic coastal features. Breathing Rock is another, with seawater forced through the rock to create its blowhole effect. These are the kinds of details that make the coast so fascinating from a boat, beyond the broad sweep of cliffs in a photograph!
The exact route and viewing stops depend on sea conditions. Treat these landmarks as highlights of the coastline, not a fixed checklist for every departure. Keep your camera handy for the slower moments, when there’s more time to frame those incredible rock formations.
Wildlife watching is one of the highlights of a Bruny Island cruise! The Friars is home to a large seal colony and nesting seabirds. As the boat explores these rocky islands, look for seals on the rocks and birds overhead.
Along the coast, watch for sea eagles soaring above the cliffs, albatross riding the wind and shearwaters skimming the swells. Keep an eye on the water for dolphins surfing the bow wave and migrating whales, too! Dolphin and whale sightings aren’t guaranteed.
Each departure includes the same three-hour boat trip. The difference is how you get to Adventure Bay.
For the cruise-only departure, make your own way to 1005 Adventure Bay Road on Bruny Island, then join the three-hour cruise along this spectacular coast. The Bruny Island Wilderness Cruise from Adventure Bay or Kettering offers this Adventure Bay departure as one of its booking choices.
Your journey to the island, vehicle ferry ticket and meals are separate. It’s an easy way to add the boat trip to a stay on Bruny without turning it into a return day tour from Hobart.
The Kettering connection starts on mainland Tasmania at Oyster Cove Marina. Meet at 8.30am and return at about 4.45pm, making this an approximately eight-and-a-quarter-hour day, not just a three-hour outing. Free parking is available at the meeting point.
Bus travel, the ferry crossing and the wilderness cruise are included; food is extra. The organised transport carries you onwards to Adventure Bay, so there’s no need to drive your car around the island! Kettering is the mainland departure choice for the Adventure Bay or Kettering tour above. Transport from Hobart to the marina is not included.
Without a car in Hobart, book the Bruny Island Wilderness Cruise Day Tour with Lunch from Hobart for return bus and ferry travel, the three-hour cruise, morning tea and lunch in one organised day.
Meet at Franklin Wharf at 7.45am, at the Dock Head beside the Constitution Dock lifting bridge. The return to Hobart is about 5.30pm, so allow roughly nine and three-quarter hours. This is a full day of travel and cruising, with your transport and meals already sorted!
Hotel drop-off is included, but hotel pickup is not. Start at the waterfront meeting point rather than waiting at your accommodation.
Expect an open-ocean ride, with movement and faster stretches between viewing stops. A calm-looking morning in Hobart doesn’t tell you how the sea will feel along South Bruny. Wind and swell affect the ride, so this is not the same as a sheltered harbour cruise.
If motion sickness is a concern, ask for a seat in the back third of the boat, where there is less up-and-down movement. This will not guarantee a nausea-free trip. Let the crew know about your concern as you board.
Looking towards the horizon is more helpful than reading or scrolling on a phone. Eat lightly before the cruise and skip alcohol. The amazing scenery gives you plenty to focus on outside the boat; save the screen time for later!
A pharmacist or doctor can advise on motion-sickness medication, especially for children, during pregnancy or when taking other medicines. Some products cause drowsiness. If you’re driving back after the cruise, mention that when asking for advice. Don’t try a new medicine without understanding whether it is suitable for you and how it might affect the drive home.
Dress warmly, even in summer. The open sides put you in the wind while the boat is moving, and a sunny day on land is not a reason to leave your layers behind. A warm jacket, beanie, gloves and scarf belong on the packing list!
The supplied wet-weather jacket goes over your clothing. It helps with spray and rain, but it does not replace a warm layer underneath. Get ready for the sea air with a few small, practical extras:
Leave large bags out of the day’s plans; the cruise does not allow large luggage. Pack for the boat, rather than bringing everything from your road trip.
For the 11am cruise, arrive at Adventure Bay by 10.30am for check-in. The car ferry only gets you onto Bruny Island; it does not take you to the cruise departure point. Plan your drive through to Adventure Bay, not just to the ferry terminal.
From Hobart, allow about 45 minutes to drive to Kettering. The ferry crossing to Roberts Point takes about 20 minutes, followed by roughly 40 minutes of driving to Adventure Bay. Those parts add up to about one hour and 45 minutes of travel, before ferry waiting and cruise check-in.
Allow extra time at Kettering to join the ferry queue, as well as the cruise’s 30-minute check-in allowance. Do not build the morning around catching one precise crossing: vehicles board on a first-available basis, and buying a ticket ahead does not reserve a particular sailing.
Vehicle tickets are paid, while passengers, including the driver, travel free. A walk-on crossing still leaves you at Roberts Point, around 40 minutes’ drive from Adventure Bay. There is no public bus service on the island, so walking onto the ferry alone does not complete the journey to the cruise. The organised Kettering connection covers that island transport.
The standard 11am departure returns at about 2pm. For a self-drive visit, that leaves an afternoon for lunch and a few short stops on the way back towards the ferry! Keep the extra sightseeing close to that route rather than trying to fit a full island circuit around the cruise.
The Hobart and Kettering day trips leave time for lunch before the return bus. You’re not left with a separate afternoon to drive around the island. Want more time for Bruny’s beautiful beaches and food stops? The Bruny Island trip-style guide explains the broader ways to explore the island, beyond the coastal boat trip.
Yes. Children of all ages are welcome aboard. Cliffs, caves and wildlife spotting give them plenty to look at, but this is three hours on an open-sided boat. Think about how your child has handled boat rides and longer outings before, rather than assuming age alone tells you how comfortable they will be.
The operator accepts pregnant passengers, with sea conditions and comfort especially important later in pregnancy. Contact the cruise team a day or two beforehand for the sea conditions expected for your trip and to discuss whether those conditions suit you. That conversation does not replace medical advice about your pregnancy. Speak with your maternity care provider before taking the trip if you need advice about your own circumstances.
Arrange assistance before booking. The usual approach to the jetty includes about 350 metres of sloping gravel path, although a drop-off closer to the jetty can be arranged. Boarding involves steps, and the boat has narrow aisles. The connecting buses are not wheelchair accessible; folded wheelchairs and walking aids can be stored, but passengers still need to board via steps. Tell the team what assistance you need so they can assess the boarding arrangements with you, rather than assuming storage means step-free access.
