Freycinet National Park, Nature reserve on eastern coast, Tasmania
Freycinet National Park is a reserve on Tasmania's eastern coast where granite peaks rise above sandy bays and forested slopes. The coastline alternates between rocky headlands and sheltered coves, with walking tracks leading through heathland and eucalyptus forest.
The reserve was declared in 1916, making it one of the oldest protected areas in Australia. Louis de Freycinet mapped this coastline during a French voyage in the early 19th century, and the peninsula later took his name.
The peninsula is named after Louis de Freycinet, who explored Van Diemen's Land under Nicolas Baudin in 1802–03. Schouten Island honours a director of the Dutch East India Company, named by Abel Tasman in 1642. The park protects Aboriginal and European sites, though much of its human history remains uninvestigated.
Visitors need a park pass, available at the entrance or online, to access walking tracks, camping sites, and lookout points. Most trails are well marked, but some sections require sturdy footwear and plenty of drinking water.
The granite here is Devonian, and orthoclase feldspar gives the peaks and shoreline their pink tint; black mica and white quartz are also visible in the rock. On the western side of Schouten Island the bedrock changes to Jurassic dolerite.
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