A small coastal settlement beside pinmatik / Rocky Cape National Park

Sisters Beach

Plan a quiet Sisters Beach visit around the beach, Banksia Grove circuit and Postmans Track, with respect for wildlife and Aboriginal cultural places.

By Our Tasmania Editorial

Sisters Beach viewed along the coast from the west — The settlement lies between Bass Strait and the eastern end of pinmatik / Rocky Cape National Park.NeoGeneric, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Sisters Beach is a compact settlement between a broad Bass Strait beach and the eastern end of pinmatik / Rocky Cape National Park. It is a residential place with direct walking access to protected coastal heath, not a resort town with extensive services.

Begin at the beach and boat-ramp end

The beach is open to Bass Strait weather, and its apparent shelter changes with wind and swell. Swim only after assessing current conditions, keep clear of boat launching activity and avoid disturbing shorebirds on the sand.

Sand and shallow water at Sisters Beach — Beach conditions change with Bass Strait wind and swell.texturepalace, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Banksia Grove is the short park walk

The Banksia Grove and Caves Circuit begins near the Sisters Beach boat ramp and takes up to an hour for about 1.6 kilometres. It climbs through saw banksia heath before reaching viewing points above Aboriginal cultural sites.

Platforms protect midden material and other evidence of thousands of years of Aboriginal occupation. Stay on the track and platforms, and do not enter the caves.

Rocky headland and coastal heath in Rocky Cape National Park — Short walks from Sisters Beach enter culturally significant coastal country.Robyn Jay from Sydney, Australia, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Postmans Track needs a return plan

Postmans Track is 2.1 kilometres one way. Parks Tasmania estimates about an hour one way or two-and-a-half hours return when combined with the beach. A two-car arrangement can shorten the outing, but parking must not obstruct residents, boat users or emergency access.

Longer inland and coastal routes connect Sisters Beach with the western side of the national park. They cross steeper and rougher country and need a car shuttle or pickup plan.

Sisters Island seen from the Rocky Cape coast — Longer tracks need time, weather preparation and a return transport plan.NeoGeneric, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Clean soil from footwear when leaving because Phytophthora is present in the national park. Drive slowly on the unfenced access road, especially around dawn and dusk. Boat Harbour Beach and Wynyard provide nearby services and a different style of coastal stop.