The most photographic locations in Tasmania’s Southwest

We’ve all seen stunning sunrises, picturesque sunsets… but witnessing these natural phenomena at Bramble Cove will take you to a whole new level. Sipping on a glass of bubbly on the Odalisque’s balcony whilst admiring the changing colours of the sky, and in turn, the water’s surface; this is a definite crowd favourite for both our eyes and lenses when it comes to our Southwest treasure.

The Breaksea Islands

With a combined land mass of approximately 40 acres,the Breaksea Islands guard the entry to Port Davey from the wild swells of the Southwest. Many seabirds breed in this sheltered area, including short-tailed sheerwaters, silver gulls, fairy prions and little penguins: a fantastic location for capturing rarely seen Tasmanian animals in action.

Melaleuca Inlet

The Melaleuca Inlet, like much of Bathurst Harbour and the Port Davey area, is a deep brown colour, like a good black tea. The water gains its colour from the tea-tree (melaleuca), which lines the hills and rivers through most of the area. This clear, rich colouring provides the perfect reflective surface, creating mesmerising natural illusions: an ideal subject for the keen photographer.

Balmoral Hill 

Climbing Balmoral Hill will give you a great reward for minimal effort. After a pleasant 30-minute walk, you will be treated to a panoramic view of Bathurst Harbour, allowing you to capture every angle of its pristine landscape. The images below perfectly represent just how much the time of day will affect the image captured: both magnificent, yet entirely different.

Reflective Waterways

Port Davey’s mirrored waterways will leave you seeing double. On a fine, calm day the marine reserve’s waters reflect the glowing, pristine landscape’s endless perfection. Before reading on, take a quick look at the image below… Did you realise that it was upside-down?

The Davey River 

The 53-kilometre winding banks of the Davey River are dense with Huon pine, providing a luscious green hallway for its visitors. The greenery, alongside the deep, gloomy colouring of the rocky banks, creates a fantastic contrast for the beams of light seeping through the gaps in the cliff-faces.

Southwest Sea Caves

Weaving through the Southwest’s network of sea caves will leave you feeling lost in the surrounding prehistoric pathway: a beautiful way to appreciate the artistic naturally landscapes forming around us. With varying colours, textures and light/dark contrasts, your lens will feel right at home.

Mt. Rugby

A bit more challenging than the walk up Balmoral Hill, the steep hike of Mt Rugby will lead you to the highest, most prominent peak bordering the marine reserve. If you conquer the mountain, you will be privileged to unique 360-degree wilderness views (as pictured below), acclaimed by many as the best in Tasmania. This is a full day of photography fun.

Do you love landscape photography?

There’s a lot to explore; Tasmania’s World Heritage Area comprises 1.38 million hectares, or about 20 per cent of the entire State. Once per season, we venture into this precious area on a one-off landscape photography tour, led by local award-winning photographers. On this tour, we’ll be exploring the areas mentioned above, as well as taking you through the post-photographic process aboard our vessel, the Odalisque. If you’d like to learn more about this tour and how to book, head to our Landscape Photography Tour page now.