We had driven through Bicheno on a couple of occasions on the main east coast road, The A3 – Tasman Highway. On this return journey we stopped for a coffee break and to explore.

After a good coffee and lemon cake in a local cafe, we joined the Foreshore Footway on the beach at the end of Jetty Road. As with beaches further north, this little cove had white sand. A few yachts were moored in the water.

The path cut up to a grass area with a memorial to the Australian Merchant Navy.

After a short section of bush track, the path opened up to these stunning rocks that continued around the point of land. The rocks have some scrub plants, a variety of pretty red leaves. The rocks themselves appear red in places due to lichen.

We stood for ages watching the waves crash against the rocks. The wind was a north westerly so the swell of the ocean varied as we walked around the headland. The sound of the waves increased or decreased depending on an exposed or sheltered shoreline.

We continued walking over the rocks. It was easy to wander so we were glad to see white arrows painted to direct us back to the path which then headed back into trees.

As we came of of the trees, we were surprised by another boat ramp in the perfectly clear waters. The rocks in the distance are Governor Island, a marine reserve. A little way up the coast behind us, was Diamond Island which has a colony of little penguins. Tours are available to see the penguin walk at dusk.

Further on, over more rocks and short detours through the bush when the rocks were too hazardous, we came to the blowhole. Again we stood for ages, waiting, watching, enjoying the spectacle as water spouted high into the air. We inched closer to get photos without getting wet.

It was at the end of our walk that we saw the notice board and map with the warning …. “beware of big waves”.