When Is the Best Time
The secluded beach behind the remarkable cave tunnel is only accessible sharp at low tide. However, check the tides first. If you arrive after low tide; it becomes dangerous to walk through the tunnel you can't escape powerful waves. Important: During high tide and a high swell, even the platform from where you can look into the Remarkable Cave gets flooded. Tide times Port Arthur
The hidden beach after the Remarkable Cave
Tasman National Park and also the Remarkable Cave close to Port Arthur are very popular. It’s a quick 5 minutes walk and easily accessible, therefore, can be a bit crowded. Best visited early morning or evening at low tide. In summer, even tour buses arrive. Limited parking spaces. Due to the improvements for the cave entrance, the parking, and the restrooms in 2019, it's busier nowadays.
Mount Brown in the back
The 3-4 hours return hike of about 9 km to Mount Brown starts here and passes the Maingon Blowhole. The blowhole itself is a 45 minutes return hike which makes sense at high tide only.
Weather Port Arthur
It frequently rains in Tassie so in Port Arthur as well. The summer is the driest time of the year. The climate is mild and temperate; summer days are rarely above 20°C however, the sun is strong; protection is needed. The winter temperature is on average above 10°C only during this season night temps drop below 10°C.
Top Tips
I recommend staying here for at least three nights to enjoy the many beautiful places and hikes. If you are into hiking, don't miss the incredible Cape Raoul day hike which is 14 km long in the Tasman National Park. There is limited parking at the Cape Raoul trailhead. Start this track in the morning and bring a picnic. Enjoy the breathtaking views from the Cape. We even spotted a pod of orcas here in November.
The organ pipes at Cape Raoul
We chose one of the Safari Tents in the Port Arthur Holiday Park. The park has an excellent location in the Stewarts Bay State Reserve. Each day we had parrots next to our tent. The wildlife and bird watching was an extra plus. It was just a 15 minutes drive to the cave, the reason we visited the cave twice.
That was our fantastic tent
Best Months to Visit
Location and Tips
The short five minutes trail starts at the Maingon Bay Lookout. The view of Cape Raoul is terrific. After a short walk, steep steps lead to a viewing platform. If you want to enter the cave, you have to climb over the handrail to the beach. We saw several footprints, and it was low tide. We were too curious not to go—the tunnel cave branches in two entrances heading out to the sea.
Straight ahead, the cave has the shape of Tassie and leads to the hidden beach. Local surfers love this spot if the conditions are right.
Above the platform was a part of the cave’s roof, which collapsed a long time ago. Why remarkable? Sometimes special effects in rocks get created by intense heat, earthquakes, and pressure. The beautiful sandstone and dolerite folded patterns are rare and remarkable. It is best seen on the outside wall of the cave.
You may spot the superb fairy-wrens at the Maingon Lookout and the Remarkable Cave car park.
