It’s not a lie!

Those white sand beaches lapped by turquoise water and surrounded by rocks splashed rusty red aren’t just the result of an Instagram filter. They really exist on Tasmania’s east coast.

Filled with eye-catching vistas that demand to be photographed and shared, the beaches at Binalong Bay are only one of the reasons why this coastline makes a perfect road trip.

There’s also an abundance of fine local foods, convict history to explore and friendly wildlife to meet.

Add in award-winning wineries and distilleries, and you have more reasons to stop than go when travelling on the 260km route from St Helens in Tasmania’s north to Port Arthur in the south.

With Bay of Fires Apartments in St Helens as your base for two days, you’ll have enough time to explore the town’s plentiful dining options.

Try local fish and Cape Grim steak at The Wharf, sophisticated Japanese food at Raida and wholesome breakfasts at The Lifebuoy Cafe.

Take a day trip to Binalong Bay and explore the rocky inlets and secluded beaches at The Gardens in the Bay of Fires Conservation Area.

Enjoy lunch with a view at Meresta Eatery and on the road home, put your foot on the brake at Lease 65 to sample a dozen premium shucked oysters for $20, cash only.

Even a perfect coastal road trip needs a 30-minute sidestep drive inland to Pyengana when great cheese and waterfalls are involved.

Famous for their award-winning cheddar, Pyengana Dairy has a farmgate cafe where you can watch the cows grazing and the cheesemakers working, taste the cheese and stock up with local food, wine and beer.

The Melshell Oyster Shack.

A little further down the road is St Columba Falls, one of Tasmania’s tallest waterfalls.

It’s a 30-minute return walk to the waterfall, but you might linger longer at the base to soak up the energising atmosphere.

The route from St Helens to Bicheno via the coastal villages of Beaumaris, Scamander and Fairmouth takes about an hour to drive.

A much-loved holiday destination for Tasmanians, Bicheno has the same amazing coastal scenery and beaches plus Tasmanian devil and little penguin wildlife experiences.

Stay at one of the three holiday homes at Cod Rock Point and you’ll have penguins knocking nightly at your door.

A meal at Bicheno’s The Lobster Shack is a must. Their soft milk bun rolls overflowing with tender lobster will live long in your memory, especially if accompanied by freshly shucked Coles Bay oysters.

Bicheno is also the place to try one of Tasmania’s famous scallop pies, with curried and mornay versions available from Blue Edge Bakery.

Coles Bay and the Freycinet Peninsula make a great day trip from Bicheno.

Highlights include a walk or cruise to Wineglass Bay and a stop at Freycinet Marine Farm for, yep, you guessed it, more oysters. They also serve fresh local fish and scallops.

When the coastal road calls you south again, the journey just keeps on delivering.

Pull into Devil’s Corner Winery for a 360-degree lookout tower view, excellent estate-produced wines, wood-fired pizza and fresh local oysters at their new $2 million cellar door.

Further down the Tasman Highway is the turnoff to Melshell Oyster Shack.

This third-generation family-run business is where the locals buy their oysters. So, take a seat outside the converted caravan and try their shucked oysters or seafood kebabs with a selection of local wine and beer.

The Port Arthur Historic Site.

Tasman Sea Salt offers a unique Salt Sommelier Tasting Experience south of Rocky Hills. This pairs their four varieties of salt flakes produced from the pristine Tasman Sea with small bites of premium local beef, tomatoes and even chocolate.

You’ll be amazed at the flavour variations and the clean energy saltworks.

Arthur Highway takes you south via Eaglehawk Neck for 125km to stay on the Tasman Peninsula.

Highlights include the Tasman Arch and Blowhole, Devil’s Kitchen and Doo Town, where all the ‘shacks’ have whimsical names that include Doo – Make Doo, Xanadoo, Doo Drop In.

Do you get the idea?

The Port Arthur Historic Site includes 30 buildings and ruins over 40ha.

There are so many layers of significance it deserves a minimum half-day to explore.

It’s hard to imagine the deep despair of the hardened, repeat offenders who were sentenced to this remote and isolated place to grind them into honest men.

Tours, including a harbour cruise, are included in the entry ticket.

Although Port Arthur still seems like a million kilometres from anywhere, it is no longer remote or isolated.

It only takes one hour to drive the 90km to Hobart, making that flight home closer than you might like because it is hard to leave Tasmania’s east coast.