Carlton Beach (T 392) is a popular summer surfing beach located 40 km east of Hobart. The Carlton Beach Road runs off the Carlton Road and provides good access to the beach. The beach is 2.7 km long and faces south-southwest towards the entrance to Frederick Henry Bay 15 km to the south. The Carlton River mouth, its deep inlet and neighbouring Carlton Bluff form the eastern boundary with 20 m high Spectacle Head to the west (Fig. 4.67). The entire beach is backed by a coastal reserve containing a 10-15 m high foredune, then houses straddling each side of the Carlton Beach Road. Several walking tracks cross the dune to the beach. The Carlton Park Surf Life Saving Club (CPBSLSC), founded in 1975, is located in a recreation reserve toward the eastern end of the beach (Fig. 4.68). While the beach is set deep within Frederick Henry Bay, owing to its southerly orientation it receives most southerly swell entering the bay, with waves averaging about 1 m and occasionally higher. These interact with the fine beach sand to maintain a low gradient beach and surf zone, with a 50-100 m wide bar often cut by rips spaced about every 200 m along the beach. In addition there is a permanent rip against Spectacle Head, and strong tidal currents flowing off the eastern end of the beach out of the 100 m wide Carlton River mouth. read more

Beach Length: 2.7km