The pair of causeways carrying the Tasman Highway across Pitt Water and Orielton Lagoon, immediately west of Sorell, form one of the more striking pieces of colonial-era infrastructure in southern Tasmania. The original alignments were laid in the 1870s, partly by convict labour, and have been progressively upgraded since; they remain the only easy land connection between greater Hobart and the south-eastern peninsula.
The drive across is unremarkable in itself, but the views from either side of the highway are excellent: shallow tidal water in every direction, rich in birdlife. Pull-off areas at both ends — and a viewing platform on the Sorell side — give the best vantage points. Dawn is the best time to come, when the morning light spreads over the lagoon and the bird population is at its most active.