The island's Other islands

Many visitors to Tasmania simply don’t have time to get to the other islands but they have plenty to offer. It’s a short flight north-east from Launceston to unspoiled Flinders Island for bushwalking, swimming, snorkelling or diving. There are dramatic and varied landscapes from peaks to beaches, and an abundance of wildlife and birdlife.

Take a boat tour from Lady Barron or join qualified divers to explore the many shipwrecks.

Try your hand at beach, rock, surf or game fishing. There are special interest four-wheel-drive tours (sightseeing, historical, flora/fauna, photography and birdwatching).

For bird watching, the amazing shearwaters are a hard act to beat. Each year, in their thousands, they head north to the Arctic Circle to breed and, each year, return to exactly the same burrow.

You can hire panning gear and fossick for a ‘diamond’ at Killiecrankie. The Walkers Lookout, near Whitemark, has panoramic views of the whole island and you can watch the sun rise over the Tasman Sea and set over Bass Strait.

For local history, visit the museum at Emita (18km north of Whitemark) and the Wybalenna Historic Site (5km from Emita) where an Aboriginal settlement was established in 1831. Take the Flinders Island Drive Trail: a self-guide, interpreted exploration to natural areas with emphasis on birdlife and wildlife.

There are many local art and craft galleries displaying pottery, paintings, felt products and handmade chocolates. The island is also home to fine knitwear and quality woollen quilts.

King Island (north-west) is an isle of cheeses, cream, crayfish, beef and seafood, with long isolated beaches and the crispest, clean air. Discover a laid-back lifestyle others only dream about, enjoy the abundant wildlife or scuba dive the reefs and shipwrecks. Flights operate from Victoria and from Burnie and Devonport. You can take a coach tour to explore the island, stroll or ride a horse on deserted beaches.

Drive to Cape Wickham lighthouse on the northern tip for great views and visit the Lavinia Nature Reserve, an internationally significant wetland bird habitat. Take time to browse the local galleries and shops for ceramics, painting and kelp craft (kelp is quite a big industry here).

Australia’s worst maritime disaster in peacetime happened on King Island’s coast when the Cataraqui ran aground in 1845. You can dive or even snorkel some of the many shipwrecks.

You can charter boats from Currie or Grassy and only the very unlucky won’t return without dinner. At Grassy, penguins come ashore to their rookery on the breakwater.

At Stokes Point, in the south, there’s a calcified forest and the mystery of the historic sealers’ wall.

Visit the King Island Dairies Fromagerie (north of Currie) for tasting and sales of the island’s famous cheeses. The island’s cream is also magnificent, the crayfish succulent and the beef tender and delicious.

In Currie itself, get in a round of golf on thee scenic and challenging, seaside golf course. And, on the harbour foreshore, drop in for a coffee at the Boathouse. The ‘honesty box’ says a lot about the island and the locals. Mind you, many Tasmanians have attitudes that differ to those on the mainland (Tasmania’s north island). I once pulled into a little seaside village to find a restaurant that had a sign on the door announcing that it had closed for lunch.

More Information

For more information about Tasmania:

• Events And Festivals
• Accommodation
• To See And Do
• Hobart
• Southeast
• Derwent
• Midlands and North
• East Coast
• North-West
• South-West Wilderness

Tasmania Tours With Tours To Go