Flinders Island: Fishing, Hiking, Diving, Remote Seclusion in Bass Strait, Australia

Flinders Island is a large island of the Furneaux Group of islands in Bass Strait that includes the famous King Island. These islands are among the total of 52 offshore islands that lie between the mainland of Australia and the island state of Tasmania. Flinders Island is a great place for a holiday.

Flinders Island is located about 20 kilometres by sea from Cape Portland, on the north-eastern tip of Tasmania, Australia. The island accessible by vehicular ferry of by plane from either Tasmania or Victoria. The best way to get around the island and see its many scenic attractions and abundant land and sea live and birds is to take your car across on the ferry that departs from Cape Portland on the north east tip of Tasmania.

Flinders Island was named by Matthew Flinders during his exploration of the coastline of Australia.

Similar to King Island the European settlement of the island began during in infamous seal hunting days.

It earlier had an Aboriginal population but they were shipped out and died.

The biggest villages on the islands are Whitemark and Lady Baron. There is an excellent ange of beachfront accommodation all over Flinders Island.

Whitemark is the key administrative centre with most of the entertainment venues and accommodation. It is a good place to stock up on supplies. You can stock up on some wonderful wines from the Northern Eastern Tasmania Wine Region.

Lady Barron is a large recreational and commercial sea port located on the southern end of the island.

These two towns are the only places where you can get petrol on the island.

There is a wonderful range of things to do and see on Flinders Island.

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Fishing is one of the most popular tourist pursuits on the Flinders  Island, along with kayaking, canoeing, camping, 4W driving, bushwalking, riding bikes, horse riding, diving or just taking it easy on the beaches or enjoyoing driving around and admiring the spectacular scenery. You can enjoy rock, boat and beach angling from great spots all around the island.

For scuba diving enthusiasts the pick of the locations is along the western and north coastlines of the of the island. There are many sites with spectacular natural features and there are many wrecks to explore. Contact the locals of the dive shops on the island or in Victoria or Tasmania for information.

There is a fabulous bushwalking and mountain biking trails around the island. The most well known is the 5 hour trek climbing to the top of Mt Strzelecki. The walk starts from a location about 10km south of Whitemark. Get a local map to find the route. You will treated to spectacular scenery and abundant wildlife all along the way.

All the towns and villages are very interesting and showcase the local hertiage. There is an excellent display of memorabilia and historical information the Emita Museum.
There is a assortment of places to stay, cafes and eateries, and numerous hotels on the  island at both Lady Barron and Whitemark. Also there are charming Bed and Breakfasts, Apartments, holiday houses, hotels and other places to stay all around the island, most with great facilities and scenic views. The brochure Let's Talk About Flinders Island bids travellers an introduction to the island.