Located off the northeast coast of mainland Tasmania, Flinders Island's remoteness makes it one of its greatest natural attractions. Combine that with its diverse scenery, rich Indigenous Australian history, fresh seafood delights and spectacular coastlines, it's a walker’s paradise!

Flinders Island is home to three of Tasmania’s listed '60 Great Short Walks', where its eclectic mix of hiking trails are both challenging and relaxed, with the chance to enjoy refreshing swims at its many stunning and isolated beaches.

We answer some frequently asked questions when it comes to visiting Flinders Island, from local attractions and wildlife to the island’s top walks.

What you need to know when visiting Flinders Island

How do you get to Flinders Island?

There are regular flights from Launceston, Tasmania and Essendon, Victoria. You can also catch a ferry from Bridport in Tasmania and Port Welshpool in Victoria.

Is Flinders Island worth visiting?

Short answer: Yes!

It may be tiny at only 1,333 square kilometres, but Flinders Island offers the ultimate active escape that takes in breathtaking coastlines, solitary beaches, incredible limestone formations, granite cliffs, and boulders that seem to defy gravity. Not to mention the array of short walks and hikes available. There are more than 65 shipwrecks and over 120 pristine beaches on Flinders Island alone.

It’ll feel like you’re walking back in time with much of the region largely untouched from when it was first explored by Matthew Flinders over 200 years ago. If you’re after an active adventure holiday, there is great diversity in the scenery and its terrain for exciting daily walks.

Scroll below for a list of the island's best walks and things to see and do on the island.

Does anyone live on Flinders Island?

Yes, Flinders Island is inhabited by a little over a thousand people. According to the Flinders Island Council Community Profile, in 2021 the estimated residential population was 1021.

Where can I stay on Flinders Island?

There are a variety of unique accommodations on the island. One scenic and boutique place to stay is Mountain Seas Lodge, located on Trousers Point Rd at the foot of Mt Strzelecki where the beach is at your doorstep and you can savour delicious, chef-prepared dinners each night. You can stay here on our Flinders Island Walking Adventure in Comfort trip.

There is also the option to camp on Flinders Island, where our Eco-Comfort Camps provide a perfect getaway with added creature comforts when out in the bushland.

Can you camp on Flinders Island?

Yes. There are a number of public campsites on Flinders Island including All Ports, Killiecrankie, North East River, Trouser Point and Yellow Beach camping grounds. However, these sites are not powered with limited water supplies and no showers available.

If you prefer a more private and secluded camping experience with plenty of inclusions – from freshly cooked meals to camping gear and setup covered, our exclusive Eco-Comfort Camp on Flinders Island provides nature at your doorstep in a comfortable and spacious setting by the coast. Read more about our private camps on Flinders Island.

The beauty of camping on Flinders Island allows you to sleep under the stars in a serene environment where there is little light pollution, so it’ll be a spectacular stargazing experience.

 

Is there reception or Wi-Fi on the island?

Flinders Wharf has a communal workspace with Wi-Fi availability, but note that only Telstra services work on the island. The island’s isolation is what gives it great appeal though, so why not embrace the limited reception?

When is the best time to visit Flinders Island?

Late spring (October and November) and summer (December to February) are great times to explore Flinders Island due to its warmer temperatures, which makes a refreshing swim after a day’s walk more enticing. This is generally the more popular time to visit the island.

The autumn season (March to May) offers quieter trails, incredible night skies filled with stars, and generally cheaper flights over the shoulder season; plus there’s the chance to see migratory birds in April.

How do you get around Flinders Island?

Unfortunately, there is no public transport available on the island, so hiring a vehicle beforehand is recommended. You can ferry your own car with the Bass Strait Freight as well. However, the opportunity to explore the island on foot should not be missed with many highly rated walking trails available.

If you join an organised tour group, such as with Tasmanian Expeditions, this will cover your transport services on the island as well as a number of other high-quality inclusions at great value.

Things to see & do on Flinders Island

What are the best walks to do on Flinders Island?

With jagged peaks that rise up as if forming ‘mountains in the sea’, Flinders Island is the gem in the crown when it comes to island walking in Tasmania. 

 

Some of the notable top Flinders Island walks and hidden gems to do include:

• Summit walk to Mt Strzelecki: It is the highest point on the island at 756m giving you spectacular 360-degree views of Flinders Island in its entirety on a clear day, but you’ll have to work hard during the challenging 700m climb. As one of Tasmania’s Great Short Walks, you’ll hike through blue gums and endemic unique alpine vegetation before entering an enchanting, evergreen cloud forest. A swim at Fotheringate Bay afterwards is highly recommended.

• Castle Rock Walk: This wonderful walk will see you trekking along the coast to one of Flinders Island's most famous landmarks. There's a myriad of photo opportunities that present themselves on the way to this impressive three-storey high granite boulder standing sentinel on the magnificent coastline.

• Summit walk to Mt Killiecrankie: The moderately challenging climb up this dramatic granite peak rewards you with spectacular views across the beautiful bay and surrounding coast. It is one of the island's more prominent peaks. Descending the mountain via the Diamond Gully Trail toward Stacky's Bight with its intriguing rock formations and breathtaking views across the extensive bay. There are scenic lunch spots along the way with a chance to enjoy a well-deserved swim in the crystal clear waters or to just enjoy the serenity.

• The Docks: There is a combination of coastal paths and extensive rock-hopping that will steer you toward this secret gem on Flinders Island. Picture spectacular coastal scenery with lichen-encrusted granite outcrops in every direction and magnificent mountain cliffs reaching right down to sea level.

• Trousers Point Headland: One of Tasmania's Great Short Walks, this popular and more gentle walk affords wonderful views from Trousers Point beach up to Mt Strzelecki and the chance to wade through the tranquil waters. We recommend doing a morning's walk to Holts Point and then joining onto Trousers Point.

• Haulands Gap Track: Enter inland to Walkers Lookout, which provides panoramic views of the Darling Range before departing on the track. You’ll walk through peppermint-scented eucalyptus forests with views of both the east and west coast. Keep an eye out for the green rosella parrot, native to the Bass Strait Islands.

• North East Beach to Palana Sand Dunes: A peaceful area to explore along the coastline, on this day walk you'll enjoy views out to the Sister Islands with rock pools and knobby granite outcrops along the way. Don’t forget to bring your swimmers and keep an eye out for sea eagles and dolphins.

• Lady Barron Foreshore Track: The track features coastal vegetation, lichen-covered granite, and takes in the golden sands of Yellow Beach. The walk up Vinegar Hill lookout rewards with views across the Furneaux Islands to Cape Barren Island.

You can experience these top walks on our active adventures to Flinders Island.

What sort of wildlife is found on Flinders Island?

Did you know that each year there are thousands of migratory birds that stop at Flinders Island's eastern lagoons and inlets on their voyage up to the Arctic Circle? This makes the island’s prolific birdlife incredible with the chance to see giant Wandering Albatross, Pacific Gulls, Raptors, wedgetails, sea eagles, the rare Cape Barren Geese, and the endangered 40-Spotted Pardalote.

You’ll look to the skies with are over 200 species visiting, breeding or living on the Flinders shores, making it a birdwatchers haven. Between January and April, you can also catch thousands of Shearwaters (Mutton birds) fly in at dusk at the Settlement Point viewing platform at Port Davies.

There is the chance to see the common wombat and Potoroo wallabies with its dense coastal scrub providing shelter for these marsupials. Other native wildlife to keep an eye out for include Bennetts, Pademelon, possums and echidnas.

When it comes to wildflowers, you’ll spot a number on Flinders walking tracks, with the shy bush and rock orchids among some of the favourites to see.

What are some top local attractions on the island?

• Furneaux Museum – learn about the history, settlement and shipwrecks.

• Wybalenna – the historic and infamous site of the disastrous Indigenous resettlement scheme where there is the remaining graveyard and chapel.

• Patriarch Wildlife Sanctuary – the volunteer conservation venture gives you the chance to get up close to some of the island's native animals, including wombats, wallabies and Cape Barren Geese. You can watch wallabies by the dozen as they come out to feed; they roam free but are tame enough to eat right out of your palm.

• The Flinders Wharf restaurant – enjoy an 'island-style' meal, Tasmanian beer and local hospitality at this Whitemark establishment. It’s a wonderful chance to meet some of Flinders' friendly characters as well as sample the island’s local produce.

Experience these highlights and top attractions on our Flinders Island walking adventures.

Have a question about Flinders Island you want answered? Leave a comment below.

Last updated 6 April 2022.

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