Flinder's Island

Hi all-

Does anyone have any information on hiking on Flinder's Island- not necessarily overnight walks, but day walks as well? I've been doing some research, and discovered it can be quite cheap to get there- it has us pretty interested.

[Taurë-rana]

We hired a campervan and wandered around the island somewhere around 1990 and had a delightful, relaxing week. We walked up Mt Strzelecki but didn't do any longer walks.

Good place to visit then? Did you see lots of birds?

[Taurë-rana]

No offence but are you sure you work? You seem to be online nearly as much as me. Yes, it was a great place to visit, very peaceful - we just pottered around exploring. I don't know how much it's changed. I can't remember about the birds, I don't think we were looking. I do remember that we stripped off to climb Mt Strzelecki, thinking there was no one around, then discovered on the way back down that we'd walked past an artist on the way up without seeing him. He wasn't bothered though.

No offence but are you sure you work? You seem to be online nearly as much as me. Yes, it was a great place to visit, very peaceful - we just pottered around exploring. I don't know how much it's changed. I can't remember about the birds, I don't think we were looking. I do remember that we stripped off to climb Mt Strzelecki, thinking there was no one around, then discovered on the way back down that we'd walked past an artist on the way up without seeing him. He wasn't bothered though.

I'm home with a bug

[Taurë-rana]

I was wondering, you were starting to make high school teaching look very attractive

[sthughes]

I was wondering, you were starting to make high school teaching look very attractive

Lol this is one of the few times they actually are at work - just finished their June holidays and have to go back to prepare for the September ones (Maybe I'm a tad jealous - my sister & brother in law are teachers, so I know it's not all beer and skittles - just mostly )

As for Flinders Island - I go there at least every couple of years for at least a couple of weeks. Haven't done a great deal of walking however, some of the best scenery is on the beaches and under the water
Obviously Strzeleki is awesome, and Pillengers Peak is worth a look. They are all the 'serious' walks I've done over there. (however Pillenger might be a bit hard to access without a 4x4).
There is a book out that i saw in Angus & Robertson today. It has lots of walks it it, including plenty of photos and exerts from Tasmaps. They range in difficulty and from minutes to many hours in length.
The island isn't real big so overnighters are pretty limited, however you can make overnight walks out of 2 day walks easily. Back in about 2001 I walked from Lady Baron around the Coast to Trousers Point (nice camp spot), then up Strzeleki the next day. Got a ride to Whitemark and walked to Sawyers Bay (on the road till Blue Rocks).
If you are doing anything extended just note that freshwater can be hard to come by, the place really dries out in summer. Some spots have rainwater tanks you can use (like Trousers Point).
If you're at all inclined to snorkel - make sure you pack it. And a wet suit to boot - it isn't the warmest water . Settlement Point, Trousers Point and further up north have some great spots.
How's this cheap way you are getting there? I'm paying over $300 to go by plane at xmas! It cost me less to visit Cairns recently But then F.I. is much nicer
You've got me all excited now - yay only 6 month today and I'll be there!

There's a ferry that goes there and back from Bridport for $120 return.

[north-north-west]

A just-people ferry, or does it take cars as well?

[flyfisher]

Blue rocks was like a second home to me when I was a young lad living in Launceston. My mother lived at Blue Rocks untill she married and her mother had the post office there till it became automated. So I spent most of my school holidays with my gran or with other uncles and aunts who lived from Lady Barren to Emita.
The beach below blue rocks was where we spent a lot of time swimming and fishing and the walk down was always notable if you didn't see a tiger snake or two.
All just useless info I thought i'd juck in to keep you bored.
ff

Last edited by flyfisher on Thu 25 Jun, 2009 9:34 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[sthughes]

There's a ferry that goes there and back from Bridport for $120 return.

Ah yes the infamous Southern Condor or Mathew Flinders! Been on both of them many times

FF - Like to the south of the rocks you mean? I spent chunks of my summers as a kid on the beach on the northern side. Probably a couple of years later than you though! Either way it's a nice beach at high tide, not sure about the sand there though

Last edited by sthughes on Thu 25 Jun, 2009 10:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[flyfisher]

Yeah not sure what happened there.

Down the track from Blue Rocks brought you to a big sloping granite rock where the Hammonds used to pull up their 32 ft boat.(Hammond was my mothers maiden name)

on the right an a little further out were some big granite rocks and the big sloping rock continued towards Emita. I remember there were a series of marks which ran down

into the water and we kids thought they were steps going to Prime Seal island. These memories are from a long way back as I haven't been to Flinders since 1959

ff

You can take a car, but it's horridly expensive. They have a website, accessed through a Flinders Island tourism site.