What a unique and delightful week our group of 14 spent on King and Flinders Island. Our 3 nights on each island provided the perfect opportunity to explore and discover the landscape, history and culture of these two very different islands, King Island the hard-working farm with elite and scenic golf courses and Flinders Island a scenic stunner with its mountains and richly coloured coastline.
Our terrific guides accompanied us all the way, driving us from one fascinating location to another and keeping us informed, well-watered and fed with picnic morning teas and lunches under vibrant blue skies. We were so fortunate to be blessed with sunny days apart from rain on the day we left for home.
Our flight from Essendon airport to King island and then onto Flinders and finally home was quite an experience for those who had not travelled in a small plane before. Great views as we arrived at each island.
Highlights of our time on King Island included learning about the importance of the kelp industry and speaking to a kelper as he hauled in his load, then visiting a kelp craft shop to see and purchase the finished product; seeing the sites of numerous tragic shipwrecks; walking out to a calcified forest; picnicking at one of Australia's rare suspended lakes and of course seeing the Little Penguins come in without all the fanfare and infrastructure of viewing platforms. Of course we were also fortunate to visit the King Island dairy while it is still functioning and enjoyed a cheese tasting, most of us taking some home. The list could go on as our days were full and interesting.
Then, onto Flinders Island. What a surprise to see the mountains and a coastline surrounded by numerous smaller islands. Truly a beautiful place. The emphasis here was on viewing and walking out to various coastal viewpoints, one different from the other. Trouser Point Beach and Castle Rock were particular highlights with orange lichen coloured rock adding to the impact of these amazing beaches. There were many other delights here too. We visited the farm of one of our guides James. We sat in the garden with afternoon tea as he explained the workings of the cattle industry. Something quite different and not typically touristy. We also met with the Wombat Lady and all of us were invited to cuddle and play with the baby wombats.
After lunch and an opportunity to swim at Killiecrankie Bay we visited the home of a local couple who collected 'Killiecrankie diamonds' (topaz) and had jewellery made. We didn't resist and many of us purchased a piece.
It was on Flinders Island at Wybalenna abandoned aboriginal settlement that we learned of Tasmania's tragic aboriginal legacy.
Finally, what is a tour without a wine tasting! A visit to a local Unavale winery was a great addition to our itinerary.
This experience was made all the more special by the wonderful, warm-hearted group of women who came together to share this experience.
What a privilege it was for me to be the hostess for this tour.
About the Author: Hayley Morris
The founder of Sisterhood Womens Travel and owner of an award winning travel agency - “I’ve been in travel for over 17 years and identified the need for a touring company to provide fully inclusive, interesting tours just for women". One of the things I love about travelling with a group of inspiring women is that we are all brought together to share a passion for travel and to see our amazing world in the company of friends, what better way to travel!
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