Destination Profile - Flinders Island, Tasmania
Flinders Island is the largest of the Furneaux group of islands which lies at the eastern end of Bass Strait separating Tasmania from Victoria. It is about 29 km wide at its widest point and 64 km long; a mountainous place, which has seen changing land use over the last 200 years.
The climate in the Furneaux group is maritime. The annual rainfall ranges from about 600mm in the south west to over 800mm in the central hills on Flinders Island. The climate is generally mild as the sea has a moderating effect, which protects the Islands from the extremes of temperature.
The Furneaux Islands began as mountains on a land bridge that joined Tasmania to mainland Australia. Bass Strait was formed as a result of the melting of ice after the last ice age and consequently Flinders and Cape Barren became islands and the aborigines of Tasmania were cut off from their mainland counterparts.
Flinders Island is an island of dramatic and varied landscapes. Its geology is dominated by ridges of granite which occupy about a third of the island, including the striking features that dominate the skyline of the Strezelecki Range (756m), Darling Range, Mount Killiecrankie and the Patriarchs,
Flinders Island Topaz can be found around the coast of the island. It is a semi-precious stone, and also known as "Killiecrankie diamonds". Fishing is one of the main economic activities, together with grazing and tourism.
Whitemark is the major town, population 300 and smaller communities include Lady Barron (which overlooks Cape Barren Island, home to the protected Cape Barren Goose) and Emita, which is the location of the Wybalenna Historic Site. Exhibits at the Emita museum include relics from Bass Strait shipwrecks.
This destination is part of the Tasmania and her Isles Australian Adventure.
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