You may not be able to travel overseas or even interstate, but “over the oceans” is still possible. No passport is required to visit these islands that are off the radar.
Montague Island offshore lighthouse New South Wales
Montague Island, a wildlife paradise just 9km from the south coast of New South Wales near Narooma, is home to 10,000 little penguins. It also has a colony of Australian fur seals.
This remarkable eco-tourism site, called Barunguba by local Yuins, is only accessible via guided tours. You can snorkel or dive with seals. See schools of dolphins, mantas, sunfish, and sea eagles, and see the return of little penguins into their burrows from September to January. You may see humpbacks migrating from September to November. You can book a cottage for up to 12 people and spend the night there before the day tour arrives.
Fitzroy Island is a reef-ringed snorkeling spot. Queensland
Fitzroy Islan, with its coralline beaches and azure water, is only 45 minutes away from Cairns. The three-square-km island has a rainforest-covered national park, a campground, and a four-star hotel with a swimming pool hidden behind palm trees. There are excellent snorkeling spots at White Rock Beach, Nudey Beach, and Shark Fin Bay. Kayaks can be hired, and there is even a diving center.
Visit the turtle rehabilitation center and learn more about the island’s coral restoration project. The walking tracks take you through the rainforest to the panoramic lighthouse, and Foxy’s beach bar is a great place for sunset drinks.
French Island is a koala paradis.e Victoria
The 170 sq km French Island is located in Western Port Bay to the south-east of Melbourne. It may be twice as large as Phillip Island, but it offers wildlife and visitors an incredibly serene environment. French Island, named by French explorer Nicolas Baudin and once a hunting ground of the Bunurong, spent 60 years in the 20th century as a prison. The island’s heathland, which is covered with wildflowers during spring, open woodlands, and salt marshes, as well as its mangroves, have all been preserved.
Picnic Island, located 800m from Muirs Beach in Tasmania’s Freycinet Peninsula, is a rocky island of one hectare that the Hazzard Mountains overlooks. Dolphins, seals, and sometimes whales can be seen swimming offshore. Shearwaters and little penguins feed their chicks in their burrows at night. Shell middens, once a prized spot for fishing by the OysterBayy people, can still be seen on the western side of the island.
Today, guests are able to collect mussels, catch squid and flathead, and, with the right license, dive for abalone and crayfish. In 1829, the island was given to Scottish Captain Robert Hepburn,n and his convict workers mined sandstone. The copper-clad architect-designed retreat, with its fully equipped kitchen and five double bedrooms, showcases Tasmanian artists and artisans and has a sandstone hearth from that time. In low season, ten guests can be accommodated for as little as $1,100 per night, including transfers. Bring your kayaks.
A birder’s delight: Troubridge Island South Australia
TroubridgeIslandd is an 8km long, two-hectare crest, which is surrounded by scru and located near the heel, or Yorke Peninsula, in South Australia. Supporting a large population of black-faced cormorants, silver gulls,s and several different terns, it’s a conservation park and a BirdLife International-nominated Important Bird Area.
Four of Tasmania’s best road trips, from someone who has done them all Mor. e
Sammy, the seal, has also moved in. Matthew Flinders found the Troubridge Shoals but not the island in 1802. In 1855, the shoals caused countless shipwrecks. A candy-striped beacon was constructed. Since then, it has been decommissioned. A solar-powered former lighthouse keepers’ house with three bedrooms can accommodate up to 12 guests, but a minimum of 4 adults is required for two nights. Transfers are included. Bird watching, exploring, swimming, snorkeling, and beach games are all available. Rods for beach fishing, as well as beach games, are also provided. Charter fishing is also available locally.
Woody Island is a pirate’s hideout.
Western Australia
There are campsites for walkers and mountain bikers. Also, there is a glamping retreat and a guesthouse. There are also glamping resorts, guesthouses, and campsites. The nearest ferry is from StonyPointt on the Mornington Peninsul or Cowes in Philip Island.
Picnic Island is a private retreat.t Tasmania
Woody Island is one of 105 islands in the Recherche archipelago named by French explorer Bruni D’Entrecasteaux back in 1792. This A-class reserve has a rugged granite outcrop, tall eucalypts, and secluded Bays with penguin and shearwater nests.
While snorkeling and kayaking, you can see dolphins, seals, sea lions,s and southern right whales. All equipment can be hired. Woody Island Eco Tours offers day tours, but for an extended stay, there are also safari huts, tents, and standard camping, all with beds (from $165 per night). Blackjacks Bar, named after Australia’s’ only resident pirate, serves pub-style food. Black Jack Charters can pick up Woody Island guests for deep sea fishing and cruises to Middle Island to see strawberry-milkshake-pink Lake Hillier.
