Tasmania is itself an island, but it has four substantial islands of its own: two that share Hobart's day-trip orbit, and two that sit out in Bass Strait reachable only by air. Each one is wildly different in feel, and visiting more than one is a good way to map the state's diversity. Here's how each compares, and which one suits which kind of visit.
If you're staying near Hobart
Bruny Island
The food and coast island. Bruny Island Cheese, Get Shucked oysters, the Cape Bruny lighthouse cliffs, the photogenic isthmus called The Neck. Sealed roads, well set up for self-drive. The easiest of Tasmania's islands to reach.
Maria Island
The wildlife and walking island. No cars, no shops, no resort. Tasmanian devils, wombats, and Forester kangaroos that have stopped fearing humans. The Painted Cliffs, the Bishop and Clerk hike, the convict ruins at Darlington. Camp or stay in the historic Penitentiary bunkhouse.
If you're flying in
King Island
The food, golf and shipwreck-coast island. King Island Dairy and premium Bass Strait beef, Cape Wickham Golf Links (top-25 in the world), and a coastline that has claimed dozens of ships. Cape Wickham Lighthouse is the tallest in Australia.
Flinders Island
The granite-and-walking island. Largest of the Furneaux Group. Strzelecki Peaks summit, Killiecrankie diamond fossicking, the white-quartz beaches at Trousers Point, Wybalenna's important Aboriginal history. Quietly extraordinary, and largely undiscovered by mainland tourism.
How they stack up
| Island | Best for | Access | 2-night cost (couple) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bruny Island | Food, coast, easy day trip | Vehicle ferry | $700 |
| Maria Island | Wildlife, walking, no cars | Foot/bike ferry | $300 (camping) |
| King Island | Food, golf, lighthouses | Flight | $1,400 |
| Flinders Island | Walking, granite peaks | Flight | $1,400 |
Best combinations
Hobart-based weekend, food-focused: Bruny Island. One night, self-drive, hit Cheese Co + Get Shucked + Cape Bruny lighthouse + The Neck.
Hobart-based weekend, wildlife-focused: Maria Island. One night camping or one night Penitentiary bunkhouse. Walk to the Painted Cliffs and Fossil Cliffs, hike Bishop and Clerk.
Five-day Tasmania trip: Hobart 1 night, Bruny 1 night, drive to Triabunna for Maria 1 night, drive to Launceston, fly to Flinders for 2 nights. The full mainland-island-island-island progression.
Bass Strait food and golf trip: King Island for 3-4 nights. Two rounds at Cape Wickham, one at Ocean Dunes, eat your way through the dairy and butchers in between.
Walking/hiking trip: Flinders Island for 4 nights, Maria Island for 2 nights. Strzelecki and Bishop and Clerk are the bookend climbs. Different terrain, similar level of reward.
A few practical notes
The Bass Strait islands (King, Flinders) are flights-only and the flights are not cheap. A return from Melbourne to either is typically $400-$700. This is the single biggest cost in those trips; once you're there, accommodation and food are reasonable. If the flight cost is a problem, do Bruny and Maria from Hobart instead, both reachable by short ferries with no air travel involved.
Weather is the other reality. Tasmania is colder than the rest of Australia in winter, and Bass Strait weather is changeable: plan layers, expect rain, build buffer days into multi-island itineraries because flights to King and Flinders do get cancelled when the trade winds are wrong. October to April is the comfortable window for all four islands.