The Flinders Municipality is located between Wilson's Promontory in Victoria and Cape Portland in Tasmania. Flinders Island is the largest of these islands and the region has around 900 permanent residents.
The Furneaux Group of islands is what remains of the original land bridge that once joined Tasmania to mainland Australia.
The time of the flooding of this land bridge is a contentious point for many scientists but it is believed to have happened between 12,000 and 18,000 years ago.
Over these thousands of years, water erosion has formed some of the most spectacular rock formations and scenery you will find anywhere in the world.
The Furneaux Group boasts a maritime climate, with the average rainfall ranging from about 600mm in the southwest to over 800mm in the central hills.
The climate of this region is generally mild as the sea has a moderating effect protecting the islands from extremes of temperature.
Winds are predominantly westerlies and can blow unabated for several days during late winter and spring, with cooling sea breezes during the summer months.
The Furneaux Group of islands is situated within the infamous Roaring Forties and coastal waters can be exposed to strong and variable winds and high seas all through the year.
About a third of the islands are dominated by ridges of granite, including the striking features of the southern part of the Strzelecki Range, Darling Range, Mt Killiecrankie, the Patriarchs (Flinders Island) and the higher parts of Cape Barren Island.
About half of all the islands in the Furneaux region are coastal sand dunes with related soil deposits.
These form a broad plain on the eastern side of Flinders Island and a narrow strip on the west coast, with similar features on Cape Barren Island.
Estuarine beds of sands, clays and gravels can be found in many low lying areas with many lagoons existing on the eastern coast of Flinders Island and Cape Barren Island. These lagoons are seasonally filled by winter rains.
There are only a small number of streams flowing permanently on the islands with others only flowing immediately after rain.
The variation in rainfall, altitude, geology and landform has led to considerable variety in the soil and vegetation types found on the islands. Deep calcareous sandy soils occur along the coastal dunes, while the undulating plains, such as those found on the west side of Flinders Island and Cape Barren Island, have deep mostly uniform sand and duplex soils.
On the higher granite-based slopes the soil types are mostly mottled duplex soils.
Between 800 and 900 species of plants have been found in the Furneaux group reflecting the diversity of physical conditions throughout the group.
These islands have scientific significance as they represent a species boundary - being the southern-most location for some species and the northern-most for others.
The Flinders municipality covers 4 groups of Bass Strait islands off the north-eastern tip of Tasmania: the Furneaux, Kent, Hogan and Curtis Groups.
Of the more than 60 islands, only three have permanent residents: Flinders, Cape Barren and Clarke, with Flinders Island having the largest population.
Flinders Island has three main population centres: Whitemark, Lady Barron and Killiecrankie.
Whitemark is the main residential and business centre, and the all-tides port at Lady Barron is the berthing point for the trading vessel Matthew Flinders and Southern Condor.
The Matthew Flinders and Southern Condor sails weekly between Bridport and Lady Barron and on demand (approximately monthly) from Welshpool, Victoria.
Airlines of Tasmania flies daily between Launceston and Whitemark and thrice weekly between Essendon and Whitemark. The region is also serviced by a number of charter aircraft. These carry passengers or freight on demand.
Flinders Island has a thriving rural community that produces sheep and wool, cattle, milk-fed lambs, crayfish, abalone, poppies and Cape Barren geese.
Aquaculture is seen as one of the possible future directions for the region and expansion of the industry is currently being investigated.
Other main business activities include rural support industries and tourism.
The islands lie scattered around latitude 40 degrees south and are home to a very diverse wildlife with over 120 species of bird on Flinders Island including many visiting migratory, Northern Hemisphere species.
The region is also home to the rare Cape Barren Goose and the endangered 40-Spotted Pardalote.
Flinders is a long, narrow island, 75 km long and 40 km wide, with the Darling Ranges running along the middle of the island. The total land area of Flinders Island is 1,333 sq km.
Flinders has 73 km of sealed roads, 309 km of gravel roads and is serviced by a licensed aerodrome with sealed runway at Whitemark.
 |
