British Admiral Beach
Best Beach · TAS
Tourism Australia's Best Beach 2023, No. 8.
An island off an island off an island, this gem sits in the wild waters of Bass Strait with its smaller twin sister, the stunning Flinders Island, sits to the east.
An hour by plane from Southern Victoria or from the top of Tassie, the island is as wild and rugged as are the locals weathered and welcoming. British Admiral Beach in my opinion is the best of the islands 45 beaches where it’s likely you’ll have the waves and beach all to yourself. Same goes with the islands’ two golf courses. King Island is an authentic fusion of farm and coastal lifestyle. The royally titled British Admiral Beach lies just 2 km south of the main island town and harbour of Currie which is home to almost half of the islands 1700 residents. The road from town traces down to the low northern headland and provides a view down the beach, where you will usually see a solo surfer or three out amongst the punchy beach and reef breaks. It is a beach for experienced surfers only, as waves are usually pretty wild, rip currents strong and reefs scatter the surf zone. If not a surfer, this 1.5km long beach is great for a brisk walk, with the wave pounding to one side and wind-swept dunes to the other - and where the sun sets over the ocean. Back in Currie is a full range of modest accommodation and facilities, and just up the road is the world-famous King Island dairy, source of its much-loved cheeses, milked from King Island cows, which feed on the bull kelp that washes up by the tonne on the beaches and salt drenched marram grass that covers the dunes. It’s the closest thing in the world to an oceanic derived cheese with a subtle ‘beach’ flavour. The sand dunes of King Island became the shallow hand dug graves for the many hundreds who lost their lives in numerous shipwrecks here. It is worth taking time to think about just how many First Nations people are buried here. A number of obscure monuments around King Island mark the sites where ships from England were tossed against the rocks of this shipwrecked coast with no chance of survival or rescue, including the ill-fated schooner, the ‘British Admiral’.
⚠️ Ocean conditions can change quickly and rips can form even on calm days. Only swim at patrolled beaches, and supervise children at all times.