Flinders Island

Ellembee

The house (called “Ellembee”) is located at 2 Moonbird Street, Lady Barron.

Directions:

  • Turn right out of the airport, towards Whitemark.
  • When you reach a T intersection, turn right towards Whitemark (again).
  • Before you reach Whitemark, there will be a left turn for the road to Lady Barron.
  • Drive for 20 to 25 minutes towards Lady Barron.
  • Just before Lady Barron, turn left into Vinegar Hill Drive, just where the 50kph speed limit starts.
  • Then take the first right into Moonbird Street.
  • Ellembee is the first house on the right.

Parking and Entry

  • You can park in the carport or outside near the balcony on the street-side.
  • You can enter the house through the garage (the smallest key unlocks the garage swing-door) or you can use the steps up to the front entrance on the road-side of the house.

Water and Power

  • The house currently uses town water, which you need to turn on when you arrive, and off when you leave. The blue tap is outside the house, at the opposite end to the garage, on the ground near the gas bottles. See pics below:
  • Ignore the water pump near the outside hot-water tank. That is for fresh rain- water, but the rain-water tank is currently empty.
  • Just inside the garage on the right-hand-side is the power switchboard – turn on the hot water (UP is on). Please be very sure to turn it off when you leave!

Entering the House

  • Once you open the garage door, go through the downstairs spare bedroom (the “dungeon”!) and up the stairs to the main living area. There may be some spider cobwebs on the way – sorry!
  • Open the curtains and enjoy!
  • If you enter via the steps/balcony at the front, then you will be entering via the laundry to the kitchen. We store the Weber BBQ in the laundry – so you can move that out onto the balcony for the duration of your stay J

Mobile Phone Coverage

The only mobile phone coverage on the island is Telstra 4G. Phones from other companies like Optus or Vodafone will NOT work on the island. Telstra mobiles have reasonable coverage on most of the island.

Phone

There is no fixed-line phone in the house (well... not one that works, anyway).

FLIGHTS

The commercial airline is Sharp Airlines. Leaving from Essendon in Melbourne, or Launceston or Hobart in Tasmania. for your conveniance vistit Website: www.sharpairlines.com.au
Sharp Airlines leaves from ESSENDON airport – main passenger terminal – not from Tullamarine / Melbourne Airport. The passenger terminal is next to the Essendon Fields shopping centre carpark. You need to arrive about one hour before departure. There is long-term car-parking in the shopping centre car-park just opposite the passenger terminal (about $8 per day – and you enter your Rego Plate into the meter machine). If you are less than 30-minutes early, there is a good chance that they will not let you on the flight. You need to take Photo ID for all passengers. Maximum luggage is 21kg per person – including carry-on stuff (which they will weigh). The flight (19-seater plane) will land at Whitemark airport on Flinders Island. The airport is a 2-minute drive from the town of Whitemark, and about 20 minutes’ drive from the house in Lady Barron. is Tasmanian quarantine on the island – i.e. you cannot bring fresh fruit or vegetables to the island.

Cars

There are 2 cars – both automatic transmission.

4-wheel-drive Nissan Patrol (2004)

A beautiful white Nissan Partrol
  • Color: White
  • Registration number: H36ZD
  • Location: Airport carpark
  • Key and door lock/alarm fob: Please take
  • Fuel type: Diesel
  • Fuel purchase options: 24/7 self-service in Whitemark or Lady Barron Shop (see opening hours below)
  • Fuel tanks: Main and "sub" tanks
  • Starting the car: Turn the ignition to on, but do not start until a specific light goes off
  • Battery assistance: "Jump start battery" available in one of the storage drawers in the back of the Nissan
  • Shuttle-van service: Contact Jon Davison 0418386640 for transportation to the house in Lady Barron (and the other car), cost is about $80 cash

MG HS SUV car (2023)

beautiful white Nissan Partrol
  • Color: Bright blue
  • Registration number: L50AB
  • Location: Garage in the house
  • Battery charging: Remove the charger when you arrive and close the car bonnet, reverse this procedure when you leave
  • Fuel type: 95 RON petrol only (not standard 91)
  • Fuel purchase options: 24/7 fuel self-service in Whitemark (not available at Lady Barron shop)
  • Key-fobs: Available in the house
  • Driving caution: No bull-bar or nudge-bar, not suitable for driving in the evening or at night

You will see lots of road-kill. Drive at night more slowly and carefully, even in the Nissan, as Flinders Island has more native animals per square-meter than anywhere else in Australia.

Insurance:

  • Nissan: Basic 3rd-party insurance
  • MG: Comprehensive insurance

Please leave both cars with their fuel tanks at least half-full.

Nisan Patrol Nisan Patrol Nisan Patrol

Shopping and Dining out

See the latest information at: https://flindersisland.app/

There are 2 grocery shops. A supermarket in Whitemark (M-F 9-5.30; Sa 9-12; on the main street opposite the pub). A very comprehensive mini-mart/shop in Lady Barron (Normally M-F 8-5; Sa/Su 9-1; near the corner of Gunter and Henwood Streets). Petrol is available at the Lady Barron shop, or in Whitemark at 24/7 automated bowsers with credit card.

The Whitemark pub does traditional (huge and simple) pub meals, but is closed Sunday evenings (sometimes they do pizza or burgers on Sunday early-evenings before 6pm). The Whitemark pub also does simple breakfasts/brunches in their ‘corner café’ 7 days per week (before 12 noon). The Furneaux Tavern (Lady Barron) has restaurant and bar meals every night (Monday night is pizza only) and most lunches. Both operate on country-town hours – you need to arrive soon after 6pm, and meals will finish about 8pm. In summer and public holidays, you need to book for the Tavern (03 6359 3521). There are electric/gas public barbeques at many places around the island – good for a day-trip. E.g. Killiecrankie Beach; Trousers Point; Patriarchs Wildlife Sanctuary.

There are two restaurants – The Flinders Wharfshed in Whitemark (brunch and dinner on limited days – usually Wednesday to Saturday – phone 0474 889 236), and Mountain Seas Lodge, Trousers Point (dinner on limited days – phone/text 0427 593 601). Phone both for reservations for dinner. The Wharfshed is a bit pretentious and expensive – and not in favor with the locals. Mountain Seas is great.

Whitemark also has a bakery – good for pies – including the local specialty – Wallaby Pie (actually the plain pies are better). There is a butcher in Whitemark (M-F only). Next to the butcher in Whitemark is a great café – “Cate Cooks” – usually open Weds-Sat mornings – and highly recommended for yummy takeaways. There is a ‘food van’ in the street around the corner from the Whitemark hotel (Bowman Street) – usually open Thurs-Sun 12-3pm or until sold out – usually has very good burgers, fried chicken, hot dogs, etc. Sunday evenings, ‘The Club’ is open for meals at the Whitemark golf course. The most up-to-date information on all these is the Facebook – Flinders Island Community Noticeboard: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1563410353906391

There is no ATM on the island. There is a bank in Whitemark (limited hours M-F), and most places take credit cards and EFTPOS (with cash-out at the Lady Barron shop). If you are buying petrol from the Lady Barron shop – they prefer cash or EFTPOS, not credit card – in fact they love cash all the time.

Tv and Video

TVs in the living-room and main bedroom. No free-to-air stations except via streaming on the Apple-TV (e.g. ABC iView). The Apple TVs also have an app called Plex on them – with access to 1000’s of TV series and movies.

Image of two remote controls

Places you must see

Check out:
visitflindersisland are maps and books about the island in the house.
  • Trousers Point (good swimming) and Fotheringate Bay.
  • Yellow Beach in Lady Barron.
  • Patriarch’s Wildlife Sanctuary – take some chopped-up apples if you want to feed the wallabies and pademelons – please don’t use bread.
  • Cameron Inlet (not far from the Sanctuary) – a very long / desolate beach with surf.
  • Walkers Lookout – near Whitemark.
  • North East River – at least a half-day trip – especially if you visit Killiecrankie and Palana on the way (which you should).
  • Allports Beach near Emita (good swimming)
  • Sawyers Bay (side-road between Whitemark and Emita).
  • Climb Mt Strzelecki. You start from the sign-posted area on the Trouser’s Point Road. 5+ hours return-trip. Can be cold and windy at the top!
  • See http://www.vfb.biz/index.php?/category/9 for lots of Flinders Island pics!!

Tips for various appliances

Washing Machine:
The left-hand slot is for washing liquid/powder. The middle slot is for fabric softener. The right-hand slot is only used for pre-wash cycles. For the controls – working from left to right – press the power button on. Then press the circular button to select “Quick 30” (all the others take ages). Then press the small buttons to select options – I usually increase the spin-speed and temp by one place, and select Rinse+. Then press the Start button (the sort-of- triangle to the lower-right of the big round button). If the machine does not start, press the door closed more firmly – i.e. give it a shove.

Nespresso Coffee Machine:
You need to empty used coffee pods – gently press in the container, then it will pop out. Also empty the drip-tray when the red, plastic button pops up. Fill the water tank at the back of the machine. Press the Start/Cancel button to start the machine. Choose your coffee type by turning the knob. Lift the lever to eject used pod – and then put a fresh one in the space and close the lever. If you are making a milk coffee – it will do the coffee part first, then the milk heating/frothing. Put your mug under the spout and press the Start/Cancel button again – the coffee will be poured. Remove your mug, and put a metal jug with milk under the milk spout – making sure that the jug sits well back in the machine to cover the temperature sensor. Fill the jug to one of the lines inside – depending on how much milk you need. For cappuccino (lots of froth) – use the lower line. Press the Start/Cancel button and the milk will heat and froth automatically – you don’t need to do anything. Wipe down the milk spout afterwards. The machine turns off automatically.

Fridge:
The top tray in the fridge has a front flap that appears really annoying. But if you pull the whole tray towards you, the flap opens automatically – and it is quite handy.

TV / Video:
There are 2 remote controls on the table next to one of the lounge chairs: The silver remote is for the Apple TV – and is the one that controls nearly everything. First press the button on the silver remote with the square on it. If the TV does not start in a moment, press the red power button – top-left on the black remote (this is the only time you should need to use the black remote control). Wait a little while, and press the silver remote button with the square again – which should bring up the Apple TV menu. From there, you can use the silver Apple TV remote to move around the menu – and control the volume with the +/- button. The “<” button means ‘go back’. Choose catch-up free-to-air TV apps like ABC Iview – or choose Plex for a huge selection of TV shows and movies.

image of fliders island