Kent Group National Park

Kent Group National Park (commonly called Kent Group) is the northernmost national park in Tasmania, part of the Bass Strait Islands around halfway between mainland Australia and the mainland of Tasmania, and an enclave within the federally managed Beagle Marine Park. The park is a haven for Australian sea lions, and is so remote, that arguably it can be said to be one of the most difficult to get to parks in Tasmania (but not the most, because that goes to Savage River NP, which is entirely inaccessible).

Getting to Kent Group National Park is not easy. For starters, there are no facilities – including rubbish bins and toilets (meaning you have to "piss in the bush" to survive). If that doesn't put you out, getting here also requires you to boat along the rough waters of the Bass Strait for 55 kilometres.

The park receives fewer than a thousand visitors a year, meaning there is a high chance that when you may not see anyone else on these islands while you're there if you visit these islands.

Islands

There are three main islands that constitute Kent Group. They include as follows:

• 1 Deal Island – largest island in the entire vicinity
• 2 Dover Island
• 3 Erith Island

Note that Southwest Island, a few kilometres southwest of the main three islands is not part of the park.

Understand

History

The park was established on April 28, 1971 by the Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service. The park has an area of 312.83 km² (120.78 sq mi), but only 23.74 km² (9.17 sq mi) is land, with the other 290 km² (110 sq mi) making up the marine component of the park.

Visitor information

• PWS website
• Furneaux Field Centre, Lagoon Rd, Whitemark, Flinders Island, ☏ +61 3 6359 2217, Deal.Island@parks.tas.gov.au. The nearest visitor centre to get information about the park, located on Flinders Island. (updated Apr 2022)

Get in

Getting into the park is not easy. This place is next-to-impossible at times, especially during rain, but otherwise it is hard to get to.

There are no public boat services here, so the only way to get in is via your own private boat, or via a private tour (though there are none) from Flinders Island about 55 km northwest.

To complicate things further, mooring is not allowed at the public jetty on East Cove, but you can find a safe place to anchor your boat in either Deal or Erith Island.

See

• 1 Deal Island Lighthouse. With a height of 305 metres, Deal Island Lighthouse is the tallest lighthouse in the Southern Hemisphere. The lighthouse was built in 1848, became automated in 1922, and was deactivated in 1992. Today, there is a small museum by the lighthouse, called The Kent Group Museum, containing stories of what life was like on these islands before the 21st century. (updated Apr 2022)

Buy, eat, drink or sleep

There are no facilities in the park, including toilets and garbage collection. You need to be entirely self-sufficient.

Go next

• Your only viable option is to head back to proper civilization to Flinders Island