Kingston

Kingston is a town of 10,000, just twelve kilometers south of Hobart and Australia's gateway to the Antarctic, or at least, kind of. It is part of the Greater Hobart region, and seat of the Kingborough local government area, and a popular gateway for travelers intending to head down to the D'Entrecasteaux Channel region or Bruny Island, the most visited offshore island in Tasmania.

Kingston is the sixth largest settlement in Tasmania behind Ulverstone.

Understand

Kingston was once called Brown's River, after botanist Robert Brown, and the town was settled by colonists evacuated from Norfolk Island in 1808 (cf Norfolk Island's capital, Kingston). It was officially named a town in 1851. The town remained a relatively small community until the 1970s, when it boomed. As a result, the high street is unusually modern for a Tasmanian town and it features several modern shopping centers. Kingston was a significant location of Dutch immigration after World War II, and it retains strong ties to the Dutch community, including a Dutch Reform church and two Dutch private schools.

Kingston encompasses the satellite suburbs of Blackmans Bay, Huntingfield and Kingston Beach, which have a more laid back atmosphere than the town center.

• Council website

Get in

Kingston is one of the few places in Tasmania to be well connected, including a freeway-grade road from Hobart. Travellers coming from Hobart will need to use the Southern Outlet (A6), which is a rather unusually short freeway starting from South Hobart.

If you are coming from the Huon & Far South region, the primary road that connects the two is the A6 Huon Highway. The Channel Highway (B68) connects places like Bruny Island and the Channel, and further on, to the Far South via Woodbridge Hill Road, which acts as the only connection in inclement weather, which may temporarily close the Huon Highway in winter.

There is no direct road connection from Southwest – you will need to go around via Hobart.

Get around

Although the Kingston Bypass was intended as a bypass, the 3.5-kilometre (2.2 mi) two-lane freeway connects the Southern Outlet to the Channel Highway/Algona Road roundabout and dumps you off right next to the Australian Antarctic Division (presumably where you would be going to). This freeway can become congested, but the Tasmanian government has proposed to widen the freeway to four lanes. The non-freeway alternative, the Channel Highway, may be in some cases faster. The Tasmanian government trying to disincentivise using the surface road, so it may very well be that in the future, the Channel Highway may look as if it were a seemingly local road.

Otherwise, the town's other local roads should get you to where you're intending to go to. If you're in Kingston central, it's easier to simply walk – trying to maneuver your car around with somewhat limited parking is not ideal. Bus services run from Kingston central to Blackmans Bay and Huntingfield.

See

• 1 Australian Antarctic Division, 203 Channel Hwy, ☏ +61 3 6232 3209. M–F 8:30AM–5PM. An institute that is part of the Australian Government, their role is to ensure Australia's Antarctic interests are best served. There is a visitor's centre onsite with exhibits that explore the history of Antarctic expeditions, the scientific research and logistical support that is required for Australia's Antarctic program. There is also an extensive library with books relating to all thing Antarctic. Free.  
• 2 KIN Creative Space (Kingston Beach Art Hub), 20 Beach Road, Kingston Beach (rear of Kingston Beach Hall). A small local community arts center that offers hands-on arts workshops and occasional exhibitions. (updated Mar 2022)
• 3 Shot Tower, 318 Channel Hwy, Taroona, ☏ +61 3 6227 8885. Daily 10AM–5PM. Believed to be the world's tallest circular sandstone tower, this 318-step shot tower was once Australia's tallest building. (updated Mar 2022)

Do

• 1 Kingborough Sports Centre, Kingston View Drive. A multi-purpose sports centre and became Hobart's main venue for indoor sports such as volleyball, basketball, and netball. (updated Sep 2022)

Buy

• 1 Channel Court Shopping Centre, 29 Channel Hwy, ☏ +61 3 6229 8703, info@channelcourt.com.au. M–F 9AM–5:30PM, Sa 9AM–5PM, Su 9AM–4PM. This mall is undoubtedly the largest in little tiny Kingston, but after undergoing a major transformation, it is now even a popular mall for Hobartians. It has a wide range of stores and is surprisingly quite a lot for a regional mall. Unfortunately, it does not have extended Thursdays. (updated Sep 2022)
• 2 Kingston Town Shopping Centre, 99 Maranoa Rd. A smaller shopping center with only 14 specialty stores. Most stores here are retail stores and are centered on locals, not visitors. (updated Sep 2022)

Eat

• 1 Young's Table, Shop 58.1, 29 Channel Hwy. +61 493 040 096. A Korean-Australian restaurant located within the Channel Court Shopping Centre. (updated Mar 2022)
• 2 Wild Bean Cafe, cnr Channel Hwy and John St (inside BP), ☏ +61 3 6229 5051. (updated Mar 2022)

Drink

• 1 Robbie Brown's, 32 Osborne Esplanade, Kingston Beach, ☏ +61 3 6229 7965. Su–Th 8AM–9PM; F Sa 8AM–1AM. Recipient of Tasmania's Best Bar and Best Cocktail Bar, a local cozy artisan venue that showcases local wine, spirits and beer, as well as international and national craft producers. (updated Mar 2022)

Sleep

• 1 Kingston Hotel and Motel, 14 Channel Hwy, ☏ +61 3 6229 6116. Check-in: 2PM, check-out: 10AM. (updated Mar 2022)

Go next

Kingston is along the way to Bruny Island. Nowhere else can you find white wallabies; in addition, the island's mountainous south and The Neck is home to many penguins (yes, tiny adorable blue fairy penguins), and shearwaters that migrate for summer from the Arctic.

Routes via Kingston

Southport ← Huonville ←	SW A6 N	→ Hobart
Huonville ← Margate ←	S B68 N	→ Hobart