sending the industry reeling. Having
a steak on the island is extremely ex-
pensive. We discovered that the cows
are shipped to Tasmania (Devonport)
before being trucked further south to
Longford where they’re butchered.
The meat is then shipped across Bass
Strait to Victoria where it is certified
and packed, before being shipped
back to Tasmania and then onto King
Island.
Whether true or not, it’s a long
drawn out process, that gets many
locals quite animated when talking
about it. Discuss it over a beer and
you’ll be in for a very long night.
A long drawn out process is how
you could only describe the process
of getting a bike onto the island. For
the Australian traveller who doesn’t
see overlanding in foreign countries
as an option King Island could possi-
bly give you the same logistical expe-
rience and challenges. Some would
describe it as a nightmare, some just
the perfect challenge of ‘adventure’
travel.
King Island has strict biosecurity
conditions, as does Australia in gen-
eral, and this can be the first chal-
lenge. Your bike must comply with
quarantine requirements, essential-
ly there must be no plant or animal
matter on your bike. Your bike must
be spotlessly clean. For reasons of
TRAVERSE 53
checking you must leave your keys to
your bike, and this includes any pan-
niers you are taking to King Island,
on the bike or with the shipping com-
pany.
Conditions also apply to how and
when you get your bike on the island.
Only a few companies will ship mo-
torcycles, Tas Cargo Services or TT
Line being the two most obvious, and
both have a rolling schedule – mean-
ing no set dates or times when the
ships head to the island. This can
be a problem when considering that
all visitors must arrive on the island
within 14 days of their bike, and the
same must be applied to leaving the
island. At around $400 for a one-
way journey shipping a bike to King
Island can be expensive, you then
have an airfare on top of that. You’re
looking at around $1200 to take a bike
on and off the island – there’s no es-
caping the costs, you must provide a
valid airline ticket that confirms ar-
rival and departure dates and falls in
line with shipping dates of your bike.
It’s a hassle, yes! But the beauty of
the island, it’s history, it’s people, it’s
uniqueness is certainly worth it. And
if you are prepared to do it, there is a
rebate scheme that will see some of
your funds returned after each leg.
The uniqueness of King Island
stretches back perhaps hundreds,