Currie: Harbour, Lighthouse and Island History

Currie offers practical points of interest for choosing a place to stay on King Island, with its harbour, coastline and island history. Currie Harbour lies in the heart of King Island’s main settlement. Harbour activities, waterside paths, cultural sites and viewpoints give the town a range of different facets. You can decide whether Currie suits you based on whether you’re mainly interested in spending time by the water, experiencing the landscape and native wildlife, or learning more about the island’s history.

The Harbour and Getting Your Bearings

Currie Harbour is used for fishing, boating and waterside walks. This makes the harbour a place where you can enjoy a range of activities along the waterfront. The harbour area has public toilets, picnic areas and a children’s playground. The harbour’s central location in the main settlement is also a helpful point of reference when considering Currie as a destination. The King Island Arts & Cultural Centre is also located at Currie Harbour.

The journey from King Island Airport to Currie takes approximately ten minutes. If you’re considering Currie as a place to stay, its harbour activities, cultural sites and natural surroundings can help you choose a destination that suits your personal interests.

The Lighthouse and Island History

Currie Harbour Lighthouse is a rare example of a prefabricated iron lattice tower from the late 19th century. It stands on screw piles and is braced externally. It is also one of only two known Australian examples of this design type. The lighthouse offers visitors spectacular coastal views. Its structural features also make it interesting to travellers who are interested in the construction of historic buildings.

A guided tour of Currie Lighthouse includes exclusive access to climb 93 spiral steps to the top. If this climb is important to your plans, check tour availability before travelling. The King Island Museum is housed in Currie’s historic lighthouse keeper’s cottage. Its exhibits cover maritime heritage, early settlement, shipwreck history, agricultural traditions and community life on the island. The cottage connects with the history of lighthouse keepers, while the exhibits extend to various aspects of island life.

Coastal Paths and Views

The Kelp Track is an easy, simple gravel path that runs for approximately three kilometres one way. The distance is for one direction. Along the way, the track passes working beaches and places where native wildlife can be found. It also offers insights into King Island’s kelp harvesting industry. The track therefore combines scenery and wildlife watching with a look at one of the island’s industries.

The Bicentennial Lookout, between Currie and the harbour, offers a different perspective. From this elevated viewpoint, you can see Currie Harbour, the fishing harbour and Currie Lighthouse. The site also has open picnic areas and walking paths. For planning your day, the two options mainly differ in their focus: the Kelp Track is an approximately three-kilometre route one way, while the lookout offers named views, picnic areas and walking paths.

Cultural Sites and Changing Art

The King Island Gallery has a changing exhibition program and sells artworks by local artists and artists connected with the island. Its changing program and the sale of artworks offer two different points of interest: you can explore the exhibitions or view art from the island community. Together with the King Island Arts & Cultural Centre at Currie Harbour and the King Island Museum, the gallery reflects Currie’s cultural side through both art and the island’s history and community life.

To decide whether Currie suits your stay, it helps to distinguish between these themes: the harbour is associated with activities on the water, the lighthouse with architectural history and coastal views, and the museum with different chapters of the island’s history. If you’d rather plan a route with a focus on landscape and nature, the Kelp Track has a clearly stated distance and surface; if views, picnic areas and walking paths are your priority, the Bicentennial Lookout is another option.

Discover more destinations: Buckland, Moina, Campbell Town, Sheffield, Ranelagh, Randalls Bay, Sorell, Zeehan

For the main travel overview: Tasmania.