Getting around King Island
There is no public transportation on King Island except for school buses that are only used to transport local children.
Not surprisingly, the entire island has only 1,600 inhabitants and it would not be worthwhile to operate public transport here under any circumstances.
Car rental
For tourists, the only option is to rent a car upon arrival. There are no large multinational car rental companies operating on King Island, but there are a few local companies.
Where and when to book a car?
Always book your car at least 2 months in advance online. Car rental companies have limited capacity and if you would like to book a car just a few days before your trip, there is a high probability that neither rental company will have any cars available.
The following rental companies operate on King Island:
Car rental prices
The cheapest Subaru Forester cars are available for rent from 88 aud per day.
Prices are usually flat and do not increase according to demand or the number of days you rent the car.
You can rent a car for as little as one day if you're just making a day trip from Melbourne without an overnight stay.
How does the car rental work?
Unless you are arriving as part of a large group of people, there will usually be no car rental staff waiting at the airport.
Approximately 12-24 hours before your rental, you will receive very detailed instructions via email on how to pick up your car.
Car rental companies have designated spaces in the car park outside the airport. Each car has a lockable box on the glass with a numerical code in which to keep the car key.
You can then drop off the car at the airport in the same way, by putting the key back in the box and locking it with the code sent by the rental company.
We have had a very positive personal experience with the car rental company King Island Car Hire.
We recommend that you do print-screens of the instructions as the mobile signal is very weak on King Island.
Roads on King Island
The main roads to the airport and from Currie to Cape Wickham Lighthouse, Grassy and Naracoopa are tarmac and well signposted.
Traffic is very light due to the sparse population.
Secondary roads, for example, to famous tourist sites such as Calcified Forest or Seal Rocks are not asphalt but dirt or gravel.
However, even these roads are regularly maintained, but you must always expect sudden potholes and unevenness. In general, however, the secondary roads are passable for all kinds of cars.
Petrol stations
There are 3 petrol stations throughout the island. You can always pay by card and cash (if you use a vending machine, you can only pay by card).
Petrol is more expensive on the island than on the mainland and the price is around 2 aud per litre.
- Currie (Reefuel) - location on map, open 8:00 to 18:00 on weekdays and 9:00 to 17:00 on weekends
- Currie (Muir Mechanical) - location on map, open 9am to 5pm, 24/7 pay machine in operation
- Grassy (Grassy Garage) - location on map
Collision with wildlife
Collisions with animals are the biggest danger on the island's roads.
While driving, you will see an incredible number of dead small kangaroo "wallabies" literally at every turn.
These animals often appear on the road very unexpectedly, especially on sections where the road runs through scrub savannah or forest.
Public transport
There is no form of public transport on King Island. Apart from school buses, there are no regular bus routes and there is no railway.
Guided Tours
If you don't want to or can't rent a car on King Island, your only option is to use one of the tourist agencies that organize guided tours in their buses.
You usually have to book your tour at least 1 month in advance with these agencies, for example:
Any questions left?
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