Tiny Tassie island offered the wild getaway we were looking for
A stay on Three Hummock Island offers something truly rare: an island sanctuary where simplicity reigns and every moment feels deeply earned, writes Sarah Fitzpatrick
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Somewhere off Tasmania’s wild North-West Coast, where the Roaring Forties lash the shores and the ocean stretches toward eternity, lies an island so hidden in plain sight it feels more myth than map point. Three Hummock Island – an island of remote solitude – was our world for four unforgettable days.
Getting there is no small feat. Our group of eight – four “youthful” women and four “mature” men, long-time friends bound by a mutual love of food, wine, and adventurous escapes – chartered a four-seater Cessna to ferry us from Smithton to the island’s lonely runway.
From the air, the island – and Hunter and Robbins islands before it – appears as a tapestry of coastline, forest and open sky with three undulating humps rising out of Bass Strait.
On arrival, the island’s keepers, Casey and Melyanie Spinks, welcomed us with a sturdy Toyota Troopy and a 35-minute rumble through wilderness to the homestead. There are few, if any, true roads here, just tracks etched by time and tyres.
The four-bedroom, two-bathroom, two-lounge, homestead, perched above a sweeping bay at Chimney Corner on the island’s westernmost point, is a lesson in minimalist charm. It has been restored with care and its coastal palette and thoughtful design make it extremely comfortable.
There was wi-fi (surprisingly good), but few of us bothered. The real connection was happening over glasses of Tasmanian pinot, shared meals, and the kind of laughter that bubbles up only when you’ve truly escaped.
Four days unfolded in a blur. Three Hummock Island, though modest in size, brims with natural drama. From day one we were transported along barely-there trails to windswept bluffs and hidden beaches, each more cinematic than the last. Treks through the interior opened onto remote lagoons only seen by a handful of people since creation.
Beyond our guided adventures, the island offers a treasure trove of ways to fill the days. Fishing, snorkelling, swimming, and beachcombing all have their place alongside kayaking over sheltered waters to lonely coves. Birdwatchers would be in heaven here, with everything from sea eagles to fairy wrens flitting through the brush.
Wildlife actually abounds. The sound of Cape Barren geese accompanied our every breakfast while kangaroos watched our movements with gentle curiosity, and snakes (yes, tiger snakes) added a frisson of real adventure. And, as it was April, the island’s seasonal mutton-birding had started, a practice that has long tied our First Nations people to this place.
The kitchen, mercifully, was more than up to the challenge of feeding eight hungry travellers. You can engage a private chef but our meals were group-organised affairs based on us as rotating chefs (seafood, roast lamb, curries), flowing wine and crackling conversation. But be warned: this is not a place where you can just duck down to the corner shop. If you run out of butter (a tragedy in any kitchen worth its salt) – as we inevitably did – you can only hope that Casey and Mel will come through – as they inevitably did.
There’s something about island time that stretches and compresses simultaneously. Our four days were both timeless and fleeting. Mornings may have been quieter and contemplative, but afternoons brought swims, hikes, and long chats in the dappled sun. Evenings were loud and long, the stars above impossibly bright.
European sealers arrived in the early 1800s before more permanent settlement in the late 19th century. Roads, fences, a jetty and airstrips were gradually carved into the landscape. But perhaps the most enduring legacy is that of Eleanor Alliston and her family, who lived on the island from 1951 to 2002! Eleanor’s two books – Escape To An Island (1966) and Island Affair (1984) – capture the unique beauty and solitude of island life and her words still echo from a rocky outcrop on the island where she has been memorialised.
For us, the island was about connection. To each other, to nature, to something elemental that we lose sight of in the day-to-day rush. It was laughter echoing across the hills, footsteps marking beaches without another soul in sight, wine poured with abandon and stories shared like heirlooms. We came as friends. We left as a tribe.
And, as a last word, Three Hummock Island isn’t for the unprepared. You need to think ahead, pack with purpose, and bring your own cheer. But for those who seek it out, it offers something truly rare – a wild island sanctuary where simplicity reigns, and every moment feels earned.
Sarah Fitzpatrick, a former Mercury journalist and born and bred North-West
Coaster was so captivated by her recent stay on Three Hummock Island that she felt compelled to share its magic with others.
The author and her fellow travellers paid their own way for this trip.
MAKE A NOTE
Three Hummock Island is situated off the North-West Coast of Smithton, Tasmania, and is about a five-hour drive from Hobart.
The island can only be accessed by sea or air and is ideal for groups of up to eight people. The homestead consists of four bedrooms, two bathrooms, two lounge areas and a large dining space and kitchen.
Activities include swimming, fishing, snorkelling, trekking and bird watching.
Prices start from $750 per night with a minimum two-night stay.
For bookings and or for more information go to https://www.threehummockisland.com.au/
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