Cheeses of King Island
A windswept island in Bass Strait whose salt-laden pastures feed a dairy known across Australia for brie, camembert and blue.
Made, aged and sold here
Best time: November to April, the milder months.
King Island sits in Bass Strait between Tasmania and the mainland, in the path of the Roaring Forties. The constant westerly winds carry salt onto its pastures, and its cattle graze outdoors all year. Its farmers have made butter and cheese since the early twentieth century, and the island dairy is known across Australia for soft white cheeses, blues and cheddar.
The cheese
The island dairy at Loorana, north of Currie, makes brie and camembert-style cheeses, blue cheeses, cheddar and cream. Rich milk from grass-fed herds gives the cheese its yellowish paste. Much of it is shipped to the mainland, but the dairy keeps a tasting room on the island, and local shops sell cheese alongside the island's beef and crayfish.
The island
King Island is about 64 kilometres long, with fewer than two thousand people. Currie is the main town, with a lighthouse and a harbour. Shipwrecks litter the coast, and golf courses on the links land draw visitors. Kelp, beef, crayfish and cheese are the island's industries, and small planes link it to Melbourne and Tasmania.
A trail idea for King Island
- Currie The main town, with its harbour and lighthouse.
- The dairy at Loorana Taste the island's brie, camembert and blue.
- Shipwreck trail Walk to sites of wrecks along the windswept coast.
- Cape Wickham The tall lighthouse at the northern tip.
Written by the EveryCheese desk with AI assistance. Background: "King Island (Tasmania)" on Wikipedia. Opening hours, markets, caves and tours change; check locally before travelling. If something is wrong, tell us.
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