French Island

Exposed, windswept and isolated, French Island is two-thirds national park and it retains a real sense of tranquillity – you can only get here by passenger ferry, so it’s virtually traffic-free. Once a seasonal hunting ground for the Boonwurrung, its modern-day attractions are bushwalking and cycling, taking in wetlands, checking out one of Australia’s largest koala colonies and observing a huge variety of birds and wild orchids. The French Island Community Association website (www.frenchislandinfo.com) has information about the island and its inhabitants today.