Port Fairy, VIC
3.0 km (0.75 hrs )
★★★☆☆

Griffiths Island is a tiny island (37 hectares) located off the coast of Port Fairy in south western Victoria. Named after John Griffiths, an entrepreneur and merchant from Launceston, Tasmania, the island served as a base for a whaling station during the early 19th century. The island has been a public reserve since 1902 and is now a sanctuary, particularly for the large breeding colony of short-tailed shearwaters, known locally as 'mutton birds' by early settlers who used its fatty flesh for food and as an oil source.

Griffiths Island is accessed via a causeway located near the rotunda on the mainland. A 3 km walking track circles the island, with the lighthouse constructed in 1859 on the eastern end of the island being the halfway point. There is parking and picnic facilities near the rotunda at the start of the walk.