Foster Islands

Foster Islands Nature Reserve comprises two granite islands in Banks Strait between northeastern Tasmania and Flinders Island, serving as a breeding ground for little penguins, short-tailed shearwaters, and Cape Barren geese. Banks Strait is a significant waterway linking Bass Strait with the Tasman Sea, and the Foster Islands provide sheltered nesting habitat in this dynamic marine environment.

The Foster Islands support little penguin colonies, short-tailed shearwater burrow nesting, and Cape Barren geese. The surrounding Banks Strait waters are rich feeding habitat for marine wildlife. Cape Barren geese, once nearly extinct, are now a conservation success story in the Furneaux region. Australian fur seals may use the rocky coastal margins. The islands' wildlife reflects the broader biodiversity of the Banks Strait island environment.

Coastal tussock grassland and heath communities dominate the Foster Islands, typical of granite islands in eastern Bass Strait. The vegetation reflects the combined influences of wind exposure, salt spray, and nutrient enrichment from the nesting bird colonies. Cape Barren geese grazing maintains short grass communities in areas they use.

The Foster Islands are composed of Devonian granite, the same rock type forming most of the island landforms in eastern Bass Strait and the Furneaux Group. The granite creates rocky shorelines suitable for seals and the shallow, sandy soils in which penguins and shearwaters excavate their burrows.

Banks Strait and the Foster Islands area experience strong winds and variable weather associated with the relatively confined strait between northeastern Tasmania and Flinders Island. Tidal currents in the strait can create rough conditions for small vessels even in otherwise calm weather.

The Banks Strait islands were known to Palawa people who occupied northeastern Tasmania, with maritime connections to the Furneaux Group. European sealers worked the strait islands in the early colonial period. The banks Strait area was important for early navigation between Port Dalrymple (Launceston) and the eastern seaboard colonies.

Foster Islands was declared a nature reserve to protect its seabird and waterbird breeding colonies. The reserve is managed for conservation with no public access.

The islands have no visitor infrastructure. Wildlife can be observed from boats in the Banks Strait area.

No public access is permitted without Parks and Wildlife Tasmania permits. The islands are accessible by boat from St Helens or Bridport on the Tasmanian mainland, or from Flinders Island.

Conservation focuses on biosecurity and monitoring of the penguin, shearwater, and Cape Barren goose colonies. The Cape Barren goose recovery is a regional conservation success, and the Foster Islands contribute to the broader Furneaux population. Invasive predator control is important for maintaining nesting success.