Montague Island

Montague Island, known to the Yuin people as Barunguba, lies nine kilometres off Narooma, a low granite island of about eighty hectares that is a nature reserve with no public access except on guided tours. Australian and New Zealand fur seals haul out on the rocks in numbers that peak in winter, and snorkelling and diving trips run to swim with them in the shallows. Around eight thousand pairs of little penguins nest in burrows across the island, coming ashore after dusk on evening tours. A granite lighthouse built in 1881 stands at the high point, and its keepers' cottages now house researchers and a small number of overnight guests.

History

The Walbunja people of the Yuin nation know the island as Barunguba, the eldest son of the mother mountain Gulaga, and paddled out by canoe to gather muttonbird eggs, and one story tells of almost all the men and boys of a clan drowning in a great wave on the way back. James Cook sighted it in 1770, naming Cape Dromedary, and the master of the Second Fleet transport Surprize identified it as an island and named it after George Montagu-Dunk, Earl of Halifax; on 30 November 2021 it was officially given the dual name Barunguba / Montague Island (Wikipedia, Barunguba - Montague Island).

The landscape

• The fur seal colony - hundreds of seals on the rocks, snorkelled with in season.
• The little penguins - burrow-nesting colony coming ashore at dusk.
• The 1881 lighthouse - the granite tower and keepers' cottages.
• The seabird island - shearwaters, terns and other nesting species.

When to go

September to April for penguin nesting and warmer water; seal numbers peak in winter, from around May to October. Tours run morning, afternoon and evening, and all depend on sea conditions, which cancel trips regularly.

What to expect

Landing is only possible with a licensed operator and tours are not cheap. The crossing is often rough and the landing itself can be cancelled at short notice even after departure. Numbers ashore are capped and evening penguin tours book out well ahead.

Nearby

Narooma is the departure point; Central Tilba and Bermagui lie along the coast.

Key facts