We're back in Victoria,and have been enjoying exploring the Gippsland lakes for about 2 weeks,easy sailing from one end to the other,with trips up rivers to Sale in the west and to Bairnsdale to the north-east.Well-maintained public jetties are everywhere .Friendly swan families are abundant much to Bodi's fascination,swimming right up to the boat and through underneath it
.Mainly based at Paynesville,we've met more great people and been made very welcome by the locals.We were delighted that Marika and Khan were able to come down from Melbourne and cruise with us for a short time .And the weather is hot!
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| Bruny Is. Cheese Co. |
Sadly Bruny Is. is far behind us now,but we made sure we netted a good supply of oysters,
as well as cheese from the local factory
.Seals and dolphins farewelled us
as we sailed briskly across the top of Bruny Is.into Storm Bay,then the short narrow Dennison Canal,
where the highway bridge had to be opened,and finally out through a beach channel into the Tasman Sea.
Wineglass Bay was revisited,then on to St. Helen's,where we waited several days for the right conditions to recross the bar and head north for Flinders Is.There was little wind at first,but as we approached Banks Strait,gusts of 30+ knots battered us-we had great sailing speed, but it was a very rough crossing,one front trampoline was ripped loose by waves,and we were relieved to reach Cape Barren Is. anchoring near Harley Point,virtually in the surf.
Next morning it was calmer as we found our way through narrow,shallow channels via Vansittart Is. to Franklin Sound,and a peaceful mooring in the bay at Lady Barron
on Flinders Is.
After an early start to catch the tidal current west through the tight rocky passage,we followed the reefy coastline as far as Port Davies,
the former settlement of Wybalenna,
site of the last vain attempt to save the Tasmanian aborigines.
From here we sailed northwest to Deal Is. in the Kent group,an ideal sheltered anchorage approximately halfway across Bass Strait.A surprisingly beautiful bay amongst three rocky islands,
we visited the historical museum
and chatted to the volunteer caretakers and maintenance group working to eradicate harmful weeds.
Leaving here,
we could make out the mainland and with a good wind we speedily reached Refuge Cove,
the only shelter on this part of Wilson's Promontory,
a sandy beach,with huge rocks like gnomes lining the sides.
We waited here for a couple of days for the wind to turn and the seas subside,then overnighted along Ninety Mile Beach,passing lit-up oil platforms,to reach Lakes Entrance at 8am and a flat calm bar to enter easily.
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| Entering Lakes Entrance |
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| Tied up at Paynesville |
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| Secured to a tree on the way up Latrobe River |
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| It's dinghy only from here to Sale |
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| Sale |
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Definitely a grand av.
|
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| Khan hoists the mainsail |
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| Metung |
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| Handy mooring jetty |
Quirky letterboxes
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| How are conditions in Bass Strait? |
We are now waiting for a good weather window to launch out into Bass Strait again,as there are no safe anchorages between here and Eden.
To view the next blog, please go back to archive list and select 2017 posts as this was the only way to update and publish the final three posts in our cruise up the east coast-
'2010- Nov, Dec Gabo.Is to Jervis Bay' ,
'2011-Jan, Feb. Port Hacking,Botany Bay,Sydney Explorers ", and
'2011-March, April , Pittwater to Port Macquarie'
.Mainly based at Paynesville,we've met more great people and been made very welcome by the locals.We were delighted that Marika and Khan were able to come down from Melbourne and cruise with us for a short time .And the weather is hot!
as well as cheese from the local factory
.Seals and dolphins farewelled us
as we sailed briskly across the top of Bruny Is.into Storm Bay,then the short narrow Dennison Canal,
where the highway bridge had to be opened,and finally out through a beach channel into the Tasman Sea.
Wineglass Bay was revisited,then on to St. Helen's,where we waited several days for the right conditions to recross the bar and head north for Flinders Is.There was little wind at first,but as we approached Banks Strait,gusts of 30+ knots battered us-we had great sailing speed, but it was a very rough crossing,one front trampoline was ripped loose by waves,and we were relieved to reach Cape Barren Is. anchoring near Harley Point,virtually in the surf.
Next morning it was calmer as we found our way through narrow,shallow channels via Vansittart Is. to Franklin Sound,and a peaceful mooring in the bay at Lady Barron
on Flinders Is.
the former settlement of Wybalenna,
site of the last vain attempt to save the Tasmanian aborigines.
From here we sailed northwest to Deal Is. in the Kent group,an ideal sheltered anchorage approximately halfway across Bass Strait.A surprisingly beautiful bay amongst three rocky islands,
we visited the historical museum
and chatted to the volunteer caretakers and maintenance group working to eradicate harmful weeds.
Leaving here,
we could make out the mainland and with a good wind we speedily reached Refuge Cove,
the only shelter on this part of Wilson's Promontory,
a sandy beach,with huge rocks like gnomes lining the sides.
We waited here for a couple of days for the wind to turn and the seas subside,then overnighted along Ninety Mile Beach,passing lit-up oil platforms,to reach Lakes Entrance at 8am and a flat calm bar to enter easily.
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