Springtime in Tassie!
We are moored in peaceful Surges Bay on the lower Huon.It's raining and when we ventured ashore an hour ago,sago snow was falling on us as we walked.There are gales all around the coast,and it's snowing on Mt.Wellington.
Since the last post we have been around in a circle; after leaving Franklin we sailed south to Dover on Esperance Bay,
where we met former Port Macquarie boaties,
Tom And Dawn Elford,who took us home for lunch to their beautiful new home,enhanced with Huon pine,set in wooded acres,high on slopes overlooking the bay.
We found we had many aquaintances in common,and caught up on the gossip as well as swapping travel stories.
From Dover we crossed to South Bruny Is.,Quarries Bay near Lunnawanna,former source of sandstone for many of Hobart's historic buildings,then north to Barnes Bay again,and huge Pacific oysters all around the bay at low tide.
As we had a few on board problems,we decided to return to Bellerive for a week,
then reprovisioned and problems sorted it was down the Derwent to Bulls Bay,Nth.Bruny,an idyllic sandy beach cove,with a farm overlooking the anchorage,and even a border collie dog rounding up the sheep.
Sailing further south,we visited Cookville,Adventure Bay,
site of the first Tasmanian apple tree planting,and known for its Bligh Museum of Pacific Exploration,containing fascinating material and artifacts associated with Tasman,Furneaux,Cook,Bligh,D'Entrecasteaux,Flinders,Baudin and others.
The remains of the tree which Cook inscribed here-'Cook 26 Jan.1777'-is preserved amongst the collection.The museum caretaker, after closing up at 4pm,insisted on giving us a lift to the store and cafe,2 kms.further around the foreshore,where Bodi was treated to 'dog chocolate'by the owner ,while we enjoyed homemade cake and great coffee.
The scenery was spectacular all down the coast,around Tasman Head,
then through the rocky passage
past Cape Bruny Lighthouse with quite a lumpy,surging swell,
then joined by dolphins,to Bodi's delight as we crossed the channel to Southport,on the mainland.There we were able to obtain top up fuel at the fishing jetty,
then headed further south through the reefs to picturesque Cockle Creek (pop.3),
the last habitation south in Tas.,
on Recherche Bay.
A beautiful,historic bay
to explore
while we considered the possibility of venturing around South East Cape and on to the West Coast.
After much deliberation,consulting local fishermen and weather patterns,we decided it was just the wrong time of the year to try it,with continual cold fronts and huge seas,so turned back north.
Just after we reached Dover,by chance we met our friend Matt from Esperance,on a holiday trip around Tassie in his van,and enjoyed a great catch-up over dinner on Two XS.He had helpful local knowledge as his father had grown up there and sailed the area.Of course we also caught up with Tom and Dawn,invited to lunch again,where we met other locals,Colin and Elizabeth,who also owned a cat,which we had noticed moored further up the channel.
After a trip to Partridge Is.near Cape Bruny,Mickeys Bay,and again huge oysters galore,we called in to visit Colin and Elizabeth in their beautiful cove at Police Point,then to Randalls Bay near Garden Is.where the swell became too much,so back to tranquil Surges Bay.
We are now intending to sail north around the top of Bruny Is.then north east through the Dunally Canal to the east coast,then weather permitting head north towards the "Big Island" eventually.
Springtime in Tassie!
We are moored in peaceful Surges Bay on the lower Huon.It's raining and when we ventured ashore an hour ago,sago snow was falling on us as we walked.There are gales all around the coast,and it's snowing on Mt.Wellington.
Since the last post we have been around in a circle; after leaving Franklin we sailed south to Dover on Esperance Bay,
where we met former Port Macquarie boaties,
Tom And Dawn Elford,who took us home for lunch to their beautiful new home,enhanced with Huon pine,set in wooded acres,high on slopes overlooking the bay.
We found we had many aquaintances in common,and caught up on the gossip as well as swapping travel stories.
From Dover we crossed to South Bruny Is.,Quarries Bay near Lunnawanna,former source of sandstone for many of Hobart's historic buildings,then north to Barnes Bay again,and huge Pacific oysters all around the bay at low tide.
As we had a few on board problems,we decided to return to Bellerive for a week,
then reprovisioned and problems sorted it was down the Derwent to Bulls Bay,Nth.Bruny,an idyllic sandy beach cove,with a farm overlooking the anchorage,and even a border collie dog rounding up the sheep.
Sailing further south,we visited Cookville,Adventure Bay,
site of the first Tasmanian apple tree planting,and known for its Bligh Museum of Pacific Exploration,containing fascinating material and artifacts associated with Tasman,Furneaux,Cook,Bligh,D'Entrecasteaux,Flinders,Baudin and others.
The remains of the tree which Cook inscribed here-'Cook 26 Jan.1777'-is preserved amongst the collection.The museum caretaker, after closing up at 4pm,insisted on giving us a lift to the store and cafe,2 kms.further around the foreshore,where Bodi was treated to 'dog chocolate'by the owner ,while we enjoyed homemade cake and great coffee.
The scenery was spectacular all down the coast,around Tasman Head,
then through the rocky passage
past Cape Bruny Lighthouse with quite a lumpy,surging swell,
then joined by dolphins,to Bodi's delight as we crossed the channel to Southport,on the mainland.There we were able to obtain top up fuel at the fishing jetty,
then headed further south through the reefs to picturesque Cockle Creek (pop.3),
the last habitation south in Tas.,
on Recherche Bay.
A beautiful,historic bay
to explore
while we considered the possibility of venturing around South East Cape and on to the West Coast.
After much deliberation,consulting local fishermen and weather patterns,we decided it was just the wrong time of the year to try it,with continual cold fronts and huge seas,so turned back north.
Just after we reached Dover,by chance we met our friend Matt from Esperance,on a holiday trip around Tassie in his van,and enjoyed a great catch-up over dinner on Two XS.He had helpful local knowledge as his father had grown up there and sailed the area.Of course we also caught up with Tom and Dawn,invited to lunch again,where we met other locals,Colin and Elizabeth,who also owned a cat,which we had noticed moored further up the channel.
After a trip to Partridge Is.near Cape Bruny,Mickeys Bay,and again huge oysters galore,we called in to visit Colin and Elizabeth in their beautiful cove at Police Point,then to Randalls Bay near Garden Is.where the swell became too much,so back to tranquil Surges Bay.
We are now intending to sail north around the top of Bruny Is.then north east through the Dunally Canal to the east coast,then weather permitting head north towards the "Big Island" eventually.
.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.
Posts
