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| Taipan anchored in Farm Cove. Sydney Opera House and the harbor Bridge view. |
I will apologize in advance. Its a really long read. I'm slowly transcribing hand written pencil notes into digital posts. It's going to take a while to get back and edit properly. I've been requested to post anyway.
Thursday 13th January
Depart Sydney Heads around 2.00pm Destination Port Hacking about 29 miles south. Sydney was fun. Had its ups and downs. Highlights. Xmas lunch with Patrick and Jo at Bondi Junction. Superb. Boxing Day sail to see the Sydney to Hobart Fleet off. Lots of boats on the water to keep us busy but generally a very well behaved crowd. Great catch up with all the Medcalfs New Years Eve with another crowd, anchored in the harbor near Shark Island with an excellent view of the skyline Harbour Bridge and Opera House for the fireworks. Another excellent party. Trip to the Darling Harbour Maritime Museum and displays. Simon and Kerry’s visit and stay aboard for a week. Downside. Expensive moorings at $57 per night in RoseBay. Nowhere to land the dingy. We nearly lost it after it broke away from Man O War steps, filled with water and sand and weed, and ran ashore nearby. Fortunately, a security officer at the Opera House had the initiative to phone us (the number was on the outboard) and let us know. It took most of the day to rescue it, as we had to wait for the tide to go out because it was so rough we could not bail it out. Got quite a few jobs done while we waited for the new sail to arrive. Pleasant dinner with my cousins and with Davids cousin, Many parties with Jo and Patrick. Anyway, our journey to circumcise Tasmania has begun. The beautiful new dazzlingly white mainsail is up.. well nearly up. We have one reef in because its blowing a hooley from astern. PR88 is our new number. Princess Royal in honor of the old home port. Mum and Dad kindly kicked into the coffers to help with the sail replacement. Magic set off an hour ahead but we have caught and passed them. Port Hacking looms. A lonely hole in an otherwise unbroken wall of sandstone cliffs. Bondi was littered with bodies as we passed. Into the bay, and up a very narrow channel, regularly grounding in the very shallow entry. Finally really aground in the narrowest spot. We are resigned to a beer and bickies as we wait for the tide to come in. Everyone is very friendly and there are many offers of assistance, however, we decide to sit it out. Magic is in and at anchor and cooking the roast for dinner We are invited however they may have to dingy it across to us. Oh No ..hold on!! We are off! Its 8.00 pm. Welcome dinner and sleep.
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| New Sail |
Friday 14th January
The Magics left early but we wait for enough water and make your way uneventfully out and round the corner heading for Jervis Bay, 65nm south. There is a stiff NE breeze and it is getting stiffer Coast Patrol is very vigilant on this coast and not long before we are called up. They want to know your whereabouts every 2 hours! Big blue-black walls of crystal water rear up behind us threatening to engulf us, only to slide harmlessly beneath with just a hiss. Breaking tops of white froth subsided just as quickly and with barely a burble. The distant coastline, increasingly pale, in a smoky haze. We put in a reef as the wind becomes a persistent 30 knots. Port Kembla slides by just after lunch and a small bonito sacrifices itself to the greater good. Its an effort in these conditions and seem quite a long haul as we are doing around 8 - 9 knots. Its eventually landed, a quick filleting job, and into the sink to soak. It has become apparent that we are incumbent of a plethora of marine growth worthy of sizeable research funding. An opportunity for an enterprising marine biologist Our speed has been considerably affected but the insidious multiplication of these organisms Captain will don suitable raiment's and dispatch the said impediments before we are declared a marine national park Amendment… the captain has got suitable raiment's, so an expedition ashore is planned with all expediency. Meanwhile we are trucking along at a mere 11 knots, admittedly we do have 2 knots of current with us. The day is drawing in and Jervis Bay is achievable before dark. Magic is moored. As we approach a fabulous looking little bay we notice moorings. Our tardiness in getting our sails down has meant we will have to anchor instead. A couple of small boats we now realize were racing us in to pick up lines. Its 8.30pm and we are tired and worn. 10 hours sailing in those conditions is pretty exhausting.
Saturday 15th January
Glittering morning. People populating umbrellas and towels on the beach. National Park access not in evidence but there more people than the few small fishing boats can provide. Crystal clear water with a weedy bottom Magic has swum over for breakfast. Squid looks likely here,. There are plenty of baitfish and we have 5 in our live bait holder. The squid, if they are here, however, are too elusive and we finally retire from fishing to pick up the anchor and follow Magic to Batemans Bay, 50nm south. A following sea and fair winds should be perfect except for the overcast sky and looming lightening. Ulladulla looks like a good stopover but we sail on. the thunderstorms are relatively stationary so we are able to sail around them. iI don’t think there is any wind in them anyway. Sea surface suddenly shot with bright phosphorescent trails. Dolphins shooting onto our bow for a ride. They are most playful and it is amazing to watch them in their light trails. Anchor in at 10.30pm Sushi for dinner then a welcome sleep.
Sunday 16th January
Phones ringing. Wind is howling. The boat
is rolling viciously. We are off to the bar and upriver before the gale hits us. One is forecast. Conflicting information. The depth of water over the bar means we will just have to suck it and see. Well, Magic is ahead and has hit the bottom several times and returned. If they cant get in we certainly cant. Drop anchor again and wait for more tide. The dolphins are back for another look. The wind has almost gone now. Very effective coastal patrol calls us up to notify that they are bringing a yacht out over the bar at 1.30pm and can take us in after that. Good. A little local knowledge goes a long way at times like bar crossings. 3.00pm and we are comfortably anchored adjacent to the center of the town. Very civilized. We can even hear the cafe music. Ashore for a walk around. It feels a bit like Albany only smaller. There is a definite holiday atmosphere. Still overcast but the wind is pretty bearable. “Morris on Clyde” for curry.
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| Morris On Clyde! |
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| David shuking oysters on the way up the Clyde |
Monday 17th January
A journey upriver has been planned. We are traveling with Magic because there are huge power cables across the Clyde River and we cant get under them in Taipan. First, we will do a few laps of the river to check for oysters. They are abundant but very small. There have been oyster farms in the Clyde River since the 1940s. David busies himself as we motor up the river by retrieving rocks covered in oysters the sitting in the dingy shucking them for lunch. The countryside is beautiful. Occasional old farmhouses and boat-sheds.
National Park, previously logged, but now pleasantly wooded with spotted gum, mangrove creeks off periodically but no crocodiles. Nelligen is the lunch destination. Pretty little townships with a large concert bridge baring further progress upstream, although thriver is navigable for a good distance further. We are about 15 km inland. A Roman Catholic Church now serves as a craft shop, the lovely old post office as a guest house cafe, and a beautiful little old hotel The Steam Packet, now a private residence, greets us at the river bank. A magnificent Bunya Pine dominates the churchyard and many very old pepper trees form lovely shaded walkways. Back downstream and home to Taipan for a well earned rest after a great day.
Tuesday 18th January
Its 3.00 am. Time for an adrenalin shot. Lucky we had a rest. We are leaving our pleasant anchorage at Batemans Bay and heading out over the bar again because its high tide and if we don’t get out now we will be stuck here until Thursday. A big fishing boat has just passed us heading out also. 3.30am bump.. Bump ..BUMP! We are right on the leads. Its pitch dark and the fishing boat is long gone. Do we abandon or give it one more shot. Another go and we are across. Drop anchor and another rest after a calming Milo! 8.00am Forecast variable 10 knots.
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| Looking south from Eden |
We are heading for Eden. Magic cant get out of the river until the bridge is lifted because they went in under it. Now they have to wait for high tide at the bar so they will be a bit behind us. Sundown and we are approaching Two Fold Bay and Eden. Its been one of those great sails The coastline is stunning in a classic of way. Small dairy farms down to the water's edge. Lovely forested mountains. Sunshine, granite and sandstone cliffs are broken up with picture perfect, small white beaches. Spinnaker up most of the way. There are a lot of small boats out fishing. Obviously a popular holiday pastime here. No fish for us though.
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| Trawlers on the Eden jetty. |
Saturday 22nd January
Finally departing Eden, south to cross the great briny Destination Launceston. Eden has been great stopover. Three very pleasant days here. Washing battery maintenance, hull cleaning with the pro-dive very effective Water temperature around 23° to 24° so not too many yelps. Chris helped David with Taipan and vice a versa. Very good Fishermans Club and break from cooking welcomed. BBQ overlooking the coast at a well-appointed small Picnic grounds. Gwen, the local mechanic shop supply, kindly drove parts down to us, then regaled us with a general history of Eden and the whole SE coast of NSW, and most of the local gossip. There's a pulp mill on the south side of this very sheltered, and picturesque harbor. Boyd Town, also of interest, as another, failed early colonial settlement. Some ruins still evident. Will spend more time investigating Eden upon our return. Very like Albany, but about the size of Denmark. Great whaling museum and a whaling history which revolves around a killer whale called Old Tom, who worked with the whalers to drive whales into the bay, then hold them with a pod of his mates. Tom then went to fetch the whalers and they killed their captives. They then left the dead whale overnight for the killer whales, which ate only the lips and tongues then left. Old Tom would even take the tow line in his teeth and help bring the harpooned whales in. His skeleton is in the museum and all the teeth on his left side are worn from pulling the ropes. There are many other incredible tales about this whale and his 7 lieutenants. His body was found in the bay and thereafter whaling rapidly declined as whale numbers dropped and Old Tom and his mates weren’t there to help local whalers drive in the prey. Anyway, we are on our way after a few false starts.
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| Taipan at Eden |
We were leaving yesterday, however, the weather didn’t look great. Magic had gone earlier but ended up returning and we've just spent this morning adjusting the pitch on their propeller. They came back because they could only get 2 -3 knots out of Magic. Using the Pro-Dive again made it easier, but we think it might be injectors. Not just the prop. Its raining and miserable but the sea isn’t too bad and we don’t have much wind so the trusty Volvo is banging steadily away.
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| An escort in Bass Strait. |
Sunday 23rd January
Over 2000 meters of water under us!! no fish. No wind.Calm flat sunny Perfect. Volvo humming away. We are approximately 185nm from Launceston and 100Nm from Eden. Quite a lot of shipping to keep an eye on last night. One huge liner scared me into changing course. Might is right! A large pod of Pilot Whales has just dropped by for a look. Swam alongside for about five minutes before heading off on other business. Very black, bigger than a dolphin, and with a distinctly rounded head. Many young amongst them. Some flipper slapping and rolling. Cloud increasing but water like silk. What an astounding evening Water like molten honey. Dolphins frolic in the sunset. Even hear their shrill little whistles.It must be a full moon too. So beautiful. We’ve been visited by seals, sharks, whales, and dolphin and all in perfect sunshine 26° and 500km south of Albany (and a long way east) Flinders Island lies just 22nm south-west of us as the evening draws in I have finished Almost a Crime by Penny Vincenzi. Turned out rather a good read if you are into trivia.
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| Sunset in Bass Strait. You just have to wait for the right weather!!! |
Monday 24th January
Dawn breaking over Flinders Island. The current in the night turned against us so our progress has slowed.The weather gods, have, been more than accommodating. This morning we have some breeze and are making fair progress towards Launceston. Should be in the river by dark (which isn’t until about 9.15pm here). Magic is now about 12 hours behind us and doing 2 knots into the current with wind on the nose. Need patience for that! You could swim faster. At least we are getting along at a reasonable trot. 9.00pm, Lowe Head lighthouse and ancient buildings, the oldest pilot station in Australia, is off to Port. It is probably one of the loveliest summer evenings imaginable. Jason, Ferne and Lily are all in Launceston staying with Joyce, Jasons grandmother. Beauty Point, our destination, on a mooring outside the Maritime College.
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| Jason Fern and Lily. |
Tuesday 25th January
Dawns clean and clear. Voyage down to Launceston on the Tamar River. Jason Ferne and Lily are along for the run. Roseverer’s Pub for dinner as were out of time and water. The tide goes out and leaves insufficient depth in the upper reaches. Its about 35nm upriver to Launceston.
Wednesday 26th January Australia Day
We have made it to Launceston City. During our visit here we will hire a car and drive to the north and east. Then hopefully hire one in Hobart to do the SE and SW. The predominance of very old buildings and colored paintwork is quite striking. We are holding on tight as a big storm passes east to west. Most unusual. Many boats, up to 20, have been wrecked up around Beauty Point. Fabulous countryside and very friendly people. Was nice to catch up with Jason, Ferne, and Lily and we dined with John and Joyce and Don and Sally. Caught Josie and yet to catch up with Elizabeth. All ex-family
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| Seaport Marina Launceston |
Sunday February 20th
Launceston to Beauty Point. Farewell Launceston. Its been a very pleasant stopover. Met some nice people. Very nice marina at Seaport and convenient shopping for both supplies and repairs. Ellen and Lloyd Redman of ROUGE HOMME, an Adams 45, made themselves known when we arrived. We've dined each other, borrowed their car, and helped each other provision They are taking off for Hobart, down the east coast, tomorrow.
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| Wooden Boat Show Hobart. |
We went down to Hobart to the Wooden Boat Show. Only held every 2 years, and very colorful, with over 400 boats of all shapes and sizes on show. Flags and festivities, much great seafood, and the creamy delicacies. David very happy. Hobart looks a lovely place to visit for a more extended stay. We stayed overnight at a B&B in Richmond. Very old town and a pretty river. Lovely old buildings in very nice condition.
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| An old steam boat at Launceston. |
While we were at Seaport INDALI, Robert and Angela, from Fremantle turned up. They are going to winter over in Hobart. Questioned their sanity but they know it will be cold. Sunny, bright clean day, as we progress up to the mouth of the beautiful Tamar River.
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| Boats beached after a big SE blow at Beauty point. |
Rolling pastures to the water's edge dotted with picture book houses and lovely rambling gardens. Vineyards and orchards march in determined formation beside hedges all clipped and neat. Beauty Point on the west side is home to Port Dalrymple Yacht Club, The Australian Maritime College, and their big training ships. The Tamar Yacht Club also has a maritime facility. There are still some wrecked yachts laying broken and lonely on the rocky beaches. These victims of the vicious southeasterly storm which wreaked havoc here 2 weeks ago. Donald and Sally Scott (Johns uncle) are out on the river in JUBALEE their S&S 34 Safely tied to a Port Dalrymple mooring and drinks with Don and Sally then Elizabeth and Robert turn up. Dinner farewell on Taipan
Monday 21st February.
Beauty Point to Devonport. Stunning morning. Good forecast and we are out of here. Bluewater sailing again, Taipan kicking up her heels after some quiet laying up in the muddy brown water of the upper reaches of the river. Mountains all blue and marching away into the distance. Foreground… FISH You Beauty!! wheel it in drooling… Withdrawal symptoms… What is this thing??? Long skinny, very slimy! No its not an eel although the Tamar is full of them. Its a coota according to the book. Into the fridge. If there's a bag limit it must be edible… but i must confess it doesn't look too promising. Foreground carefully divided patchwork of many colored fields some with orderly hedgerows and coppices so reminiscent of Tasmania now. Others rambling wilderness of gorse and thistle and many other nameless weeds. Livestock grazing right to the edges of the white sandy beaches Securely tied up to the Devonport Yacht Club pontoon. Met Molly the dog. Off BAREFOOT. A Warrham Cat. Spirit of Tasmania I, II &III come and go during the evening. The coota fish was inedible. The old fisherman Charlie advised us that you CAN eat them but they are often wormy! Yuk! and very dry and bony!! All of which are true. No wonder they are so plentiful. Met a great dog. Molly off Barefoot a 28 Warham cat which sailed to Tassie from Queensland. Molly is a red cattle dog x bull terrier. Pretty playful. Each Club OK and $10 per night on the pontoon is reasonable.
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| Farmland off Devonport. |
Wednesday 22nd February
Dawn, calm and clear, the forecast looks favorable for a run to Strahan on the west coast. Its 200 miles from Devonport and we need to arrive at the notorious Hells Gates at slack water which is in the middle of the day. Morning is glassed off and a visit from a pod of dolphins emphasizes the amazing clarity of the water. They assembled themselves in layers below the bow, weaving and diving in spectacular aquatic aerobics. We never tire of their visits They will lay on their side and watch you and whistle when they break the surface from time to time. A huge turtle interrupts them momentarily as we pass it is floating like a huge raft at least be 8 feet long and very spotty. There are numerous jelly fish in a variety of colors lit by the sun to a great depth. Seals too. They lay about in the glassy water and don’t appear to have any pressing business to attend to. Perpetual holidays. Sunlights leaking out as Stanly passes by to our left. Twilight is a very drawn out fair in Tasmania and is much appreciated by late rising sailors on long passages. It's not dark till 9.15 pm or so. Even then, a fabulous moon has heaved itself over the horizon to turn an increasingly flat sea into molten silver. Islands on the northwestern tip of Tasmania. Hunter, Three Hummocks, Robbins, and Long, loom in the milky darkness and we slip past unnoticed. Currents in the area are a little fickle causing a slight delay at the top of Hunter Island. Uneventful night. Thank-goodness. The weather continues to hold.
We talk to Tamar Radio every morning for weather. Excellent service.
Wednesday 23rd February.
Light wind, motor humming, about 30 coota have sacrificed themselves only to be thrown back. YUK. Lost a lure and the fishing pliers. Darn. We will be at the entrance to Macquarie Harbour the notorious Hells Gates at 6.30pm Hells Gates so named because it served fast the entrance to Sarah Island the most feared and horrendous penal colony in the British Empire.
The electronic chart is hopelessly inaccurate here, so David has put a heap of waypoints into the GPS, straight from the Admiralty Charts. Approaching the two short lighthouses which mark the entrance, our first landmark is a long wall which serves to protect Pilot Bay. Used as shelter by boats at night or when the weather is too atrocious to cross the bar. Sometimes for weeks and weeks!! For us, though its 6.39 pm sun behind us flat seas and couldn’t be more perfect. In we go. No drama.
Very pretty. Anchor dropping alongside the training wall. A stone wall which forces floodwaters to exit the harbor on a defined channel. This prevents the main channel from sailing up. Big celebration. Here we are at Macquarie harbor and no water over the deck since Batemans Bay.
The electronic chart is hopelessly inaccurate here, so David has put a heap of waypoints into the GPS, straight from the Admiralty Charts. Approaching the two short lighthouses which mark the entrance, our first landmark is a long wall which serves to protect Pilot Bay. Used as shelter by boats at night or when the weather is too atrocious to cross the bar. Sometimes for weeks and weeks!! For us, though its 6.39 pm sun behind us flat seas and couldn’t be more perfect. In we go. No drama.
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| Mt Sorrel in the distance. |
Very pretty. Anchor dropping alongside the training wall. A stone wall which forces floodwaters to exit the harbor on a defined channel. This prevents the main channel from sailing up. Big celebration. Here we are at Macquarie harbor and no water over the deck since Batemans Bay.
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| Strahan Anchored. |
Thursday 24th February.
Brrrrrring. Brrreeing… What is that?? Phone?? What time? Donald Scott. So busting to join us, he phoned early so as not to miss out. Anyway its an absolutely stunning morning. 4 huge ferries loaded with people pass with a friendly toot. Off to Strahan. Tied up at the jetty finally. Much jiggling around to find a spot where we are not in the way of the ferries. Our anchor chain has done a half hitch around the shaft of the anchor so we have to unload it into the dingy to untangle it. Anchored in the pretty bay in a very sheltered corner.
There are several sunken wrecks against the beach, tucked right up at the end. One is an old steel and timber steamer and the other one is huge barge thing. Great photo subjects some time. A quick trip to town, albeit late in the day, is rewarded with an introduction to Trevor and Meg Norton owners of STORMBREAKER. http://www.westcoastyachtcharters.com.au/ A 60 foot charter ketch working this harbor and river for the past 19 years. He has a wealth of knowledge about the area and its history. Tim and Carole, cruisers off MASTERBLUE, a Spray 45 headed north to Warrnambool, invited us to have dinner with them and the local helicopter pilot and his wife. Mike and Janet Herritage. They are keen to buy a boat and so desperate to quiz cruisers passing through. There are only about 20 cruisers a year through here. Not very many at all! I wonder why. The weather is fantastic! Also a new crew member has joined us. Mrs Chippy. A direct descendant of Shackletons cat. She’s a he, had he’s very much at home aboard Taipan. We are afraid he may challenge the captain as head honcho Winky has chucked a real sulk.. but she’ll get over it.
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| Sunken barge. |
There are several sunken wrecks against the beach, tucked right up at the end. One is an old steel and timber steamer and the other one is huge barge thing. Great photo subjects some time. A quick trip to town, albeit late in the day, is rewarded with an introduction to Trevor and Meg Norton owners of STORMBREAKER. http://www.westcoastyachtcharters.com.au/ A 60 foot charter ketch working this harbor and river for the past 19 years. He has a wealth of knowledge about the area and its history. Tim and Carole, cruisers off MASTERBLUE, a Spray 45 headed north to Warrnambool, invited us to have dinner with them and the local helicopter pilot and his wife. Mike and Janet Herritage. They are keen to buy a boat and so desperate to quiz cruisers passing through. There are only about 20 cruisers a year through here. Not very many at all! I wonder why. The weather is fantastic! Also a new crew member has joined us. Mrs Chippy. A direct descendant of Shackletons cat. She’s a he, had he’s very much at home aboard Taipan. We are afraid he may challenge the captain as head honcho Winky has chucked a real sulk.. but she’ll get over it.
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| Winky chucking a sad. |
Great dinner last night at the pub near the APBT railway station. Stunning morning again. Today we will check out the sights in Strahan and Trevor is going to give us bit of info for our trip up the Gordon Franklin. Three hours with Trevor is very informative and he has loaned us a heap of books on local history and geography. Fantastic interpretive center, with great displays in a really good building. Strahan is predominantly owned by the Federal Hotels group. They have most of the accommodation and almost all the shops and hotel in the main street. They also run a large Ferry and lease the ABPT railway from the Government. It is apparently a fabulous train ride through the mountains to Queenstown. We will decide later in our stay here whether to take a run on it. Donald and Sally Scott are due at 8.30 and will stay with us for a couple of days.
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| Mike and helicopter. |
Another fabulous day but we are due for some rain so we are off down the harbor to the Gordon River mouth. Midge and Sal have a yacht JUBALEE on the Tamar at Beauty Point. Bit cold and raining now.
Out with the wet weather gear and beanies. Into the river, not difficult, and at once its more sheltered. Gentle motor upstream. We are at a little landing called Pine Landing on the Right. Named for the huge fallen Huon Pine with new Huon pines growing out of it. These trees fall down and their branches become roots or new trees. The old trunk is probably several thousand years old and the young ones almost 1000 years. They live over 3000 years.
The hut here is used by the public for camp weekends etc. You just phone and book it. No charge seems to apply. The most beautiful ferns and moss are everywhere. Sunlight filtering through a canopy of Laurel, Myrtle, Leatherwood, Huon and King Billy Pines. Like another world. The smell of old earth permeates everything. Taipan is tied up to the end of a jetty about 2’6” wide. Balanced with stern and forward lines and a spring. Such a peaceful scene. On now upriver. Next stop at Eagle Creek. Marked only by a bit of surveyors tape. Its just past a big mooring on the left-hand side.
There is a walk here which takes you over to the Franklin River. Takes 2 days. We will leave it till later! Much later. Off again past the site of the old Lime Kilns used by convicts to make mortar to lay bricks at Sarah Island.
Passing by Lake Fidler a meromictic lake. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meromictic_lake They are rare phenomena caused when the layers of water in the lake rarely if ever mix. The salt water under the fresh water allows the growth of certain bacteria which give off a sulfur gas. It is the only one of its kind in Australia. However, it is snake-infested and there's no track in. Also its late in the day and we need to get upriver to Warners Landing to camp the night. These lakes were probably the biggest guns in the hands of the greenies during the notorious protests over the Gordon Franklin Dam in the 80s. They are so rare and would definitely have been destroyed. Nightfall. This is one of the most magical nights we’ve had. It is still and green and silent. Like the Kimberleys …only cold!
Out with the wet weather gear and beanies. Into the river, not difficult, and at once its more sheltered. Gentle motor upstream. We are at a little landing called Pine Landing on the Right. Named for the huge fallen Huon Pine with new Huon pines growing out of it. These trees fall down and their branches become roots or new trees. The old trunk is probably several thousand years old and the young ones almost 1000 years. They live over 3000 years.
The hut here is used by the public for camp weekends etc. You just phone and book it. No charge seems to apply. The most beautiful ferns and moss are everywhere. Sunlight filtering through a canopy of Laurel, Myrtle, Leatherwood, Huon and King Billy Pines. Like another world. The smell of old earth permeates everything. Taipan is tied up to the end of a jetty about 2’6” wide. Balanced with stern and forward lines and a spring. Such a peaceful scene. On now upriver. Next stop at Eagle Creek. Marked only by a bit of surveyors tape. Its just past a big mooring on the left-hand side.
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| Walk to St Johns Falls |
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| Warners landing. |
There is a walk here which takes you over to the Franklin River. Takes 2 days. We will leave it till later! Much later. Off again past the site of the old Lime Kilns used by convicts to make mortar to lay bricks at Sarah Island.
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| St Johns Falls |
Passing by Lake Fidler a meromictic lake. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meromictic_lake They are rare phenomena caused when the layers of water in the lake rarely if ever mix. The salt water under the fresh water allows the growth of certain bacteria which give off a sulfur gas. It is the only one of its kind in Australia. However, it is snake-infested and there's no track in. Also its late in the day and we need to get upriver to Warners Landing to camp the night. These lakes were probably the biggest guns in the hands of the greenies during the notorious protests over the Gordon Franklin Dam in the 80s. They are so rare and would definitely have been destroyed. Nightfall. This is one of the most magical nights we’ve had. It is still and green and silent. Like the Kimberleys …only cold!
Sunday 27th February
Still. Cold. Dawn. Magic. Reflections. Mirror. Silver. Fantastic. We are off to the hut and a visit to St Johns Falls. The sun is bursting through the trees and shining like a great spotlight on the waterfall. Leatherwood flowers and climbing heather weaves amongst the trunks. An old Huon pine guards the walkway. Gnarled and twisted draped in cascading lichen and moss. Feels like a set from Lord of the Rings. We are 40 miles from Strahan and about 18nm upstream from the mouth. We could be on another planet.
More Photos. Launceston to Mcquarrie Harbor Off now in the dingy to explore the upper reaches of the Franklin by little boat. Rapids, swirling tea-brown water, and foam. An hour later, stopped by lack of water. Its easy to see, once here, just what the protesters are on about. Its such a beautiful wild river. The weather gods are being seriously wonderful. Not a cloud in the sky and no wind This must only happen several times a year. Don and Sally have to get back tonight and Chris and Daun MAGIC are coming to Strahan tonight to meet us. So, very reluctantly, we wander back to Taipan, cast off, and we are off again, back to Strahan. Pleasant dinner and a wine to end a perfect motor…
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| David Midge and Sal at the Shingle beack up streem from Warners Landing |
Monday 28th February
(Happy birthday Ian.) Chris and Daun aboard, and Don and Sally have just gone. They seemed very delighted with their weekend. What slow movers we are today though. Its now 3.00 pm and we are finally underway down Macquarie Harbour. Destination, Birchers Inlet. Magics have bought some average weather so we are going for somewhere with some shelter. 30 knot NW forecast for later today. Sunset a mass of wispy clouds upon layers of striated cloud. The sun a blazing ball of orange turning pink highlighting the edges of the clouds. Defies description. Weather still good. A little wind but abating.
Tuesday 1st March.
Anchorage among rushes and trees only meters from the bank. We haven't seen any platypus yet. They abound in this area apparently. No good with the fishing so far but still undaunted. Misty morning and a few spots of rain. No wind. Further up the inlet, we are dropping anchor again. There a pretty little sandy beach and the remains of a railway. An old tin shed, long since collapsed, once housed an engine. Crash bang clatter and there goes a fat brown wombat. He’s not inclined to stop and chat, a mere passing blob shambling off. My first live, wild wombat! Daun is taking a morning bath in the lovely cool fresh water Yeeks!! Up anchor and off again. Now we're heading back up river to Pine Landing. An old logging hut used now by fishermen and campers. Its maintained by Parks and Wildlife and is situated in the most amazing forest. Logs just covered in moss and lichen.
We are greeted by a couple of Bennets Kangaroos commonly called melons.
Dinner here tonight. Visited by a big black possum. He climbed onto my shoulder to see what I have in my mug and proceeded to eat Davids grapes. I think he bought all his mates back during the night, judging by the mess on the deck.
Dinner here tonight. Visited by a big black possum. He climbed onto my shoulder to see what I have in my mug and proceeded to eat Davids grapes. I think he bought all his mates back during the night, judging by the mess on the deck.
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| Beautiful reflections in the mirror black tannin waters of Gordon Franklin. |
Wednesday 2nd March
Off upstream to walk Eagle Track. This is beautiful walk which takes 2 days. Daun and I are only going for an hour! Well, that was nice, now for champagne. Back to Taipan wait for David and Christo. Finally, we are off again. Looking for the convict-built Lime Kilns. They are apparently hard to find This two limestone walls on the R side after you enter limestone Reach.
Then almost before the end of the 2nd one a cleft / gap appears. It has limestone on both sides and a steep earthy incline in the middle. Looks promising Too true! Just 20 meters straight up this slope is the 1st lime kiln. It remarkably good order although it was brought back into service in the late 1800’s when Pillinger was settled. Scrambling around the bush and here are the remains of another just a little further up the hill. The quarry is also easy to see away on our right AT the front of the 1st Kiln is a flat area which upon an investigation under layers of moss revealed a rough brick concrete platform. There were probably steps down to the river her also The lime was used in the brick mortar. Back into the dingy and mooching slowly towards Taipan. A PLATYPUS! Real live wild one.Showing itself for a few minutes. Excitement. Back aboard off to Warners Landing for the night This time we will tie up to the jetty where seaplanes come in.
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| Lime Kiln stoker. |
Thursday 3rd March
Dawn. Its drizzling and the forecast is not looking so good. Chris and David have gone up the Franklin to look for an aboriginal cave. “Pergana”, near Bingham's Arch. Daun and I are off on a walk to the hydro hut on the beach Pretty. Soft underfoot, with all the extreme green moss you could dream up Luxuriant lichen, draped amidst massive tree ferns, all woven together by a soft undulating waterside track. 20 minutes later we are at the hut where we fill in our details in the little book “To facilitate forest management!” Warners Landing was the camp where the workers were to commence the work on proposed dam but it all came to a halt after one of the biggest demonstrations seen in Australia, it was December 1982, people had chained themselves to trees, bulldozers or whatever, to stop the construction work, people up in the trees, Police arresting people and news cameras recording the events. Sitting back on Taipan I think they did the right thing!!!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franklin_Dam_controversy. I can see a freshwater crayfish about 1foot long. Crawling about on a log. Good for dinner! Mid-afternoon. The boys still not back. A couple of float planes have been in and tied up, disgorged their passengers and gone again. Very noisy. One of them used to belong to John Bell about 18 years ago. The boys are back. Full of stories of arches, ledges, overhangs, stalagmites, and stalactites, and leeches!!.
Found the cave / tunnel, climbed in and up. Beautiful view over the river and some nice photos. Lunch is over now we are heading back down river to Kelly’s Basin. http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/file.aspx?id=6812 All anchored safely after a bit of rock and roll coming out of the river. Pretty spot. There was a full blown town here. 600 people 23 businesses, hotel, railway station etc, 100 years ago. East and West Pillinger were settled to export copper from Queenstown last century. It was a reasonably significant settlement. Mt Lyle Mining Co then took over until the 20’s when the town was moved to Strahan. Really interesting.
More on East Pillinger. http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/file.aspx?id=6494
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| Taipan at St Johns Falls Warners Landing with Float plane. |
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franklin_Dam_controversy. I can see a freshwater crayfish about 1foot long. Crawling about on a log. Good for dinner! Mid-afternoon. The boys still not back. A couple of float planes have been in and tied up, disgorged their passengers and gone again. Very noisy. One of them used to belong to John Bell about 18 years ago. The boys are back. Full of stories of arches, ledges, overhangs, stalagmites, and stalactites, and leeches!!.
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| Looking upstreem from the cave. |
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| David Kris Daun and Chris. Taipan and Magic Crews Esplorers in Pillinger. |
More on East Pillinger. http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/file.aspx?id=6494
This area was an amazing place to explore. Some fabulous old kilns and railway carriages wagons and even the tiles of the old railway station. Fishermen have made a hut from the remnants of an old railway carriage called Reindeer Hut. This has been extended over the years and is still used periodically on an honor basis ie. leave it in good nick with wood for fires etc.
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| First Brick kiln |
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| Boilers. Pillinger |
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| Reindeer Hut. |
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| Old Railway wagon West pillinger. |
Friday 4th March
Pillinger is explored both east and west. Fantastic ruins of brick kilns huge held 340,000 bricks The train drove through the kilns. Boilers, jetties, surrounded by primal forest and majestic mountains so many seasons in one day it makes you dizzy. Boilers, chimneys, old carriages. Too much to absorb. Back to Strahan to meet Elizabeth and Robert. Vern's birthday the big 50.
Saturday 5th March.
Raining fairly hard, back down the river, good gust here and there, and had a sail up. Pleasant if cold and wet run up to Warners Landing again!
Sunday 6th March
David up river with Robert and Elizabeth. A Franklin look about, up to Shingle Island, but the rain has brought the river up so go no further. Wander back down to Eagle Creek and Robert, Elizabeth and David off for a walk. Slow run back to Strahan and farewell Robert and Elisabeth. Back to work tomorrow
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| Robert and Elizabeth. |
Walk up to Peoples Park Strahan and on up to Hogarth Falls. Mike and Janet Heritage called by. Mike had a fall getting on board
Wednesday 9th March
Jasons Birthday. Mike has fractured ribs so there goes the helicopter flights offered last night.! Oil Change, battery refill visit Risby Cove Gallery. Very lovely gallery space with wonderful furniture and jewelry exhibition by Denis Vovos a Greek. Really nice guy. Has a Westerly 35 in the Greek islands. http://www.vovos.com.au/ Must visit. Weather is improving. We hope to get way down to Port Davy tomorrow or Friday
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| Taipan in Pilot bay. Ready for an early departure to Port Davy. |
Thursday 10th March
Water, fuel, grog, and I think we are ready to head south. The weather is supposed to be improving. Anchorage at Pilot Bay outside Hells Gates is a good jump off point. We will leave here at 3.00am tomorrow. Farewell to Strahan, Mike and Jannet, Trevor and Megs. Pretty place. Lovely people. It would be easy to while away at least month in Macquarie Harbour (Bigger than Sydney harbor) and the Gordon River. So much history here, Piners and Miners.
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| Approach to Port Davey. |
Friday 11th March
Its 3.00 am, and, a bit chilly I have to say. Also very dark. As we motor out of the relative safety of Pilot Bay into the big swell of the Southern Ocean. Nothing between us and Cape Horn South America. Its flat, just 3 meters or so about 200 meters apart. The wind is picking up now. Its about 11.00 am. NW 15 to 18. Making good progress but its raining and freezing!! I am expecting penguins any time now. 1.30 pm and its 20 to 25 knots so we have to put in a reef This means getting completely dressed into wet weather gear. WHAT! Out of the Ugg boots?? Not much drama once we get into it but speed back from 9 to 10 to 7 to 8. with 2 reefs. Still raining and freezing. 4.00 pm. Seals! I was right Penguins next! We are off a very impressive rocky coastline. Great sharp teeth of rock project up in rows along the shoreline. Granite, shale, schist. Bald slopes of button grass with the occasional stand of timer nestled in any available cover.
Rounding into the shelter of Port Davy you become aware of the great slumbering mother mountains under a blanket of cloud. Heedless to the imperious clawing and sucking of the restless and often angry seas. The sun has decided to poke its nose through the cloud in places, deigning to highlight for us, some of the more spectacular distant peaks, and carpeted slopes of button grass. Drop anchor into the shallow waters off Bond Bay at the northern end of Port Davy. These are probably the biggest mosquitos you will ever meet you don’t swat them, you shoot them!!
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| Anchored in Paynes bay with a power boat. |
Spectacular morning. Still. Some cloud but a soft warm breeze from the N/NE keeps the temperature extremely pleasant. The power cruiser which was anchored nearby has gone. Off ashore for a look at the old hut, and to hunt for muscles. White squeaky sand on the beach, reminiscent of the South Coast of WA. Light and color here are also very similar but I somehow remember it as warmer there! 900km south of Albany here. Suppose that's why! Muscles are pretty hard to locate although we’ve found 6. A great racket turns into a helicopter. Out pop 4 people. Must be tourists.
Weather is holding and so we cruise over some rock reef and giant kelp beds in the dingy. Not exactly very colorful reef but with an impressive array of grass and seaweed Back aboard Taipan for lunch. Now David has gone off in search of more muscles. I am getting a little alarmed as its 20 past 4 and he’s not back yet. There goes the radio. “Wombat” “Wombat” is returning with a bucket full of booty. They are quite large and with a strong bluish tinge
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| Davey River. |
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| Bush breath. A dingy trip upriver. The Davey River. |
Sunday 13th March
Amazing! Quick! Get up! Its an endless blue world. Sky, sea, and mountains all tinged in various shades of blue. It's already warm. Into the dingy and off up the Davey River. It's about 3 miles by dingy to the entrance and bar then about 5 miles to the 1st Gorge.
The magic blue day preservers. Great flocks of black swans run flapping to finally lifting off, reflecting in the mirror surface of the river, then in formation, they head off to new water. Onward upstream and as the river narrows the white quartz veins in the grey slate-like rock stand out like signal posts. 3 rapids later, and a waterfall we cant ford. On a little white quartz beach, a beer and a sandwich then drift downstream to the music of a variety of birdsong. Black Cockatoo, White Cockatoo, Wrens, Shrike, Thrush, Honey Eater, Sea Eagle to name a few. A tiger snake swims silently and swiftly across out bow on some mission of his own. Probably a frog.
No doubt, he’s enjoying the warm sun. Another dingy and its OSPREY A with Jim and Jannet from Lake Macquarie NSW. We saw them come past last night. Heading back now, and the wind has strengthened a little. 10 kn or so. A bit of chop and 3 miles is quite a distance. Only a 100 meters from Taipan now and a 90° wind shift, and very strong. Thankful to be aboard its now 40 knots. You just have to wonder. How can that happen? Narrow escape. Its still a bright blue day. The day closes with wind decreasing again and a good forecast for the next few days.
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| Tiger snake business. |
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| Breaksea Island |
Not so lovely today but improving as we motor over to the entrance of Bathurst Channel. Breaksea Island is on our right, clothed in a mantle of greens and studded with white quartz. Edges all jagged quartz cliffs shot through with caves and arches. Hugging the rocks at the waterline, huge bull kelp curls and rolls in the swell. Deceptively alive looking. Drop the pick. We are in Bramble Cove. This bay, really several small bays was used by miners and boatbuilders fishermen and whalers during last century.
There was a settlement of sorts with huts and a cemetery. Cant find the settlement site but assume its now a picnic / walkers stop off. Very clean and tidy clearing with a tap connected to a hose which runs 100m up the small watercourse and divests cool fresh water right at the picnic spot. The cemetery is in another bay at the foot of the walking track to Mt Milner. A group of whalers apparently cut down the poles marking 16 of the 25 grave sites here, to use as wood!!
Unfortunately, only one grave remains discernible in the thick scrub, but it is well marked now and has a large aluminum plate. Letters punched in, telling the history of some of the site. Seems many deaths attributed to falls from the masthead by young men. OspreyA, a Brolga 33, Ian and Jan are here too. They have been cruising for 18 years around the world.
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| Taipan and Ospery A at Cemetary beach |
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| Plaque to dead sailors |
Very still but overcast. Into the dingy after much fluffing about. David is resplendent in a stinger suit, black stocking head to toe, my short wetsuit, and his long blue and black number. His millinery accessory is a Splash beanie, under his black stocking hood. Its enough to frighten the crayfish and abalone away for good. We motor about looking in crevasses and caves for the elusive game. Finally, a large bloated dead seal and fat bloated fairy penguin dampen his enthusiasm and the foray is abandoned. Another yacht has turned up and then left again. HI FIBRE. Brief lunch stop before we are up with the anchor and off. Destination, Wombat Bay. Its only about 2 miles but its pouring wit rain from the south and freezing cold necessitating a complete set of foulies (Wet weather clobber.) Somewhat better looking than the wetsuit number. There is no one in the tiny bay so we drop anchor and David ties our stern off to a tree to stop us swinging about in the limited space.It's a cold night so all further shore excursions have been postponed.
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| Taipan in Wombat Cove |
Wednesday 18th March
Bit of morning exercise is planned A short walk up the small hill behind Wombat Bay. Blue sky shows briefly here and there, but the promise of improvement is sufficient, so off we set. A track. Yes, a wombat track. Liberally sprinkled with wombat markings, yabby holes in the peat, and water oozing out of the hill all the way up to the top. It's a reasonably steep haul in places especially when one chooses the face of the climb instead of the ridge.
Well, we are finally atop our chosen hump and the view is splendid enough not to entice me any further. Sky has cleared and the visibility fair. Down again and our 2 hour, short walk, requires a cuppa. Off with the stern line and the decision made to get down to Mellaluka with the fine weather. Its turned glorious.
The channel to Clayton’s Corner where Win (Deny Kings Sister) and Clyde Clayton, crayfisherman, lived is only about 5 miles up. There are 3 yachts and one power boat here. Quick lunch and the incoming tide is right for the shallow narrow entrance and channel to Mellaluka. Its about 2 miles (a bit like the Kalgan River but less trees) Clear and sunny. Not particularly warm though. Couple of shallow lagoons on route pose no drama so we are happily tied alongside some river poles by 4.30pm. Osprey A and DOVETAIL John and Shirley Brisbane, are also here now. Dovetail about 15min after us. We are all heading to the site of habitation together. Such good weather you need to take advantage of it. Denny King is the legend of Mellaluka. His biography by Christobel Mallingley, King of the Wilderness is a good read and an excellent source of information about the area. He lived an worked, mining tin here, for over 50 years.
Deny was also passionate about the wilderness and natural history. He is credited with the discovery of several rare species of bird and plant, and some now extinct, species. He built the first airstrip across peat bog and button grass using only pick and shovel. Had to travel some distance in his boat to cut timber to cord the surface. Logs tied together with wire and covered with tin tailings. Amazing effort. His daughters still retain a lease over the house and garden he built here.
Rare Orange Bellied Parrots come to Port Davey at this time of the year. At one time their numbers were down to 4 sightings in a whole season. They are still endangered but numbers are on the rise Deny also built the Walkers huts. The first, in memory of his father, Charles, who was the first tin miner here. Tin mining is still carried out by Ron and Barbara Wilson. They bought Deny’s lease when at 76, he decided prices were to low and he was getting too old. Wilsons own the vessel RALLINGA, a ketch rigged schooner with a square rig. She is used to transport bags of tin to Hobart.
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| View from the hill overlooking Wombat bay towards the sea. |
Well, we are finally atop our chosen hump and the view is splendid enough not to entice me any further. Sky has cleared and the visibility fair. Down again and our 2 hour, short walk, requires a cuppa. Off with the stern line and the decision made to get down to Mellaluka with the fine weather. Its turned glorious.
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| Past the Narrows |
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| Osprey A, Taipan and Dovetail at Melaluka |
Deny was also passionate about the wilderness and natural history. He is credited with the discovery of several rare species of bird and plant, and some now extinct, species. He built the first airstrip across peat bog and button grass using only pick and shovel. Had to travel some distance in his boat to cut timber to cord the surface. Logs tied together with wire and covered with tin tailings. Amazing effort. His daughters still retain a lease over the house and garden he built here.
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| Picture of a photo. Orange Bellied Parrot. |
Rare Orange Bellied Parrots come to Port Davey at this time of the year. At one time their numbers were down to 4 sightings in a whole season. They are still endangered but numbers are on the rise Deny also built the Walkers huts. The first, in memory of his father, Charles, who was the first tin miner here. Tin mining is still carried out by Ron and Barbara Wilson. They bought Deny’s lease when at 76, he decided prices were to low and he was getting too old. Wilsons own the vessel RALLINGA, a ketch rigged schooner with a square rig. She is used to transport bags of tin to Hobart.
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| Huon pine near the woodshed. |
Idled away a few hours aboard DoveTail. She’s a beautifully finished boat built by owners. Shirley and John. Been cruising many years. Walk. We must walk. So armed with baked beans and sardines we head out through Mellaluka Lagoon and up Moth Creek stopping at a footbridge near Denys dam. Into walking mode and tramping up a fairly well-made track.
Mostly boardwalk, towards Cox Bight. Lunch then return. Satisfied with our effort. Probably about 10kms. 21/2 to 3 hrs. Very pretty button grass plains and wildflowers here and there. No rain for a change. Back to the King home and a look around the gardens. Fruit trees, kangaroos, and boat shed. there are still plenty of signs of Deny’s ingenuity.
Amazing furniture in the house built from bent logs etc Huon pine doing very nicely about the woodshed. The house is still well maintained and obviously enjoyed by the King family. Couldn’t help thinking that our friend Ian would have enjoyed this place. Back to Taipan and its a real race, with the tide going out, to get out of Mellaluka, and down the channel to Clayton’s Corner, before it gets too shallow. One good bump on the bottom later, and we are here. Anchored. Glorious night! Sunset. 5 boats at anchor. Still and cold.
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| Walking track Mellaluka |
Mostly boardwalk, towards Cox Bight. Lunch then return. Satisfied with our effort. Probably about 10kms. 21/2 to 3 hrs. Very pretty button grass plains and wildflowers here and there. No rain for a change. Back to the King home and a look around the gardens. Fruit trees, kangaroos, and boat shed. there are still plenty of signs of Deny’s ingenuity.
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| Denys little blue boat. |
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| Kalimna Tashega Osprey at Claytons Corner. |
Friday 18th March
Tims birthday. Crystal clear morning, still, fabulous reflections in the black water. Up early to make the most of the weather. We have the walking bug, so today its up Mt Beattie. Only about 200 or so meters, but plenty. Stiff in a couple of spots, but essentially a very nice walk. Good views in all directions. Quite a crowd followed us to the top. Robert and Heather of KALIMNA, Karen, and Harold and three children of TALASEA John and Shirley. A pleasant sausage sizzle in Clyde and Wins old house at Clayton Corner to end a magic day.
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| Mellaluka Inlet. Taipan and Dovetail. |
Saturday 19th March
We are still at Clayton’s. Its been another beautiful day but all the exercise of the last few days has caught, up so a lazy one socializing and entertaining.
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| The Narrows at Bathurst Chanel |
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| Taipan at Claytons Jetty |
Sunday 20th March
Overcast, but warm enough. Off on the dingy to check out the paddler's facilities in the point. Excellent camp kitchen, and dome tents set up on platforms. Very well done. Farewell time. We are off out Bathurst channel. Start thinking about the hop around the corner to the D’Entrecasteaux Channel and Hobart town. The weather has been excellent considering we are in South West Tassie. Forecast looks promising over the next few days. Bramble Cove, stop over for a haircut, but now it's too rainy. Great big sea eagle on a low limb posing for a shot though. Spain Bay via Lourah Island for a look. Beautiful afternoon. Spain Bay has a great walk over to the south coast and some aboriginal middens.
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| Cottage at Claytons Corner. |
Monday 21st March
David has itchy feet and has decided we need to get going. Forecast looks doubtful!! Nice morning clear blue sky and just a few big cumulous building around the tops of the mountains. Seals farewell us, as we round the Pyramids, in the southern side of the Port Davy entrance. Sails up, maybe the forecast is wrong after all. Its looking good. Two yachts pass us going into Port Davy for the Easter Break. Two weeks holiday in Tassie. Its midday and were just round South West Cape. Sort of like Leeuwin. Big rollers and with wind and sea building. Easterly.. on the nose and getting unpleasant…. as forecast!!!. Matsyker Island, the most southerly point of Australia, and pretty cold and yucky now. Silly seals keep popping up and chasing us, then they all stop and watch us for a while. Very cute. There are quite big gangs of them hanging about our here without any apparent reason. Perhaps they’re waiting for a fishing boat. Its now 30 knots and Very Shitty.!!! On the nose, wet, very cold and an unpleasant motion, and we can still see Matsyker Island 8 hours later!! Doing about 4 knots in these seas. Not happy! Forecast absolute right. Midnight and we have been sailing / motoring 17 hours to do 75nm. Now we are anchored in Recherche Bay. There's a good moon and the radar is a great help for approaches at night.
This is a very good website with up to date anchorage information for Port Davey
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| Matsyker Island |
Still pretty whacked after yesterday. Today is the day we should have come. A weak front is providing 10 to 20 knots W / NW to SW in the afternoon with blue skies, some clouds and no rain. Damn the captains itchy feet!! Recherche Bay looks very pretty. Ashore for oysters to restore us. Great Oysters. Bring Taipan down closer to Cockle Creek A boat is arriving INSATIABLE ll, a Sayer 47. Very nice too. Jim and Anne Cate, Americans, introduced themselves and we share coffee on Taipan.
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| Oysters at Cockle Creek |
Jim has a weather fax programme to install on our computer for us, so we are off for walk to the ruins of an old whalers hotel and the light house at Flinders Point. Whale sculpture in bronze is quite impressive too. Jim and Anne have been cruising around the Pacific for the past 18 years. Interesting and experienced people with loads of good contacts and information Cockle Creek is the end of the road. No can drive further south than this, unless you go to South America.
Thursday 24th March
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| Jim and Anne Cate with us exploring ruins at Cockle Creek |
Need a shop soon. Milk out. Bread low. Still, have the makings but not premixed. The bread maker is fantastic. Be nice to have some fruit too, and more importantly we are out of wine. Off we go to Port Esperance. No! in Tassie. Sailing northeast between Bruny island and the big island past Southport and into a very pretty and very sheltered harbor. Dover is the local town and now we’ve got all the goodies, and a lift back to the dingy to boot. Great service. Over to an anchorage by Rabbit Island near the salmon farms. Apparently, 20,000 of them escaped 2 days ago so we’d better put a line in. Drinks on Insatiable ll and dinner on Taipan. Roo curry, and its good tucker!
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| Insatiable ll |
Good Friday. Fish today? David has a line in and out of the water so fast they think they were queued up down there. Flathead galore. Bountiful easter. We have the limit. 20. Not big but they sure are yummy. No salmon though. Need to go up the mast to retrieve the topping lift. We think the clip has failed cause it shot right to the top and left a pile of rope and the foot of the mast. Gave Insatiable ll a run yesterday. 2 boats going the same direction are always a race. Taipan went very well even with a huge piece of bull kelp around the rudder we discovered later.
Fine and sunny but very cold. Jim installed CMaplV but is having trouble getting the ’02 charts up. Mast climbing and the clip end is broken. A small enough job to fix it though. David is replacing the belts on the alternator. We cut them off coming from Poet Davy because they were slipping badly and squealing. My fishing expedition wasn’t very successful but I did chat with some friendly locals.
We are off to a gourmet BBQ at the Dover Yacht Club. They have a 3 day regatta happening so yachts all around us. This is a very pretty area. Well sheltered, rolling hillsides with green fields. Poplars are starting their autumn show. Off to the main anchorage at Dover and BBQ. Very friendly lot, Rowena, Leslie and Adrian MISCHIEF fun night. Very nice salmon steaks on the Barby.
We are off to a gourmet BBQ at the Dover Yacht Club. They have a 3 day regatta happening so yachts all around us. This is a very pretty area. Well sheltered, rolling hillsides with green fields. Poplars are starting their autumn show. Off to the main anchorage at Dover and BBQ. Very friendly lot, Rowena, Leslie and Adrian MISCHIEF fun night. Very nice salmon steaks on the Barby.
Sunday 27th March
Easter Sunday. Looking pretty cold and blowy for yacht racing. But well just be spectator fleet. Some fun happening, Flying Scud has just dipped its spinnaker in the water in 25knots. They were certainly flying. Now they are lost and have to catch and pass over half the fleet again. Another dip of the spinnaker, full marks for guts! And they are lost again. Well, they finally win but have sailed a lot further and I suspect are a lot wetter than most of the other crews. Very entertaining from our position though. Racing nearly finished se we are off towards Cygnet. 12 nm north. and up the Huon River. Copper Alley Bay is looking pretty tempting. We are still a few miles short of Cygnet but in we go and drop anchor in this very picturesque bay. Plenty of boats anchored and moored here. Small farms and hobby farms. Belted Galway cable hay apple orchards and sheds. The bright autumnal color of the deciduous trees the crowning glory. Superb anchorage.
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| Clematis pergola. Lymington |
Monday 28 th March
Easter Monday. A walk is in order, before our legs atrophy and drop off. Wandering leafy lanes, edged with climbing pink roses, blackberries to nibble, friendly locals for directions. A pretty Pergola, very large, overlooking a pond and the bay, and the owners, Jim and Leslie mc?, generously invite us in to show us their lovely garden. 20 years in the making.
A show of autumn color all around, Immaculately maintained. Their all-consuming passion. Depart with an armful of apples and an invitation to return if we are in the area again. Taipan for lunch then David is scrubbing scum off the waterline again. Tannin stain from both Macquarie harbor and Port Davy, Off to Cygnet for the night. Sun is pretty watery but trying. Cygnet is at the upper end of an arm of the Huon River. Very lovely in the afternoon light. There is evidence of an apple industry long gone. The paddocks have tell tale patches in rows which define old orchards. Apple packing sheds converted to new lives as tractor sheds or animal houses or just derelict ruins. Walk up to town is a couple of km. Insatiable ll is at anchor nearby. Town very quiet on an Easter Monday holiday.
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| Aspen and Golden Ash |
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| Local fishing boats in Lymington. |
Tuesday 29th March
Bursting with bright sunlight. Rolling hillsides, pretty little cottages, bright in new paint. Colour abounds Tasmanians are not shy to use color. Apple orchards, although not prolific, are ripe with luscious looking fruit. To town with Jim and Anne. Starfish galore (a pest) greet us at the yacht club. Dingy pens then past immaculate hedge not a leaf out of place. Apples and tomatoes for sale. Walk to town. The Internet cafe is a community project and very well done. Great coffee joint called the Red Velvet Lounge has the greatest cake. Back to Taipan and off to Port of Huon. Amazing blue day. Huge smoke towers billow up from the distant forests. Tas Timber burn off. The wind is astern so pleasant sail past fish farms, orchards and hobby farms. A lot of mainlanders have bought a house down here sending prices sky high. The sun sinks into a pall of orange smoke as the evening closes in, cold descending through layers of light striating the chimney fires, and an orange glow continues to bath the hilltops in an eire light. Fishing unsuccessful unless you count the flathead. Anchored Port Huon.
Wednesday 30th March
We are sailing up the beautiful D’Entracasteaux Chanel. Left Huon this morning in a blanket of dense fog. Thanks to the radar. Autumn clothes, variously scattered stands of poplars on the mainland side as we pass Middleton headed towards the Northern end of Bruny Island and an anchorage called the Duck Pond. Bruny Island stretches approximately 30 miles along the coast south of Hobart, forming a channel about 3km wide, which makes for great sheltered anchorages. There are a lot of fo boats in this waterway and no wonder. Bruny Island is forested and appears grazed in some areas. There is a ferry to the island for cars etc and there is a resident population but don’t know how many. Passed Huon Island earlier. Looks to have an interesting history if the buildings are any indication. Wind on the nose so slow progress by in brilliant sunshine and warm out of the wind. It was 6° in Huon this morning. Duckpond. Lovely secluded anchorage on Bruny island Barns Bay at the north end. Pick in and a walk. Great country. Big strong looking sheep Looks pretty prosperous farming here. Big walk about 10km So sunny and lovely. Oysters galore so David has gone to top up supplies.
Thursday 31st March
Down the other end of the bay, we drop anchor briefly because some tourists have left a campfire burning. It's going to be hot today. 28° and windy so we will put it out. Off to Kettering. Very pleasant sail various wind. sometimes none but no hurry. The magics are at Kettering so we will catch up with them there.
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| Kettering |
Friday 1st April.
Aprils Fool Day Off to Hobart. its late afternoon but a good following breeze should see us into Constitution Deck before dark. Well, the wind dropped but we are in at about 800pm. Very warm again. Around 28° A heat wave in Tasmania.
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| Taipan meets Magic in Constitution Dock Hobart Tasmania |
Well, thats the west coast. Done and dusted. See you again next time around.
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