DiNo's Travels Around Australia - 2014/2015/16/17: Day 39

After a night spent in a delightful villa in Allonah we headed off to Adventure Bay to board the "Yellow Boat". The following map shows the course taken, 38km out and 30km return.

070415 Our journey for today, the dotted line in the sea
on the east coast of Bruny Island

The boat was driven by 3x250hp motors, carried 43 people, and was around 15m long. Not only was our boat full, so were the three others that were to do the same trip. Other trips were programmed after our return at 2.15pm. We were on the water for three hours.

The water in Adventure Bay was calm, which belied what we were to experience once we rounded the first headland and headed into the Tasman Sea. We had a 20 knot southerly to beat into as we travelled down the coast, stopping at sea to look at many features, Captain Cook's landing place, rocks, caves, kelp, islands, albatross, sea eagles and finally, a herd (or pod or rookery) of male Australian fur seals on the Friar Islands off Tasman Head, at the southern tip of the island.

By the time we reached the group of islands called the Friars, we were well and truly in the Southern Ocean. The wind seemed to rise to take advantage of the fact there was no land between us and the South Pole, 2400km away.

While we were warmly dressed for the journey and were supplied with full length, water proof ponchos, everyone was "frozen" and there was relief when we turned to go north and benefited from a following sea and traveling in the same direction as the wind.

The boats were very stable and dry and were designed to limit the amount of spray entering the boat. It was fully air-conditioned, with absolutely no protection from the elements at the sides.

This was a cold, and an uncomfortable trip but we are so glad we did it. We did not warm up until three hours after we came ashore, at least three hours, maybe four.

Tonight is our last night in Hobart. We head east tomorrow.

Following is a selection of photos which were taken under the most difficult of circumstances.

070514 Our "Yellow Boat"

070415 Fluted Cape

070415 Cave No 1

070415 Cave No 2

070415 Our Captain for the day

070415 Guano and a lichen. The lichen only grows in areas where
there is no pollution

070415 Too shallow to drive through this one

070415 Can't recall the name but the LHS rock was in the shape
of Madonna and the RHS, one of the wise men on a camel

070415 A cave in which the incoming waves compress the air inside
and it blows out through the incoming water, forming a spray

070415 Another cave

070415 Bareel Head. Notice absence of trees caused by the strong
winds where the Tasman Sea meets the Southern Ocean

070415 A Sea Eagle

070415 Kelp. Harvesters are not allowed to remove from the rocks and
can only harvest when it is washed up on the shore. Kelp is rich in
iodine. Emulsifiers are made from kelp.