Saturday, March 25, 2006
March 2006 Newsletter
Hi there
Amazing place Tasmania, since our last update ,we left Samantha and Tamara in Swansea to catch a bus to Hobart and the flight back to Perth, WA and hoped that they enjoyed their time with us on Cockatoo II, allowing us to spend more time on the east coast of Tasmania. We met the loveliest people Keith, Tricia and Chris(who do charters from Orford), Lloyd, and Karolyne and Leith in a little town called Orford just off Maria Island. We have enjoyed their company and generosity having the opportunity of catching up with them all again during our time in Hobart.
We have been busy exploring the beautiful coastline of Tasmania, spending time in Hobart where we caught up with other cruising boats that left WA around the time we left being Azure, Cartref. Mendana, Stray Cat, Indali. Azure on a different timetable (meeting Corrine in Sydney) sailed ahead of us to the West Coast and have already completed their circumnavigation of Tasmania recently heading for Sydney. It was a sad parting and we miss them as we have experienced so much sailing and travelling together since leaving WA. All the best Chris and Lilly -fair sailing and please keep in touch.
We left the City of Hobart taking time to explore the beautiful D’entrecastreaux Channel spending a few days in Recherche Bay before heading off around the wast coast of Tasmania to the stunningly beautiful Port Davey area. The trip took us ten hours but we stayed nearly three weeks. The area is so isolated that only HF (and in some areas VHF using a repeater station) radio works. This remote Heritage Wilderness area is only accessible by boat, plane or by walking. So we feel very privileged to have seen this beautiful area that not many get the chance to see.
The joy of waking up every morning to the sight of miles and miles of wilderness, mountain ranges and the serenity that the bush offers is amazing. Exploring the history of this area is also fascinating. We met many other cruisers, some international, also sailing these remote waters and have made many friends. It is interesting that the water is black which takes a bit of getting used to, the reflections are spectacular on a clear and windless day. The dark colour comes from the tannin in the button grass leaching into the water.
Many walks and climbs are available all of them following wombat and wallaby tracks through thick, thick scrub. No, we did not climb Mt Rugby although it was tempting (we decided that we were not that fit) but did enjoy the views from the top of Mt Beattie.
We ended up spending about three weeks at Port Davey before heading off to Macquarie Harbour and the only reason was that we were starting to get low on food, we had two carrots, five potatoes, six tins of baked beans (and one does not to feed to many of these to Paul) and lots of pasta (not Paul’s favourite food).
The 18 hour sail to Macquarie Harbour was a pleasant one leaving Port Davey at 3pm in the afternoon arriving just on daybreak to enter the notorious Hells Gates.
We have been anchored near Strahan for nearly a week. The difference being near a town makes the noise of cars, boats going to and from, seaplanes and helicopters taking off and landing. There are a number of cruise boats working; one of them takes 1000 passengers per day-quite amazing when one recalls the population of Strahan is only 500. The town has been restored and its very beautiful with the old buildings overlooking the Macquarie Harbour. The water here is also black.
We hope to be here for about three weeks as we have yet to explore the Macquarie Harbour area and what it offers, especially the Gordon and Franklin Rivers. More will be revealed as we venture forth.
When we leave here we will be sailing through the Hunter Passage and (weather permitting) stopping at the Three Hummock Island, an approximate 24 hour voyage. This anchorage will mark our circumnavigation of Tasmania and the end of our first experiences of sailing in the Roaring 40’s.
From the Three Hummocks we intend to sail back to King Island, and off to Melbourne (back through Bass Strait) for the winter to work and earn money to boost the cruising kitty. It will be a shock to our system –returning back to civilisation and normalcy (or lunacy) for the winter.
We hope everyone is happy and healthy and that life is treating you well. If you want to know more about our travels have a look at the logbook and photos on our website http://www.cockatoo2.com.au/.
Amazing place Tasmania, since our last update ,we left Samantha and Tamara in Swansea to catch a bus to Hobart and the flight back to Perth, WA and hoped that they enjoyed their time with us on Cockatoo II, allowing us to spend more time on the east coast of Tasmania. We met the loveliest people Keith, Tricia and Chris(who do charters from Orford), Lloyd, and Karolyne and Leith in a little town called Orford just off Maria Island. We have enjoyed their company and generosity having the opportunity of catching up with them all again during our time in Hobart.
We have been busy exploring the beautiful coastline of Tasmania, spending time in Hobart where we caught up with other cruising boats that left WA around the time we left being Azure, Cartref. Mendana, Stray Cat, Indali. Azure on a different timetable (meeting Corrine in Sydney) sailed ahead of us to the West Coast and have already completed their circumnavigation of Tasmania recently heading for Sydney. It was a sad parting and we miss them as we have experienced so much sailing and travelling together since leaving WA. All the best Chris and Lilly -fair sailing and please keep in touch.
We left the City of Hobart taking time to explore the beautiful D’entrecastreaux Channel spending a few days in Recherche Bay before heading off around the wast coast of Tasmania to the stunningly beautiful Port Davey area. The trip took us ten hours but we stayed nearly three weeks. The area is so isolated that only HF (and in some areas VHF using a repeater station) radio works. This remote Heritage Wilderness area is only accessible by boat, plane or by walking. So we feel very privileged to have seen this beautiful area that not many get the chance to see.
The joy of waking up every morning to the sight of miles and miles of wilderness, mountain ranges and the serenity that the bush offers is amazing. Exploring the history of this area is also fascinating. We met many other cruisers, some international, also sailing these remote waters and have made many friends. It is interesting that the water is black which takes a bit of getting used to, the reflections are spectacular on a clear and windless day. The dark colour comes from the tannin in the button grass leaching into the water.
Many walks and climbs are available all of them following wombat and wallaby tracks through thick, thick scrub. No, we did not climb Mt Rugby although it was tempting (we decided that we were not that fit) but did enjoy the views from the top of Mt Beattie.
We ended up spending about three weeks at Port Davey before heading off to Macquarie Harbour and the only reason was that we were starting to get low on food, we had two carrots, five potatoes, six tins of baked beans (and one does not to feed to many of these to Paul) and lots of pasta (not Paul’s favourite food).
The 18 hour sail to Macquarie Harbour was a pleasant one leaving Port Davey at 3pm in the afternoon arriving just on daybreak to enter the notorious Hells Gates.
We have been anchored near Strahan for nearly a week. The difference being near a town makes the noise of cars, boats going to and from, seaplanes and helicopters taking off and landing. There are a number of cruise boats working; one of them takes 1000 passengers per day-quite amazing when one recalls the population of Strahan is only 500. The town has been restored and its very beautiful with the old buildings overlooking the Macquarie Harbour. The water here is also black.
We hope to be here for about three weeks as we have yet to explore the Macquarie Harbour area and what it offers, especially the Gordon and Franklin Rivers. More will be revealed as we venture forth.
When we leave here we will be sailing through the Hunter Passage and (weather permitting) stopping at the Three Hummock Island, an approximate 24 hour voyage. This anchorage will mark our circumnavigation of Tasmania and the end of our first experiences of sailing in the Roaring 40’s.
From the Three Hummocks we intend to sail back to King Island, and off to Melbourne (back through Bass Strait) for the winter to work and earn money to boost the cruising kitty. It will be a shock to our system –returning back to civilisation and normalcy (or lunacy) for the winter.
We hope everyone is happy and healthy and that life is treating you well. If you want to know more about our travels have a look at the logbook and photos on our website http://www.cockatoo2.com.au/.
