G’day from Tasmania,
How much do you remember from your primary schooling?
I remember one day Mr Byron saying that on a map, Tasmania was depicted with many jagged edges and straight lines. This fact, he said, depicted a rugged coastline. The connection between reality and map depiction seemed logical. It took a long time for me to see for myself.
Tasmania from the sea
Tasmania is a beautiful place: green most of the year; lush farmland; sparsely populated; and with wondrous wilderness. Most of the time, we look at the place from the land. What about from the water?
On the south east corner of Tasmania, the boat tours take travellers out to see the rugged coastline. Braving the rugged seas, forestalling seasickness with ginger and other preventatives, we can get a great view of one small part of the island’s coast. Much of it has been shaped by stupendous seas, crashing against the Dolerite cliffs. There are left standing some peculiar rock formations; some even bearing human forms.
The east coast of Tasmania is not where most Australian shipwrecks have gone down. It’s too far south. Most of the ships originating in Europe hugged the southern coast of the mainland, aiming for the first European settlements in Sydney Cove and thereabouts. The area known as The Shipwreck Coast is in today’s Victoria. In Tasmania, the coast is all about the natural landscape, which is arresting.
Heading back, even though we are cutting the water at 40 or 50 knots, the seas are starting to swell and the best advice says watch the horizon.
After seeing this part of the south east coast and then more off Bruny Island the next day, I can report that the primary school lesson was probably accurate.
Cheerio from Tasmania
Greg