Day 18 Bruny Island

Our first day in Tasmania was to be spent on Bruny Island, a relatively large island (about 100 km long), southeast of Hobart across the D’Entrecasteaux Channel.  It is actually 2 islands, North and South Bruny, connected by a narrow isthmus.  Nearly 90% of the south island is designated as South Bruny National Park.  The island is home to a wide variety of both sea and land mammals and birds, but not a lot of people.  It is the size of Singapore (population 6 million)with the population of 650 (some woman is about to deliver which would make it 651). 

The ticket office for our tour was just across the street from the hotel (we scoped it out the night before to make sure we didn’t get lost) and we got there pretty early.  The island tour involved a bus to the ferry in Kettering, followed by  a 15 minute ferry crossing, then another 35 minutes to the boat launch and a 3 ½ hour boat ride along the eastern shore of South Bruny to Tasman Head, the most southerly point on Bruny. Tasman Head is the location of the confluence of the Pacific, the Indian, and the Southern Oceans.  Next stop, Antarctica.

Wildlife sign

                                                                         

Rhonda and Milt Scoring Some Quince Jam

After we had checked in, they requested a group of four to go along with 2 of the guides (in a bus for about 30-40).  We were to stop and pick up rolls and lunches for the entire group, then pick up people who drove themselves to Kettering.  It worked out extremely well, allowing us to get to know the guides, and to have some of our wildlife questions answered.  The bus drove on to the ferry with 2 other busses from Pennicott’s Bruny Island Cruise along with about 30 other vehicles in two stories for the 15 minute crossing. 

Ferry

Now that we were on the water and moving (albeit at a very slow speed), we realized why they had stressed wearing “a jumper and beanie” (sweater and hat).  Jeri had her usual 7-layers and stayed in the bus to keep warm.  Yesterday, the temperature here was 38° C which is about 100° F.  Today if it got above 60° F we were doing well(which sounds warm for those of you who are freezing in the northeast) and at this temperature with the wind and the water, it was downright frigid). 

After one more bus leg to the boat dock for the tour boats, we were ready to start our cruise.  But 1^st, we had to have morning tea. And then we had to use the facilities along with about 100 other tourists, who all, miraculously had to go at the exact same time.  Men’s room, no problem.  Ladies room, another story. Jeri and Rhonda nearly missed the boat, but less their fault and much more due to the poor ladies’ room infrastructure.  They really needed more than 2 toilets for roughly 50 women before a long cold, bouncy boat trip.
Trying to find just the right seat for us for photography, warmth, dryness, we changed rows 3 times, and finally wound up with bumpy, cold, wet seats.  Best laid plans...

                                       

In order to be able to see the famous Salamanca Market (which is like the weekly Monterey Farmers’ Market),  which is open only on Saturdays, we switched our reservation for the Bruny Island trip to Friday.  Big mistake.  The weather, which was threatening all morning, turned downright nasty shortly into the cruise.  At 20-30mph with a headwind of about the same (which equals about 40-60mph apparent wind), rain felt like thousands of needles on our faces.  Wisely, the tour company gave us attractive red slickers that draped down to our ankles,
                                       
 but we could have really used full face masks as well.  Due to the wind, waves, and direction of travel, the boat ride in the southerly direction was pretty exciting with seat belts required to keep us in the 37’ boat as it dropped the 6 or so feet as each wave passed.  We were experiencing weightlessness every few seconds.  We all (except Jeri with the cast-iron stomach) had pre-treated with our drug of choice (bonanine, scopolamine, and meclizine) as well as ginger tablets distributed prior to departure by the guides.  I’m not sure if it was our primary drugs or the ginger, but none of us had any seasickness at all.

The ride was white-knuckle fun with some geology and beautiful views. We passed 900 foot Jurassic Dolerite sea cliff, some of the tallest in the world, wave-carved sea stacks, remote islands, sea caves, and arches.

Unfortunately, the wildlife viewing was sub-par.  We did sea an Australian seal colony at Tasman Head where three of the five oceans in the world intermix,
                                      

                                      
 some beautiful soaring albatrosses, 
                                             
and a pod of dolphins that swam around the boat for about ten minutes.

             

                                        

On the  return trip we stopped for wallaby pies at National Pies
                                          
 and oysters at the “Get Shucked” oyster farm.  
                                          
                                          
Too bad none of us wanted to have oysters, and they were out of wallaby pies.  Next time.

Dinner was at a restaurant that the concierge had recommended, Blue Eye.  We decided to try some hot oysters for an appetizer after stopping at Get Shucked, which were quite tasty but still oyster-slimy, and had blue-eye, a local fish for our main course. It is a very flavorful, meaty, white fish which broiled very nicely. After dinner we stopped for ice cream at the local mega restaurant (seafood, café, and ice cream shop).  Tomorrow we have a big day planned, much of which, weather dependent.