On the second of March we motored into Oyster Cove marina in Kettering. Matt was returning to Melbourne for his Aunty Liz’s funeral and I was to stay on the boat, using the time to do laundry and jobs. Public transport that far out of Hobart was pretty much non-existent, but fortunately the marina had a courtesy car that we could borrow. It also meant that we could stop off in the city for a quick dash into Myer to buy Matt a shirt and slacks to attend the funeral in. Funnily enough, we didn’t have any formal clothes on the boat, and seeing that all of our belongings were packed up in boxes ready to be trucked to Cairns, this seemed the best option. After dropping Matt off at the airport, I did a quick grocery and grog shop, getting the car back to the office just in time.
I spent the two days that Matt was away doing laundry, filling the water tanks and giving the galley and head a good clean. It was actually quite nice to have some time to myself, but I was definitely looking forward to Matt returning. Fortunately, I was able to borrow the courtesy car again so I was able to pick him up from the airport too. On my way out to the airport, I decided to take advantage of the car and do some sight-seeing. I stopped off at Coal River Farm for lunch, bought fresh strawberries from the Littlewood Berry Farm and wandered through the old village of Richmond with its antique shops and art galleries. The historic bridge is a feature and my Mum reminded me that I’d been there previously on a family trip back in 1994.
With Matt back safely on the boat, it was time to turn our attention to the next stage; the notorious west coast. Heading around the bottom of Tasmania and up the remote west coast was not a journey to be undertaken lightly. Our guidebooks were filled with warnings of wild weather, treacherous seas and lengthy stays being trapped in either of the two safe harbours. But it is what we came to see and what we came to do. I would have been incredibly devastated if we hadn’t been able to circumnavigate the little island. We had been watching the weather carefully over the past few months, and there appeared to be a pattern of settled weather once every week or so. Having seen several weather windows come and go, we were now fully prepared and ready to go, we just needed the weather to play ball!
Disappointingly, once Matt was back the weather turned foul. A big front was forecast, bringing plummeting temperatures, icy winds, heavy rain and even snow! There was no way we’d be venturing south in those conditions. Although we’d planned on cruising around South Bruny Island when Matt returned, we decided to stay and wait it out in the relative comfort of the marina. And so we rebooked our berth, extending our stay into a full week.
By this time, we were both feeling quite unsettled and uncertain. Time was ticking and the conditions just didn’t seem to be in our favour. It was now only eight weeks until I was due to start my new job in Cairns. For the very first time in our cruising, we had a deadline. And I didn’t like it! But the commitment had been made and I was determined to honour it. So it was an anxious time, waiting and wondering. We also had to be realistic and so we set a limit. If we didn’t get a window in the next week, then we would have to cut our losses and return via the east coast. It would be devastating, but we both agreed. I am a dead-set optimist, but this was testing even my positivity.
With the decision made, it was time to make the most of what we could. Each morning we’d head out to a little bay trail, Matt would run and I would walk. There were lots of pademelons in the trees, although these guys were a lot more skittish than those in the ‘unzoo.’ We took the courtesy car on a driving tour, south from Kettering through Middleton, Cygnet, Huonville, Franklin and Dover. Orchards of apple trees covered this area, the trees heavily laden with fruit. Another day we ventured to the nearby Snug Falls, which was pumping thanks to all the recent rain.
Before the front came through, there was an incredibly still night and Matt took these pics in the marina:
Matt’s birthday was the day the cold front really arrived. The icy cold, strong winds and driving rain blasted us on and off throughout the whole day. We had definitely made the right decision to stay in the marina. Although we ventured out for a couple of walks, including getting caught in a downpour in the afternoon, we spent most of the day in the boat. The rain had cleared for our walk up to the Oyster Cove Inn where we had a lovely dinner to celebrate Matt’s birthday. We were also feeling better about our chances of heading south; there was a weather window for the following week that looked good. I was feeling positive again!
Finally leaving Kettering, we headed south down the D’Entrecasteaux Channel. In our three hour sail to Southport we saw everything from 1.5 knots of breeze to 30 knots. That’s Tasmania for you! It was cold, with just a few glimmers of sunshine penetrating the clouds briefly. At Southport we anchored next to a boat we’d met back in 2020 in the Clarence River. Gary from Ciao Bella was on the radio immediately, ‘Is that the Cool Change we met in the Clarence….?’ We confirmed that yes, it was indeed us and they invited us to join them for dinner at the Pub.
We’d originally planned to go to the Pub for lunch the following day, but we weren’t about to turn down an invitation for some company. Gary and Mil picked us up and we had a great time chatting with them and their friends. It was a fun night, just what we needed. We’d also now ticked off the southernmost Pub in Australia, having previously visited the northernmost and the westernmost. Important milestones of the trip!
Visiting Ciao Bella for an early morning coffee, we took our map of Port Davey and Bathurst Harbour and Gary and Mil filled us in all on their favourite spots and things to do. Locals, who have been cruising there for years, they are a wealth of knowledge and we were grateful for their generosity in sharing their tips. Their enthusiasm and love of the area was quite infectious and I found myself even more excited and more ready to go than ever.
After waving goodbye to Gary and Mil, we moved to the other side of Southport Bay, anchoring in Deephole Bay. A tender ride up the Lune River and a walk on Southport Bluff Track to Southport Lagoon filled in the rest of the day.
Recherche Bay, a short distance south was our next stop, and would be our jumping off point for the trip around the bottom. The weather window was holding, so we were full of hope as we sailed south. Adding to our positivity, the sky was blue, and the clouds were more white and fluffy than grey and menacing. Things were looking up.
The coastline was very pretty; towering mountains covered in dense green forest with strips of white beach bordering the water. Entering Recherche Bay, the water was calm and flat as we made our way to the anchorage at Sayes Beach. Wow, we both said. What a spot. The bay was gorgeous, the prettiest anchorage we’d been to in Tassie so far.
Heading to shore, we found ourselves at Cockle Creek; ‘the end of the road.’ Cockle Creek is as far south as you can drive in Australia. Any further and you need to walk. The Southwest National Park begins here and there is a campground, which was chockers seeing as it was a long weekend in Tasmania. We did a short walk to the whale statue reading about the history of whaling in the bay in the early 1800s. Southern right whales used the bay for calving and as such were a pretty easy target. Within just twenty years, the global population of 100,000 southern right whales was endangered and the whaling industry collapsed. I find these parts of our history hard to comprehend. The Tall Ship ‘Windeward Bound‘ arrived and anchored near us, as a lovely sunset stole across the sky.
The next day we woke to low cloud and drizzle which lasted for most of the day. It was also freezing cold. We shelved our plans of hiking across to South Cape Bay. Cooped up in the boat we were bored and frustrated. When Paul and Marg from Akaroa, who we’d met the previous day, dropped by and invited us over for drinks we eagerly accepted. Byron and Lesley from Capalla II, were also there and we had a lovely evening chatting about cruising and Tassie.
Up at first light the next day, it was finally time. The interminable waiting was over! We motored out of the bay with four other boats into a scene of muted blues, pinks and greys. Even once the sun broke through it was extremely cold!
Conditions were pretty good; a swell of about two metres but no seas. For a while the swell was in front of us, so it was a bit bumpy and rolly but as we gradually turned the corner, the swell moved to the side and we had a pretty comfortable and smooth ride. Just after rounding the South East Cape, the most southern point of the Tasmanian mainland, my drugs kicked in and I dozed off. After emerging from my nap, I found us amongst incredible scenery; sailing in between rocky islands with impressive cliffs jutting sheer out of the ocean. They were stark and rocky, with no vegetation. It was quite a sight!
Around 5pm we approached the South West Cape. Famed for its wild seas and treacherous waves, I was incredibly grateful for the relatively benign conditions we were experiencing. Out came the cameras to record this extraordinary scenery.
As we approached the entrance to Port Davey, I gave a massive sigh of relief and satisfaction. We had made it. Finally. A huge milestone achieved. Now it was time to relax and just soak in the beauty and the wonder of this most remote and special wilderness.
The key to everything is patience. You get the chicken by hatching the egg, not by smashing it.
Arnold H. Glasow
Cool Change 
A good read Lisa, Tassie sure has a lot to offer for such a small landmass, a hidden gem!
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