Februar y 2015 15destination: Tasmania
beach and huge Pacific gulls floated up to us and
screeched for attention.
David Nicholson hailed us as soon as we
arrived and we made plans to get together as
soon as we had tidied up and rested a bit. By mid-
morning we had launched the dink and headed
to shore with the needed supplies.
David met us at the dilapidated jetty with
the island truck, making the supply haul up
the steep hill a much easier task. We passed
through the gates of the 'compound', a fenced-
in area around the historic buildings and
caretakers' cottage ostensibly fenced to keep
wallabies out of the garden, but it appeared as
many were inside the fence as outside.
Mary had tea and scones waiting.
Another yacht, Andiamo was at anchor in the bay
and the crew were already enjoying their tea. We
chatted, got acquainted and learned more about
the island and the job of the island caretakers.
A very steep road leads to the lighthouse,
which sits on a high promontory well above
the compound and the caretaker's cottage.
The lighthouse was disabled in 1992. Its
position marks it as the highest lighthouse in
the Southern Hemisphere, but the title was
somewhat sullied by the fact that it was many
times shrouded in fog and could only be seen 60
per cent of the time.
With David as our guide, we climbed the metal
spiral staircase to the top and actually got inside
the lens. We walked outside on the narrow iron
balcony for a commanding 360 degree view of
the island and Bass Strait. Flinders Island, 35
nautical miles away and the surrounding islands
were as clear as could be. In the far distance,
Wilson's Promontory on mainland Australia was
hazy, but discernible.
Perhaps the most delightful aspect of the
island apart from its sheer natural beauty is
its wildlife. Petite Bennett's wallabies roam in
great numbers, grazing on the tussock grass
that cover the island's hills. With little fear of
humans, some sprawled and languished in the
morning sun while others casually shared the
water trough with the local bird population.
Native Cape Barren geese were paired up,
honking and wandering about searching for
nibbles. Flame Robins with their bright red
breasts flitted on the lawn and honeyeaters
took advantage of bright purple agapanthus
blossoms. Butterflies numbered in
the hundreds.ABOVE: A wallaby
and a goose share
a drink together.
MAIN: A glorious
anchorage.