After escaping the next trough, cold
front, deep cyclonic low, whatever the f**k the BOM (Bureau of
Meteorology) was calling the next system of wind, rain and general
shitty weather moving across Tasmania when we hustled our butts out
of Pelion Plains, we drove east to the very popular (and scenic)
Freycinet Peninsular about midway down the east coast of Tasmania.
Apparently, this is the part of Tasmania that has the "good"
weather. Less rain, warmer temperatures, and, could we hope for less
wind?
We arrived around midday on Thursday,
in the middle of yet another northerly blow, and spent the afternoon
getting maps organised for our next planned trip - a sea kayak
circumnavigation (as much as one can circumnavigate a peninsular)
down the exposed east coast of the Freycinet Peninsular and back up
the more sheltered west side. Our obsessive weather forecast
checking was somewhat hampered by lack of mobile telephone reception,
but we did manage to get some sketchy forecasts and tentatively
planned to begin paddling on Saturday. Friday would be spent hiking
up Mount Amos, packing gear, and locating launch and landing sites.
Looking down on Wine Glass Bay
On Friday we packed gear and food for
five days before heading out to hike to the top of Mount Amos, an
easy 1.5 to 2 hour return trip, where we had a wonderful view of the
gorgeous Wine Glass Bay. After that we began to check out details of
the kayak trip. We could launch from the boat ramp in Coles Bay, but
there was no where to park our car and caravan for multiple days, so
we struck that off. Next, we checked out Muirs Beach where there is
a nice sheltered sand beach to launch from but again scant parking.
It could work, but was not ideal. Then we drove into Freycinet
National Park and asked the Rangers where to park. They suggested
the overflow parking, so we trundled down to check that out. It
would work, but there was a disconcertingly longish carry to get all
our boats and gear to the water - possible, but longer than ideal.
Finally, over to Sleepy Bay where we
anticipated pulling out at the end of the trip. From Sleepy Bay, we
figured we could walk three kilometres back along the road to
retrieve our car. Sleepy Bay, however, is not the nice little sand
bay with easy access that you imagine. Instead, it is a half
kilometre narrow windy track with many steep stairs to a tiny pebbly
beach where the surge sucks in and out. Carrying our boats and gear
back to the car park would be very unpleasant.
Cape Forestier and Lemon Rock
We were feeling the effects of decision
fatigue as we sat on some boulders in Sandy Bay and looked at the map
to find another pull-out spot from which we could retrieve the
vehicle. The only possibility seemed to be either Bluestone Bay
(which has a reputation for "ripping the guts" out of 2WD
cars) or Friendly Beaches. Bluestone Bay was within (long) walking
distance of the overflow parking, but Friendly Beaches was not (20 to
30 kilometres). One of my Canadian friends, has always said "you never know until you ask" so, we decided to drive back to Coles
Bay (again) and ask the local sea kayak tour operator if he could
shuttle us back to our vehicle at the end of the trip.
We found Nathan, who owns FreycinetAdventures, working on a new patio in his yard and he was so helpful
giving us some local tips and agreeing to shuttle us and our boats
out to Bluestone Bay in his 4WD. Our greatest difficulty was
deciding which day to start paddling as, the usual Tasmanian weather
scenario was prevailing. We had planned a four day trip, but had
only a one day weather window. The next day was forecast to be sunny
with light winds, but then there were three days with strong wind
warnings forecast, a fourth day when the weather might be okay (BOM
only forecasts three days), then another deterioration in the
weather.
For some reason, I suspect decision
fatigue, we allowed ourselves to be convinced that Monday (when a 30
knot wind was forecast) was a good day to begin paddling down the
exposed east coast from Bluestone Bay to Wine Glass Bay. We would
then likely have to sit out Tuesday (strong winds from the south
forecast) and might get a break on Wednesday to paddle the remaining
24 km along the east side of Freycinet Peninsular. Planning any trip
on the ocean in Australia is hampered by the fact that the BOM never
forecasts more than 72 hours in advance.
Getting ready to launch from Friendly Beaches
On Saturday, I got up early and
wandered along the beach for an hour struck by how calm it was. For
the first time in days the sun was shining and there was only a light
wind. We had planned a day paddle around Bicheno, and, at 10 am,
were up at Bicheno about to launch the boats when Doug came up with
another seemingly audacious plan - drive back to Friendly Beaches,
launch the kayaks with all our food and gear for 5 days, paddle from
Friendly Beaches to Wineglass Bay and camp the night. Leave our
kayaks and gear at the campsite, walk out the next day to Coles Bay
and (hopefully) get Nathan to shuttle us back to our caravan (at
Friendly Beaches), wait out the two days of strong winds on land,
then walk back in to start the kayak trip on Monday or Tuesday
(depending on the BOM forecast).
It took us all of five minutes to
decide that this strangely round about, but, possibly highly sensible
solution to the problem of weather windows that are too short for
planned trips, could work. By noon, we were on the water at Friendly
Beaches after launching through a small swell.
Paddling past Boot Rock in ideal conditions
The 20 km paddle south down the east
side of Freycinet National Park has to rank of one of my best days
paddling ever. The first half hour, was along the white sand
Friendly Beach on aquamarine water that is some of the clearest
anywhere. At Friendly Point, the coastline becomes rocky and steep
granite slabs, rocky islets, sea caves and wave washed slabs covered
with waving forests of kelp provide a backdrop as you paddle south.
A seal swam under Doug's boat near Boot Rock as we paddled between
this tiny rocky islet and the cliff-lined shore.
Just north of Cape Tourville, we
paddled through the Nuggets, another cluster of rocky islets and into
the currents racing past Carp Bay. We shot through a small passage
between some tiny rocks off the prominent point south of Carp Bay on
a tidal overfall, crossed the head of Sleepy Bay to the orange slabs
of Mount Parsons, and, as the wind was rising behind us, paddled into
Wine Glass Bay and a sheltered landing site tucked into the eastern
corner of the bay.
Near Carp Bay
That evening, I wandered along the
white sand beach where sea birds were resting for the night, and
watched as a fishing boat bobbed at anchor waiting for morning. The
northerly wind was blowing strongly again, and the ocean was full of
white-caps and waves. A tenacious possum spent much of the night
trying to gain entry to our tent (and ripped a hole in the mesh) and
would not desist until Doug punched it between the eyes where upon it
slunk off, but returned with a half dozen mates and assaulted our
kayaks which were covered with black possum prints the next morning.
On Sunday morning, we ate a sturdy
breakfast anticipating a long day ahead which might (if we were
lucky) include a lift out to our car at the Friendly Beaches with
Nathan, but, could just as easily turn into a long tedious road walk.
We wandered along the beach to the Wine Glass Bay track, and hiked
over The Hazards and down to the car park. We were unable to raise
Nathan on the telephone so began to walk out to Coles Bay. We had
only gone about 10 minutes when a very kind lady gave us a ride into
town where we found Nathan once again working on his patio and happy
enough to shuttle us out to Friendly Beaches. By noon, we were
drinking tea, scavenging lunch from our rather empty fridge and
fighting decision fatigue as we pored over inadequate weather
forecasts trying to either predict the future, or at least make a
reasonable decision (or two, three, or dozen).
Sunset at Wine Glass Bay
Note: All pictures courtesy Doug
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