Tasman Island

Tasman Island

Now that we are boatless we have started to explore the lovely island of Tasmania, which is now our home, by other means. Still can't believe I moved back here after all these years! We recently spent a few days down on the Tasman Peninsula, staying at Port Arthur at The Fox and Hounds, the local pub. We enjoyed an awesome (and relatively quick) boat ride from Eaglehawk Neck to Port Arthur with Pennicott's Wilderness Tours and I wanted to share it with you.

This is a spectacular coastline with shear cliffs, organ pipes, sea caves and pinnacles, popular with bushwalkers and rock-climbers campers and boaties. We skipped this coastline in ITIKI when we took a short cut through the Denison Canal, which brought us out further north, but even so we would not have got as close to the cliffs, chased the dolphins or circumnavigated Tasman Island ourselves. It was great to do it in a quick boat with crew who know the area so well. And we could not have asked for better weather!

Mist in Pirates Bay

The tour left from Pirates Bay at Eaglehawk Neck, with a mist hanging over the cliffs, providing a dramatic start to the day. It soon lifted and we could explore the coastline, passing Paterson's Arch and Waterfall Bay. Enthusiastic rock climbers abseil down or swing themselves across the cliffs to reach the rocky outcrops to and climb their favourite spots. 

Bottle-nosed dolphin putting on a show

Seals sunning themselves on the rocks

Out in the open water we came across a huge pod of Common Dolphins (smaller darker ones) and they played around with the boats for a while. Closer to shore we found fur seals sunning themselves on the rocks and frolicking in the kelp.

Further along the coast another big pod of bottlenose dolphins. These are larger and much more playful, leaping fully out of the water and having fun surfing the bow waves of the boats. I could watch them for hours!

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The Totem Pole at Cape Hauy

Weather station platform at Tasman Island

We waved to the rock climbers on The Moai, near Cape Nola, checked out the seals hanging around the rocky waters edge, and passed the entrance of Fortescue Bay before heading towards Cape Hauy. Here we saw some more climbers attempting The Totem Pole.

Finally it is on to the Iconic Tasman Island. The island, which is well know to Sydney-Hobart sailors, has an area of just 1.2 square kilometres. It lies off the south-eastern corner of the Tasman Peninsula and is contained within the Tasman National Park. The lighthouse and weather station are unmanned since the '70s, but at one stage several families including 19 children, lived on the island. Seals line the rocks around the shore. The skipper takes us further offshore to admire the island from a distance, before taking the short cut through the gap between the Tasman Island and shore. 

We make a short detour into a sea cave, and our skipper gently nudges the bow of the boat into this deep, dark cavern. The conditions are unusually calm and sunny for us today. We are very lucky as apparently there are only 10 days a year where we can safely go into this cave, and come out alive!

We finish in the bay at Port Arthur, such a spectacular coastline that I have always wanted to see. The tour was awesome and highly recommended next time you are down this way. Take a look at the video below to see some more! ​

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