Sharps Airlines 30 minute sunset flight and I was met by Paul (sculptures and quirky music) Sally (culinary brilliance) and their son Eden. Fabulous generous hosts (thanks for use of car and cosy cottage) with a home full of laughter and brilliant company. Lovely.
I was blown away by Flinders. Awesome walking along rocky shores, long sandy beaches, offshore fishing in a ‘tinny’ and even an evening of highland dancing!
Friendly, they don’t forget to wave, Flinderers/Flinderites and pretty spectacular weather for the whole week. Oooo and the best salt and pepper squid …ever!
10km Killiekrankie to the Dock walk. West Coast.
Another spectacular spot was egg beach, where all the boulders look like, bloody hell yes – eggs! No shots of ‘eggs’ though– being completely distracted by the amazing lichen covered boulders at the tip of the headland. It looked like a massive giant’s handful had been chucked in from the sea and arced along into the grasses on this piece of wind and surf battered heaven.
One fellow highland-flinger, Dave (sci-fi author Dave Freer) invited me out to go fishing with his friend Jamie. Launching from Patriach Inlet to fish around Babel Island, to the East. ‘My first beach launch’ and Dave and Jamie’s worst day fishing haul ever!
Having stolen Dave’s water-space on one wayward cast, I completely fluked catching a couple of decent Flathead which we had for tea, fried up, suitably salted and lemon-ed and totally delicious. That was our total haul for the day but shenanigans continued with a motor conking out and shitty weather coming in, leading to a cold slow journey back and ‘my first beach-recovery’….. I learnt heaps about ingenuity and underpants. Thanks boys!
Surprising wide open farmland around Memana and fabulous bird-life around Camerons Inlet, Lady Barron (the other town) and the Furneaux tavern (that squid!!!) Trousers Point (sunset) and Whitemark (the town) Bluff (sunrise), plus Holloway Point, Sawyers Beach and Petrifaction Bay.
That about sums it up, but I will miss everyone and everything. I could easily spend much longer here but there’s tomorrows flight.
Hobart’s; upcoming foodie festival, Salamanca market, arts at MONA and some nightlife, beckon for next weekend’s sortie, back on TasMAINia.
new horizons 