AL

6 Days, impervious to weather our wonderful crew (Ross and Simon) and guide (Stef) made our active walks an adventurous and exciting journey through misty mountains and sunny spelled seashore.

We waded across creeks, climbed up to lookouts at a leisurely pace and trekked down through dewy bushland and windswept beaches, we sheltered in the wilderness to boil water evoking the primordial colonist to sip a welcomed spiced tea break or lunch. Always accompanied by heart-warming stories about the motley crew of early Tasmanians. A perfect setting for tales of settlers that travelled here from the old world, their lives, their personalities, their relationships, their dreams and the challenges they faced and the legacies they left behind for us to observe, photograph and reflect.

So, we retraced the path of shipwrecked whalers, runaway convicts, cantankerous bushrangers, affable industrialist and many more unusual characters meandering Tasmanian East Coast, Maria Island and Freycinet peninsula. Returning always, at the end of the day, to the comforts and luxuries of our awaiting yacht with a spirited chef, a cheerful captain and free flowing Tasman Pinots.

We sailed past seals colonies, rode the waves with the dolphins and in the interval between settling down and dinner we dived off the foredeck pulpit, splashed around, lots of fun to return eventually to the comfort of our cabin’s hot showers, slowing down at sunset around table talks and a hearty meal.

If you were up for it you could stay up for the next day strategic plan however, I usually opted for the other best alternative, soothed to sleep. Either by the whirling winds, howling through the mast and spars anchored in a sheltered cove or if a clear dead calm night than by the phenomenally bright galaxy observing the Southern Cross and darting satellites across the night vault and through my cabin’s deck hatch wondering about the exiting new adventures awaiting us the next day. Jumanji!!