Port Welshpool - Home at last!

Tamsin and Robin



Bill Robinson, friend Allan help with the boats



Robin, Sarah, Tom, Bill, Sarah and Nathan

Tom and Tamsin toast their success!

Port Welshpool Pub

Hamish, Tamsin, Nathan, Robin, Bill and Tom

Coming into Port Welshpool

Nathans wife Sarah and their pet dog on our arrival

With my beautiful daughter Ellen

After 18 days we finally arrived home. Bit of a slog today, we paddled against the tide and some head wind in return for a pub lunch with love ones who were there to greet us. A very memorable trip with a great bunch of guys, l haven't laughed so much in years! Even though the blog may have made this trip look easy, a trip such as this should not be attempted without excellent kayaking skills, knowledge of tides, navigation, seamanship, weather and fitness. Collectively there was nearly 30 years of kayaking experience within the group. All of the above skills were required in some typically testing Bass Strait conditions.

Hogan to Johnny Souey

Long paddle today, due to wnw winds we decided to go for Johnny Souey Cove instead of Refuge Cove. Port Welshpool tomorrow!

Hogan Island

Land of Penquins and rats! Challenging paddle today with 2m plus seas on top of a good swell and 24 to 30 kn winds with the sails up. Images of Hogan Island weather station, cooking dinner, more squid thanks to Nathan and Robin, almost there!

Wilsons Prom in the distance

Hogan Island weather station

Hogan Island Penquins



Hogan Island looking down onto the campsite



Waiting for my dehy to cook!

Dinner on Hogan Island

Erith Island Easter weekend

Todays project was to extend the camp kitchen.
Step 1 - visit to Bunnings to purchase neccesary timber
Step 2 - transport back to camp
Step 3 - planning stage
Step 4 - building stage
Step 5 - finished product
Step 6 - enjoy!

Also see photos of camp snake, preying mantis eating cute butterrfly, dolphins in the bay and Deal Island lighthouse visit.

Returning from "Bunnings Beach" with supplies

Tamsin on top of the Deal Island lighthouse

Erith Island campsite snake

Addition of a bench seat to Erith campsite

What we call Bunnings on Erith due to all the timber washed up year round

Nathan and Tamsin inside the Deal Island lighthouse

Bench seat complete

Dolphins playing in Wallaby Cove, Erith Island

Dolphins Wallaby Cove

Tom proud of his handy work

Lighthouse stair case

Prey Mantis eats butterfly

Wind amendment

Wind last night hit 78 knots, roughly 140 kmh! No wonder it was hard to sleep.

Erith Island

Wild and windy night, 45 knots plus. No beach in West Cove on high tide. Rain, thunder and lightning, no one got much sleep. Boz the gorilla copped a battering minding the boats. A yacht in West Cove had to motor in circles to avoid being washed up on the beach, at one point throwing his arms up in frustration.

Boats above high water, Erith Island

Wallaby Cove, Erith Island

Poor Boz! Covered in sand after the storm

Photos from Inner Sister, Deal and Erith Islands.

Note images of Early morning departure from Inner Sister, passing Craggy Island, our friend Sammy the seal who swam with us for over an hour. Approaching Deal Island, Winter Cove, the cliffs between Deal and Erith. Afternoon tea with Deal Island caretakers David and Mary, the most hospitable and generous caretakers to date. Fog and cloud hiding Erith yesterday before Bass Strait turned it on! Breakfast ingredients including freshly baked bread all supplied by Our Deal Island friends David and Mary.

Fog between Deal and Erith Islands

Paddling from Winter Cove Deal Island to Erith Island

Caretakers compound, Deal Island

Paddling from Deal to Erith in fog

Deal Island in the distance

Cape Barren Goose

Scones with jam and cream! Deal Island caretakers David and Mary

Craggy Island

Deal to Erith Island

Fresh bread, tomato and spam compliments of David and Mary

Deal Island and Lighthouse

Craggy Island

Seal barking at Robin between Inner Sister and Deal Islands

Leaving Inner Sister in pitch black night for Deal Island

Deal Island bird life