Today we ventured out to explore the Bay of Fires coastline from a different vantage point, both via boat and foot.
Not Sold Out After All
The only boat tour game in town is called Bay of Fires Eco Tours. We had looked on their website a few days back and it showed that all their tours were sold out for the two days we were in this part of the island. One thing we’ve picked up on in our travels is to always try ringing a place to see if spots become available last minute; you have nothing to lose! Sure enough, we rang the company yesterday and they had seats available for their 1-hour tour departing this morning at 10:00am. Confirmed!
Gearing Up
We showed up to the Eco Tours mini building around 9:30am, as instructed. It was a chilly, windy morning. They gave us all waterproof parkas to wear for the ride, assuring us they would help keep us warm & dry on the water. They only had adult sizes, so you can imagine how ridiculously cute the girls looked when they put theirs on! Hilariously huge on them, practically down to the floor. We were all laughing out loud :)
We were the last to board the boat, so we had limited choices on seats. The two seats in the very front of the boat were open, so the girls bee-lined it up to the front. Doug sat two rows behind them in the closest open seat, and I settled into an open seat in the back. It’s worth mentioning that - in addition to a fear of heights - I’ve confirmed on this trip that I am also unsettled by open water (oceans), especially when the seas are rough. Doug & the girls share none of these insecurities. The thing is, I love seeing natural landscapes from the unique vantage point of a boat, so half of me is always willing & excited to get out on a boat, and the other half is taking deep breaths the whole time :)
Choppy Seas
We had two super Eco Tours staff aboard the boat with us . . . Captain Dave behind the wheel and guide Claire talking us through all the sights as we went along. They warned us the seas would be a bit choppy, but that they’d take us into a few coves to shelter from the wind. As we left Binalong Bay, the seas were fairly calm; all good! But as we continued North along the coast to Sloop Rock (our turn-around destination point), the winds picked up and the swells got bigger.
Signature Orange Rocks
Bay of Fires is a large bay that extends about 30km, extending from our tour’s start point, Binalong Bay. It got its name from a British explorer in the late 1700s who noticed many fires along the coast, evidence of aboriginal people settled on the land. Bay of Fires is known for its beautiful white beaches, turquoise waters and giant granite rocks colored bright orange. The orange color is from lichen, which is a combination of algae & fungus. It looks like spray paint; not slippery or tactical in any way. Apparently lichen needs water to thrive, but too much water (i.e. constant swells on boulders) will kill them off. It takes 10 years for lichen to grow a space the size of a quarter. Wow!
Sloop Rock
We cruised along several smaller coves with beaches and amazing public camping sites. Gorgeous, free spots to enjoy amidst a community of other campers! They were dotted with camper vans and tents. Super cool.
We ultimately arrived at Sloop Rock, which is a really neat looking rock formation just off the coast. The original explorers thought it looked like a ship with a single sail (aka a sloop), which is how it got its name. The rock is also known to look like a dolphin sticking its nose straight out of the water, or a seal sitting up. True for all three! Sloop Rock was getting slammed with waves as we rocked back & forth for a closer look.
Heading Back
The ride back through the open ocean (away from the “calmer” waters near the coast) was bumpy, white caps & swells all around. Claire pointed out some sea birds, including an albatross (who can glide without flapping its wings for 24 hours!). At that point I had my eyes closed most of the time, taking deep breaths & willing my stomach to stop churning. Doug looked back at me a few times, just to make sure I was doing OK, which was sweet. I gave him a smile that he knew indicated something along the lines of “I’m doing fine, but I’ll be very happy when we’re back on land!”
First thing I told him when we were back on dry land, was “I just realized I’ve had my fingers and jaws clenched for the past 30 minutes!” I really enjoyed seeing the coastline from the water (it was gorgeous), but I more enjoyed having our feet safely back on dry land :) Doug & the girls, on the other hand, loved every bumpy moment! The first words out of the girls’ mouth were “That was awesome!!” Doug likewise loved seeing the “angry” sea and natural phenomena of the swells crashing against the water and the coastline. All in, the boat tour was a memorable, great way to see more of Bay of Fires.
Possibly the Best Playground of the Year
After the boat tour we headed down the road to the public restrooms. We were all chilled to the bone; we sat inside the car for a few minutes, enjoying the heater on full blast. Once dethawed, we popped back outside so the girls could play on the playground. They both declared it one of their very favorite playgrounds (maybe even the best!) of all our travels! It had just enough twists, turns, bars, etc. to entertain & challenge them, and a couple really cool swings to boot. Regrettably, we didn’t get a picture of it; we were too busy enjoying it and taking in the coastal views. After a dearth of playground across Southeast Asia the past few months, it’s super fun to be back in place that has playgrounds dotted all over the place. Australia for the win!
Picnic Lunch Spot
After our super fun picnic lunch in Ellendale a few days ago, we packed a picnic lunch for today. It stayed overcast, but the winds & chill calmed, so we were good to go. We hopped back in the car and drove along, turning off the main road to explore. We ended up finding a sign indicating a 20 minute walk to a place called Shelter Point. We grabbed our lunch bag and headed out on the trail. The girls bound out ahead of us and were largely out of sight the whole walk.
We ended up setting up lunch on a patch of boulders above the water, taking in the views. Sadly we realized we forgot our peanut butter, but it was still a tasty spread. Doug remained fascinated by the water and waves crashing against the rocks, plopping down to enjoy the view on his own for a good 20 minutes.
Doug put together this awesome video of our hike, lunch and views. Check it out!
After lunch and our mini hike back to the car, we hit up the grocery store for a few dinner items on our way back to our Big4 lodging. We intended to do school, and were literally minutes away from starting, when the girls made some new friends and our day took a turn (in a great way).
The rest of the evening was normal stuff . . . Dinner in our cabin (broccoli & sausage pasta), laundry done & folded, and bags all packed up again to leave in the morning. Glad we made the trip up to the very Northeast tip of Tasmania to see Bay of Fires. Beautiful spot and memorable accommodation. Another fantastic Tassie day in the books!
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