Bruny Island tour and cruise

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Geo: -43.3517, 147.325

Today we drove the 45min to Kettering to catch the bus onto the ferry to Bruny Is, and then to board the boats at Adventure Bay for a 3hr cruise. The weather looks great and the seas calm. I'm wondering if I really needed to bring multiple layers of clothing?

The tour and cruise were great. Our 40ft boat carried about 35 passengers and was powered by triple 250hp outboard motors. Bruny Island has about the same land area as Singapore, with the North and South parts connected by a narrow isthmus. North Bruny receives an average of 600mm rainfall each year, South Bruny a whopping 1,600mm.

The crew provided each of us with a heavy spray/wind jacket that came down to our ankles. Very effective in the strong wind and occasional spray. Shirt, tracksuit, coat and spray jacket saw me warm enough. I would have appreciated a beanie though.

We got back to Kettering at about 5pm and then drove to John & Theresa's place for drinks and dinner. A lovely 5 acres on a hillside with great views. The walls of the 1970s house (internal and external) were made of huge 2 1/2 inch thick VJ timbers of Celery Top Pine. We had a great roast dinner with Tassie wines and a good chat.

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Photos

Adventure Bay wharf
Four cruise boats on the morning tour and two in the afternoon.

Cruise boat
Travelled at around 25 knots. Into the wind outbound and then surfed home. Very little spray into the boat except when we went across the waves and got too close to the blowhole.

The Monument
Twin spires of dolomite rock that we zoomed between. Very exciting. It felt a little like a jet boat ride, at times.

Blowhole
Even with today's relatively calm seas, every so often a bigger wave would result in a most impressive plume. The Captain "accidentally" got too close on one of the passes and the passengers on one side (mine) got a good spray.

Fur Seals
When we got to the southern end of Bruny Island, where the Tasman Sea meets the Great Southern Ocean, the wind and waves were stronger.
Fur seals have articulated hips, and this distinguishes them from proper seals like Wendells or Elephant seals.