Saturday saw a gentle start admiring the scenery around us and wondering if the rain and cloud would lift. We experienced all sorts of weather as the morning passed by. Encouraged by the sun, we got out the dinghy only to have it rain again. Finally around midday we set off to explore and possibly climb Balmoral Hill for the view. However, once we put our nose out past Ila Bay in the dinghy, we were confronted with a short sharp chop - it was quite windy and against the tide. With the wind forecast to rise mightily in the afternoon we thought better of it.
We had noticed a sole bushwalker struggling to launch a dinghy from Joan Point and deciding we could help, sidled the dinghy across the chop to the spot to find a young Czechoslovakian woman who had already completed the South Coast Track and was heading for Scott's Peak. Mark hopped out and the two of them were able to slide the dinghy down the slipway pole across the rocks to the water successfully. We made our way across to Farell Point and Mark helped stow the dinghy on its rack - this time the slipway had two poles so at least the dinghy didn't have to be balanced as well as pushed. Being sheltered, we decided to explore the top end of Ila Bay, all the while trying to work out how to get ashore and climb towards Mt Rugby (the pilot book says its tougher than it appears and not to bother). We halted near the end of the bay too look at three black swans who after a while decided to leave us. We ate some lunch as we drifted back to Tegwen. A quiet afternoon ensued with rain coming through often.
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On Sunday, with the weather looking a little better rain wise, although still some about, we motored around to Claytons Corner. Finding the middle of the deeper part shown on the charts took a while but we were finally satisfied with our anchorage. The dinghy was fetched from the locker and was soon awaiting our pleasure at Tegwen's stern.
After a hot lunch we went ashore at the jetty, checked out the former retired fishermans house, now maintained by National Parks and Wildlife, then went up the well formed and occasionally duck boarded Mt Beattie track. For the most part this was winding through the extensive rain forest that has developed in the sheltered folds of the hills until suddenly we broke out on the ridge top with extensive views from Mt Rugby to Bathurst Harbour to Melaleuca backed by New Harbour Range and Claytons Corner and Tegwen below us. After considerable time admiring the views, with the portent of another show approaching we descended the track. On the way back we saw several brightly coloured fungi growing that had alluded us on the way up. The rain though threatened held off.
The onset of dusk was delightful with the sun washing over the hills and islands around us in a moving tapestry of light. That night we saw some stars amongst the clouds, the first for several nights - a good portent for the morrow.
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We arose Monday to a clear blue sky with just a streak of mist on the side of one or two of the hills. Mid morning we headed off in the dinghy to explore Melaleuca Inlet and Creek. The views of Mt Rugby back down the Inlet were quite stunning with the morning light playing upon the structure of the mountain. The channel in a couple of the broader reaches is very narrow and marked out with sticks which must be followed very closely to avoid weed, mud or rocks.
Melaleuca itself has had a bit of a going over since the early 1980's when the skipper was last here. The airstrip now has marker cones and a waiting shed. The bushwalkers huts are deluxe compared to what used to be here and the toilets to die for. There is also a bird watching hide available to all but used primarily to monitor the few surviving orange bellied parrots that spend their summers breeding in this area before migrating to King Island, the Victorian Coast and the Koorong for winter. We didn't see any parrots but did observe some Beautiful Firetails which had striking markings around the eyes and an almost scarlet tail.
Back down Melaleuca Inlet to Tegwen, the tide almost at its lowest point by now as we found out at one point when looking at the surroundings rather than where we were going. After a nice lunch the afternoon was spent reading in the solitude of the anchorage. Dusk and the ensuing long twilight were most enjoyable, the breeze having dropped away to almost nothing and the only sounds the lapping of the water on Tegwen and the bird calls from the surrounding shores. We watched as some sea mist came over New Harbour Range to the south and settled onto drifts on its slopes before settling down to become an evening mist over the plain before it. The three quarter full moon was exceptionally bright in the clear air and the multitudinous stars struggled to make themselves visible against it.
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Hopeful of an early start to Tuesday with a full days program in front of us, we were stymied by last nights evening mist still hanging around giving insufficient visibility to strike out across Bathurst Harbour. There was only a suggestion of a SW breeze and mill pond conditions.
Finally the sun burnt off the mist and we were on our way to Old River. We snuck in as close as we dared but Old River shallowed out very quickly, the channel was not obvious and the proliferation of snags across the river mouth convinced us to anchor a little further out and take the dinghy from there. We went up stream almost to the first set of rapids but started hitting submerged, thought to be wooden, objects. The return trip being with the current was significantly quicker. The downside was that the wind had sprung up and we were getting some spray into the dinghy. Near the river mouth we managed to lose the channel and it took quite a bit of fluffing around to gain deep water again. Once across the river entrance, there was a short chop to be faced and we inevitably got a bit wet as we made our way back to Tegwen.
After lunch we set off back across Bathurst Harbour, into the Channel and out to Port Davey to head for Spain Bay - our stepping off point for the trip across the bottom of Tasmania. Going down Bathurst Channel, the vista all around us was so different to when we first arrived from Strahan, with low clouds and rain showers all about. The sky was a deep blue, the sun resplendant and backgrounding the more distant mountains were the odd fluffy white clouds.
We arrived at Spain Bay late in the afternoon having passed some dramatic rock formations in the islands outside the Bathurst Channel entrance and south from there. Spain Bay is a pretty little bay that seems to be well protected, with kust a little swell coming in. In preparation for the big push tomorrow, the dinghy was packed away, some more two stroke fuel made up and Tegwen's fuel tank filled back up from jerry cans. Finally it was time for dinner which we enjoyed on deck taking in the surroundings in the changing light of sunset.
Having had Bathurst Channel and Harbour to ourselves with the one exception of a large motor launch, we encountered five yachts all arriving today. It would appear they have all scampered off from Hobart at the finish of the Wooden Boat Festival held over last weekend. Time to leave.
