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Blown Off The Map
When young Matthew Flinders and George Bass set out to circumnavigate Van Diemen’s Land in 1798 to verify if it was indeed an island, they set off into some of the most treacherous waters that sailors have encountered. The passage between Tasmania—as the land came to be known—and the mainland of Terra Australis was and continued to be a graveyard for ships for the next 200 years.
Bass Strait is a funnel for the Roaring Forties, the 40th parallel. No sailing ship could beat back against the howling westerlies. Cloud, fog, high seas and gale force winds blow for days and “would blow a dog off its chain” say the locals. Matters are worsened by the shoals—those deceptively shallow waters extending the length of the Strait. Beautiful swirls of colour and pattern when seen from the air, but deadly by sea.
No wonder the islands in Bass Strait are inhabited by people who find solace in seclusion. At first, sealers, convicts, slaves. Then aborigines, missionaries.
A visit to one of these long lost islands today is like stepping aboard a time machine to the past. Cape Barren, Flinders, Trefoil, Three Hummock, Great Dog, Preservation and Rum Islands are all scattered outposts of civilisation, relics of rum, piracy and a daring spirit. Today they are the adventure tourist’s dream.
This article describes the excitement of diamond hunting, chartering your own island or crayfishing on some of the most beautiful, lost parts of Australia. It would make an impactful feature of 1500-2500 words and a dozen beautiful photos.
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