Dear Reader:
The Black Tiger Snake is a good two metres long with its head raised towards me. However, I am safely seated in the driver’s seat of the rented SUV.
I am spending seven days exploring Tasmania’s Flinders Island in Bass Strait, the largest of the Furneaux Island group. My apologies for straying from my usual South Australian blogs but this fascinating Island is certainly worth a few posts.
Nautilus, the coastal rental we are staying in, is truly wonderful; beautifully appointed and self-contained it offers panoramic views of the coastline.
Unpacked and settled in, I take the path through the back garden and a few metres of scrub emerging onto a granite platform which typifies this section of coast.
The rugged outcrops and cliffs extend both ways along the shoreline, punctuated on the eastern flank by a bay with and stretch of golden sand. The sand yields Topaz crystals called ‘Killiekrankie Diamonds’. named for the tiny settlement and beach where they are found.
A small bench sits on the border between scrub and granite. It is the perfect place to enjoy the striking scenery and look out for seabirds, dolphins and other coastal wildlife. I do not have to wait too long as a pod of dolphins cruises past several hundred metres out to sea while both Silver Gulls and Pacific Gulls fly along the seashore.
The sun is getting lower in the sky and there is just enough time to explore one of the many rockpools worn into the granite and accessible at low tide. This cursory look reveals periwinkles in the splash zone, limpets along the waterline and an occasional red anemone.
Evening is closing in and it’s time to get back and start preparing dinner. Approaching the steps leading to the house, I notice a Red-necked or Bennett’s Wallaby in the driveway. It doesn’t seem too perturbed by my presence and hops into the nearby tree-line then stops and looks back at me.
My first day on Flinders Island has been quite exciting and I hope for more revelations as the week goes by.
Cheers
Baz
Additional notes
Other animals seen, heard but not photographed, Kookaburra, Fairy Wrens, Black Currawong, cormorant species
The camera used for this post is a Sony RX10 111
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