Tassie Spirit

Being in a slow-moving queue of cars and caravans and motorhomes and campervans for a few hours while dawn breaks is not pleasant. Nor is getting up before 5am without even a sunrise in mind… and no breakfast.

I was worried about getting lost again, as I had the afternoon before, so took the advice of the showground camp manager and followed the ‘conga line’ of caravans heading for the Geelong terminal for the Spirit of Tasmania ferry.

But once through the terminal, waiting in the open, I saw this odd rainbow band in a dense dark cloud that had been sort of pink a little earlier. A treat.

Fortunately the loading of about 500 vehicles was well directed by the many staff. It must be a logistical nightmare as to where to put what. I and my ‘low campervan’ ended up in the bowels on the ship, facing the wrong way in a very packed level to get back up the ramp later.

Many people headed to the windy deck rails to watch as we left Victoria and the mainland behind. This is Point Nepean, on the tip of the Mornington Peninsula.

It was a quarantine station, but its main fame is as a navy base, since it was from here that the first shot of the First World War was fired for the British Empire. It missed the German cargo ship, as innocent of the war declaration as those who had cleared it to leave. However, it had to turn back. 

In the Second World War, the first shot of the Australian forces was also fired from here.

The other side of the ‘heads’ was Point Lonsdale, and you can see how the ocean waves of Bass Strait were already distinctly different from the calm waters through which we’d been steadily travelling.

There was a small amount of sea leg swaying, but not enough for sea sickness. I was wary as I ate my pizza…

And about 6.30 that evening, we had our first sighting of the Tasmanian coastline, with high mountains appropriately looming.

A long wait for all those vehicles to be guided out, but in all an easy day trip… and I will count it as my first ocean voyage. Is Bass Strait an ocean? We’d crossed 448 kms of nought but heaving white-capped waves, so I think it is.

If I did it again, I’d know to first of all grab two comfy seats (so you can put your shoeless feet up) by a window and bags them for the day, and avoid any TV or video game screens, or proximity to kids’ entertainment.

So after a catch-up day in Devonport, watching other Spirits depart or enter, I’ll head to Cradle Mountain tomorrow. Can’t wait!