Dolphin sunsets & missing persons

We woke on day three of our Sydney to Hobart cruise to blessedly calm waters and stunning scenery.

Before breakfast Captain Andy guided the ship into Wineglass Bay for a scenic tour. As we sat down to Eggs Benedict, a pod of dolphins frolicked in the waves beside us.

In the afternoon we embarked on an epic hike to the Wineglass Bay lookout – it was a brutal climb up 1000 stairs and a little ill-advised considering my tendonitis – but the views were magnificent.

Our expedition leader Sam had to do the climb twice with different groups … his normally perky demeanour was a little subdued by the time he completed his second trip to the top.

However, that sweaty climb meant Sam and I were both excited by the prospect of cooling off with a swim afterwards.

DD stopped for a rest at the lookout, but the expedition team said there wouldn’t be time for dip if I didn’t head straight back down.

I left DD and raced to the beach. The water temperature was hovering just above 17C, but I absolutely loved it and reluctantly emerged when it was time to trek back to our tender.

There was no sign of DD, however, and mild panic set in. Had he collapsed at the lookout or on the way back down? Would I have to climb back up the 1000 steps to search for him?

An expedition crew member radioed ahead to see if he was on the tender, but they said there was no sign of him. Eeeek!

Fortunately it turned out to be a case of mistaken identity – he was safe and sound on the tender after deciding he couldn’t face a soft-sand trek down to meet me on the beach.

My pulse returned to its normal level and we arrived at the landing spot just as the tender was pulling away, so I delightedly plunged into the chilly waves again with Sam while we waited for it to return. Heaven.

DD greeted me with a big smile as I returned the ship and we headed up to the outdoor bar on the ship’s rooftop for cocktails. I sipped a Cosmopolitan in the late afternoon sun in my cossie – with a fully recovered DD posing with it for a happy snap.

The sun was warm and the views in Promise Bay were spectacular.

Heaven continued after dinner when another pod of dolphins appeared beside the ship at sunset (pictured main).

What a stunning day!

Day four kicked off at beautiful Maria Island, with its crystal clear waters, fascinating history and remarkable wildlife, which is fluffier in Tassie due to how cold it gets there!

Here’s a potted history of the island from Tasmania Parks & Wildlife Service:

“As you cross to the island you follow in the wake of Aboriginal people, who for thousands of years made regular canoe crossings to the island they knew as wukaluwikiwayna. For more than 35,000 years Aboriginal people have lived in the homelands of the Oyster Bay nation, the Tasmanian Aboriginal people from Maria Island were known as the Puthikwilayti.

“Maria Island’s landscape is a microcosm of unique cultural heritage found within Tasmania; rich, varied and significant. This heritage and the associated stories play an important role in raising awareness about the past, celebrating the present and learning for the future. Today’s Aboriginal community continue their people’s connection to this special island.

“Maria Island became a penal settlement in 1825 and was soon infamous for the number of escapes across the water. From 1842 Maria Island was used as a convict probation station, but by 1850 this mainly agricultural station was abandoned.

“Maria Island’s potential captured the imagination of Italian entrepreneur, Diego Bernacchi, who set up a cement works to utilise the island’s limestone deposits in the late 1800s. The following period saw the development of industry, as well as the growth of a small farming and fishing community – all which has since closed down.

“The first moves were made towards forming a fauna reserve in the early 1960s. Maria Island was officially declared a national park in 1971.”

I was a little stiff from my Wineglass Bay stair climb when we arrived at the ferry wharf, but I slowly negotiated the 6km walk to the fascinating Fossil Cliffs, spotting wombats, pademelons and grey kangaroos along the way.

The Fossil Cliffs are a rock strata that contains a vast number of fossils, including clams, sea fans, corals, scallop shells and sea lilies that were deposited there around 300 million years ago.

In the late afternoon we cruised along the dramatic Tasmanian coastline and passed between the mainland and Tasman Island, spotting seals lolling on rock platforms and more dolphins dancing in the waves.