Field / Boat training

During re-supply / changeover, the previous years boat crew had to handover to the new boat crew. Part of the handover is to take us around the Island to show us access to landing points and certain field huts, at least as much as practicable. The previous years boating officer Peter, therefore took us along the east coast of Macca to most of the huts and landing beaches: Sandy Bay, Brothers Point, Green Gorge, Saddle Point, Waterfall Bay and some other unnamed beaches along the way. It is important that the boating crew are familiar with the locations as the sea conditions, kelp and rock outcrops can make landing and launching a small boat quite a hazardous event.

A couple of weeks after we have settled into our new home we began a series of field training / familiarisation trips. The idea is to go to some of the more popular and closer field huts, in small groups of up to four, with an expeditioner who has been to Macca previously and is familiar with the conditions, terrain and procedures, and or with a TASPAWS ranger who have extensive knowledge of the area. Most of the groups went out for three days and traveled (by foot) to Bauer Bay (stay overnight), Green Gorge (stay overnight) then to Brothers Point (stop for a rest), then back to station via the coast (preferably at low tide). The total distance covered was some 34 km, with the longest trek being the last day covering 16km, the last 10 km along some pretty wild coast line dodging the incoming swell and climbing over some interesting obstacles. The whole three days seemed like we were constantly walking uphill and into a head wind. To get out of the wind was a huge relief. Some very wet and boggy patches made life interesting with some of us going in knee deep into bogs, onetime I went into a patch which looked like very wet grass, but broke straight through the surface and in almost to my knees, I just went over almost flat on my face as I lost control of my legs, another time one leg went knee deep into a rabbit hole. I can now understand why Macca is called "the big green wet sponge", because that's what it feels like when your walking around on it.


We visit one of the more popular beaches among the locals during the boating familiarisation.	These guys don't get visitors very often!

View of Green Gorge hut from the beach.	What are you lookin at ? - a curious Elephant seal keeps a watchful eye.