Unfortunately there are no photos to show of our passage through the narrow slot of Dunalley Canal.

We were too focussed on getting fresh water and resupplying our empty compartments with wine.

One memorable conversation occured as we spoke to the local publican at Dunalley:

Had he been to Maria Island, we enquired.

"Maria Island?" - he exclaimed - "never 'eard it!"

And with that he shuffled back into his darkened cellar.

Now this was not because we had mis-pronounced Maria Island.

Tasmanians do pronounce it mar-eye-ah, and so did we.

This man's indifference to an island just over his immediate horizon was confirmation to us that the slanderous generalisation (that we were previously reluctant to share in) that Taswegians are a strange and insular lot is absolutely true. (For example, another story we were told was that Tasmanians are so insular that those from the north of the island refuse to drink beer made in the south, and vice versa.) 

However, after 12 years of reflection I now understand.

These people are very attached to their immediate patch of earth.

That's a beautiful thing.

Anyway, that this local publican claimed not to know of the obvious presence of a nearby and most spectacular island that loomed so large in our vivid imaginations became a kind of humorous mantra to us for the remainder of the expedition.

"Have you seen my missing Trangia?" -  "Never 'eard it !"

"Have you seen my fourth bottle of Pinot?"  -  "Never 'eard it !"

"Have you been to Australia?"  -  "Never 'eard it !!!"

A lovely day on the east coast of Tasmania.

Time is of no consequence, the sea is benign, the sun is shining and I am in a kayak, with two friends in theirs. Life is great.

This gorgeous bay is on the outside of the Forestier Peninsula.

It was Eden-like in its sunny tranquility.

I dived into this bay and liberated my first ever abalone from its cray-kelped rocks. 

The abalone flesh was carefully sliced into thin crescents and pan-fried in garlic and olive oil over a wood fire ... and then washed down with cans of Cascade beer - heaven!

Burp!