Flinders Island - Thursday 9 February 2017
Photos, as magical as they may be, miss so much when trying to describe the world out there - sadly, so do words. The sky might be glorious with clouds edged in pale gold or crimson at sunset or drooping under engorged clouds slatey with unshed rain. But without the sound of wind through trees, waves lapping or crashing, or the heavy spicy scent of coastal scrub and ...... I realise that I am waxing a tad lyrical, but often I feel totally inadequate when attempting to describe the world around me.
So where was I? Oh yes heading off to Flinders Island with a young 'Biggles and Algy' tweaking buttons and dials, watching multicoloured screens not much further than an arm's reach away - I am seated right behind the cockpit.
From my tiny window, I look down on pewter seas reflecting a watery sun peaking through its early morning cloud-blankets and suddenly there's the shoreline edged in knitted lace. We are there!
The Furneaux Island group and merely scattered scraps of rock, tips of an ancient rocky land bridge to the mainland now submerged. Once again I am reminded how little I know about our Island nation and resolve to explore more, albeit one tiny corner of it.

We collect our tiny, rather down at the heel, camper van - windows won't close because of moss growing in the runners, shelves fall down when you go around a corner and the gear box is on its last legs, but it's home for a few days - and head off armed with a map and a few provisions towards Strezlecki National Park. We explore coves and silent beaches edged with huge granite boulders smeared with brilliant orange, yellow and white lichen, breathe deep the warm spicy smell of coastal plants - succulents like samphire and pig face, native currant bush (Heath-type plant - this one at least. There seems to be loads which all look like wild currant to me) and listen to the quiet whispering of breezes through she-oaks. Sounds, smells and sights which take me back to holidays on the sand dunes of Pt Lonsdale and so many other coastal places in Australian and elsewhere.
First day we got bogged! Of course - there has to be one in each trip (hopefully only one). So many roads to explore but ..... first we just needed to test the limits of this little sleeper capsule that we'll be holed up in over the next 5 days .... hmmmmmmm! Pushing the van, all good exercise - for me NOT!