The island is bigger than what we imagined — a forty minute drive to our destination Adventure Bay. On the northern portion of Bruny, we find bays and rolling pastures. Dividing the north and south ends of the island is a narrow isthmus. And from there it changes to forest, sheer rockface clifts and the pounding ocean.
But first a stop at the Bruny Island cheese shop for more than a few samples of home made fromage and some jams and honey.
From there it's on to Adventure Bay, named so by English Lt. Tobias Furneaux, who arrived here in his ship, The Adventure, back in 1777 after ditching Captain Cook and The Resolution when the two ships became separated in a fog down in the Antarctica region. After sailing as far south as he could and being halted by ice, Cook came about and headed up to New Zealand, the agreed rendezvous place. Furneaux, sailed to Van Diemen's Land where he discovered Adventure Bay and topped up on supplies before meandering on over to New Zealand.
Cook did come here later, during his third and final Pacific voyage, following Furneaux's recommendation that it was an ideal harbour to stock up on fresh water, wood and produce. In Adventure Bay, there is a monument commemorating both Furneaux and Cook's different visits.
We get a site at the Captain Cook Memorial Campsite and then check out the Bruny Island cruise which we've been told is a "do not miss" Tassie event.
After some lunch (yummy Bruny Island cheese and crackers and some locally smoked rainbow trout), we head over to the west side of the island along a bumpy gravel and dirt road. Bruny island seems to be home to the black bunny (not black brunys). We see them everywhere hopping about. Jenn starts singing, "Hey, black bunny, bam a ram" to the tune of "Black Betty" and it becomes the island anthem for us. We've been on the road too long...
On the south west side, at Cape Bruny we do the short hike to the lighthouse, the second oldest in Australia and then gaze out at Antarctica which lies only a few thousand miles straight south.
The views all around are pretty good too.
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