Hi All,
In 2013 I’m organizing a number of pelagic trips out of Eaglehawk Neck, Tasmania. These will operate under the banner of Birdlife Australia. While we don’t insist on it, it therefore helps if you are a member of Birdlife Australia. At present there are trips scheduled for the following dates:
Sunday 17 February Saturday 14 September Sunday 15 September
Due to other commitments I am unable to run two back to back trips in late Nov or early Dec as I have done in the past but will run a similar weekend in July if there is interest (dates for this are still pending).
I am currently taking bookings for all of the above if anyone wishes to register an interest. As the boat often fills quite rapidly there is a waiting list established when a trip is fully booked because, for various reasons, we have people who have to pull out.
The cost of the boat trip is in the order of $120, depending on the number of people on the boat – it is dearer if we don’t fill the boat as the hire cost is divided between the sea-birders. Because participants come from a variety of locations and many interstate visitors make a weekend or more of it, participants organize their own accommodation and transport to Eaglehawk Neck (about an hour from Hobart).
The east coast of Tasmania is unusual because boat trips get out in weather conditions that would be considered extreme in many other places such as Port Fairy/Portland, Vic (where I have a bit of experience). The land mass of Tasmania itself provides lots of protection for the east coast waters and the boat gets out most times – quite safely.
If you want to know what birds we see off Eaglehawk Neck, trip reports have been consistently posted to Birding-Aus. You can search in the archives at http://bioacoustics.cse.unsw.edu.au/birding-aus/
So, if you are interested in a pelagic off of Tasmania please let me know.
Regards, Rohan
ps I appreciate there are some very serious fires burning on the Tasman Peninsula, with properties in Eaglehawk Neck, Pirates Bay and Doo Town all under direct threat today. The locals that I have spoken to have indicated that once these are extinguished they need the tourism to return.
