I mentioned that our fast Catamaran had been locally built. Tasmania has a proud tradition of boat building and, as we shall see, many fine craft were built from Huon Pine in the Penal Colonies on Sarah Island and at Port Arthur - our final stop on Day 9 of the Tour. Harbour Master II was specially designed to cope with the shallow waters of this harbour and to reduce the wake whilst cruising the Gordon River.
"Hells Gates" is the name of the mouth of Macquarie Harbour. It is a notoriously shallow and dangerous 75metre wide channel entrance to the harbour. The name of the channel relates to the original convicts' claim that it was their point of "entrance to Hell", their Hell being the Macquarie Harbour Penal Station on Sarah Island and the outlying surrounds of the harbour.
We exited the entrance at slow speed out into the Southern Ocean before returning through Hells Gates and speeding on for our visit to Sarah Island.
The White Lighthouse is situated on Bonnet Island which forms part of the breakwater. You may also be able to see in the far distance the Lighthouse at Cape Sorrell.
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