Ngo-1797, umkhumbi wabathengisi iSydney Cove walibangisa ePort Jackson njengoba kwakhiwa indawo yokuhlala e-NSW.
Umkhumbi wawulayishwe impahla eyigugu kakhulu kunegolide kubahlali bamakoloni, njengoba babelinde amalitha angu-7000 e-premium rum ukuthi alethwe eCalcutta.
Njengoba udabula olwandle olunonya lweNkathi Yokubhonga Kwama-Forties, umkhumbi wahlukaniswa imimoya emanzini angaziwa aseTasmania. ISydney Cove yagcina igxumekeke emabhishi asePreservation Island.
Ngemva kokubona izinhloso zeqembu lakhe elalisomile, uKaputeni uGuy Hamilton wathutha impahla wayisa endaweni yokucasha manje eyaziwa ngokuthi iRum Island. Lobu tshwala bugcine butholakele futhi bayiswa ekoloni kodwa ngaphezu kuka-2000 amalitha (7570 litre) we-rum asaziwa ukuthi akuphi kuze kube yimanje.
I-Preservation ne-Rum yiziqhingi ezimbili kwezingama-80 ze-Furneaux Group ezake zakha ibhuloho lomhlabathi phakathi kwe-Tasmania nogu lwase-Victorian. Isiqhingi esikhulu kunazo zonke eziqhingini zaseFurneaux yiFlinders, umkhathi omangelengele omise okwethambo lequnu eliphukile, eliqhekezwe esibhakeleni sezwekazi iTasmania.
Lapho ngifika e-Flinders Island ukuze ngifune okungaphezu kwe-rum elahlekile, ngihlangabezwa amasimu acekelwe phansi umoya we-tussocks nezimvu, ama-oki ama-she-oki afihlwe ama-wallabi anoboya obubomvu neziqongo zegwadle ebezingabonakali endaweni emaphakathi neYurophu.
Ngilahla umbono wothando wokuhlola isiqhingi ngekhampasi kanye nemephu yamagugu, nginikezwa iFord Laser yakudala kanye nesaka lamabhukwana ezivakashi azongihola nginqamule amakhilomitha-skwele esiqhingi ayi-1333.
Kusuka esikhumulweni sezindiza ngibheke ngaseParry's Bay, ngiqonde enyakatho nginqamula imigwaqo ewubhuqu oshoki noGerard Walker wendawo. Isitobhi sethu sokuqala yi-Egg Beach ngokumangalisayo.
Njengoba sidlula ezihlahleni zotshani nama-orchid anemibala emibalabala siya ogwini, uGerard ungitshela ukuthi le ndawo kwaba indawo yokuqala yokubona indawo yabamhlophe eningizimu yeSydney futhi yethiwa ngoTobias Furneaux, womkhumbi i-Adventure.
Njengokungathi ukuqinisa umlando wokuhamba olwandle weziqhingi, sibheka ngaphesheya kolwandle, sidlula amatshe ayisiyingi ukuya emkhathizwe futhi sibona umkhumbi ongaqondakali ubhodla ugwini ogwini, njengokungathi isipoki sokunye kwemikhumbi engama-65 ephahlazeke emhlabeni wonke. iziqhingi.
Njengoba siqhubeka emigwaqweni engagandayiwe yasogwini, sidlula iziqhingi ezinemithanjana yegwadule ezingasogwini, ngibuza uGerard ngezinyoni zezimvu ezidumile eziqhingini. Ngitshelwa ukuthi lapho abasindile base-Sydney Cove abavaleleke bethola izigidi zezinyoni ze-shearwater ezinesila esifushane ezihlala eduze kwamakamu abo, ekugcineni baqala ukuzingela ngaphandle kwesidingo.
Namuhla, esikhundleni sokuzulazula nezibhamu, abazingeli bezinyoni zezimvu bahlola amagquma anemigodi. Bese befaka izingalo zabo bese bekha imigodi yamatshwele. UGerard ungitshela ukuthi akuvamile ukuthi umthandi wezinyoni asuse isandla sakhe emgodini nenyoka ezisonge engalweni yakhe esikhundleni senyoni.
Ezaziwa ngokunambitheka kwazo okunenyama, izinyoni ze-mutton ziyizinhlobo ezifudukayo ezifudukayo.
Unyaka ngamunye, inqwaba yalezi zinyoni ezinjengamajuba zisuka eFurneaux Group ohambweni lwamakhilomitha angaphezu kuka-30,000.
Izinyoni zenyama yemvu i-Furneaux zilandelwe eNew Zealand, e-Japan, e-Kamchatka Peninsula e-Russia, e-Alaska nase-San Francisco ngaphambi kokuba zibuyele ekhaya ezidlekeni zazo e-Flinders Island.
Ngesikhathi sokuzingela, abantu bendawo bathi isibhakabhaka simnyama ngenxa yezinyoni, futhi iziqhingi ezifana ne-Babel ne-Big Dog manje sezihlala ama-mutton bird rookeries angachithi ngisho neqatha lezinhlanzi abazidobileyo.
Izinyoni zezinyamazane azizingelwa nje njengomthombo wokudla, izimpaphe zazo zisetshenziselwa ukufaka imicamelo kanye namafutha esisu acebile nge-omega ukhilimu we-arthritis kanye ne-sunscreen.
Njengoba siqhubeka sibheke endaweni esenyakatho lapho kushona ilanga, uGerard ungitshela ngolunye lwezimpawu zokuthengisa zaseFlinders Island. Emifudlaneni nasemifuleni ezungeze isiqhingi, abantu bendawo bathole uhlobo lwetopazi eqinile.
Idayimane le-Killiecrankie liyitshe eliyigugu kanye nesikhumbuzo esiyingqayizivele esingatholakala, sipholishwe futhi sibekwe esitolo samagugu edolobheni.
Ngifuna ukuzitholela ingcebo yami, sithatha izisefo zikaGerard futhi siguqe ezandleni zethu ngendlela esilibele eholela eKilliecrankie Bay. Sikhipha ukungcola, sigudla amadwala nodaka kuze kube yilapho sithola ithonsi lemali ekhazimulayo.
Njengoba amadayimane ami ecashe ngokuphephile, ngalala phansi endlini yasogwini eyihlane eKilliecrankie Bay ngalobo busuku. Njengoba amagagasi ebila emadwaleni ngaphandle, ngafunda ngesiphetho seSydney Cove ekuqaleni kwekhulu le-18.
Kwabasinde kule ngozi, amadoda angu-17 alibangisa ePort Jackson ngesikebhe eside. Ngemva kokugwedla ukuya e-Ninety Mile Beach e-Victoria, bahamba e-Australian scrub amasonto amaningi, kwathi amatilosi amathathu agcina ebuyele e-Sydney.
Ngiqala uhambo lwami, olungenzima kangako lokubuyela empucukweni ngakusasa, ngigwema amaturkeys ahambahambayo, ama-wombat ahamba emahlathini nama-echidna aphuzi ngokuphaphathekile endleleni eya eWybalenna, lapho aboMdabu abangu-135 bathuthwa khona ngo-1834 besuka ezweni.
Bashukunyiswa emzamweni wokubenza “bathuthuke futhi benziwe amaKristu” kanye nezifiki ezimhlophe kodwa aboMdabu base-Australia abazange bahlanganyele kahle futhi phakathi neminyaka engu-13 belahlwe eFlinders, kwasala abangama-47 kuphela.
Laba abambalwa bayiswa e-Oyster Cove e-Tasmania futhi manje kuphela igobolondo lendlu yesonto kanye namathuna asele e-Wybalenna, okubonwa yi-National Trust njengenye yezindawo zomlando ezibaluleke kakhulu e-Australia.
Ukuqhubekela endaweni eyinhloko ka-Flinders, e-Whitemark, ngiphathwa njengomuntu ovamile phakathi nehora. Wonke umuntu ubonakala engazi ngegama lami futhi ngibingelelwa igagasi leminwe emibili elisayindwa yiyo yonke imoto edlulayo emgwaqeni omkhulu.
Angazi ukuthi incane kangakanani le ndawo kuze kube yilapho ngibheka incwadi yocingo ye-Flinders, noma “i-Furneaux Find It”. Abantu abaningi bafakwe ohlwini kuphela ngamagama abo okuqala noma igama-mbumbulu elinelukuluku njengokuthi “i-Phantom”, engabonakali idida kunoma ubani odinga inombolo.
Kunabantu abangaba ngu-850 eFlinders Island futhi abantu bendawo engihlangana nabo bavuleleka ngokushesha futhi banomoya wokungenisa izihambi kubantu bangaphandle.
Banayo indawo encane, nokho, eqapha indlela yabo yokuphila, ngiyathola. Seziphile ngokufuywa kwezimvu nezimbuzi izizukulwane ngezizukulwane, kanti ukuguquka kwesimo sezulu kanye nokuguquguquka kwesimo sezulu kukhinyabeza ukuphila kwabo ngendlela engenakulungiseka.
Abaningi banemizwa exubile mayelana nokuvela kwezokuvakasha kanye nethuba lokuthi kube okuwukuphela kwezinketho zangempela zokuqhubeka nokuphila kwabo okunethezekile nobubodwa.
UThelma Shaik, ongumnikazi wesitolo esincane samagugu ngaphansi kwe-Whitemark pub, usebuyele eFlinders ngemuva kweminyaka engama-20 ehambile futhi unethemba lokuthi ngolunye usuku uzobona "abantu abayi-100, 000 behamba emigwaqweni yedolobha futhi bevakashela amabhizinisi".
Angiboni kahle ukuthi baningi abafika maduze (kunezivakashi ezingaba ngu-7000 ngonyaka okwamanje) kodwa azikho izinto ezishodayo zokuheha abahambi benqamula i-Bass Strait.
Njengoba ngiqhubeka nginqamula isiqhingi ngosuku olulandelayo, ngidlula amabhishi asendle e-Palana, ngihamba ngiye emaphethelweni adlulele e-Stanley Point enyakatho-mpumalanga. Ngilandela ngomkhondo ezixukwini zokhula lwasolwandle olunuka okumuncu esihlabathini, ngibona umtshuzi ohamba yedwa emvuleni eshayelayo, egwedla amagagasi azungezwe amatshe amatshe amakwe ngamaminerali anombala we-salmon.
Lapho ngithuthela enkabeni yesiqhingi, ngifika e-Walker's Lookout (eqanjwe ngomkhulu kaGerard); umgogodla onotshani we-Flinders onikeza imibono engenakuqhathaniswa ye-Strzelecki Mountain Range kanye neziqhingi ezingahlali muntu ezinamachashaza amanzi kuze kufike eTasmania.
Njengoba imimoya yantambama ikhotha iziqongo nemvula esongelayo, ngiyakwazi ukubona iFranklin Sound enhle eningizimu neMount Chappell Island, okuthiwa inezinyoka zamahlosi ezinkulu kunazo zonke emhlabeni ezitshuza phakathi kohlaza lwaso.
Ngidinga isiphuzo esiqinile ukuze ngisuse ukugodola, ngiqonde endaweni yokucima ukoma ye-Interstate Hotel ngobusuku bami bokugcina eFlinders Island. Njengoba izinyoni zezinyamazane ziphelelwe yisikhathi, ngingena epuletini elikhethekile lendawo, i-wallaby ehlanjululwayo.
Ngesikhathi sokudla kwami, ngibheka ngaphesheya kubantu bendawo abahlezi endaweni yokucima ukoma ngoLwesihlanu ebusuku. Ngimiswe eduze ne-dartboard ngibona iqembu lamadoda anezihlathi ezibomvu ligubha ukuphela kwesonto lokusebenza ngokuphuza iziphuzo.
Angiyena umdlalo wokubabuza kodwa ngicabanga ukuthi laba bantu bangase bazi ukuthi ukuphi lokho kufihlwa okuyimfihlo e-Rum Island.
* Umbhali wayeyisimenywa seTourism Tasmania kanye neFlinders Island Tourist Association.
ULWAZI OLUNZULU
I-Flinders Island kanye ne-Eastern Bass Strait ka-Jean Edgecombe iyindawo enhle yokuthola isizinda esithile endaweni. I-Focusonflinders.com.au nayo inolwazi oluthokozisayo eziqhingini.
