Thirty seconds into our Bruny Island Adventure Cruise it becomes apparent this is going to be one wild ride. My daughter and I are secretly glad we left the land-lubbing mum at home and we’re reminded of some of the best theme park rides – fast, undulating,
unpredictable, and a little bit scary.
Apart from negotiating the swell of the Tasman at high speed, we swerve in and out of sea caves and rock pillars on our way to the southern tip of the island.
The large seal colony is impressive, and the odd killer whale aside, it quite obviously is a seal’s life. Swimming, frolicking on the rocks, sunning themselves and bickering playfully, the only downside for the observer is the smell. I recall being given a sprig of mint to keep under my nose at the famous Tannery in Fez, to help subdue the overpowering reek of drying cow hide. The operators of this trip probably won’t demand baksheesh, but sure could learn from the Moroccan’s on that count.
The 30 seconds or so that we are downwind from their colony and draw in the pungent cocktail of rotting fish, seal piss and seagull crap is the only moment I feel genuinely queasy on this ride, bumps and all.
At the end of a spectacular 2 1/2 hours we are back in the comparatively serene waters of Adventure Bay, and although the concept seems absurd, the humour is not lost on me as our friendly deck hand Jill offers chocolate Tim Tams to all aboard who dare tempt fate.
Well I guess it’s better than asking for baksheesh.