We met up with Luke and Janet of Cynecia at 8am.  They kindly offered to give us a lift and tow our dinghy up the Melaleuca Inlet.

At the end of the inlet is the airport (well airstrip is more accurate), the remnants of the old Tin mining industry and walkers huts.

[Melaleuca Airport and airstrip]

The Needwonnie people were early inhabitants of this area and a beautiful track has been created guiding you through their history.

 

There is a heritage museum dedicated to Deny King and his family and others associated with the local tin mining industry.  It is interesting and well worth a visit.  Inside the museum Parks and Wildlife along with volunteers have incorporated a bird-watch and register which complements a breeding program and habitat for the rare orange-bellied parrots.  This is kind of cool because the parrots have mostly been tagged with different coloured bands on their legs and when they stop to eat on the platform you get to log into a journal which birds have come to visit. The centre provides instructions as well as a telescope to see the birds up close.

Evan and I had a good look around, we even logged an orange-bellied parrot who visited while we were there.  We said goodbye to Janet who was flying home and watched the little plane take off from the crushed white rock airstrip.

Luke will be on his own for a couple days until his brother arrives on Wednesday.   Then we motored the dinghy about 3 miles back to Nashira,  it is actually hot today!  The weather has been outstanding.  We explored the riverside and found an old homestead unmarked on maps.   We have taken so many photos.  The scenery is so beautiful that every moment is a photo opportunity.  Sometimes you just have to stop and say “I cant show everyone everything, this moment is just for me” and enjoy the moment.  I wish you could see this place though.  You would love it.

We’ve decided to leave Port Davey tomorrow (sad face) and will sail out to Schooner Bay tonight to get us closer to Breaksea Islands.   So once back to Nashira we said our goodbyes.  We have met some wonderful people who I am sure will be long time friends.

We had a nice brisk sail up the Bathurst channel to Schooners Cove and dropped anchor before dark.

[Balmoral hill – we climbed this a few days ago at Casilda cove,  now with sunshine]

Tonight is a quiet evening eating leftovers and watching the sunset on Mount Rugby.  mmmm…Love it here.

xoxoxox Kelly & Evan