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Tasmania Over the Bow of a Sea Kayak

Take a good look at a map of eastern, southeastern and southwestern Tasmania - or better still, log on to Google Earth and zoom in towards the island from space. This coastline was created when the oceans rose at the end of the last Ice Age, 12,000 years ago.

It's a complex scribbly line of headlands and peninsulas, deep bays and wide estuaries, high sea cliffs and open beaches, sheltered harbours and broad channels, stretching all the way from the Freycinet Peninsula in the east round to Bathurst Harbour in the Southwest.

These waters could easily be the best sea-kayaking destination anywhere on the planet.

Discover the out-of-the-ordinary delights of looking at life over the bow of a sea kayak in Tasmania.

First, there are the inspiring landscapes and seascapes. Anyone who enjoys the scenic attractions of a wilderness walk will relish the same appeal in sea kayaking, as views of dramatic coast and water open up and change.

Then there's the simple pleasure of low-impact exercise - no jarring of knees and ankles as you jog on hard cement, just the controlled rhythm as your paddle blades dip and splash.

Then there's the comfort level of the sport. Sea kayaks are a roomy, safe, stable craft. They can carry far more weight than you'd ever get into a backpack, so overnight camping trips by sea kayak can be wonderfully self-indulgent. Tent, stove, sleeping bag, all the extra clothes and gear you need, your favourite food treats, a good book, a bottle of Tasmanian wine - no problem, it all fits.

Some years ago, Tasmania's splendid sea kayaking opportunities attracted Antarctic voyager and adventurer Ian Balmer and blue-water sailor Kim Brodleib to make their home and base their business - Roaring 40s Ocean Kayaking. From their base in Kettering, just a few dozen paddle strokes from one of the world's finest cruising waterways, the D'Entrecasteaux Channel, Roaring 40s Ocean Kayaking offer a variety of trips that suit people of every ability.

First-timers can quickly discover the delights of sea kayaking on a two-hour paddle around the moored yachts in Kettering's scenic harbour.

Intermediate paddlers can join a Roaring 40s guided weekend getaway or overnight paddle to explore different parts of the coastline, such as around Bruny and Maria islands.

More advanced sea kayakers can experience one of the world's finest multi-day expeditions to the remote wilderness waterways of Bathurst Harbour.

This amazing trip begins with a magnificent flight across the rugged Eastern Arthur Ranges, landing on the white quartzite airstrip at Melaleuca, deep in the Southwest Wilderness. From Roaring 40s' own Forest Lagoon camp, paddlers explore Bathurst Harbour's spectacular coastlines, camping each night beneath sheltering tea-tree thickets, going ashore to walk across dunes to wild, untrodden beaches and venturing out past the Breaksea Islands to feel the raw power of Southern Ocean swells beneath the keel.

Leading Tasmanian sea kayaking operators, like Roaring 40s Ocean Kayaking, offer multi-level trips from a range of locations including Hobart, Strahan, Freycinet and Port Arthur. All tours are with professional guides and while a minimum level of fitness is required, experience is not necessary.

If you're an experienced sea kayaker looking for new horizons; an occasional paddler interested in advancing your skills and travelling with new companions; or a complete beginner, wondering why kayakers always seem to come off the water with a huge smile - visit www.discovertasmania.com click for 'Inspiring Experiences' and select the sea kayaking experience to suit you.

Or visit:
www.roaring40skayaking.com.au
www.freycinetadventures.com.au
www.blackabyseakayaks.com.au