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Five Days at Macquarie Beach: Tasmania’s Southern Ocean Shore

Published April 8, 2011

I, Bernie Harberts, did not use generative AI to write or illustrate this article. Spell check and grammar check, yes. AI, no.

Bernie Harberts looking west from Macquarie Heads, Tasmania, toward the Southern Ocean

Macquarie Heads, Tasmania: Looking due West, you’re looking under Africa at South America — Puerto Madryn, Argentina, Patagonia, to be precise

In less than a month, I return to North Carolina. My half year bike voyage of Tasmania will be over.

To sear some final southern ocean images into my brain, I spent 5 days camped at Macquarie Beach, west of Strahan. Each day I walked the beach looking for something to bring home in my brain. For you, I took a photo. Here, with a minimum of description, were the solitary objects I found.

Day 1: Sand butte and shadow

Day 2: Little Penguin skull found atop a bluff at Macquarie Beach, Tasmania, where eagles eat them

Day 2: Little Penguin skull found atop a bluff where eagles eat them

Day 3: Shell in a windstorm on Macquarie Beach, Tasmania, with sand grains suspended in the howling wind

Day 3: Shell in a windstorm: look closely and you can see sand grains suspended by the howling wind

Day 4: Round Sand butte

Day 5: Lone tree on a dune at Macquarie Beach, Tasmania

Day 5: Lone Tree Dune

There is no photo for Day 6. I broke camp and headed east toward the Tasmanian interior. I’d found what I was searching for.

Jeff 2011-04-08 09:25:02

Hard to believe the time’s gone by that quickly. Seems like just yesterday we were sitting in Oriental talking about your trip, sailing, epoxy and who knows what else. I was just as happy to not experience the leeches first hand, but I’ve enjoyed the pictures, the stories and the postcards.

Enjoy the rest of your rideabout, and safe travels home!

More about biking Tasmania on a junk store bike.

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