Description
The southern winds are particularly strong at Hells Gates, Tasmania.
Hells Gates in Tasmania is adeptly named, for the waters in this area are renowned as being treacherous especially in the days of sailing ships. This photograph ‘Stormy Sailing” was taken inside Macquarie Harbour near the Kelly Channel. The day I took this image had a very strong wind, so keeping the lens dry was a bit of a battle. Though in saying that keeping my hat on my head with out it blowing 200m down the beach was also a challenge.
Given that there would have been much worse days I can imagine how rough it would have been in the Tasman sea let alone for sailing ships of that period. Which quite often could not gain entry through Hells Gates to Macquarie Harbour where Strahan is the major port, this being on Tasmania’s notorious east coast.
Hells Gates is Just near the famous penal colony of Sarah island which Macquarie Harbour in the former colony of Van Diemen’s Land, now Tasmania, Australia, operated between 1822 and 1833. Of all the penal colony’s in tasmania this was the harshest. Given the seater conditions that can arise you can see just why, on climatic reasons alone. Not to mention the extremely punitive conditions that would have been imposed on the islands Inmates.
Lloyd Howlett’s Australian landscape limited edition photographs are printed on archival quality canvas (designed to last well in to the next century and beyond) individually numbered and signed. Making each print completely individual.