Points of interest

NextG phone access

Refuge Cove - from the track heading south on a clear slab of rock 10 minutes above the bushwalker's camp.
Hogan Island - from the low saddle above the hut.
Erith Island - from the saddle overlooking Wallabi Cove, a favourite place to just sit and look and absorb the atmosphere.
Winter Cove, Deal Island - from the hill to the north overlooking Winter Cove.
Also from the track leading up to the caretaker's buildings from East Cove.
Killiecrankie - next to the shed at the back of the campground and along the beach past the stream.
Emita campground - at the campground.
Trousers Point - in the carpark above the electric BBQ's.

Tidal calculations are made using Tidetech figures. These provide current speed and direction every half hour for all regions. Firstly we estimate how long the crossing wll take and plan to begin at a time that will have us arrive at slack water.  Then we note the speed/direction of the current for each hour at the point we expect to be at with an estimated 3 knots speed. Noting the total push for the ebb and the flood and subtracting the lesser from the greater tells us how much the overall push will be and in which direction. For example,  the result for the paddle to Hogan island was a push by the flood of 12 kms so we aimed east of Hogan by 12 kms (20 degrees east of a straight line bearing) and hit Hogan perfectly after one big continuous curve. If we had aimed straight for Hogan we would have had to have battled upstream against the flood to get to the island.  

Weather forecasts are taken from the BOM site , text forecast for Bass Strait, the computer generated forecasts and also the Victorian Explorer (Vic. BOM site) as well as from those supplied by Karel Vissel. Karel's forecasts are exceptional. We also carry a SSB radio which duplicates the BOM Bass Strait text forecast. 

Water supplies

Refuge has water at the bushwalkers camp
Hogan has poor water availability, the tank doesn't look too flash
Erith has good tanks 
Winter Cove has a brackish stream
Emita has good tanks 
Trousers Point has a good tank
We each have the capacity to carry about 18 litres of water.