1So, hello everyone.
2My name's Lou Miller and I'm going to be your tour guide today
3as we take this fantastic boat trip around the Tasmanian coast.
4Before we set off, I just want to tell you a few things about our journey.
5Our boats aren't huge as you can see.
6We already have three staff members on board
7and on top of that,
8we can transport a further fifteen people, that's you - around the coastline.
9But please note if there are more than nine people on either side of the boat,
10we'll move some of you over, otherwise all eighteen of us will end up in the sea!
11We've recently upgraded all our boats.
12They used to be jet black,
13but our new ones now have these comfortable dark red seats and a light-green exterior
14in order to stand out from others and help promote our company.
15This gives our boats a rather unique appearance, don't you think?
16We offer you a free lunchbox during the trip
17and we have three types.
18Lunchbox 1 contains ham and tomato sandwiches.
19Lunchbox 2 contains a cheddar cheese roll
20and Lunchbox 3 is salad-based and also contains eggs and tuna.
21All three lunchboxes also have a packet of crisps and chocolate bar inside.
22Please let staff know which lunchbox you prefer.
23I'm sure I don't have to ask you not to throw anything into the sea.
24We don't have any bins to put litter in,
25but Jess, myself or Ray, our other guide, will collect it from you after lunch
26and put it all in a large plastic sack.
27The engine on the boat makes quite a lot of noise so before we head off,
28let me tell you a few things about what you're going to see.
29This area is famous for its ancient lighthouse,
30which you'll see from the boat as we turn past the first little island.
31It was built in 1838 to protect sailors
32as a number of shipwrecks had led to significant loss of life.
33The construction itself was complicated
34as some of the original drawings kept by the local council show.
35It sits right on top of the cliffs in a very isolated spot.
36In the nineteenth century there were many jobs there,
37such as polishing the brass lamps,
38chopping firewood and cleaning windows, that kept lighthouse keepers busy.
39These workers were mainly prison convicts until the middle of that century
40when ordinary families willing to live in such circumstances took over.
41Some of you have asked me what creatures we can expect to see.
42I know everyone loves the penguins,
43but they're very shy and, unfortunately, tend to hide from passing boats,
44but you might see birds in the distance, such as sea eagles,
45flying around the cliff edges where they nest.
46When we get to the rocky area inhabited by fur seals,
47we'll stop and watch them swimming around the coast.
48They're inquisitive creatures so don't be surprised if one pops up right in front of you.
49Their predators, orca whales, hunt along the coastline too,
50but spotting one of these is rare.
51Dolphins, on the other hand,
52can sometimes approach on their own or in groups as they ride the waves beside us.
53Lastly, I want to mention the caves.
54Tasmania is famous for its caves
55and the ones we'll pass by are so amazing that people are lost for words when they see them.
56They can only be approached by sea.
57but if you feel that you want to see more than we're able to show you,
58then you can take a kayak into the area on another day
59and one of our staff will give you more information on that.
60What we'll do is to go through a narrow channel,
61past some incredible rock formations
62and from there we'll be able to see the openings to the caves,
63and at that point we'll talk to you about what lies beyond.