GAE & Tasmania

[Tim]

@gbrooks9

1st: You accuse me of using a map that doesnt belong to Tasmania.

No George. I stated:

@Tim

It is not clear what your map is of – it does not appear to be of Bass Strait and its islands:

I then posted this map:

@Tim

That appeared nothing like your (first) cluttered, unrecognisable map:

@gbrooks9

@gbrooks9

2nd: I change the orientation closer to the one you used without all the lines, and you are still faulting me for including lines (including latitudes that are uniquely Tasmania’s!).

No George.

The second map you posted was this one:

@gbrooks9

This map is identical to your first one.

I will note here that is unclear what this map adds to the conversation. Both Joshua’s book, and my OP above already mention these islands. And your “avg 24 miles each” does not add useful information – it would be (i) the longest individual leg, (ii) the total distance traveled, (iii) identity of the start and end points of each ‘leg’, (iv) the availability of embarkation/debarkation sites at these points (you would need a beach, or similar, not a cliff), and (v) availability of shelter, fresh water and food at the intermediate points, that would be more useful.

Addendum: does this mapped journey take us all the way to Tasmania, or just to Flinders Island?

I am also confused how the average leg can be 24 miles, but the “longest island hop of about 21 miles” – how can the longest leg be shorter than the average leg?

@gbrooks9

Then you criticize an island hopping strategy - - which is the ONLY way 1 or more canoes traveling 3.5 mph is going to allow an ambitious aborigine to find the source of smoke trails on the edge of the world (Tasmania).

1. The fact that it is “the ONLY way” does not necessitate that it would be a viable way.

2. Citation please for your “3.5 mph” number. Was it measured in calm water (e.g. a lake or lagoon) or in sea-going conditions? What sort of canoe was employed?

3. What evidence do you have that “smoke trails on the edge of the world (Tasmania)” would be visible from the mainland?

@gbrooks9

The longest island hop of about 21 miles could easily be done in a day. And using the leeward side of these islands makes travel less grim.

Have you accounted for the strong tidal currents that affect Bass Strait:

Bass Strait is a region of notoriously rough water approximately 250 km wide and 500 km long situated between the mainland coast of Australia and the north coast of the island of Tasmania. There are two tidal cycles a day with one having an larger range than the other. Generally speaking the flood tide flows inwards from both sides of the Strait towards the middle.

[Source]

@gbrooks9

Some of the islands do seem quite empty - - but their key virtue is they usually dont sink and they have plenty of space for storing provisions for the next leg towards Tasmania.

1. How much provisions, in excess of what are needed for the journey itself, can be stored in a bark canoe, without dangerously overloading it for sea-going conditions?

2. What is the cost-benefit payoff of such a multiple-stage journey, involving preparatory trips to stage provisions?

3. How long do these preparatory trips extend the window of calm weather for, that would require suspension of the Roaring Forties, and eventually suspension of the laws of physics underlying them?