Bass Strait washes the South Coast of Australia and is part of the Pacific and Indian Oceans. It separates the mainland from the island of Tasmania and joins here with the waters of the Atlantic. 10,000 years ago, due to rising ocean levels and flooding of part of Australia, a wide (240 km) strait was formed, and an elevated part of the mainland became an island.
From the history of glorious discoveries
First time about. Tasmania was discovered in 1642 by a small expedition led by the outstanding navigator of that time, Abel Tasman. On two ships, Zehan and Heemskerk, he circled the island from the south, but could not say for sure whether this land was an island or part of the mainland. It was decided to finally clarify this issue only 150 years later.
George Bass Expedition
In early 1797, the English merchant ship Sidney Cove, which entered the Bass Strait, was wrecked. The surviving sailors, together with the captain's assistant, passed through the strait on a lifeboat, reached the coast of Australia and again fell into a storm. We had to walk along the coast to get to the port. Returning, the exhausted sailors told everyone about the tragedy that had happened. Several convicts took advantage of this news and,having stolen the boat, they fled through the strait, but the journey turned out to be too difficult. Several fugitives decided to return.
In Port Jackson they met George Bass. Hearing their story, the doctor was filled with great enthusiasm and made his own attempt to explore the southern coast of Australia. Taking the losers with him, he went along the coast on his whaleboat and made sure that the open sea really stretched to the south. But there was no certainty that Tasmania is an island on the world map.
Colonization of Tasmania
In 1798, a special expedition was organized to explore the strait, led by the Norfolk ship. His crew included British hydrographer Matthew Flinders and ship's doctor George Bass. Accompanying the ship was a small private ship, the Nautilus, with supplies of drinking water and food on board. The trip turned out to be successful. Flinders mapped the northern limits of Tasmania, previously unknown islands were discovered, and the strait was named after George Bass. Opening about. Tasmania by Europeans led to the total destruction of the local population and the colonization of their territory. The first settlement of Europeans was founded in 1803, then a prison was built for convicts in order to use their slave labor in coal mines. This place was called hell on earth. But the times of great discoveries and great tragedies have sunk into oblivion.
Paradise
Today Bass Strait and Tasmania are one of the centers of world tourism and recreation. The unique nature, the mild seaside subtropical climate and the exoticism of historical sites promise guests an unforgettable experience. The richest flora and fauna of the island includes species that are not found anywhere else in the world. Today about. Tasmania is a World Heritage Site. There are two unique lakes on the territory of Launceston National Park. One is completely surrounded by mountains, and the other is filled with the purest glacial water. This is Lake St. Clair, on its shore travelers are waiting for small cozy hotels.
Sights of the island and the strait in Australia
Tourists in Tasmania and the shores of the Bass Strait have access not only to hiking trails through national parks and reserves, but also to interesting city sites: the Royal Theater and the Cascade Brewery in Hobart, the ruins of a convict settlement in Port Arthur, the Gordon Dam high 140 m on the Gordon River.
The best hotels and beaches are provided to guests. Wineglass is one of the top 10 beaches in the world. Not far from the shore, mountains of pink granite rise directly from the water. They separate the bay from the rest of the ocean, protecting it from waves and storms.
In local markets you can buy original souvenirs and artifacts. The cuisine is replete with delicious dishes of rare seafood and fresh game. Guestslocal smoked meats and cheeses, local wines, premium beers, Tasmanian honey, juicy fruit.
Sailing regattas take place in the waters of the Bass Strait. Fans of extreme sensations here test their sails and their nerves for strength. But in 1978, Bass Strait took on a very different glory.
Sinister Oddities
Frederik Valentich, flying on a Cessna over this area, suddenly disappeared without a trace along with the plane. The radio station that kept in touch with Valentich recorded the last words, uttered with horror in his voice: “A strange plane is right above me! And it's not a plane! And that's all: only dark water - no signs, no trace …
Specialists from NASA were involved in the investigation of this case. After a thorough study of all the details, they came to the conclusion that the unfortunate man became a victim of a UFO. The mysterious disappearance of Valentich was not the only incident here that cannot be explained. Many mysterious facts have been noted much earlier.
This has happened before
The first evidence of inexplicable phenomena was the publication in the Melbourne newspaper "Argus" in 1886. The article said that coastal residents noticed a giant cigar-shaped object hanging over the bay. Soon the "cigar" entered the water and disappeared from the field of view of the observers.
In July 1920, the sailing ship Saint Amalia went missing in the Bass Strait. A plane took off in search of her, which also did not return. The rescue expedition that left Devonport was unsuccessful.
A plane carrying mail and passengers from Delhi to Hobart disappeared without a trace over the strait in the autumn of 1934.
In early 1944, the first pilot of a British bomber reported that they were being pursued by a UFO in the skies over Bass Strait. With the approach of the object, the connection was disconnected, the instruments failed. The object then departed at an unusually high speed, all equipment restored to normal, and the crew was able to continue flying.
Anomalies continue
Anomalous phenomena in Bass Strait continue to occur even now, in the 21st century. In the summer of 2004, passengers on a pleasure boat saw pink mist rising from the water in the strait. In 2005, residents of Melbourne went to the police because they were frightened by the sudden appearance of a large spherical UFO in the sky. In early 2006, eyewitnesses reported a multi-colored "wheel" that rotated over the water in the strait.
Tourists and locals continue to claim to have witnessed UFOs near Tasmania and Bass Strait. Perhaps the terrifying disappearances give free rein to their imagination. Or maybe all this is true, and UFOs have their own purpose here, incomprehensible to earthlings? Pilots of aircraft and captains of ships cautiously pass through the strait and rejoice at the successful completion of their journeys. But there is no guarantee that no one else will disappear in this place shrouded in mystery.
All the described events are frightening andforced to recognize the zone of the strait and the islands of Tasmania on the world map as anomalous. Many call this place the "Bass Triangle".
In addition to the anomalies studied by ufologists, Bass Strait is also the object of geographical disputes, since the Australian authorities and ocean scientists still cannot agree on which water area the strait is part of. The International Geographic Society is not very specific about the strait as part of the Pacific Ocean, but the Australian Hydrographic Organization states with all certainty that Bass Strait is part of the Tasman Sea, which the Australian authorities still refer to as the Australian Sea.
