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