Ferry to Sorrento
Jan. 1st, 2015 12:37 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
khiemtranThis week, come with me on a ferry ride. We're going to cross the heads of Port Philip Bay from Queenscliff to Sorrento on the SeaRoad ferry...
We'll board at Queenscliff. Most people just drive their cars onto the cavernous lower deck. Pedestrians can enter at the same ramp and climb up the stairs to the upper deck. Here we are on the stairs, watching as the last cars roll on to the ferry.
On the inside, the ferry is very well appointed. There's a children's play area and a cafe and lots of comfy chairs and big windows. The boys are excited because they've just spotted a stingray swimming by the jetty.
But as comfortable as the inside is, unless it's raining, the outside is the place to be...
The seas are flat as we make the crossing. The ferry has two hulls and handles the light conditions with ease.
From our vantage point over the bow, we spot cormorants, crested terns and Australasian gannets. Here's a rather blurry shot of a gannet.
Here's the far side of the bay in front of us. To the right is the open sea. To the left, the great expanse of the bay. In the last ice age, this would all have been a dry valley once.
Approaching the pier at Sorrento now...
This guy was trying to moor at the jetty and the ferry was sounding its horn to warn him not to swing out too far. The ferry is actually going to pass between those those two rows of concrete pylons in the background.
You can see here how the giant pylons help guide the ferry in to the ramp. The doors are at the back of the ferry, so it needs to go in stern first.
The first cars getting ready to roll off. We're waiting on the steps again, for our turn to leave.
On the beach at Sorrento.
The ferries run every hour. Here's the next one heading in.
Think we're going to miss one. We'll grab some chips and a beer from one of the seaside restaurants and wait for the next one.
Here we are back on board. You can see the vehicles lined up to roll on. It turns out that even boats travel by ferry.
As we head back, the wind picks up. You can see by the sea state, it's force 6 and force 7 most of the way back. The ferry starts to rock a bit, but it is still surprisingly smooth given the sea state. The giant picture windows give a spectacular view.
Back again, and you can see the sea state across the heads. It's so windy now, we can feel ourselves being blown around as we try to descend the steps. An excellent day trip - I hope you had fun!
We'll board at Queenscliff. Most people just drive their cars onto the cavernous lower deck. Pedestrians can enter at the same ramp and climb up the stairs to the upper deck. Here we are on the stairs, watching as the last cars roll on to the ferry.
On the inside, the ferry is very well appointed. There's a children's play area and a cafe and lots of comfy chairs and big windows. The boys are excited because they've just spotted a stingray swimming by the jetty.
But as comfortable as the inside is, unless it's raining, the outside is the place to be...
The seas are flat as we make the crossing. The ferry has two hulls and handles the light conditions with ease.
From our vantage point over the bow, we spot cormorants, crested terns and Australasian gannets. Here's a rather blurry shot of a gannet.
Here's the far side of the bay in front of us. To the right is the open sea. To the left, the great expanse of the bay. In the last ice age, this would all have been a dry valley once.
Approaching the pier at Sorrento now...
This guy was trying to moor at the jetty and the ferry was sounding its horn to warn him not to swing out too far. The ferry is actually going to pass between those those two rows of concrete pylons in the background.
You can see here how the giant pylons help guide the ferry in to the ramp. The doors are at the back of the ferry, so it needs to go in stern first.
The first cars getting ready to roll off. We're waiting on the steps again, for our turn to leave.
On the beach at Sorrento.
The ferries run every hour. Here's the next one heading in.
Think we're going to miss one. We'll grab some chips and a beer from one of the seaside restaurants and wait for the next one.
Here we are back on board. You can see the vehicles lined up to roll on. It turns out that even boats travel by ferry.
As we head back, the wind picks up. You can see by the sea state, it's force 6 and force 7 most of the way back. The ferry starts to rock a bit, but it is still surprisingly smooth given the sea state. The giant picture windows give a spectacular view.
Back again, and you can see the sea state across the heads. It's so windy now, we can feel ourselves being blown around as we try to descend the steps. An excellent day trip - I hope you had fun!
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Date: 2015-01-03 06:37 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-01-03 11:22 pm (UTC)