Hippolye Rock from Fortescue

As I stand on the shore at Fortescue Bay on turrakana/Tasman Peninsula I can see a small island not too far out. It is part of a group of rocks called the Hippolytes. Among seafarers it is considered a marker of treacherous waters and submerged reefs. These reefs claimed two ships that had taken a course too close, lured by the Hippolytes’ deceptively calmer waters.

It’s hard to understand why anyone would seek refuge at this perilous place over the shores of the bay, but for several escaped convicts, this seemed the only choice. In 1853 a small group of absconders made their way from Port Arthur to Fortescue Bay where they built three canoes. Their hope was to make it to Hippolyte Rock, some 8 kilometres offshore. They did not get far – the canoes sank, and only two of the convicts managed to get back to shore while the others drowned. Today’s sailors avoid the Hippolytes’ dangerous strait, keeping a wary distance from its granite cliffs.