The Bass Strait is washed by the South coast of Australia and is part of the Pacific and Indian Oceans. It separates the mainland from the island of Tasmania and connects here with the waters of the Atlantic. 10,000 years ago, due to rising sea levels and the flooding of parts of Australia, a wide (240 km) strait formed, and the elevated part of the mainland became an island.
From the history of glorious discoveries
For the first time about. Tasmania was opened in 1642 by a small expedition led by the outstanding sailor of the time Abel Tasman. On two ships, Zekhan and Hemskerk, he went around the island from the south, but could not say with certainty whether this land is an island or part of the mainland. They finally decided to clarify this issue only 150 years later.
George Bass Expedition
At the beginning of 1797, the English merchant ship Sidney-Cove, which entered the Bass Strait, was wrecked. The surviving sailors, along with the assistant captain, passed through the strait on a rescue boat, reached the shores of Australia and again fell into a storm. I had to get to the port on foot along the coast. Upon returning, the exhausted sailors told everyone about the tragedy that had happened. Several convicts took advantage of this news and, having stolen the boat, fled through the strait, but the journey was too difficult. Several fugitives decided to return.
In Port Jackson, he met George Bass. Hearing their story, the doctor was very enthusiastic 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 stretches 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 ship "Norfolk". His crew included British hydrograph Matthew Flinders and ship's physician George Bass. A small private ship Nautilus with supplies of drinking water and food on board advanced to escort the ship. The trip was a success. Flinders compiled a map of the northern reaches of Tasmania, discovered previously unknown islands, and the strait got its name in honor of George Bass. Discovery about. Tasmania by Europeans led to the total destruction of the local population and the colonization of their territory. The first settlement of the Europeans was founded in 1803, then a prison for convicts was built 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, the Bassov Strait and Tasmania are one of the centers of world tourism and recreation. The unique nature, mild coastal subtropical climate and the exotic of historical places promise guests an unforgettable experience. The island’s richest flora and fauna 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 clear glacial water. This is Lake St. Clair, on its shore, travelers will find small, cozy hotels.
Sights of the island and strait in Australia
Tourists on Tasmania and the banks of the Bassa Strait can access not only walking routes through national parks and nature reserves, but also interesting city objects: the Royal Theater and the cascading brewery in Hobart, the ruins of the convicts in Port Arthur, the Gordon dam 140 m high on the Gordon River .
It offers the best hotels and beaches. Winglass is one of the 10
best beaches in the world. Near the coast, 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.
Original souvenirs and artifacts can be purchased at local markets. The cuisine abounds with delicious dishes of rare seafood and fresh game. Guests will be offered smoked meats and local cheeses, local wines, elite beers, Tasmanian honey, and juicy fruits.
In the waters of the Bass Strait are sailing regattas. Fans of extreme sensations here test their sails and their nerves for strength. But in 1978, the Bassa Strait acquired a completely different glory.
Ominous oddities
Frederic Valentich, flying on the Cessna over this area, suddenly disappeared without a trace with the plane. The radio station in contact with Valentich recorded the last words uttered with horror in his voice: “A strange plane is right above me! And this is not a plane! ” And all: only dark water - no signs, no trace ...
NASA experts were involved in the investigation of this case. After a thorough study of all the details, they came to the conclusion that the unfortunate victim of a UFO. Valentich's mysterious disappearance was not the only incident that cannot be explained. Many mysterious facts were noted much earlier.
This has happened before
The first evidence of an unexplained phenomenon was the publication in the Melbourne newspaper Argus in 1886. The note said that residents of coastal areas noticed a gigantic 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, in the Bassa Strait, the sailing ship "Holy Amalia" went missing. A plane flew in search of her, which also did not return. The rescue expedition that left Devonport was unsuccessful.
The plane carrying mail and passengers from Delhi to Hobart disappeared without a trace over the strait in the fall of 1934.
In early 1944, the first pilot of a British bomber reports that UFOs were chasing them in the sky above the Basse Channel. With the approach of the object, the connection disconnected, the devices refused. Then the object retired at an unusually high speed, all equipment was restored to work, and the crew was able to continue the flight.
Anomalies continue
Anomalous phenomena in the Bass Strait continue to occur now, in the 21st century. In the summer of 2004, passengers on a pleasure boat saw pink fog floating in the strait in the strait. In 2005, the residents of Melbourne turned to the police because they were frightened by the sudden appearance in the sky of a UFO of a spherical shape of a large size. In early 2006, eyewitnesses reported a multi-colored “wheel” that rotated above the water in the strait.
Tourists and locals continue to claim to have witnessed UFOs in the area of Tasmania and the Bass Strait. Perhaps horrific disappearances give free rein to their imagination. Or maybe all this is true, and UFOs have here their own, incomprehensible earthlings purpose? Pilots and captains of ships cautiously pass through the strait and rejoice in the successful completion of their journeys. But there is no guarantee that no one will disappear in this secret place.
All the described events frighten and force to recognize the zone of the strait and the island of Tasmania on the world map anomalous. Many people call this place "Bass Triangle."
In addition to the anomalies studied by ufologists, the Bass Strait is also the subject of geographical disputes, since Australian authorities and oceanologists still cannot agree on which part of the water area the strait is. The international geographic society does not very specifically classify the strait as part of the Pacific Ocean, but the hydrographic organization of Australia states with certainty that the Bassa Strait is part of the Tasman Sea, which Australian authorities still call the Australian.