Malcolm Douglas - Australia - One Summer (1981)

[Music] at home in sydney malcolm and his wife valerie and their children lachlan and mandy hang a five kilo mounted brown trout a reminder for malcolm of a rather different adventure from many that he's tackled over the years this time he's heading south to tasmania within three months he intends returning to sydney via bath straight in his five meter boat with his boat and vehicle safely stowed on board the ferry his first crossing of bass strait is more relaxing an overnight journey from melbourne to devonport [Music] his family is to accompany him for part of the journey [Music] malcolm's determined to catch one of tasmania's giant brown trout reputed to be the biggest in the world so right away they head south the recently sealed road leads deep into the southwest national park through spectacular primeval ranges to end at one of australia's most controversial projects lake peda formed after the damning of the serpentine river in 1972 its proportions are those of an inland sea the flooding of these vast valleys caused an uproar when the small glacial lake with its unique sandy beach was lost today an increasing number of people are visiting this area sightseeing and fishing trout introduced into the rising waters grew rapidly to dramatic proportions specimens over 12 kilos were frequently caught and now fishermen from all over the world arrive to try their luck after setting up camp there's the first basic lesson for lachlan malcolm shows his son how to play a fish they're surprised to see the old sydney ferry the bandina after an epic journey from new south wales it's now a tourist pleasure craft as they board their boat rabuna the weather deteriorates with the rapid approach of the first of many storms [Music] within an hour the squall eases and the hunt for the giant trout [Applause] begins lachlan's keen to learn and malcolm riggs a line for him a small fly or lure with a much larger lure trailing below the trout may take either lure for in the water it appears that the larger lure is chasing the smaller one this activity attracts the trout [Applause] the lures are trolled slowly from the stern much to lachlan's surprise he's the first to hook a fish it's very small by petter standards but lachlan is proud of his catch [Applause] [Music] [Applause] on sunny days the trout lurk down deep and to find them it's just a matter of continually trolling from one bay to the next working all the most likely spots but it's five days later and 50 hours trolling time before malcolm has his first strike and lachlan's really anxious that it's not lost right a bit [Applause] okay [Applause] [Music] transform [Applause] it's a good size too a typical peder trout and now the most important job to check its weight it tips a scale at four kilos the locals boast that the lake can display four seasons in one day how true that statement is within minutes a furious storm lashes the water and they head for home these sudden tempers make it unpleasant for the larger boats and downright dangerous for dinghies as quickly as it arrives the squall dissipates and serenity returns [Music] malcolm spends so much time in remote locations he's keen to teach the children some skills of survival lesson one how to make a damper the subsistence loaf of the outback all you need is a cup of self-raising flour mix it with water add a little salt and knead firmly into shape [Music] easy on the salt lakeland a bit of hot coals is essential without sufficient heat the damper will be sticky and raw inside a naked flame would burn the dough into a hard inedible crust it's the heat retained in the sand that actually cooks the damper through it'll be ready in about 15 minutes [Music] me watch out lachlan they're hot this is the traditional and by far the easiest way to cook a damper pots are not needed and surprisingly the ash and the sand brushes easily away and no hot damper is complete without lashings of apricot jam or honey the weather turns bitterly cold and the karawongs come down from the mountains to invade the camp scrounging for food mandy nicknames them cheeky boys at every opportunity they raid the food boxes [Music] [Music] oh but now it's back to the lake early in the morning with all lines out [Applause] hour after hour they edge along the small outboard churning slowly malcolm in desperation even tries rigging a lure on his game rod out behind down deep [Music] it works and it's a big fish too [Music] [Applause] [Music] even this trout is only half the size of the biggest specimen ever taken from the lake lachlan insists that they weigh each fish this one's five kilos when cleaning trout malcolm doesn't use water preferring to wipe the fish with dry paper this helps retain the unique flavor and also facilitates freezing and so dinner is prepared with a stuffing of onion and orange liberally laced with herbs and butter [Applause] roasted slowly over the open fire it's a gourmet's [Music] terrific lake peda is over 35 kilometers long and daily the douglasses set out to explore its many bays and inlets when the boat's moving mountains and hills and escarpments merge in an ever-changing panorama a living collage foreign [Music] right so [Music] foreign [Music] [Applause] ever since lachlan hooked his small trout on the first day he's been trying for the big one and today he's finally triumphed [Applause] as well as using film there's a great way to permanently record the catch using watercolors and a piece of paper compatible colors are rubbed onto the fish and its shape and texture imprinted on the paper before the paint [Applause] dries in this case it's just a length of paper towel but the result is a visual record of the exact size of the fish [Applause] is as quickly as it takes to complete the print the winds increase ahead of a rushing cold front and once again it's a bumpy dash back to camp [Music] after the dramatic drop in temperature the skies clear and once again it's serenely calm valerie's been hoping for a pedo trout for almost two weeks and at last success [Applause] hugely everyone's thrilled for tomorrow they must leave the lake for the highlands well last day last evening and there's a really nice tram much down about 11 pounds rabuna is towed from the water for the last time [Applause] [Music] any fish not eaten have been stored at the local supermarket freezer and now they have to be packed in ice for shipment back to sydney lachlan and mandy are delighted with their watercolor record the karawongs are cheekier than ever they've practically taken over if one is fed a hundred more arrived [Music] uh now what's in this box let's get rid of the dry biscuits the raisins must be in here somewhere [Music] foreign [Music] success at last [Music] but raisin stealing is just too much for lachlan right to the end the karawongs beg for food even malcolm's offer of an old apple core is accepted after a marvelous two weeks the douglas's leave lake peter and head for the alpine region the road runs through fields of opium poppies grown legally for pharmaceuticals they are a magical display [Music] [Music] arriving at cressie malcolm visits a friend noel jetson well-known and respected trout fishing guide and creator of the jet fly a professional flymaker he manufactures artificial morsels to tempt the fighting mountain trout flies are carefully crafted to represent the trout's favored food the following day noel joins malcolm and his family at one of the many lagoons in the highlands mandy and lachlan are intrigued by the variety of imitation insects noel supplies some answers with a natural history lesson a knit scooped through the shallows reveals many secrets small dragonfly nymphs are common that's the artificial nymph above the real life version so noel explains an artificial nymph would be the ideal bait for fishing this lagoon the fish are definitely on the bite these rainbow and brown trout have been caught in the past day or so in the crisp mountain air the fish can hang for days gradually drying out a process which preserves them and enhances their flavor the whole alpine region of tasmania is laced with hundreds of streams and lakes and lagoons most supporting good populations of trout and knoll is one of the best guides to find them they're soon heading for the high plateau in noel's toyota [Music] above the sheltering tree line there lies a vastly different world of open windswept plains rain squalls and often freezing conditions even in summer in winter the lakes ice over and the country is covered with snow the interlocking river systems team with trout but skill and patience are essential for spotting them in the clear water and tempting the quarry to take the fly [Music] whenever there's a rise in temperature myriads of insects hatch and scatter on the breeze noel constantly observes them to determine which type of fly to employ malcolm's still at it and there's a rise to many an angler a fighting mountain trout on light gear is the most exhilarating fishing of all noel is always pleased when one of his flies takes a trout the profusion of wild flowers attracts the attention of lachlan and mandy and they're fascinated by the huge folios lichen growing among the alpine heaths malcolm lands another fish before returning to camp [Applause] and now another lesson in cleaning this evening is their last in the tasmanian bush malcolm is keen now to set out for hobart to launch the boat for his long voyage to sydney on new year's eve hobart assumes its annual festival atmosphere for the finish of the sydney to hobart yacht race but new year's celebrations are far from malcolm's mind as he launches rabuna in the derwent river brett nixon has flown over from western australia to join malcolm for the best straight crossing brett's very experienced having traveled with malcolm on many occasions valerie mandy and lachlan will return to melbourne on the ferry it's a delightful balmy late afternoon the sydney yachts are still arriving as malcolm and brett set out from hobart and motor across storm bay to port arthur to anchor for the night [Music] port arthur australia's most famous penal colony has much of interest still remaining to remind the visitor of its grim past settled in 1830 within a few years port arthur earned a reputation as a hideous place for its inhabitants this distinctive four-story building erected in 1848 was the penitentiary originally containing cells for over 650 convicts when transportation to tasmania ended 12 000 criminals had served sentence here by 1878 port arthur had been abandoned and many of its buildings were auctioned off and dismantled a bushfire devastated the remaining buildings leaving only a few structures evident today the church in its original state was regarded as one of the finest in tasmania every effort is now being made to restore these historic ruins [Music] with conditions remaining calm malcolm and brett push on past the inspiring rock formation at cape pillar as they make a run along the east coast towards the most northerly tip of tasmania [Music] dolphins always welcome fellow travelers are attracted to the boat and for a while malcolm follows them marveling at their agility as they slice through the water with such effortless ease [Music] [Music] so near the fishing town of bishnow malcolm stops to observe the comical crested terms on the islands are the terms well camouflaged young and the parents and marauding gulls maintain a ceaseless feud the noise is deafening as the cheekiest gulls invade the island trying to attack the defenseless chicks rounding tasmania's eastern tip massive beds of floating kelp slow progress and the propeller has to be freed constantly after three days battling bad weather malcolm and brett pass circular head stanley a dominant landmark on the northwest coast regular radio checks keep malcolm well informed of weather forecasts suitable conditions are essential for the proposed crossing of bass strait back on melbourne's mornington peninsula lachlan listens constantly to his two-way radio usually without any luck today atmospheric conditions are favorable he's picking up a weak signal across the water and is delighted to hear his dad malcolm radios that they'll be anchoring off tasmania's north west tip and attempting the crossing as soon as possible if the weather holds [Music] but they're out of luck within hours the winds are gusting over 30 knots the voyagers hurriedly seek shelter and anchor [Applause] it's a long wait malcolm ponders over the charts and periodically checks their wind gauge a piece of string tied to a fishing rod after leaving hobart they traveled halfway around tasmania to the northwest tip where they are now anchored when the winds eased they hope to motor straight across bass straight to melbourne then with any luck eventually to reach sydney a real challenge in a five meter boat [Applause] the day passes slowly only the mutton birds enjoy the deteriorating conditions with the seats moved to the stern swags are rolled out and it's early to bed during the night the winds ease and early morning finds rabuna 10 kilometers west of king island heading straight for port phillip bay bass strait lives up to its reputation when a sudden squall envelops the boat they press on through rising seas optimistic that the winds will stay in the south [Music] a massive swell all the way from africa forces them along and the boat travels at an incredible 30 knots off the top of the wave after four hours they're halfway a wind change to the north now would force them back to tasmania for eight hours they pushed themselves the boat and the motors to the limit and after traveling a staggering 260 kilometers they negotiate the notorious heads into the tranquil calm of port phillip bay malcolm says it's been the most exhilarating eight hours he's ever experienced early the next day rabuna motors up melbourne's yarra river to a joyous welcome from valerie mandy and lachlan [Applause] the melbourne press declared rather too enthusiastically that the crossing was made during a gale because a nine meter yacht sank in big seas in best straight only hours after malcolm's successful crossing after all the drama and excitement the douglas family pitch camp at rye on melbourne's holiday peninsula for some fun fishing and relaxation lachlan who now has the boating bug reenacts his dad's crossing of bass strait eight-year-old boys have a wonderful [Applause] imagination [Music] oh [Applause] [Music] [Applause] during january melbourne's port phillip bay a comparatively safe body of water is a mecca for boats and the fishing's good malcolm lands a big leather jacket [Applause] lachlan's now among the garfish good fan on a light rod now something bigger a good-sized flathead [Applause] malcolm takes this opportunity to point out the dangerous barbs above the fat head's gills many a fisherman has regretted his enthusiasm grabbing a flathead can have poisonous consequences although the bay offers few varieties of fish flathead are always on the bite and usually it's two at a time although small they're extremely sweet to eat like all fishermen lachlan is now keen to get that big one on the first calm moonless night malcolm brett and lachlan motor out to the shallow sand fats in the middle of the bay they spot a fish so big lachlan can hardly believe his eyes a huge flat head in knee deep water when malcolm was a boy he first discovered these flathead in the shallows out in the bay [Applause] their success spurs them on this time they impale a flounder brett's having luck too and as the night progresses they see many more this size scooting over the sand flats [Music] [Applause] hey [Applause] that's good [Applause] lachlan declares that this is the best night of his holidays [Applause] they bring in enough to feed all the neighbouring campers on the ocean side of the peninsula the best straight swell crashes onto the wide sandy beaches and malcolm and lachlan revel in the surf [Music] up [Music] yes what are these kids up to now it's fun and games with dad's waders [Music] [Music] [Music] come on back on the placid water of the bay they take rabuna out to the shipping channel on one boy in particular number 10 fur seals have taken up residence to the delight of holiday makers with boats provided they're approached quietly they make no attempt to flee in fact they seem to enjoy the visitors [Applause] sadly their contact with humans can be dangerous for the animals this deep gash is probably the result of contact with an outboard motor propeller most of the bay is so shallow that the big ships must navigate the channel the huge bow launches a swell dangerous for small dinghies but the dolphins revel in the surging water flathead can be found ranging anywhere in the bay but the elusive snapper are much harder to locate the echo sounder discloses any reef where the big fish might be feeding sorry [Applause] in the evening they're biting but it's only the pinkies the small immature snapper it's too late in the season for the really big fish in the morning brett lines up his catch for a photograph and a local stray stakes his claim brett and malcolm persevere on the snapper mark and this time they land some good sized fish [Music] beautiful but all good holidays must come to an end it's pack up time with a little help from the local kids [Applause] valerie lachlan and mandy must return to sydney for the start of the school year malcolm and brett are to tackle the trip the hard way around the coast by boat rabuna is filled with 500 liters of fuel at the new whalers cove marina and once again it's out through the hills [Music] victoria is in the grip of a fierce heat wave which creates perfect boating conditions and the travelers are soon among the ansa islands off wilson's prometry skull rock a magnificent granite dome is the most dominant landmark nearby the fur seals have a perfect refuge at first malcolm fears they might panic but they're soon frolicking around the boat by 1800 fur seals had been slaughtered almost to extinction for their skins and oil happily they're now making a successful [Applause] comeback uh the perfect weather encourages malcolm to drop a line but he only manages to land some parrot fish they're not good eating so malcolm puts them back with wilson's promontory now a stern they motor along the coast to lake's entrance it's always a tense time crossing the bar and especially the notorious one at lakes entrance it has a formidable record as one of the most dangerous on the coast [Music] newspaper cuttings illustrate its deserved reputation for treachery over the years many boats have been wrecked and mariners lost attempting to cross the lakes entrance bar [Music] inside the narrow gap is a different world of tranquil waterways a major port for professional scholar fishermen the huge lakes attract thousands of holidaymakers every year after the punishing trip from wilson's promontory malcolm and brett wait for the winds to subside before attempting the next long run to eden on the new south wales [Music] coast three days later the ocean's so calm that the visiting dredge begins work deepening the channel malcolm cites a school of kingfish and there's soon plenty of action [Music] at eden the professional fishermen are amazed that they've traveled from hobart in a five meter boat the crew of the cherokee insisted malcolm and brett join them for a day or so out on the fishing grounds the long net is lowered to the bottom and by an intricate system of floats and counterweights moves along a huge scoop sweeping [Music] the skipper decides when to retrieve the net playful seals always accompany the fishing boats picking up morsels when the net's emptied it's a slow messy job sorting the catch into boxes ready for the market [Music] malcolm takes this opportunity to gather marine specimens for his collection back in sydney [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] from eden it's a straight run north to sydney and malcolm's back in familiar waters [Music] again after three months away rabuna is pulled from the water for the last time it's been one summer that malcolm will always remember [Music] um

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Length: 46min 57sec (2817 seconds)

Published: Tue Dec 01 2020