Cape Sorell, Tasmania

Cape Sorell is the headland and lighthouse located outside of Macquarie Harbour on the West Coast of Tasmania.It is an important orientation point for all vessels entering Macquarie Heads - and then through Hells Gates at the entrance to the harbour.It is named after Lieutenant-Governor of Tasmania William Sorell who was lieutenant-governor from 1817 to 1824.

Lighthouse

Infobox_Lighthouse
name = Cape Sorell Lighthouse


caption =
location = NW of Macquarie Harbour entrance
coordinates =
yearbuilt =
yearlit = 1899
automated =
yeardeactivated =
foundation =
construction =
shape = Conical
marking = White
height =
elevation = 51 m
lens =
currentlens =
intensity =
range =
characteristic = Fl. (2) 15 s
fogsignal =
admiralty =K3660
NGA =6892
ARLHS =AUS-046

Cape Sorell Lighthouse is on the Australian Heritage Register . [ [http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/ahdb/search.pl?mode=place_detail;search=place_name%3Dcape%2520sorell%2520lighthouse%3Bkeyword_PD%3Don%3Bkeyword_SS%3Don%3Bkeyword_PH%3Don%3Blatitude_1dir%3DS%3Blongitude_1dir%3DE%3Blongitude_2dir%3DE%3Blatitude_2dir%3DS%3Bin_region%3Dpart;place_id=13246 Search The Australian Heritage Database ] ] It was inaugurated in 1899. The light characteristic is a group of two flashes that occurs every fifteen seconds, its focal plane is at 51 metres above sea level. Originally, the site had a number of keeper's houses which were torn down though in 1988. [cite web|url=http://www.unc.edu/~rowlett/lighthouse/tas.htm|author=Rowlett, Russ|title=The Lighthouse Directory]

Macquarie Heads Breakwater Railway

Macquarie Heads Breakwater was a project of the Strahan Marine Board to sustain a reasonable depth to the Hells Gates and Macquarie Heads area to allow for shipping of limited tonnage to serve Regatta Point while the Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Company was exporting its mineral products by sea.

Between 1900 and 1946 there was a horse drawn wooden rail tramline that was utilised to provide access between locations on the Cape Sorell headland between the Cape Sorell lighthouse and the jetty and wharf locations - as well as to move rock from quarries to the construction and maintenance of the Macquarie Heads Breakwater.

The named locations on the wooden rail system - were
* 0.0 - "Watts Hill Quarry" - operating between October 1900 and May 1927
* "Pilot Beach (Bay Street)" - operating between October 1900 and 1946
* 1.1 - "Pilot Bay Jetty" - operating between 1904 and May 1927
* 2.2 - "West Breakwater Base" - operating between 19th June and 1946
* 2.6 - "Macquarie Heads (Langtry Street)"
* 2.8 - "Town Wharf"
* 5.4 - "Wellington Head Quarry" - operating between 1904 and May 1927

Waverider Buoy

The Cape Sorell Waverider Buoy is a swell-measuring buoy located west of Cape Sorell some 10 km kilometres west of Ocean Beach (coord|42|12|S|145|03|E|type:landmark_region:AU-TAS). [ [http://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDT65015.shtml Link to current observations] - [http://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDT65014.shtml Link to wave buoy recent observation graph] ]

It is unique in that it is one of the few wave-riding swell measuring buoys close to land in the region within the Roaring Forties of the Southern Ocean apart from those in New Zealand.

Originally known as the 'Strahan' waverider buoy it was deployed in January 1998 and had recorded maximum waves of 18 m within the first three months of operation. The Strahan buoy was supported by CMR which provides the moorings, and the Strahan fishing community which provides the resources to deploy and recover the buoy.

Earlier CSIRO-funded wave-measuring buoys were installed in this area in the early 1990s. [ [http://www.marine.csiro.au/marq/edd_search.Browse_Citation?txtSession=5833 Wave Data from CSIRO Waverider Buoys deployed in Tasmanian waters 1985-1993 ] ]

The table and graph of the range of the swells is readily available on the internet links listed below. This link is sometimes displayed in the boats that conduct cruises across Macquarie Harbour and up Gordon River, as a means of illustrating the strength and intensity of the swells that meet Ocean Beach.

Winter swells range in the 4 to 10 metre range on the average. However it is claimed that it broke its moorings on a 23 metre swell within the last decade.

The buoy retained its mooring on September 21 2006 when it reached a spike of 19.5 metres which was claimed to be the highest measured wave in Australian waters. [http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200609/s1746798.htm] - however this measurement has been modified due to the buoy's behaviour at the time of the measurement, and it is more likely to have been half that measurement.

References

External links

* [http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_097000.shtml Cape Sorell climate history]