On the next leg of our circumnavigation of the continent, we tackle some of the wildest scenery of the entire journey. First we turn the stormy corner of Cape Otway, then across Port Phillip for a quick look at the Westgate Bridge, and along to the magnificent wilderness of Wilson's Promenade. Then we head out across Bass Strait, across Flinders Island to Tasmania. After a swing up the Tamar River to look at Launceston, we fly along the north coast. Then down the desolate West Coast. From Strawn we cross Macquarie Harbour up the gorge of the Gordon River, to the New Lake Pedder, back down to the southwest corner, and round and up into the Derwent Estuary and Hobart. Around the spectacular formations of Cape Rowell, the east coast run takes us past Moriah Island and Cape Freycinet, and then the return crossing of Bass Strait, this time in a mellow mood. And we're back to Wilson's Promenade before heading north for warmer waters in New South Wales and Queensland. In the southwestern corner of Victoria, rugged hills run right to the sea, where the Southerlies drive huge waves onto the Black Rocks. This inhospitable shore 150 years ago was often the first glimpse of the new land obtained by ships from England. After rounding the tip of South Africa, they would run before the roaring 40s across the Indian Ocean, keeping well to the south while crossing the Great Australian Bight, and hope to make landfall somewhere here, close to Cape Otway. Many ships came upon this coast at night and were wrecked before they could stand away. And so the first lighthouse on the southern coast of the Australian mainland was built here on Cape Otway in 1834. Set high on the point, it can be seen 38 kilometres out to sea. For nearly 150 years, it has helped navigators find and negotiate this dangerous corner, which marks the western entrance to Bass Strait. Out of the sea mist now emerges a narrow opening, the entrance to the largest harbour on the Victorian coast, Port Phillip Bay. Through this gap, called the rip, tides race in and out, and in the early days many a ship went helplessly aground on the shoals and sand banks. The channel has been blasted through the entrance, but even the biggest vessels still find the rip heavy going. Port Phillip Bay is huge, although not particularly deep. It was first explored in 1802 by Matthew Flinders in the Investigator. Towards the end of its overnight voyage from Tasmania, the vehicle ferry Empress of Australia nears its mainland terminal, the mouth of the River Yarra, the site that John Batman decided in 1835 would be a good place for the village. The approach to Melbourne by water is hardly comparable to the run-up Sydney Harbour, but at least the Melbourneians now have their own bridge to talk about. Begun in 1968, the Westgate Bridge took 10 years to complete. It was seriously delayed by the collapse in 1970 of the steel span to the left of the mainspan, which killed 35 men. The village that Batman envisaged is now set to overtake Sydney in size, wealth and population. Batman made a bargain with the local tribes for a quarter of a million hectares of land for a few blankets, axes and similar trade goods. If it had not been vetoed by the Governor in Sydney, it might have stood as one of the biggest real estate deals ever pulled off in Australia. East of Port Phillip Bay, a low island lies across the mouth of another large inlet, Western Port Bay. Phillip Island is closely settled, and most of it is either farmed or developed as holiday resorts for the inhabitants of Melbourne. But Phillip Island has a much better claim to fame. It played a key role in one of the great conservation stories in our history, the saving of the koala from extinction in South Eastern Australia. In the 1920s, the koala was so hunted for its fur that it came perilously close to extinction. In Queensland, more than two million were slaughtered in a single year, the skins fetching five shillings each. In New South Wales, only a few small populations survived. In South Australia, the koala was completely wiped out. And in Victoria, it might have gone the same way, but for the efforts of the State Fisheries and Wildlife Department and the survival of a small colony of koalas on Phillip Island. From 1922 onwards, this colony was carefully protected, and food trees were planted for the animals. Some farmers took stray koalas from their properties to the island. Slowly, the koalas began to breed, and the little colony grew. From time to time, surplus animals were released on the mainland in suitable forest country. After more than 50 years, the colony on Phillip Island is still going strong, and hundreds of healthy young animals have been restored to the wild. The koala now stands a good chance of survival in Victoria. Music Music To be a champion, you need the right sort of technological backup. Rank Arena are champions, because for years they've had the experience and technology of NEC behind them. And now you'll find the NEC name right up there with Rank Arena, with new ideas like the high resolution picture tube for superior contrast and color. You know Rank Arena, now you'll get to know NEC. Music Ford's taken on a tough competitor in the battle to lift sales. Already Ford's fantastic deals have attracted plenty of new customers, and now they're coming on strong again with the Ford Super Heavyweight deal. You'll get a deal with real muscle. Get a deal with real muscle on Ford Courier and Ford Spectrum. Get a deal with real muscle on Ford Econovan and Ford Trader. Ford means business. See your Ford dealer and ask for the Ford Super Heavyweight deal. You'll get a deal with real muscle. Those Ford dealers sure think big. Music The world's number one selling home computer is now in a family pack, the Commodore 64. Plus data cassette and joystick, four software programs including Introduction to Basic, a teach-yourself program for the whole family. The Commodore 64 family pack, a value of $700 for just $499. Are you keeping up with the Commodore? Cause the Commodore is keeping up with you. Music We now present the results of tonight's Lotto Draw. Music Music Eastwards along the shores of Bass Strait, past Phillip Island, the Victorian coastline rolls out low and flat with long sandy beaches. Then at the far end of the longest beach, solid humps appear on the horizon. These are the granite knobs of Wilson's Promontory, the southernmost tip of the Australian mainland. The granite range that forms the backbone of Wilson's Promontory was part of the land bridge that once joined the mainland to Tasmania. When the sea level rose, cutting off Tasmania and creating Bass Strait, Wilson's Promontory was at first an island. Later the gap between the promontory and the mainland became filled with sand. This broad, low, connecting sands bit is now densely vegetated. Music The promontory itself is steep and rugged, clothed in vegetation of all kinds, from rainforest to open heathland. Today the entire promontory is a national park. Its wild beauty, ranging from sheer mountains to secluded beaches, have made the prom, as the Victorians call it, the most popular resort in the state. The camping in Caravan Park is located at Tidal River, behind a broad, safe beach, and in summer it's crammed with holidaymakers. Many, however, prefer the prom in winter or spring, when its desolate grandeur looms through misty rain clouds. Music There's an echo of the prom and of that ancient land bridge in Redondo Island, just off the coast. A solid cone of red granite, it rises sheer for more than 300 metres, or over a thousand feet. The tip of a drowned mountain peak. At the extremity of Wilson's promontory, a lighthouse stands on the point that was rounded by George Bass in 1798, coming from the east in his little whale boat. Bass pushed on as far as Western Port Bay before turning back, but from the strong current running from the west, he concluded that there must be a passage between the mainland and Van Diemen's land, as Tasmania was then called. Later that year, he and Flinders proved this to be true, sailing through Bass Strait and then right round Tasmania. As we head across Bass Strait towards Tasmania, it's still possible, even flying over the wind-whipped waves, to sense the apprehension of Bass and Flinders, as they pushed into the steady winds and fierce currents. Although Bass Strait is more than 200 kilometres wide, its eastern entrance is dotted with islands, forming a chain linking Wilson's promontory with the northeastern corner of Tasmania. These are in fact the tips of the now submerged land bridge that once joined Tasmania to the mainland. The Kent group, like the other islands in the strait, are rocky hummocks. They're steep sides indented by the unceasing action of the seas that sweep through the straits. The largest island in Bass Strait is named after Matthew Flinders. It's more than 60 kilometres long and up to 29 kilometres wide. Flinders Island has a long history of settlement, beginning with the sealers who came to Bass Strait in the early 1800s. In 1830, it was reserved for the last of the Tasmanian full-blooded Aborigines. But by 1856, the 16 survivors had been moved to the mainland again, where the last of them, Trogonini, died in 1876. Cattle and sheep raising and fishing are now the main occupations on the island, and the only sizeable settlement is Whitebark. Flinders Island is generally flatter than the other islands in Bass Strait, but it does have one striking physical feature, the Streliki Peaks. At the turn of the century, there were hundreds of people living here on Cape Barren Island, many of them descendants of sealers and Aboriginal women abducted from Tasmania. Today, a few well-preserved buildings remain to show the determination of the early colonists to settle every piece of land they could find. But conditions in Bass Strait were against them, and very tiny settlements cut off from Tasmania by rough seas were eventually abandoned. Bass Strait remains one of the most unpredictable waterways in the world. It can be like a mill pond one day, and like this a few hours later. Having seen it like this, it's obvious that the original Aboriginal settlers could never have reached Tasmania by water in the simple craft available to them. They must have made the crossing by the land bridge when the sea level was lower. And once the sea level rose and the land bridge was cut about 10,000 years ago, the Tasmanians could have had no contact with the outside world, and lived on in their isolation until the European navigators came sailing over the horizon. Talking of tough jobs, there was this big 20-foot greenhouse, the new Mitsubishi high roof, and just me and Joe. But my Mitsubishi high roof made it a cinch. You call that tough? I had to hurry 18 models across town to a fashion show. Luckily, my Mitsubishi low roof turns on a 10-cent piece, handles really well. All right, girls, showtime. Showtime. The new Mitsubishi Express vans. A tough act to follow. It's another Mitsubishi. Australia's number one dishwasher, Dishlex, now goes one better. It's electronic. Simply choose any program from the Superwash to the 12.5-minute Fastwash. With just a touch. Isn't that wonderful? And listen. It's the greatest dishwasher you'll never hear, Falcon Dishlex. No wonder it's Australia's number one dishwasher. Dishlex. Electronic. So advanced, it's simple. It's a kitchen table, card table, pool table, sewing table, dining table, operating table, multiplication table, bedside table. It's the stable table, a steady flat surface wherever you need one. For under $10, it's irresistible. Recently, the CSIRO tested 73 different potting mixes. Only one brand available in WA received the maximum 10 points for its ability to stimulate outstanding plant growth. Waldex Potting Mix, specially formulated for WA conditions. It's a balanced blend of rich textured soil, complete for aeration and moisture retention, trace elements and fast and slow release fertilizers. And remember, the best potting mix in WA is only available from Waldex nurseries. You're about to see a new map of Western Australia. It won't have as many square kilometres as we have today. We'll lose quite a few here, and quite a few here, and many more here, and all of these here. In total, Western Australia could lose nearly half the state with national land rights if Labour controls the Senate. New South Wales would lose only this much land, Victoria only this much. So we can expect no support in the East for the Western Australian liberals' fight to stop land rights. A vote for Labour in the Senate is a vote that will bring in land laws based exclusively on race. The Democrats are also totally committed to national land rights imposed by Canberra. A vote for Liberal in the Senate is a vote to give all Western Australians, regardless of race, the same right to acquire and own land. Keep Western Australia on the map. The northeast corner of Tasmania at the entrance to Bass Strait could not provide a more striking contrast to Wilson's promontory. Long, breaking swells roll up the gently shelving beaches at the edge of a flat and low-lying sand plain. The only relief comes from the spectacular blowouts, where the wind has cut through the stabilising vegetation to expose the underlying sand dunes. Heading westwards along the north coast of Tasmania, in the wake of Bass and Flinders, we find, as they did, a large inlet, the estuary of the Tamar River. This peaceful tree-lined waterway has recently seen the growth of a number of large industrial plants, including the Bell Bay aluminium smelter. Nearby are stockpiles of wood chips waiting to be exported to Japan. Farther up the Tamar Valley, however, the landscape retains the rural character that is typical of so much of Tasmania. Because of the early interest in settling Van Diemen's land, Launceston was founded long before any city on the mainland except Sydney itself. Today it has a population of 63,000. Between the central table land and the north coast stretches a broad undulating coastal plain. This is one of the richest areas of Tasmania, a region of orchards, farms and grazing properties. Against this background, the huge tracts of forest cleared for woodchipping stand out like angry scars. Originally Tasmania was the most forested of all the Australian states, but today two-thirds of its state forests are under woodchipping licences. These once densely forested slopes will regenerate in a fashion or be planted with pine trees, but these wholesale clearances are changing the face of the landscape, perhaps irreversibly. By contrast, the transformation of the coastal plain by nearly two centuries of careful farming has produced a picturesque and agreeable landscape, the small fields and tree-lined lanes reminiscent of the country from which the settlers came. Good on you Perth, it's great to be home. Thank you so much for donating such a great deal of money. And now the fun's over, it's time to send your money in and make the sun shine a little bit brighter for all those kids, eh? By donating to Telefon, you automatically become eligible to win one of these magnificent prizes. A Toyota Corolla S sedan kindly donated by Big Rock Toyota. A Junior Hawaiian fiberglass pool from Paul's Sapphire Leisure Centres. A trip for two to Dunk Island kindly donated by TAA. One of these prizes could be yours just by sending your donation to the nearest branch of the R&I Bank WA. Toyota blows the truck world apart with new Dynamite. Introducing Toyota Dynas new range of two to four ton trucks, starring new wide cab. Get the feeling of more space, more vision, of more power and economy with new direct injection engines. More trucks will be back. Get the feeling of this new slick shift. Flick and quick. The all new Toyota Dynar range. It's Dynamite. Somebody did it right again. Oh, what a feeling. Toyota trucks. As Christmas draws closer, it is time to discover the good things we have for you in a Hearns Christmas calendar. Gifts from around the world are gathered together in a Hearns Christmas catalog. Something for everyone at a price that's a pleasure. And a chance to win one of five $1,000 shopping vouchers simply by shopping at a Hearns this week. A Hearns Christmas calendar, making wishes come true. Like no other store in the West. New Masters Mild Cherry Cheese, a superbly satisfying masterpiece. Mmm. Aren't Masters marvelous? The northwest corner of Tasmania is a forbidding region of dark, satanic cliffs swept by treacherous currents. It is given a wide berth by sailors. When Bass and Flinders turned this corner on their voyage of discovery around Tasmania, they had no hesitation in finding a name for it. Cape Grimm. The west coast of Tasmania remains one of the most magnificently desolate shorelines on this continent. It's pounded incessantly by rollers that may have begun to form thousands of kilometres away in the Indian Ocean. The rain-laden westerly winds keep the air cool and misty and soften the outlines of the coastal dunes and the mountains that lie behind them. The first European to sight this coast was Abel Tasman, sent from Batavia in 1642 to explore the Great Southland, whose existence at that time was still only suspected. Tasman had been sailing due east from Mauritius for five weeks and thought he'd missed his objective when he came upon this coast. He prudently skirted clear, wailed to the south and went on to discover New Zealand. This wild and stormy coast has resisted settlement ever since, and even today it remains quite deserted, except for the occasional huddled shacks of hardy fishermen. Scores of rivers plunge down to the west coast from the mountainous interior, fed by the almost incessant rainfall. This, the Pyman River, is one of the largest. The Pyman got its name in a bizarre way. In 1823, a group of escaped convicts made their way along this coast, but were reduced by starvation to cannibalism. Only one survived, Alexander Pearce. He was a pie maker by trade and nicknamed the Pyman by his fellow convicts. He was captured while making a raft across this river and later hanged in Hobart. This river has been known as the Pyman ever since. Flowing between steep walls clothed in virgin forest, remote from any large centres of population, the Pyman was the last major river in Tasmania to remain free of dams or other works for the production of hydroelectric power. But now even the Pyman's run to the sea is to be harnessed. The west coast resisted exploration by sea or by land for nearly 200 years after Tasman's first sighting. It was not until 1815, long after the establishment of Hobart, that a tiny expedition in a whale boat discovered Macquarie Harbour, the only really spacious and sheltered waterway on the west coast. The entrance seems straightforward enough from our viewpoint, but in fact because of the way the tide rips through it, it's called Hell's Gate and many a wreck lies below the surface here. Toyota blows the truck world apart with new dynamite, introducing Toyota Dyna's new range of two to four ton trucks starring new wide cab. Get the feeling of more space, more vision, of more power and economy with new direct injection engines. More trucks will be back. Get the feeling of this new slick shift. Flick and quick. The all new Toyota Dyna range. It's dynamite. Somebody did it right again. Oh, what a feeling. Dyna Trucks. Toyota. Boom boom. Have you noticed how much better birds look when they brown? Now all microwaves can brown. New StupaCook microwave browning sauces for browner birds and beef. For quick and easy summertime living, you'll never beat beef. Tastes good too. In a secluded corner of Macquarie Harbour stands Strawn, still the only township on the west coast. It had a brief period of prosperity in the 1800s as a port for the rich tin, gold and copper mines which were discovered in the mountains inland. Today it's a quiet little fishing port, becoming increasingly popular with tourists seeking the wild west. Hints of Strawn's past can be found near the township. Strange symmetrical hummocks which seem too shapely to be natural. In fact, they're old mullet keeps from the mines, now completely overgrown. A more contemporary reminder of this region's mining history can be seen in Macquarie Harbour itself. The clear-cut division between the normal harbour water at the top and the heavily polluted water of the inflowing King River into which Mount Lyle copper mine discharges thousands of tonnes of waste every day. Further up Macquarie Harbour, a small island basks peacefully in the sun. It's hard to picture this as the site between 1822 and 1834 of perhaps the most infamous penal settlement in Australia's history, the setting for Marcus Clarke's novel for the term of his natural life. Today the few remaining ruins on Settlement Island are being slowly swallowed up by the trees. At the head of Macquarie Harbour, we come to the entrance to one of the most spectacularly beautiful waterways in the world, the Gordon River. The Gordon rises in the high valleys of the southwest wilderness. At first it plunges through steep gorges, but for the last 30 kilometres of its course to Macquarie Harbour, it winds tranquilly through forested hills. Both trips up the Gordon are an unforgettable experience, but may soon be a thing of the past. Even this majestic waterway is on the Hydroelectric Commission's list for damming. At the head of one final gorge, we find the Gordon blocked by a high dam, and behind it the huge storage area of the Lake Gordon Powerski. This project, which began producing power in 1977, has aroused a great deal of opposition, because its enormous expanse of stored water, the largest in Australia, exceeding 500 square kilometres, has not only flooded the former valley of the Gordon River, but has also totally submerged the original Lake Pedder nearby. This broad valley once contained a small but extremely picturesque lake, containing unique aquatic life, with a remarkable white sand beach, fringed with rare plants. Today, despite an outcry that was heard around the world, Lake Pedder lies deep beneath this inland sea. The new Lake Pedder is certainly more accessible than the original one, because of the Hydro Commission's roads, and it has created a new kind of environment, with some recreational prospects among the peaks of southwest Tasmania. But there are still many who question its creation at the expense of an irreplaceable natural asset, in a state already close to having more hydroelectric power than it knows what to do with. Nine in red. Are you behind us? Yeah, I'm sorry. Hey, here's some good healthy Christmas savings from your Target Chemist catalogue. There's good fun for all the family with entertaining games like Luck Plus from the makers of Uno, just $4.99. Ever-popular margerette 4x4 big wheels of brilliant value at $1.15. And cute little strawberry shortcake and friends will win your heart. This four-piece gift set is only $4.99. So check your Target Chemist catalogue for more good Christmas cheer. As you probably heard by now, Ford have come up with their latest model. Not bad, but still no match for world-class Holden Commodore, with its advanced styling, superb handling and proven fuel-injected six-cylinder engine. No match for Commodore's optional V8. And their base model is still $837 dearer than Holden Commodore SL. So you owe it to yourself to test-drive world-class Commodore. See your Holden dealer now and pocket the difference. I can remember a hundred places, far off cities, old friends' faces the day it rained and the years it didn't. A bottle with a message in it, remember the time we danced all night. A breathless moment in the morning light, the way you looked that special day. When moments mean as much as this, don't let them get away. Remember it all on Kodak True to Life Color Film. Protein, B vitamins, the essential minerals iron and zinc, the strength, vitality and life. You'll never beat beef. It tastes good too. From Lake Petter we cross rock ridges carved and sharpened by glaciers. Now begins the long descent towards the southwestern coastline. This inlet is Bathurst Harbor, an arm of Port Davey, an ideal harbor you might think. But as far as we can see in any direction, there's no sign of human occupation. For this corner of Tasmania, although less than 150 kilometers from Hobart, is a trackless wilderness and totally uninhabited. The very southernmost tip of Tasmania is marked by a striking formation of dolerite, a kind of volcanic rock that develops these extraordinary vertical columns as it shrinks and splits along fault lines. Today the seas are unusually calm and on the smooth surface, flocks of muttonbirds skitter away into the mist. The last great bastion on this coastline is Tasman Head on the tip of South Bruny Island. Once around this, it's a short run with the wind up the Derwent estuary to Hobart, as every weary navigator in the Sydney to Hobart yacht race knows. South Bruny Island has a partner, North Bruny, and the two are joined like Siamese twins by a narrow but tenacious sand spit. On the approach to Hobart, a large zinc refinery makes its presence known from afar. But an even greater price for the attraction of industries to an essentially rural state is more insidious. The heavy metal pollution, which has made the once renowned oysters and other seafood of the Derwent estuary quite poisonous to eat. Hobart was founded only 16 years after Sydney. It was named after Robert Hobart, the Secretary of State for War and the Colonies at the time. Before the Derwent was bridged, most of the population was confined to the narrow strip along the west bank at the foot of Mount Wellington. After the Tasman Bridge was opened in 1965, many new suburbs on the east bank sprang up. The development briefly interrupted when a laden ore carrier knocked down one span of the bridge in 1975. South-east of Hobart, the Tasman Peninsula juts into the Southern Ocean. Cape Row presents one of the most spectacular formations of dollarite pillars to be found anywhere in the world. Tucked away beside a broad inlet lies one of the chief reasons for the early settlement of Van Diemen's land. The ruins of Port Arthur, our best known penal colony and now Tasmania's number one tourist attraction. The tiny Isle of the Dead out in Port Arthur needs little explanation. All who died in the penal colony were buried here. So far, more than 1600 graves have been found, but only the garrison officers have headstones. Up the east side of the Tasman Peninsula, the pattern of the coastline continues to change with amazing variety. In places, the sea has bored into the fault lines and the cliffs to create echoing blowholes and caverns. Low tide exposes the broad rock platforms where the pounding seas have cut back the overlying cliffs, as if with a giant chisel. This narrow land bridge, called Eagle Hawk Neck, joins the Tasman Peninsula to the mainland. The cordon of guards and dogs across this neck was the final barrier to the escape of convicts from Port Arthur. Moriah Island off the east coast was named by Tasman after the wife of his Governor General, Anthony Van Diemen. Its rugged eastern cliffs exhibit striking patterns of enormously old sedimentary rocks laid down on the seabed hundreds of millions of years ago. Moriah Island, too, once had a convict settlement called Darlington. Many old buildings remain, of great interest to Moriah Island's many visitors, for its now national park. In the shallow waters between Moriah Island and the mainland, we glimpse swaying beds of kelp, seaweed whose products are widely used in food preparations, including glacé cherries, so called. Halfway up the east coast of Tasmania, we pass Freycinet Peninsula and the nature of the coastline begins to change. The black vertical walls of Dolarite give way to smooth-worn granite domes. Soon white sand beaches begin to appear between rocky headlands. The euclid forest here come down almost to the water and, almost inevitably, the scars of woodchipping show up. It's a pity that our last view of Tasmania, as we cross the northeast corner to Bass Strait, should be the marks of man, some made more than a hundred years ago. These are alluvial tin mines, and towards the end of the last century, there were hundreds being worked in this area. As was the custom then, once worked out, they were simply abandoned as they were. The tailings still stay in the streams, and will do so, it appears, for a long time to come. As we return to the mainland, Bass Strait is on its best behaviour, as we cruise through the amber light of late afternoon. The islands of Bass Strait now lie peacefully in the sun, but their steep cliffs are reminders of their constant struggle for survival against the seas. And so we return to Wilson's Promenade and the Australian mainland, having achieved in 72 hours what it took Bass and Flinders nearly 10 weeks to accomplish. Our aerial circumnavigation of the continent will next take us out of the dark southern seas, up the Pacific coast, towards the warm waters and sunny beaches of the tropics. New Masters Mild Cheddar Cheese, a distinctively delicious masterpiece. Mmm, aren't Masters marvellous?