ADDLING MY KAYAK from Schouten Island back to mainland Lutruwita/Tasmania, I found myself swallowed by the fog, driving rain splashing into the choppy Tasman Sea. But then, as if on cue, the fog lifted and about 100 dolphins materialised around me, leaping and frolicking – some even jumping across my bow. One moment I was gritting my teeth against the elements, the next I was dumbstruck before a spectacular aquatic ballet. While that encounter stands out in my memory as one of those raw, intimate connections with nature that sea kayaking is so good at delivering, it’s really one
