Growing up in Warrnambool we were taught that the only thing separating us from Antarctica was the Southern Ocean. Bass Strait and the Tasman Sea began a bit fu

Growing up in Warrnambool we were taught that the only thing separating us from Antarctica was the Southern Ocean. Bass Strait and the Tasman Sea began a bit further east and the Great Australian Bight wrapped the coast from WA to SA: The Southern Ocean was considered to be all the water beyond that to the south with the Indian Ocean west of the WA coast. It was never thought to be touching the Tasmanian coast ~4000km further east.