Montes Resort
Before leaving Magnetic Island Marina we spent several days at Virginia and Clive's farm caring for two dogs and six horses while they had a few days off in Darwin visiting Virginia's son. Clive wanted some help establishing a vege patch so after they left we got stuck in watering, digging and applying copious quantities of compost purchased from the local landscape suppliers. Upon returning with the compost we found Bella, or was it Sophie? (identical big hairy white dogs) had decided that the 'nice lady' had made them a lovely cool patch to bask on in the early morning sunshine. It didn't take long to make them see the error of their ways.
The next day, after we had bought the baby vegetable plants, we arrived back at the farm to see two large ibis strutting around on our cultivated ground stabbing beaks in to dine on tasty morsels beneath our mulch. I wondered if this was going to work! We planted the veges and the patch looked great. Peter brought an old table we found outside and I put some dead palm fronds over it to shelter the new plants and hopefully dissuade all animals from venturing there. It seemed to work. The farm is in a beautiful setting, backing onto a rugged, steep range of hills and has a lovely parkland landscape. We enjoyed our stay there looking after the animals and watering around the house.
Cobber gets a treat
Now in Gloucester Passage we hear that Clive is tending his new garden diligently and we hope to see good progress in six weeks time when we sail back to Townsville. No pressure!!We have walked the beaches in both directions from Montes, had evening drinks at the outdoor bar and a flat white at the Eco Resort next door. Relaxing and enjoyable. A huge turtle resides nearby and we continually hear it exhaling as it comes up for a breath. It is huge. Fish seem to be plentiful, but as yet Peter has not been allowed to fish - too much food on board at the moment.
Edgecumbe Bay
After dark the scene here is truly magnificent. There are lights all around. Along the beach lights shine from the few beach houses and the resorts. In Bona Bay on Gloucester Island and both sides of Passage Islet various boats are anchored with their anchor lights shining to alert any night travellers of their whereabouts. The little port hand channel marker behind us blinks it's warning and keeps us company and it's friends blink to light up the way through the channel. Bowen can easily be seen twinkling in the distance and the lights of Abbot Point and the ships anchored off are beyond that again. To top it all off the *'Sparks and Wildfire' (read Parks and Wildlife) have initiated a controlled burn on Gloucester Island to help eradicate weeds such as lantana. Every so often a patch of fire flares up along the fire front and looks spectacular.
*quote from a fireman we met at the bar.
Peter and I have swum here. This is the second time I have had a swim since we left Albany in 2013. Amazing, but true! A little black and white dog from Montes Resort joined us and frolicked in the water with us. We thought he was so cute until he ran out and stood right next to Peter and shook himself dry. Peter was texting at the time and was covered in a shower of salt water. He was unimpressed.
From here we intend to travel south to Airlie Beach and beyond, depending on the wind. We don't intend to make it hard by punching into the predominant trade winds from the south east.
Eco Resort
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