Mackay, Brampton Island & Port Newry 27th - 30th May

 

 

If your pot plants look like this you live in a windy place! Mackay Marina.

 

 

We woke up to strong winds again, but decided to go anyway. Peter radioed the Port Authority to find out if any shipping movements were expected within the harbour in the next half hour as it is impossible to see what is happening there before you make your way through. There is a red light on the marina wall that indicates you must wait, but in the wind we did not want to have to circle while a ship berthed. Two blokes from other boats came to help us off as the wind was side on and there is never enough room to get speed up and steerage in the small spaces in marinas. With their help and poor little Lily acting as a huge fender we eased our way out and finally headed towards the harbour entrance. Outside the wind settled to a steady 20kns and we set sail for Brampton Island. Now we were heading north again and with the wind behind we had a quick passage to the island.

Brampton Island

There was only a couple of boats at Brampton so we were able to tuck in close to the jetty out of the worst of the wind where we had a comfortable two nights. The defunct resort is even more run down than it was last year and the vegetation is gradually taking over. We took the walk up the hill to the lookouts and once again enjoyed those wonderful views. The 'cloudy crowns' that we noticed on the tops of the hills a few days ago make a perfect microclimate for ferns and at the top there were great clumps of birds nest, strap, maidenhair and many other types of ferns making up the lush undergrowth.

Port Newry

 

The anchorage at Port Newry

 



We left Brampton at 7.45am and had a lively sail towards the mainland and the group of small national park islands known as the Newry Group. Port Newry is a non-commercial anchorage and is located between Outer Newry and Newry Islands. It is very snug and surrounded by several other islands, the largest being Rabbit Island. We met some locals there who told us that it is a very safe and protected anchorage. It is also very beautiful. These are not tall islands like Brampton and Scawfell, but still quite hilly. Newry Island has the preserved remnants of a resort that closed in 2001. The site has been cleared of building rubbish apart from some stone foundations and walls and is kept mowed by the National Parks and Wildlife personnel. There are tables and seats, a rainwater tank, the old resort bar and composting toilets. Many of the resort plants are still growing and the whole place is a delightful camping area. Signs are erected at various building remains detailing what the building was used for and some interesting snippets of historic information. It can only be accessed by boat.

The Resort Bar  Newry Island

 

 

 

Ruins Newry Island

 



A walk track circumnavigates the island and we took advantage of high tide to land on the beach and do the walk. The only disadvantage of this anchorage is that at least half tide is necessary for going ashore otherwise there is only oyster covered rocks or mud to land on. Newry Island is covered with open eucalypt forest and the occasional small patch of rainforest. The tracks are well maintained and are a hilly, but easy 3km. We met Janelle and Colin on Eureka, (a big cat) and chatted for an hour or so. They are locals who have lived on their boat for many years and have sailed extensively along the northern coast of Australia from the Kimberley to Gladstone. They were interested when we said we hail from Albany as they had just met another couple from Albany sailing in a cat called Low Profile. We will have to keep a lookout for them.

 

Newry Island