Back To Magnetic Island 9th - 17th June

We departed Abell Point Marina before 8am and sailed in windy conditions to Gloucester Island where we thought we'd make a decision as to whether we anchor there for the strong wind warning for the next few days or make for Cape Upstart or even continue on to Magnetic Island and hopefully get there before the real wind arrived. Rain soon set in behind us and continued to follow on our tail all day. As we passed Gloucester Island, on the offshore side, we noticed that the rain appeared to be following the mountainous terrain of the island and then begin to peter out as it went inland. We thought it a good idea to keep going to Cape Upstart. The wind against tide conditions kept us rolling and yawing along on a rough, uncomfortable sea for the whole day. Sometimes the seas broke on the tops of the waves and sent us bowling along in a cascade of foam and spray. We were doing so well, at times 8.2 knots, when the tide changed and the seas flattened out, that we decided to do the overnight and go for Maggie.  The sky in front turned a beautiful clear blue and that helped us make up our minds.

 

 

Leaving Cape Gloucester Behind

Overnight sails are always the hardest. Both of us are on deck and then tired at the same time. I tried to have a sleep after dinner at about 7pm, but of course that didn’t happen. I did rest I suppose and then was rudely shunted out of bed at 11pm by Peter wanting his turn in the bunk. By now Rene was still charging along on a reefed main sail alone and Peter informed me that we were frequently getting 30kn gusts. As I climbed out for my shift I noticed that a dark cloud bank was just visible behind us.  “Why do I always score the rain? “  As it happened the clouds sat there all night and never did seem to get any closer.  Just brooded there to boost my anxiety levels as rain squalls are usually accompanied by stronger winds, at least for a while.

Cape Bowling Green is a long low sand spit that seems to go on for ever, especially in the dark. I perched up there watching for what seemed like hours as first the lighthouse and then the cardinal marker slowly drifted past. “How long can a sand spit be?” We kept well outside of the shoals as we didn’t want to risk even worse sea conditions as we rounded the cape, however this put us on the edge of the shipping channel.  A faint light appeared up ahead and as I peered out into the dark I realised there was a ship in front of us. Luckily for chart plotters and AIS systems it didn’t take long to work out we were on a collision course. That little triangle on the screen had me shaking Peter out of bed to negotiate a safer route.  Not long after a huge dark shape glided past and was soon lost in the inky distance.  

It took just 21 ½ hours to sail from Airlie Beach to Horseshoe Bay on Magnetic Island. Not bad!

 

Magnetic Island Again

 

As close as you get to snow on Magnetic Island

We arrived in Horseshoe Bay at 6.30am, just as the light allowed enough visibility to find a good anchoring position amongst the 26 other vessels in the bay. After a bowl of hot porridge we fell into bed and later woke at 11.30am ready to face the day. As it turned out we were glad we did the overnight sail to Maggie as the weather deteriorated and strong winds and rain showers dominated for the next few days. 

Magnetic Island offers many activities and our favourite is walking, which of course leads to eating and these we did for the week we spent there.  Even in the windy weather the bay does not get overly choppy and it is easy to access the shore without getting wet. (My pet hate!!!)  We walked to all the bays, had coffee at various cafes and bussed back for lunch. Noodies on the Beach at Horseshoe Bay is a delightful place to eat – Mexican in orientation. Our favourite café for coffee turned out to be Adele’s, in the bus stop corner of Horseshoe Bay. The owner serves really nice coffee and ice-cream and as a bonus is a friendly, cheerful man who likes a chat.

 

 

Ready for lunch at Noodies, Horseshoe Bay

 

 

A walk that neither of us had done for many years was the Forts Walk, so we decided to start from Horseshoe Bay and continue on up to the forts. This walk is probably the most popular on the island and is an easy climb up a well maintained track to the  old forts buildings. The views are stunning and plentiful signs explaining the history make for an interesting walk. Not long after we left the top we came across a group of young men who had found a koala in a tree. Our first koala in the wild on this trip! He/she did not seem too worried about having its photo taken, but it was hard to concentrate as the lightly tanned English ‘eye candy’ in their boardies kept getting in the way. Peter wondered what I was on about. Well he would!!!  Our next spotter project is a cassowary in the wild. 

 

 

The Forts

 

 

 

 

On our final day for now, we decided to walk from Horseshoe Bay to Picnic Bay, about 10kms. When we arrived back we found that Magnetic Attraction (yacht) had anchored next to us in the bay. Later we had Milton and Jenny on board for sundowners and a catch up on the news of the last nine months. 

We have now taken Rene around to Nelly Bay Harbour for ten days while I go to WA for a break and Peter waits for his mate to arrive on 25^th June. They intend to travel north to the Palm Islands and probably Hinchinbrook Island. Before Mike arrives Peter has to do a motor service on Rene and some other small maintenance jobs. I suppose this blog will not be added to until after the 13^th July when I arrive back refreshed and ready for our trip north to Lizard Island.

 

 

Forts Walk

Fishy Tales 31st May - 7th June

We were up early and made Rene and Lily ready for the trip back to the Whitsundays. It is getting quite cool over night now.  With light winds and beautiful sunshine, we motored out of the anchorage at Port Newry, past the chunky rock on the northern end of Outer Newry Island, known as The Wedding Cake and into Repulse Bay. The wind soon ran out and we motored the whole way to Whitehaven Beach. The ebb tide helped us all morning and we just managed to make it through Solway Passage before the tide turned. We were actually headed for Long Island Resort, but found out that it had closed since last year for renovations when we tried to radio them for a mooring. A helpful sole radioed back and told us the news.

 

 

The Wedding Cake  Outer Newry Island

Since the beginning of June we have had gorgeous weather, so we took advantage of it and explored Whitehaven Beach again and Hook and Hayman Islands. Whitehaven Beach looked very enticing for a long walk and Peter pulled up Lily ready to go ashore. Then I heard, 'Quick! Liz quick get up here!' in hushed tones. Under the boat was an enormous fish. He just stayed there resting next to the hull. We think he may have been a Queensland Groper. Anyway he wasn't going anywhere and after we'd had a good look at him we went ashore for our long walk. Two hours later when we arrived back at the boat the fish was still there, but he disappeared soon afterwards. Later Karin told us that when she and Paul visited Whitehaven Beach two years ago on a tourist boat, the people fed a huge fish near their boat. Must be a common occurrence, but what a thrill!

 

The big fish Whitehaven Beach

 

On the way to Cid Harbour for the night we pulled in to Cateran Bay on Border Island for lunch. This bay is full of coral and coral bommies.  Great for snorkelling. I love Cid Harbour. It is interesting as lots of people end up there and the walks are delightful. We hiked up Whitsunday Peak again and discovered some enterprising young people camped on the rock at the top. (You wouldn't want to sleep walk there!)

The weather forecast was still good so we decided to sail to Stonehaven, on Hook Island, and hopefully get a mooring for the night. This anchorage is very deep and anchoring is not always easy to achieve. We did find a mooring and spent the night enduring strong bullets of wind. I wouldn't like to be there in strong winds, safe enough but annoyingly uncomfortable.

Sunset at Stonehaven

 



In the morning we decided to motor to Blue Pearl Bay, on the northern end of Hayman Island. We were on our way before most people got going and arrived in Blue Pearl Bay to have the pick of the mooring buoys. The beaches beckoned, so we took Lily ashore and there discovered a well used track up the steep, stony hill.  We had not read about any tracks coming into the bay and were not dressed for a long walk, (bathers and thongs don't cut it!) but decided to explore a bit. In the end we walked to the top of the hill and on to Whitsunday Lookout. The views were stunning, especially over the Hayman Resort. There is very little vegetation on this end of the island and most of the trees have been dead for a long time. We wondered what had caused this devastation. It didn't look like fire.  Eventually we came across a walking tour and Peter asked what had caused the deserty landscape. Apparently a cyclone many years ago wrecked the forest and since then almost no rain has fallen so the bush has not recovered. Hayman is a very dry island anyway.

Don't look down now!

 

 



The climb up the goat track, winding back and forth along the steep, rocky hillside was scary in places. Vegetation conceals how steep the slopes are on other walks. In places the hillside plunged from the side of the path straight into the ocean below. Dizzying!!

Blue Pearl Bay

 

 



Pearl Bay is full of the most beautiful coral in crystal clear water. The day was sunny and there was millions of colourful fish floating around the dinghy. Peter went for a snorkel and said that he had to push huge fish out of the way as he swam. They seem to realise that they are not going to be harmed. This is a national park green zone - No Fishing. While we were having lunch some huge Batfish swam around the boat begging for food. We sacrificed one of our bread wraps to the Batfish. What a truly beautiful place this is.

Hayman Island resort from Whitsunday Lookout

 



We decided not to spend the night here as it is a bit exposed and we wanted to anchor in Nara Inlet on Hook Island. Many boats were anchored in this fiord like bay, but with plenty of room for personal space. We had a lovely quiet night with a huge moon shining it's silvery light down on the scene.

Now we are in Abell Point Marina for five nights. It is supposed to be windy, but so far this has not eventuated. It probably will when we leave. Peter found a large, spotty, fish here having a great time eating the green scummy weed off Rene's waterline. We told it to keep up the good work and we might not have to antifoul the bottom for a bit longer.  We are leaving here on Tuesday and will begin to make our way back to Magnetic Island and Townsville ready for my departure to WA for a few weeks.

Peter on the 'Goat Track'  Blue Pearl Bay  Hayman Island

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

Brilliant Sunshine and Blistering Bullets 20th - 26th May

We motored out of Abell Point Marina early and hoisted the sail not long afterwards. A 10 - 15 knot S/SE enabled us to tack our way south down Whitsunday Passage without much effort. A delightful sail took us past Long, Dent, Hamilton and finally Shaw Island and into the anchorage at Thomas Island. This was one of our favourite anchorages last year and we looked forward to stopping off here over night again. We explored ashore and took the dinghy to the other little beaches in the bay. No-one else joined us and no lights were visible in the dark. A peaceful interlude after the frenetic tourism at Airlie Beach.

Thomas Island

The 21st dawned clear and sunny so we set off early to take advantage of the flood tide to help us on our way to Scawfell Island, 36nm to the SE. Again the wind was steady between 10- 15 knots from the south so we managed to sail most of the way. It is very satisfying to sit up on the coach roof in the sunshine and contemplate travelling to new places using the only wind as a power source. Off to the west the Smith group of islands stood out in the sunshine - Silversmith, Blacksmith, Goldsmith, Linne and Tinsmith. Brampton and Carlisle lay to the south wearing their cloudy crowns and Keswick and St bees could just be made out in the hazy distance.

We arrived at Scawfell Island mid afternoon and anchored in the middle of the larger side of Refuge Bay. A clear channel lead through the reef to the beach so we took Lily ashore and walked beach and explored the small lagoon behind the eastern end of the beach. There is a national park campsite with a picnic table under a pergola type shelter and an attached rainwater tank. The tank was full and the bush looked green and lush compared to the islands further north. This island has obviously received more rain this season.

 

Scawfell Island

It was such a beautiful evening that Peter and I sat outside for pre-dinner drinks and watched night fall. There was the amazing sound of hundreds of birds and millions of insects getting themselves ready for bed. All at once the singing stopped. Total silence! Who gave the order? Peter and I just looked at each other. 'Did you hear that? They all just stopped?' How does that happen? Not one bird or insect sang on. I wish I knew the answer. It would be a very handy technique in the classroom.

We spent four days in Refuge Bay on Scawfell Island, along with five other boats sheltering from the forecast 25 - 30 knot S/SE winds. Scawfell is a high crescent shaped island and it's shape interrupts the flow of the wind and sends bullets howling and screaming through the bay. The second night was diabolical. The tide held the boat side on to the wind and screaming bullets of wind had us swerving around the anchor. It held beautifully, but the crunching and creaking of the boat along with the noise of the wind kept me awake all night. The next day we decided to move to the eastern side  of the bay and anchor as close as possible to the shore. It seemed to be a little more comfortable there. Four of the boats chose the smaller western bay and they thought they had the best spot in the circumstances.

Scawfell Island is lovely, but I was glad to leave and make the quick, boisterous sail across a very lumpy, messy sea to Mackay Marina for a night or two of peaceful sleep. We have done all the usual jobs; water, dinghy fuel, caught the bus into town to stock up for the next week and do the laundry. From the marina it is about a 10 min drive to town so we took the bus and decided to explore a bit before doing the food shopping. The Pioneer River is a large river that runs through the centre of the town and the levy banks have been landscaped with walking and bike paths, extensive gardens and parks and we walked for several kms and were impressed with how this area has been beautified.

If the wind abates and the rain stops tomorrow, we will begin to head north through the Whitsundays and back to Townsville over the next couple of weeks. If not we might spend another night here and wait for the weather to be a little kinder.



Creek, Scawfell Island

Whitsunday Island & R&R in Abell Point Marina 12th - 19th May

Whitsunday Island

A gentle SE wind enticed us out of the South Molle anchorage and across Whitsunday Passage to Fitzalan Passage, a narrow stretch of water between Whitsunday Is and Hamilton Is, where the currents are fierce at the height of the tidal flow. The tide was still against us here, but was slowing so we only got down to 3.5 kns with the engine. By the time we reached Solway Passage on the eastern end of Whitsunday Is, to go around to Whitehaven Beach, the tide had definitely turned and we shot through at over 7 kns. We had a delightful two nights here along with 15 other boats, walking, swimming, and generally relaxing in the windless sunshine.

The 8km round trip walk to Chance Bay on the southern side of the island is an easy, pretty, forest walk mostly in the shade of trees. On the way we saw the biggest bush turkey nest we have seen, at least twice our height, with a girth to match. A walk in the evening along Whitehaven Beach in the gentle sunshine lets you know that paradise has been found. I thought I'd wear the bathers and catch a bit of a tan, however what I did catch without realising it, was a rash of sandfly bites. Now like an itchy plum pudding I realise that even paradise can have it's downfalls.

Bush Turkey nest Whitsunday Island

A strong wind warning had been issued for the next five days so we decided to make the most of the 13th by motor/sailing around the northern shores of Whitsunday island to seek refuge in Cid Harbour for a few days. On the way we managed to secure a mooring in Tongue Bay where we had lunch and then we took advantage of an ingoing tide to pass through Hook Channel and on to Cid. The whirlpools and currents swirling in Hook Channel buffeted the boat at times and it was reinforced that it is a good idea to go with the tides around here.

Obviously other people had the same idea as us and on the four nights we were in Cid around thirty boats joined us in it's security. The wind came in at 3.30am (the forecast got it wrong - it said 4am) and for the three days we hung there in gusty, blustery conditions that at times were trying. Apparently Hamilton Island, just around the corner, had 43kn gusts. Some of the gusts here felt like that! We watched several boats having trouble with anchors letting go and having to re-anchor after drifting down the bay. Peter anchored us this time closer to Sawmill Beach where we had better access to the walking tracks on the shore. It seemed a little more exposed here than in Cowards Corner, but not uncomfortable as we still pointed into the wind and the fetch was not far enough to stir up too much slop. We climbed Whitsunday Peak again, a steep, rocky walk that lets you know that you have done some exercise, and the lovely 1km walk to Dugong Bay. During a lull in the wind we took the dinghy and explored the bay.

Sawmill Beach, Cid Harbour

A very nice Beneteau 40 anchored next to us on the second day and Peter met the couple on board and next thing we were on 'Another Dimension' having morning tea. John and Jenny are from Melbourne and have taken a year off work to make this trip up the east coast. Jenny made us fresh muffins - I was very impressed. A confession later informed us she had not done that before. When they came to Rene for morning tea at Abell Point Marina I cheated and visited the local shop for the goodies. I hope we meet up with them again on the water.

Abell Point Marina

The wind abated on Sunday so we took the opportunity to make the short trip across to Abell Point Marina for a bit of R&R.The staff at the Abell Point Marina have been very friendly and helpful and made us feel very welcome. More work has been done here in the infrastructure and it is a very nice place to stay for a few days. All the usual stocking up jobs need to be done for our next journey, hopefully south to Mackay and the Percy Islands - wind permitting.

Back To Airlie Beach 8th - 11th May

 

Rene in Moonlight Bay South Molle Island

 

We left Gloucester Passage with the intention of motor/sailing into one of the Double Bays or Woodwark Bay for the night. These bays are approximately10nm north of Airlie Beach and we hadn't visited either of the Double Bays before. However the forecast was for up to 20kn SE so we left our options open. The wind came in strongly as we passed Saddleback Island and with the wind against tide, lumpy seas pitching us around, we decided to explore the possibility of overnighting in one of the bays on the north side of George Point. Our trusty 'Lucas' informed us that Jonah Bay was the best anchorage here and as we drew near it looked calm and peaceful. We anchored in 4m
quite a long way out and took Lily ashore so we could walk along the beach. What a beautiful beach! One of the loveliest in this area, with hard sand to walk on. A dozen or so rough camps have been built under the trees behind the beach and many of these were occupied. Jonah Bay is well worth a visit.

On Saturday we had another go at motoring to Airlie Beach and this time were successful. The wind remained light for the whole trip, although still on the nose from the SE. We anchored in our old position outside of the yacht club rock wall and signed in, paid our $7 and took advantage of the dinghy dock and hot showers. The rest of the day was taken up by the mundane chores of clothes washing and stocking up the larder.

Early on Sunday morning we motored Rene around to the Abel Point Marina to top up the water and buy some fuel for both Rene and Lily. The public jetty here is in need of repair and maintenance as the fender strip has fallen off in the middle and was lying in the water. We had all Rene's fenders out and managed not to bump the jetty. The pontoon is also on a lean which made positioning the Rene's fenders a bit tricky.

A much needed break at Roma Pt

We had decided to motor over to South Molle Island, one of our favourite spots, for a night or two. There are great walking tracks here and in the afternoon we did the hour walk to Spion Cop and back. The views are amazing. This morning we thought we needed a decent bit of exercise so walked to the southern end of the island to Sandy Beach. It took most of the morning as we decided to walk along the beaches as well. By the time we arrived back at Moonlight Bay my feet were letting me know they'd done a good walk. Peter thought we had probably done about 10km. One interesting sight along the way were thousands of pretty blue and black butterflies. The tops of the wings were brilliant blue with a black lace pattern, but the underneath were not as bright. They are of medium size and were feeding on the flowers of the blackboys.

We have checked the weather forecast and it looks like we have two more days of lovely weather and then sometime during Wednesday night a 30kn SE wind blows in. Cid Harbour looks like a good option as it appears that this wind hangs around until Sunday. Meanwhile we will keep a close eye on developments and maybe spend a night at Whitehaven Beach.

Moonlight Bay

Gloucester Passage 7th May

We have had two beautiful days anchored in the Gloucester Passage, about 12nm S/E of Bowen. On Tuesday (5th) we packed up our gear and had morning coffee with Andrew before leaving on the ferry for the island. On arrival we happened to notice that a gentle wind had breezed in from the north east. Time to go! With the anticipation of an almost full moon and clear skies we decided to make a start and if the wind turned S/E we would tuck in behind Cape Upstart if necessary. It wasn't. The moon made it's huge orange appearance early in the night and accompanied us for the rest of the trip. The winds remained light and variable and we sailed and motor sailed the whole way arriving 22 hours later in Gloucester Passage and anchored off Montes Resort.

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

Back to Townsville, Rene and Magnetic Island 14th - 24th April

 

Picnic Bay Magnetic Island

 

Peter and I flew into Townsville in the late afternoon and were met by Andrew, Peter's dad. Caught up with all the news and installed ourselves into his unit ready for the next few days. On Tuesday we took the ferry to Nelly Bay to find out how Rene had fared over the long, hot summer months. It has been a very dry summer here with no wet season to speak of. Apparently Magnetic Island usually has 800 - 900 mls of rain from December to March and they have received 40mls. Unfortunate for the locals, but obviously good for boats, as when we opened her up there was no dank smell of a long unaired interior or any sign of mould. The hull was barely covered with a fuzzy green slime and the propeller edges sported a rim of prickly barnacles. Peter removed these quick smart and the slime dropped off as we motored to Horseshoe Bay a couple of days later. This year we can give a miss to the haul out and anti fouling rigmarole, a considerable saving for us. Peter used Altex 5, (8 litres) which provided two coats and we are impressed.

For the last ten days we have spent time socialising with the family, restocking Rene ready for our 2015 sailing season and taking her for a shakedown trip of five days to Horseshoe Bay. The family are all well and enjoying their busy lives, Rene is ship shape and the short stay in Horseshoe Bay was perfect. We even had a lovely dose of rain one evening. The next morning we found about four inches of water in the dinghy. The rain was persistent and heavy as it can be in this part of the world. A welcome relief for the vegetation here and a distinct cooling of the temperature, which I have enjoyed.

Maud Bay Magnetic Island

Before we left Albany one of the teachers at a school where I was relief teaching asked me what we do all day. Of course there are all the usual jobs that one associates with a home: cleaning, washing, food shopping, cooking etc. Then there are the maintenance jobs on the boat. Periodically we need to refuel and take on water which usually requires some research to find out where this can be done and in what time frame. Research on chart plotter and paper charts as to where the next trip will be, anchorages, weather forecasts and blog etc take up more time. Peter and I spend much of our time keeping fit by walking either on designated walks for fun and health or to the shops, which are not always close, to purchase stores. Reading, socialising and for me stitchery projects fill in any gaps.

Most of these activities take longer on the boat. 'Shanks Pony' is not a quick form of transport. On Wednesday we decided it was time for a proper shower. Bucket baths in the cockpit are good, but eventually one feels the need of a hot shower. We are paying for the facilities at Magnetic Bay Marina so we thought it would be a good idea to make use of them. This involved an hour and a half walk, over a small mountain range and around two bays on the south side of the island to reach our destination. It was one of the best showers I've had, but it took time to get there. To be fair we took care of our exercise for the day at the same time.

I lost my morning tea apple to this mum and her friends at the old ferry wharf at Arcadia, Magnetic Island

Horseshoe Bay was beautiful as usual and we had a perfect few days there. An interesting walk took us along a sandy ridge next to the mangrove creek running parallel behind the beach. The paperbarks and pandanas palms were huge and provided welcome shade as we walked. Bird and reptile prints criss-crossed the path and one of the slithery tracks lacked the claw marks of a lizard. It was huge!!! Luckily we didn't sight the maker of that track.

For the next week or so we will be back in Townsville for 60th birthday celebrations and four or five days farm sitting for Peter's brother Clive and his partner, Virginia while they have a few days holiday. When we get a weather window we intend to sail/motor south to the Whitsundays to explore the places we missed last year.

We discovered this interesting letter box in Horseshoe Bay. Maybe they're trying to keep the bills at bay.

Goodbye Sydney, Back to Townsville and Rene 8th - 13th April, 2015

Lake Macquarie 8th & 9th April

Peter and I have been listening to the radio (no TV on Rene) and the continuing commentary on the foul weather conditions being experienced in NSW in the past 48 hours (23-4-15). We were there two weeks ago to catch up with our friends Roger and Carole at Toronto and to look in briefly on one of our favourite sailing grounds. They met us at the Fassifern train station and took us back to their place for lunch and Toronto news. In the afternoon we drove into Newcastle to see the Maritime Centre. We were all interested in the various shipwrecks in Stockton Bight and the horrendous weather that accompanied them. I'm glad we weren't there this week.

Roger and Carole have a new toy - Zeus. He is a quirky little run about that they are intending to use to explore some of the lake systems in NSW. We took Zeus for a motor around Toronto Bay and called in for coffee at our favourite coffee shop. Thanks for a lovely couple of days Roger and Carole. We thoroughly enjoyed it.

Sydney 10th - 13th April

Only a couple of days left in Sydney. We managed to squeeze in as much family time as possible, accompanying Leisha and Jessica to the park, harbour walks and shopping. On Saturday Greg, Leisha, Jessica, Peter and I decided to motor Ocean Street over to the south side of the harbour to Rose Bay. Peter and I did not stop there back in 2013 when we were in Sydney in Rene. I wanted to visit Vaucluse House as I had seen it in a garden book and the kitchen garden piqued my interest.

We anchored Ocean Street in 4m of water between two jetties and a large port hand marker. Rose Bay is shallow close in and it is best to anchor in the eastern bay as seaplanes use the western area.
Everyone piled in the dinghy and we landed on a small beach nearby. A short walk up the hill and we found ourselves in the grounds of Strickland House. This part of Sydney Harbour was once graced by family mansions surrounded by extensive parkland gardens. It appears that in the 1920's many of these properties were purchased by the government so that the people had access to the harbour and the properties could be used for community activities.

Strickland House

 



Peter and I have spent much of our many visits to Sydney walking the beautiful bush tracks along the north side of the harbour from Gore Cove to North Head and marvelled at the wonderful access that the public have to such an amazing place. Looking over to the south side and seeing suburbia stretching into the distance we did not realise that these lovely public parkland spaces existed. At Vaucluse House we watched as men, and women dressed in brightly coloured saris, arrived for an Indian wedding. Peter was not very complimentary about the music. He thought that it sounded a bit like - 'if your cat made a noise like that on the fence in the night you would shoot it!!!' The kitchen garden was a disappointment. Maybe it was because of the change of season.

 

Vaucluse House

 

 

 

Stables at Vaucluse House

On the 13th it was goodbye to Sydney for a while and off to Townsville, Peter's family and Rene tucked safely in her pen in Nelly Bay Magnetic Island. Thank you Greg, Leisha and Jessica for giving us such a lovely time in Sydney. We'll be back!

Greg Leisha and Jessica 

WELCOME TO SAILING RENE APRIL TO OCTOBER 2015

Goodbye Albany! Hello Sydney April 2015

We rumbled out of Albany on 29th March, aboard the TransWA bus, bound for Perth and two days with Karin, Paul and our delightful little granddaughter Isabelle. It was a quick stopover but lovely to catch up with them before we departed for our third year on the water in Rene, our trusty ocean home, for six more months. At present Rene is berthed at the Nelly Bay Marina on Magnetic Island and it will be interesting to find out how she has fared without our constant care and attention.

Peter and Isabelle

 



After our two days in Perth we flew to Sydney to have some time with Greg, Leisha and our first granddaughter, Jessica. We were looking forward to spending some time with them in Neutral Bay and also on their new yacht, Ocean Street. She is an Island Packet 37, perfect for cruising with a family. The plan was for a relaxing Easter break sailing to Broken Bay and Cowan Creek for five days. The first night was spent on a mooring at Quarantine Bay just inside North Head, Sydney Harbour as the wind was in the north and it would have been an unpleasant bouncy trip heading off into the wind.

Good Friday dawned clear and fresh as the southerly had arrived during the night and we were off as soon as everything was organised. With the 10 knot south easterly we made good progress and arrived in Broken Bay in time to  make sandwiches for lunch. Peter contacted Ric and Val from Arkaydes, who we met and sailed with in 2014, and they were tied up to a mooring in front of the waterfall in Refuge Bay. Greg motored Ocean Street in close and Ric offered to have us raft up with them for a night or two. What a magic position! Right in front of the waterfall and small beach. Perfect for trips ashore exploring and swimming and splashing in the little stream with Jessica.

 

 



Ocean Street rafted up with Arkaydes

 

 

 

Jessica collects seaweed at Refuge Cove

 

 



During Friday night the rain started and kept pouring down for the whole of Saturday. Everything seemed to be wet or damp and Greg and Leisha discovered a leak or two they did not previously know they had. By late afternoon we had all had enough of being confined to the boat so decided to sacrifice some clothes to the weather and take a dinghy ride ashore in the rain to see the waterfall which was now pounding over the cliff, swollen with the constant rain. We all got wet and cold and thoroughly enjoyed our little sojourn ashore.

 

Waterfall, Refuge Cove

 

 

 



Contemplating the view in the rain

 



Ric and Val invited us all over to Arkaydes for dinner. Ric made his Mexican special which everyone enjoyed punctuated with sailing tales from us all. Thanks Ric and Val - it was great to catch up with you and Tiger. Sunday saw us motor over to Brooklyn to put some of the wet towels in the laundry there and take advantage of the café for our morning coffee. The day was beautiful and after a motor around Dangar Island we made for Patonga Beach to anchor for the night. Jessica had a wonderful time playing on the beach with the strands of seaweed which she collected and made into a pile.

Monday dawned fresh and clear and after a quick trip to stretch our legs on the beach we motored off south towards Sydney. With very little wind we motored all the way and managed to be in time for the 2.15pm opening of Spit Bridge and were tied up to the mooring at Cammeray soon afterwards.
What a fantastic weekend! Thank you very much Greg and Leisha for a lovely weekend.

 

 

Greg, Jessica, Liz and Peter on Ocean Street in Refuge Cove