Yorkeys Knob 25th - 31st July

Avoiding the Wind, Re-stocking and R & R

When we booked into Half Moon Bay Marina we expected that strong winds would be blowing for several days. In fact there were only two days that were horrible with the SE howling and the sea turning a muddy uninviting brown colour. Ric and Val, who were originally docked in the Bluewater Marina just around the corner and up a narrow, shallow creek, joined us at Half Moon Bay Marina after two days. Peter took a photo of them exiting the creek on their way here. We felt it was too shallow for us to enter safely and we have not changed our minds on this one. The manager of this marina is apparently grumpy and ill tempered so we will continue to avoid it.

On windy Friday we all took the bus to Palm Cove for lunch. Although windy, once off the beach front, the magnificent trees and gardens sheltered us from the worst of the wind as we walked along peering into the restaurants and shops. What we couldn't believe was the 'No Swimming - Crocodiles etc' signs along the beach front and then no more that 100m further along was the yellow and red flags and the "Swim between the flags' sign. This part of the beach looked the same as the rest so maybe the crocs are trained here and don't swim between the flags. I wouldn't have gone near the water in any case as it was a rough, dirty brown whipped up by the wind.

As Ric says, 'The crocs here know they are only allowed at this end of the beach at Palm Cove'

Palm Cove. The lifesavers are halfway down the beach!!

 

One evening we had Ric and Val over for Thai Red Chicken Curry for dinner. We had drinks and nibbles in the cockpit and I had a brainwave - an idea for a cockpit table where we could all reach our drinks and nibbles with out the constant passing. Ric, the builder, had all the materials, tools etc to make the table and the next day presented us with it. Now we will have to have them over again to christen it. Thank you Ric. I need to borrow you for back in Albany sometime.

The table

Tomorrow we intend to pack the icebox with ice when the yacht club opens at 8am and set sail for the Low Isles off Port Douglas. There are two days before the wind is forecast at up to 28kns again so we will probably leave the Low Isles early for Cooktown and shelter there if it eventuates. From Cooktown, Lizard Island is a day sail away.


An Odd Sign!!!



Secret Garden Fitzroy Island

Does any one else find this is a bit odd! It seems to me that  several issues are raised here:

• I thought it was rainforest that was endangered. On the radio the next day, in fact, we heard how there was little of it left.
• Biodiversity? I thought the rainforest had the most biodiversity of all.
• Are they saying that the eucalypt woodland is endangered?
• What was here before the Aborigines came? 60,000 years is a blink of the eye in the history of the planet.
• Why is their method of land management ie 'scorched earth' any better than any other? 
• Sparks and wildfires don't need an excuse to light a fire. They set fire to uninhabited islands here all the time. Why?

 

 

Eight Days to Yorkeys Knob 19th - 26th July

Horseshoe Bay to Mourilyan Harbour

Although the weather at Magnetic Island looked misty and dull, with visibility of  only a couple of miles, we thought that the wind was favourable for us to begin our trip north. We made good time across The Paddock to the Palm Islands, with the help of the motor, so we decided to continue on by taking the route up the Hinchinbrook Passage and anchor for the night behind Haycock Island. A quick look at the tide table informed us that the tide was two hours above low.  As we had a rising tide we decided to give the bar a go as the sun was sinking lower in the sky and we didn't want to be arriving in the dark. The shallowest area is not far beyond a line from the end of the sugar loading jetty which is about three nm long. We lined up the leads and carefully followed them realising that there would not be much water under the keel. My hawk eyes were glued to the echo sounder.  Alarmingly it went into the low 2m zone then shortly afterwards had trouble sounding anything as the stirred up muddy water sent it into meltdown. A second or two later we felt the jolt of mother earth contacting the keel. Rene almost came to a halt, but then freed herself and then touched briefly twice more before entering deeper water. We were touching sand and the tide was rising, but it is not a good feeling bumping the bottom in any circumstances. Next time we will wait at least three or four hours after low tide before entering, especially if the tidal range is large.

A 'Misty Moisty Morning' at Haycock Island

It rained most of the night at Haycock Island and once again we were not able to see the majesty of the mountains on Hinchinbrook Island. A still, rain misted morning saw us motoring north up the channel to our destination at Dunk Island. We arrived at Dunk Island just after lunch to find Arkaydes and three other boats anchored south of the sand spit. We dropped anchor there as well because of the reported uncomfortable swell rolling into Brammo Bay. The weather was showery but calm, so we had a reasonably comfortable night. Large earth moving machinery, diggers, trucks etc were digging and carting huge loads of sand from the sand spit back to the jetty area where constant erosion washes away the sand leaving the jetty disconnected from the island. This seems to be a never ending job as every time we visit they have either just dumped more sand there or are about to do so. We caught up with Ric and Val and joined Andrew and Trish for sundowners on their beautiful catamaran, Sengo.

The never ending job at Dunk Island

The next morning Rene and Arkaydes left Dunk early for the short trip of 20nm to Mourilyan Harbour. On approach to Kent Island, which we rounded to the east, we had a radio message from Ric that we had whales between the island and us and to keep a lookout. We did! Suddenly not more than 10m from Rene was the huge black bulk of a whale body almost submerged in the water beside us. I noticed it first when it took a breath. Peter shot out from below as he heard my exclamation. 'It's dead!' he said. 'NO it's NOT!' I said and at that point it took another breath and disappeared below the surface.  I suppose we interfered with it's peaceful afternoon nap.


Fitzroy Island to Yorkeys Knob

Fizroy Island   The view from Rene

Last year, when we sailed past Fitzroy Island, the wind was howling and we decided to sail onto Trinity Inlet, Cairns for shelter. This year the weather was perfect for a stop over and as the weather stayed perfect we remained anchored in the bay for three nights. Years ago when we borrowed Clive's Border Riever, a Cavalier 32, we anchored here for a couple of nights with Greg and Karin and my sister Linda. At certain stages of the tide we found we rolled unremittingly causing all the contents of cupboards to clatter and clang which allowed none of us to sleep. Considering this we thought any sign of rolling and we would make haste for Yorkeys Knob Marina. The calm weather continued and we did not have to escape. Fitzroy is another beautiful Queensland tourist island which appears to have a thriving resort and a lovely day tripper bar where you can get food, coffee and drinks. There are several short walks and  two much longer steep walks to the lighthouse and The Summit. We did both and enjoyed the view from above looking both north and south along the coast. We snorkled over the reef near the shore. (the thought of crocodiles and sharks keep me close to other people - better chance on someone else being picked off!!!) The coral and fish were interesting, although not as lovely as some other places we have seen.




Near The Summit, Fitzroy Island

On the way to The Summit

 

We anchored in 10m of water as there is little room in less depth and that was already taken by other boats. Although the bottom looked flat on the echo sounder there must have been coral or rock down there as it took some manoeuvring to get the anchor out to leave. At last we were free and then we had a quiet sail to Yorkeys Knob. We have decided to book in here for a week as strong winds are forecast for a few days and we need to reprovision for our trip north to Lizard Island.

Ric, Val and Liz enjoying a pre-dinner drink, Fitzroy Island

Bouncing About in Horseshoe Bay, Mgnetic Island 16th - 18th July

Departing Breakwater Marina, Townsville in the drizzly rain

 

Whatever happened to 'Amazing North Queensland - beautiful one day perfect the next'? There has been a lot of unseasonal rain this year. The up side is that this delightful island is clothed in lush, green foliage and the dry, parched look has been banished for a while. Since I arrived back here from a three week sojourn back home, Peter and I have been watching the weather forecast closely with the realisation that our departure north will be delayed. We would rather stay here in 15 - 25mm of rain than endure the 50-100mm forecast for just a short distance further north. The wind has not been strong, but is contrary, coming from most directions during our two day stay here. At the moment it is a steady 10 - 15kns from the NE. The problem with that is that a sloppy swell is now running into the bay causing us to roll about like a pig wallowing in the mud puddle.

A nasty little surf is breaking on the shore and Peter has been regaling me with bits of information about the rescue of a large dinghy that has been sunk and then smashed on the shore by the waves. A second dinghy is submerged further along the beach, but as it hasn't a motor on it, no-one is taking pity on it just yet. Looks like coffee will be on board this morning. Oops! That was a particularly violent roll and the sink is now full of all the dirty washing up that was on the bench top and now the books are flapping about on the floor. Maybe it's best they stop there for the time being. Typing is a tad difficult as my fingers 'fly' across the keyboard hitting the wrong keys.

Sunset, Horseshoe Bay, before the rain sets in

We have spent the last two days walking some of the lovely bush tracks across the island to Nelly and Picnic Bays. At least here we can walk for miles and get coffee and cake for our efforts. Another reason for us to wait here until this weather sorts itself out. Yesterday we walked to Picnic Bay to take a photo of the place where my Peter Lawson painting was commissioned. It is a beautiful view looking back towards Townsville. Afterwards we decided to have lunch at Noodies on the Beach at Horseshoe Bay. I was so looking forward to our Mexican lunch, but it was a disappointment - took forever and the portion was small and not that tasty. What happened to the chilli? Next time I'll take Peter's advice and do fish and chips.

My painting was executed right here

It looks like we'll be here for a day or two more until this weather sorts itself out, then we will be making a break for Yorkeys Knob, just north of Cairns, in a quick succession of day sails as we've already been as far a Dunk Island with Audrey in June.

Peter inspects the wreck in Picnic Bay

A Lazy Week On Magnetic Island 8th June

Old oyster lease, Horseshoe Bay
 

It is only ten Days until I head back to WA to meet the Geraldton girls for our annual get together, this time at Cervantes. Looking forward to that. I will also be able to catch up with Greg, Leisha, Karin and Paul and the grandies, and Mum and Dad in Albany. After flying back we will be spending the next two and a half months sailing north to Lizard Island again. Meanwhile a lazy ten days at Magnetic Island in Horseshoe Bay has to be one of the best ways of using up some spare time. The weather has been perfect. With the east coast low down south the winds here have been variable anywhere from north to south west at no more that 0-5kns. The days have been crystal clear and we have been able to see Hinchinbrook Island clearly from the bay. I read in Lucas's cruising guide that when there is an east coast low down south it is usually a good chance to put many miles behind you on a trip south as the SE trades disappear for a while. It appears that this is correct and we will keep this in mind for future reference.

We have spent mornings walking and boosting our fitness levels on our way to coffee over the range at Arcadia. Now that we have spotted koalas it seems that they are everywhere. Today we saw three dozing up in the forks of gum trees. Two of them were quite close this time. Also came across a legless lizard on the track - Peter informs me that it has a different shaped head to that of a snake. Anyway it wriggled off into the bush without much ado when we stopped to take a closer look. 

Finding them everywhere now

Today I purchased a painting of Picnic Bay by Peter Lawson. The view is looking across the jetty towards Townsville, with a couple of people examining the beach at low tide. I loved it. We had been to his gallery a couple of weeks ago and spoke to him about what we wanted. He informed us that he would do the painting and let us know when it was done, with no obligation to buy. I could tell he was pleased with it when he phoned to tell me it was finished and it is beautiful. He is very clever and I love the way he paints the puddles on the sand when the tide goes out. Unfortunately we forgot to take a photo of it so I can't show it here. It is being posted to WA. Peter is a descendant of Henry Lawson, the poet, and he has painted some wonderful illustrations of poems such as 'The Loaded Dog' and others. He told us how he had set up the scenes to paint and we thoroughly enjoyed the visit to his gallery on the beach front at Arcadia.

The best way to get down rocks. Like a crab!!

Yesterday, while we had glassy conditions in Horseshoe Bay, we decided to take Lily to a beach that had previously been out of bounds due to it being an oyster lease and the oyster farm taking up the majority of the bay. The man who owned the lease used to keep the public at a distance by shouting and yelling wildly at anyone who ventured near. He has gone now as has his house and shed. Apparently the James Cook Uni has taken over the lease and has cleaned the place up. There is still many ugly, iron stakes in the northern part of the bay, left over from the structures that held the oyster racks in place. The best landing area for the dinghy is to be found in the southern end of the bay near the rocks. Access here is clear of obstacles. There are some interesting rock formations there and the view across Horseshoe Bay to the island, taking in the boats anchored in the bay, is delightful.




Horseshoe Bay from the old oyster lease
That's the range we walk over for coffee - the low part, but still gets the heart rate up!

 



View from one of our coffee walks over the range, towards Horseshoe Bay anchorage.
Puff Puff! Pant Pant! Sweat! Sweat!
This had better be doing me some good!



We have met up with Tom and Vivien on their Beautiful yacht, an Adams 40, in the Breakwater Marina. Last year they helped us acquire the berth for Rene over the summer. They have been in Horseshoe Bay with us and asked us over for a roast dinner. Yum! Yum! Thanks Tom and Vivien for the lovely meal and good company. Vivien came walking and swimming at Radical Bay on a perfect winters day in paradise.

 

Liz and Vivien take a cool dip at Radical Bay



Back to Townsville 26th May to 5th June

Finally after the deluge of rain at Dunk, (it seemed like a week - but in reality was only two days and nights) we were able to get ashore and explore a bit. I reneged on the mountain walk as the mozzies honed in on my soft southern skin and drove me out of there. After a pleasant couple of days we decided to begin the trip south back to Townsville. Our fresh fruit and veges were running short and as the day was fine and the wind light we anchored off Cardwell in order to dinghy ashore for some more supplies. Lunch at the café with the big crab turned out to be a partial success. My egg and bacon burger was very tasty, but Audrie and Peter had fish and chips and the fish was terrible. One customer walked out with the comment that it was, 'the worst fish he'd ever eaten.' It looked tough and appeared to have been heated up half a dozen times. We can't recommend that café.

The big crab Cardwell

Motoring down the northern end of the Hinchinbrook Cannel took us past Scraggy Point and it looked so lovely that we anchored there for the night with three other boats. Mozzie coils were essential for a good nights sleep, but as it was absolutely still we had a very quiet night. Next morning we motored south down the channel, admiring the magnificent mountain scenery and out along the seemingly endless sugar jetty at Lucinda. A short trip  across to Orpheous Island in the Palm Island group saw us moored on one of the courtesy moorings in Little Pioneer Bay for the night.



Peter and Audrie at Scraggy Point

Day two in the Palms began with light winds, but before long a NW wind sprang up and became strong enough to cause uncomfortable choppy seas in the anchorages on the western side of the island. A quick peruse of Lucas's 'Cruising the Coral Coast' informed us that in these conditions good anchorage could be found in Juno Bay, between Orpheous Island and Fantome Island. Three other boats were already there so we found a spot and dropped the anchor and ate lunch. Our reading lead us to believe there was some interesting ruins of an old lepers hospital on the island, so we set out to explore. We did not realise just how shallow the water between us and the island was. It also didn't really dawn on us that there would be even less water when we came to dinghy back to Rene. Duhh!! The bottom was littered with mossy stones and muddyish areas and all I could think of was coming across a nasty little stone fish.

A long slow trip back to Rene. Next time we'll check the tide tables.

We spent a couple of hours wandering around the ruins checking out the foundations of the old buildings and guessing what they had been used for. Some like the power shed still had the old generator there and others like the laundry and bathrooms contained cement troughs and old iron baths. Hundreds of clam shells had been collected and used to outline the edges of paths and gardens. Frangipanis, oleanders an old mango tree and other imported trees and shrubs still grew at the site and are a testament to the toughness of these plants. The whole site is littered with asbestos waste from the smashed buildings - no warning signs here.



Peter takes a bath at the old leper hospital on Fantome Island

 

KOALAS

We have at last found our first koala in it's natural habitat. Audrie's holiday was coming to an end so we sailed back to Magnetic Island and spent a few days in Horseshoe Bay. During this time we walked to Arcadia, Picnic Bay (12kms) and the Forts. All these walks wind their way up and over the rocky hills  and bush of Magnetic Island and as we decended down the hill into Arcadia we found a koala high up in a tree. Hurrah!! Our first one!! The next day while walking around the forts area Audrie found two more. I suppose we will see them everywhere now.

A quick trip took us back to the Breakwater Marina where for $275 you can stay for seven days. They have  a special at the moment as this is usually the price for five days. Audrie had one day left so a decision was made to take a sight seeing trip to Mt Spec with Peter's dad Andrew. The drive is very scenic and Mt Spec is beautiful. We were disappointed to find that both of the cafes up there were only open on the weekend now so we had to drive back down the mountain and find lunch elsewhere. Audrie bought a stack of tropical jams at the Frosty Mango - a great spot for coffee, mango ice-cream, fruity treats, etc. She spent the next morning trying to pack her purchases into a very full bag for her trip back to Perth. We had a great time and it was good to spend time sailing with Audrie again after many years since our trips to the Abrolhos Islands together at Easter.

Crystal Creek Mt Spec

Dunk Island in the Rain 21st - 24th May




Happy Birthday Audrie

 

Here we are back at Dunk Island sheltering in Brammo Bay for several days until the weather improves. We just managed to finish our celebratory lunch at the kiosk for Audries birthday, when the heavens opened, and for the next day and a half we could barely see the mainland or Mt Kootaloo for the cloud and rain. During the night of the 21st the sky emptied 133mm of rain on us and at one stage we wondered if we were above the ocean or under it. That amount of rain eventually found some little crevices and bolt holes in Rene's hull to work its way in and cause some discomfort, especially to Auds, who vacated a wet bunk during the night. We found her in the main cabin in the morning  surrounded by wet sheets and looking a tad dejected. We are still trying to dry out the mattress. Readers will be pleased to know that she has clean sheets, but has now formally taken up residence in the main cabin.

Our trusty little grey dinghy 'Lily' had an adventurous night as well. In the morning Peter found her dangling forlornly off the stern, three quarters full of water. She was so full of water that our thongs and sunscreen (yes I did say sunscreen - we can only live in hope!!) were threatening to float away on the morning tide. He bailed her out and by then we thought the weather was improving so we motored over to Purdaboi Island (a very small island just north of the anchorage) for a look around. Bad decision! While we were exploring the clouds built up over Dunk and soon it was raining again. We decided to wait a while and venture back to Rene when the worst was over. (Bad decision number two!!) Things did not improve so we arrived back soaked through with more clothes to dry.

Things are looking up - Sunshine at last

Today the worst is over. Probably the only thing that could be said of this weather is that it has not been very windy. We noticed a strange phenomenon today. As we sat out eating lunch we could see brown water beginning to creep across the bay from the south. There must be a river down there somewhere discharging flood water into Rockingham Bay and it is making its way north. Slowly the brown tide overtook Rene and the other boats anchored in the bay. Along the front of the change in current the water rippled and lapped and foamed making quite a gurgling rushing sound. Most interesting to watch. We watched a kayaker paddle across from the mainland and he appeared to be having some difficulty rowing against the current. As he paddled past us he commented on how difficult it had been to negotiate particularly the area where the two currents collided. Now the sun is out and Dunk looks beautiful, sleeping in the sunshine.




The collision of the currents at Brammo Bay
(and dredging the berths at Abbot Point is going to ....?????)

This morning whilst walking along the southern beach of Dunk we found a sea snake washed up on the high tide mark. A bit of poking with a stick revealed that he was definitely not dead, although a little slow. Peter found a couple of lengthy sticks and he gradually lifted and flicked it towards the water. Once in the water it was easy to see it was a sea snake with it's fin like body shape. It had diamond shaped patterns across the back and it did not waste any time swimming away. Later we walked the beach and did not see it again so it must have survived.


North East Bay Great Palm Island

Liz and Audrie

Our first night of this trip was spent in North East Bay on the eastern side of Great Palm Island with two other boats. This bay was particularly beautiful and we had a lovely swim off the shore. In the northern end of the beach was a freshwater stream bubbling over the lichen covered rocks - so pretty. The enormous paperbark trees shaded this stream and we scrambled over the rocks to look further inland. The weather forecast next morning had us deciding to make the break for Dunk Island and wait there until the wet weather passed. It was a good decision as at least there are opportunities for onshore exploration and cold showers in the National Park amenities (Did we really need that!!!)

Freshwater creek North East Bay

Peter explores North East Bay Great Palm Island

Hello Blog, 2016 Sailing Season

Townsville 11th - 17th May

Rene ready to go back in the water

I was very pleased to arrive in Townsville on Wednesday morning after a quick trip on the 'midnight horror' from Perth via Cairns. It was an event free trip, but with no sleep overnight I was happy to sneak off to bed straight after dinner. Peter has been here for three weeks and has had Rene out at the Ross Haven Boatyard for antifouling and he also re-bushed the pintle. She is now ship shape and ready for our 2016 travels. Re-stocking the larder took several trips to the supermarket as we had used up or thrown out most of our supplies. Those items still on board, such as, flour, unopened tomato sauce, etc I threw out anyway as the heat of summer had not done them any favours.

We have a long time sailing friend, Audrie, sailing with us for the first three weeks. Audrie arrived on Sunday evening and the three of us moved to Rene for our first night on board. It felt good to be back on our boat in the Breakwater Marina. Andrew, Peter's dad, offered to take us for a drive around Townsville to see the tourist sites, such as Castle Hill, Cape Cleveland, The Strand and Port. Audrie has not visited Townsville before. Later in the day we borrowed Andrew's car and did the final fresh food stock up in anticipation of an early morning trip to Horseshoe Bay, Magnetic Island on Tuesday.

Selfie on Castle Hill
Andrew, Peter Liz and Audrie

A stiff south easterly greeted us as we motored out of the Breakwater Marina and bouncy conditions gradually abated as we sailed along the southern coast of the island. By mid morning we had our first glimpse of the quiet water and beautiful backdrop of the anchorage in Horseshoe Bay.

Whilst Audrie is on board we intend to sail north, probably as far a Dunk Island and then slowly make our way back to Townsville in order to deliver her in time for her flight back to Perth. The Palm Islands, Hinchinbrook, Dunk and various smaller islands are on the agenda depending on the conditions.

Audrie and Liz relaxing on arrival in Horseshoe Bay

An Exciting Conclusion to Our 2015 Sailing Season

Last week Peter and I were sitting on Rene, drinks and nibblies in hand, when he asked me when I was going to finish off the blog. I was finding it difficult to find motivation as I'd written extensively about Magnetic Island on our previous visits. Well he must have taken my musings to heart as the next day he provided me with an exciting conclusion (a bit too exciting actually!!!) to our 2015 sailing season. In the process he learnt a very compelling lesson.

Snake Bite!!

We decided to take our last walk over to Picnic Bay then to a little bay beyond known as Cockle Bay.
A coffee on the waterfront back in Picnic Bay would complete a lovely walk. A bush track takes you through the bush near the houses on the way out of Picnic Bay. We had just reached the last of the houses when Peter jumped and I noticed what I thought was a stick flung up in the air. No. It wasn't a stick. That was a snake, about 70cm long, skinny and light brown. Originally when he felt a jab on his foot he thought it was just a stick too, but no, when he inspected the wound site there were two little fang marks oozing two little blood dots. The snake was still hanging about, not too concerned, so we managed to get a good description for the medical staff at the Medical Centre.




This snake was on Dunk Island but we thought it was the same as the one that bit Peter



Luckily a man was renovating his house over the road so we hurried (trying not to hurry, keep the patient calm and still etc) over and asked him if he could take us to the Medical Centre. I think he was more alarmed than we were. His wife bound Peter's leg in a tablecloth she had nearby and he got in the ute and off they went. I stayed behind as the ute only had two seats. Later the man met me walking along the road and took me to the Medical Centre. Thank you Cynthia and husband, who helped us out in a tricky situation.

We spent the next two hours there, Peter's leg bound securely with bandages from toes to thigh. He briefly felt a bit of a sting in his foot, much like a bee sting, but then back to normal. There was talk of two days in a Townsville hospital for observation, which meant an ambulance coming over on the ferry to pick him up. The snake was definitely not an Adder, Magnetic Islands only really deadly snake, but probably a Tree Snake or a Whip Snake. These are described as mildly venomous, so Peter decided to discharge himself out of the Medical Centre (after signing a form exonerating the staff of any wrong doing) and retire to Rene for a quiet day resting. We had informed them that we would be back in a flash if he started frothing at the mouth or going numb or any other weird symptoms occurred. They didn't. The only other thing that happened was that his foot was a bit swollen and itchy for a few days.

Snake bite and a kicked toe! I think he has learnt his lesson!

The moral of this story is: Wear shoes in the bush - not thongs!!!!

This is my last day in Townsville. Today I fly to Sydney for five days with Greg, Leisha and Jessica, then on to Perth for a few days with Karin, Paul and Isabelle before taking the bus to Albany. Peter is going to stay in Townsville for three weeks to do some maintenance on Rene and put her in her holiday berth in the Breakwater Marina for summer. It will give him the chance to spend a bit more time with his family as well. My only problem now is how to squash two bags worth of gear into one for the flight home.

Goodbye 2015 sailing season. Looking forward to more sailing and heading south again in the second half of next year.



Goodbye Rene. See you next year

Friends & A 'Meanie' Nomination 14th Sept

Waterfront, Horseshoe Bay

 

Arkaydes anchored in Horseshoe Bay today. It was great to catch up with both Ric and Val and of course Tige. Our sailing paths had not crossed since we spent the Easter holiday sharing a mooring with Arkaydes in Refuge Bay on Greg and Leisha's yacht, Ocean Street. We gossiped over coffee in the sunshine at the corner coffee shop and as lunch approached we agreed to meet at 4.30pm for a BBQ on the beach. Then we all adjourned to the boats for some R&R. Peter usually takes himself off for a walk in the afternoon, but I prefer to relax on board out of the heat with some sewing or a good book.

At the appointed time we met under the shady trees along the waterfront, found ourselves a table and BBQ, set out the food and settled in for a friendly chat. Then.... Ric spotted my shopping cool bag. Earlier in the afternoon I had mended it as the seam along the bottom had split. He could not get over the fact that I had fixed a $2.50 shopping bag and decided I needed a nomination for an esteemed position in the 'Meanies Club'. Ron (Roseanne) and his tight fisted mate had dreamed up this idea last year to celebrate those amongst us who excel at being a 'tight arse'!!! Thanks Ric. I love you too!

This is Ric admiring my neat handiwork!!

At this point I feel I need to defend myself. This afternoon I cleaned the boat. It shone like an new pin. No Horseshoe Bay grit on Rene's polished floors. I checked all the cupboards for any excess stuff that could take a trip to the Op Shop and washed everything I could find. After that I sat back and wondered what to do next. A quick look ashore informed me that Peter was the tiny black dot at the far end of the beach, at least half an hour away - that's if he did not 'have a chat' to one of the half dozen people between him and Lily. And there was Lily, residing peacefully on the beach with all the other dinghies waiting obediently for their master's return. Swimming ashore did not appeal, so I went back down stairs to see what I could do next. My sewing project (a cross stitch tablecloth) was complete, all the books and magazines had been read, cleaning done.... and then I spotted the broken cool bag.
"Well of course I thought. I'll mend you." So I did. Having confessed my 'Meanie' type behaviour I think I might be able to claim I was bored - although there might be a tiny bit of meanness there too.

BBQ time in Horseshoe Bay

It was wonderful to catch up with you guys again. Keep safe and enjoy the rest of your trip.

My project for this year - an old cross stitch tablecloth that I resurrected.
It had been partially worked in dull colours by an unknown person, so I unpicked the lot and started again.

Back to Magnetic Island 3rd - 13th September

The weather was still favourable for our journey south, so we decided to haul ourselves out of bed early (3am) for the next long leg of the trip south to Mourilyan Harbour. In calm conditions we motor/sailed nearly the whole 60nm. For the last two hours we scored a NE breeze of about 10kns, which although late, helped us arrive by 2pm and saw us anchored outside the swing basin opposite the sugar terminal. We were the only boat in there, aside from a trawler, which surprised us. We thought we'd see more boats heading north by now.

Poor little cyclone ravaged Purtaboi Is near Dunk Is
 It used to covered in thick rain forest

These early starts were becoming a bit of a habit so as the body clocks had us up at 3.30am we thought we may as well carry on to the next anchorage at Dunk Island. In the early morning light we could see a large, grey ship anchored behind the North Barnard Islands. It happened to be the navy ship "Canberra" and we were close enough to see the sailors participating in daily exercise routines on the deck. We were looking forward to lunch at the kiosk on the beach, but it was shut for the weekend as there was a huge wedding celebration in progress and the staff had all been requisitioned for wedding duties. Very disappointing! On Sunday we decided we needed a decent walk as we hadn't done much exercise lately. The island circuit looked like a good idea. It is a 12km walk incorporating a climb up to the top of Mt Kootaloo and the scenic lookout over Dunk Is and Mission Beach. By the time we reached the top, towards the end of the walk, I needed a good drink and the nibblies we had brought with us to boost the energy levels.

The view from Mt Kootaloo

The wedding party must have been pleased with the weather as it was still calm, clear and beautiful. It also meant the we decided to motor south to Goold Island for the night. This is an anchorage where calm weather is necessary if you want a comfortable night. When the trade winds are stronger lumpy seas enter the bay. The island is densely wooded and the beach lovely. Watch out for sandflies though!!!

Eastern side Hinchinbrook Island

With the quiet conditions still in place we thought we'd try motor/sailing down the eastern side of Hinchinbrook Island to see if we could anchor in Zoe Bay for lunch and then continue on to Orpheus Island in the Palm Island Group for the night. By the time we reached Zoe Bay the wind was SE at about 10-15kts and the seas bouncing off the rocky eastern coast made the seas lumpy and uncomfortable. Zoe was out of the question. We kept on, just making the rhumb line, for Hazard Bay on Orpheus Island. Hazard is a delightful bay, full of coral reef and bombies, so anchoring quite a way out is necessary. There is a resort in this bay which is only accessible to the guests. Around the corner is a pontoon and jetty which is used by people for snorkelling on the coral. It is such a pretty bay with clear water and golden sand.

Feeding the Rainbow Lorekeets, Horseshoe Bay

The weather forecast indicated a windy patch coming our way in a few days time so we decided to make for Horseshoe Bay on Magnetic Island where we could sit comfortably during the blow and where there is plenty of activities to keep us occupied. We have been here for six days now and have socialised with the boaties in the bay, done all the usual walks and sampled morning coffee at the cafes. We have also discovered that there is a public laundry at the Arcadia Hotel which has relieved me of the nasty job of sloshing clothes about in the bucket and prevented us from becoming socially unacceptable. On Wednesday we took the ferry across to Townsville to have dinner with the Scott family at The Jewel of India restaurant - very enjoyable. Our friends Ric, Val and Tiger (Arkaydes) were tied up in the Breakwater Marina so we called in to catch up during the afternoon. Ric was away for the week, but we spent the late afternoon with Val and Tige. We still had an hour to kill before the dinner date so decided to walk around the centre of town to fill in the time. As we were walking past the Irish pub a voice called out to us - Alan from Camelot. The hour passed quickly as we exchanged stories. We're beginning to feel like locals around here.

Tige's in Townsville

I have booked my flights back to WA via Sydney (Greg, Leisha and Jessica for a few days) on 30th September and Perth on 6th October. Peter will stay on here for a couple of weeks to spend some time with his dad and family. He will also do maintenance jobs on Rene and Lily and put them away in a berth somewhere for the summer. We have a couple of options, but some negotiation is still necessary re dates on our preferred spot. We will be spending our last two and a bit weeks here together between Townsville and Horseshoe Bay.

Sundowners Horseshoe Bay