Dunk Island to Mourilyan Harbour 25th to 28th July

Beautiful Dunk Island

On leaving Macushla Peter set the fishing line to trawl for a Mackerel. We had only been motoring for 20 minutes or so when he let out a yelp and pulled in a good sized School Mackerel. Much to his disappointment he had to stop there as the ice was beginning to run low. The block ice we bought in Townsville 10 days ago remains as a small block in the freezer/fridge. Amazing!

After a slow motor sail we rounded the sand spit at Dunk Island and anchored close to the courtesy mooring buoys. We took advantage of the NP showers, now with hot water if you get in early, and then had drinks and an ice-cream at the kiosk. Before retiring to Rene for the night we walked along the shore and viewed the damage still evident from cyclone Yassi in 2011. The resort is now in the process of being done up after the new owner took over and should be ready for visitors soon, if not already. The five star units on the water front remain damaged as they are the most expensive to redevelop, but the back cabins, restaurant and gardens behind look beautiful and inviting.

Relaxing at Dunk Island

 



The water taxi from the mainland comes and goes every hour on the weekend and less often during the week. It is $35pp for the round trip to Mission Beach, which we didn't do in the end. On Sunday a Reggae Band played for most of the afternoon and the kiosk did a roaring trade with the numerous party goers from the NP camping area, boats and day trippers. I recommend the food at the kiosk. Very yummy!

Sunday Fun on the Sandspit

The weather forecast for Monday was fine, but from Tuesday to Thursday looked windy and had a good chance of heavy rain. We decided to make the 20nm trip to Mourilyan Harbour, along with several others who were anchored at Dunk. The day was perfect, although not much wind and we motored all the way except for the last hour before arriving at the entrance to Mourilyan Harbour.

Mourilyan Harbour and a Trip to Innisfail

We motored slowly around inside the harbour searching for a good place to anchor. There is not much room outside the swing basin buoys before the very shallow mud banks begin. There is more room up the Moresby River and many craft are already anchored there, and also pile moorings nearby, but we claimed our spot between two yachts anchored just outside the swing basin. It  is not too far to dinghy ashore from there. There is a large new car park and boat ramp just inland from the main harbour and we took Lily ashore and tied her up with the other dinghies on the boat ramp pontoon where we met Drew and Billy the dog from Kristal and Lex from Rambler. Drew was keen to take a trip to Innisfail and we decided it would be a good idea to organise a share taxi ride to town on Tuesday. We also found out that the kiosk just up the road no longer operates, so no ice-creams here.

Tuesday dawned cloudy with a few light showers, but it looked good for our trip into Innisfail. Drew organised the taxi and the fare was $45 each way, not bad when you share. Gordon arrived at 9.30am on the dot and proceeded to entertain us with local knowledge and interesting tales all the way to town. He also took us to see a couple of views of the Johnstone River and recommended we visit the museum and do the river walk.

Jubilee Bridge, Innisfail

 

 

 

Waterfront, Johnston River

 

 



Drew left to do her own thing and Peter and I walked to the river first as the weather was holding off - just. We were surprised at how wide and picturesque the river is. However we could see the dark clouds gathering and decided to give the river walk a miss and find a coffee shop in town. Oliveri's Continental Deli served very nice hot coffee and the best fruit cake I have tasted for ages. They also have a wonderful range of salamis, cheeses, olives and condiments. Peter and I were so impressed we came back for a toasted roll each for lunch and that was also delicious.

River Reflections

The history of Innisfail depicted in eight mosaic panels designed by Sam Di Mauro and displayed along the waterfront walk.

Innisfail used to be called Geraldton, but had to change it's name because the WA Geraldton had the name first. There is 'the highest concentration of Art Deco buildings in a CBD area' according to a brochure from the museum. We were impressed at how the people of Innisfail have worked together to preserve their beautiful old buildings. The little museum in Canecutter Court (I think) is worth a visit and requires a donation on entry. The ladies there were very helpful with information about the museum, town and attractions in  the wider area. One interesting photo displayed was of five or six taxi drivers fishing in a pot hole in the main street after a flood. I guess they were trying to illustrate how big the potholes were.



We met Drew and Gordon outside Woollies at 2pm and drove back to Mourilyan Harbour. By the time we arrived the heavens had opened up and we all got drowned on the way back to the boats. Drew's husband Peter laughed as he said to us, 'Look at this North Queensland weather. Beautiful one day! Perfect the next! But watch out for the one after that!!!' Mourilyan Harbour is a good place to be in this adverse weather.

Drowned Rat

Palm Islands & Hinchinbrook Islands 20th - 24th July

Orpheus Island

 

Little Pioneer Bay

 

We departed Magnetic Island after breakfast and sailed in light SE winds and sloppy seas across the paddock to the Palm Island group. There are five larger islands in this group and a few smaller islands, mainly off Great Palm, at the south end. In Casement Bay on Great Palm Island there is a large Aboriginal community where permission is required to land. We decided to bypass Great Palm and make our way further north to one of the other acknowledged anchorages. Little Pioneer Bay, on Orpheus Island was our destination and as we approached we saw that all the courtesy moorings were already taken. There are four courtesy moorings here, three in the northern end of the bay and one in the southern end. In the SE winds of about 15 - 20 kn we thought the southern one had the most protection and least slop. The moorings have a time limit of 2 hours, but once late afternoon is reached most people stay for the night. Two hours seems too short from our point of view as that leaves little time for exploration, especially when there are walks ashore. You get 24 hours on courtesy moorings in NSW. We motored slowly around the bay to enable us to survey the bottom on the echo sounder. There was a large bommie outside the white reef markers and special marker in the centre of the bay which we avoided. Tangling the anchor chain around one of those is not much fun. We eventually anchored near the southern courtesy mooring in 11m. The ocean floor there seemed flat and fairly clear of obstructions.

Early next morning one of the yachts left a mooring so we motored over to claim it. Peter wanted to do a little maintenance on the anchor warp. It had been looking worn near where the chain joins it and Peter cut a worn section out and respliced it. Later in the morning we rowed ashore and wandered along the beach, then walked up the rough track to the old ruins of a pioneers stone hut. The hut is fast becoming overgrown as is the track which used to lead up to the hilltop beyond for a view to the eastern side of Orpheus Island. We gave up the walk as the bush and grass was so thick that it was difficult to see which way the track went and we were worried about encountering snakes. No quick fix for snake bite here!! Eight boats anchored in the bay that night. Quite a crowd!

Pioneer's hut, Little Pioneer Bay

 

 



Hinchinbrook Island

We felt we had done Little Pioneer Bay justice so decided to sail over to Lucinda on the mainland at the southern end of the Hinchinbrook Channel. There is a 5km long jetty here where ships load bulk sugar from the surrounding agricultural area. In a nasty choppy little sea we lowered the main sail (we still fold it the old way - no lazy jacks here!!) in the drizzly rain which we had seen from Little Pioneer Bay, covering Hinchinbrook for the last two days. Motoring along this seriously long jetty we began to reach calmer water and eventually found ourselves in flat water in the southern end of the channel. Hinchinbrook Channel is a 26km waterway between the mainland and Hinchinbrook Island. It is very protected with many navigable mangrove creeks and peaceful anchorages along its length. The township of Cardwell is located at the northern end of the channel.

Once we reached the calm water we decided to erect the canopy as the weather appeared to be closing in with more rain. The mountains of Hinchinbrook were completely shrouded in clouds and rain obliterated any view in the distance. A huge waterfall cascaded out of the clouds on the western side of the mountains on the island. There has been a serious amount of rain here.

Haycock Island is about a quarter of the way up the channel and we thought it a good spot to spend the night along with two other boats. This is a truly scenic spot, especially if the clouds and mist allow a view. Unfortunately sandflies and mozzies inhabit this area in numbers unlikely to be seen anywhere else in Australia. Mangrove creeks are not my favourite environment. It is my summation that they are best left to the creepy crawlies and human eating creatures that inhabit them. Two mosquito coils placed at each end of the boat barely kept the mozzies at bay and did little to deter the sandflies, which means I am now a spotted, lumpy itching mess. Aaarrrgghhh!!!!

Cardwell

The morning dawned, if not clear, at least with the potential of fine weather. Soon we had a better view of the hills and we motored north in the channel towards Cardwell. The wind had dropped out and by the time Cardwell came in to sight the sea remained calm and we decided to go ashore there for lunch and to restock with some fresh veges, fruit and meat. Rockingham Bay is very shallow for a long way out and calm weather is needed here to go ashore, it being an exposed anchorage. We anchored well off the end of the jetty in 2.8m of water. We had an enjoyable lunch at a café on the main street and I won $25 on my scratchy. Things are looking up.

Waiting for fish and chips. Cardwell

Macushla

After our quick trip ashore at Cardwell we decided to motor to Macushla in Missionary Bay on the northern end of Hinchinbrook Island for a couple of days of bushwalking and fishing (Peter, not me. I don't fish!) Like the channel, the water here is muddy and the signs ashore at the National Park camp site warn of crocodiles, so swimming is not an option. Peter fished and caught a Javelin and a Trevally. The hunter and gatherer reins supreme! They made a very tasty evening meal.

After the success with the fishing we thought a bush walk to South Shepherd's Bay would do us good. The track is well marked, but in fact has not been maintained and is overgrown and to my mind a very unpleasant walk. I am not your intrepid bushwalker and need a reasonably cleared track in order to feel comfortable. Bush ticks (which walk over hot coals to get at me), snakes, hidden holes, rocks and stakes etc are not my idea of a good time. We gave up on this walk and returned to the track to Shepherd's Bay which was better, but is also fast becoming overgrown due to lack of maintenance.

I have a suggestion for the 'Sparks and Wildfires' - instead of setting fire to these beautiful, uninhabited islands using helicopters etc (we know how much they cost, re the Bronwyn Bishop saga!!) perhaps it would be better to keep the tracks maintained so that people would be motivated to use them and therefore be able to appreciate and value this pristine environment. I have no issue with controlled burning to reduce the probability of wildfires in populated areas, but it seems to me that on these National Park islands deliberately lit fires simply destroy animals and plants for no real value. The tracks that are being neglected have originally been well built, with levelling, stonework steps, gutters and stream crossings etc and it is disappointing to see this work gradually disappearing into the undergrowth. As our society becomes more urbanised every opportunity for people to appreciate the natural environment needs to be encouraged.

A good walking track

Not so good, but it got worse

 



We spent two nights at Macushla and enjoyed a calm anchorage with wonderful views of the high mountains on Hinchinbrook Island.

Macushla

Back on Rene For the Trip North 19th July

After three weeks in WA enjoying the company of Karin, Paul and Isabelle and the rest of my family, I am now back on Rene and anchored in Horseshoe Bay on Magnetic Island ready for our long planned trip as far as Lizard Island, North Queensland. Tomorrow seems to have a good weather outlook so we will leave in the morning for the 25nm trip to the Palm Islands. It is a bit further to Orpheus Island and the anchorage there. We were hoping to sail to North East Bay, but the wind looks like making that anchorage untenable so we will probably make our way to Little Pioneer Bay instead.

I had a great time in Perth with Karin, Paul and Isabelle. It was Isabelle's first birthday while I was there and I was able to participate in a party in the park. Issy nearly wore my arms out lifting her for the never ending turns on the slide. The Geraldton girls (7 of us) had organised a get together in Jurien Bay for two nights of gossip, food and catching up, which was wonderful fun. Then it was off to Albany on the bus for two weeks of feverish gardening to tame the weeds and put the over vigorous plants in their place. Family get togethers, morning teas and evening meals filled up my two weeks and the time flew by to my departure on the bus for the trip back to Perth and then on to Townsville.

 

Isabelle inspects her presents with her mum

 

 



Whilst I was in WA Peter had his long time friend Mike Clarke (Clarkeii) stay on board Rene for two weeks. They sailed as far north as Dunk Island and by all reports had a great time visiting all the islands between Magnetic and Dunk. Being a sociable pair it sounds like they enjoyed themselves.

Zoe Bay Hinchinbrook Island

 

 



We have spent three days in Horseshoe Bay relaxing and walking and deciding if we have forgotten any of the 'must haves' before we depart for our journey north. We are spending a couple of weeks between here and Cairns so need to prepare more carefully than we have so far. All is ready..... to be cont'd.

 

Walk to Arcadia - poor drought affected Magnetic Island