30 August 2008

Dinner for four at 2 Fish, Port Douglas where you can have whatever you like so long as it is fish. The crews from Tezelia and Breakaway enjoyed the warm, balmy evening and the coral trout.

Port. Douglas I mean.

Saturday, 30th August:

A day away from the marina in Cairns where the wind continues to howl. We visit Marina Mirage and catch up with Terry and Lilia from Tezelia.

I believe Sydney is 2000 kilometres that way.

Breakout

Wednesday 27th: Breakout from Mourilyan and sailing again. Heading for Welcome Bay at Fitzroy Island.
We have just witnessed a wonderful display of a mother whale teaching her calf whale play - breaching, fin slapping and tail waving - as they were drifting south.

What can I say?

Monday, 25 August:

Mourilyan Harbour as it has been for three days, wet and windy.

Wet and wild

Thursday, 21 August.
Brammo Bay, Dunk Island.

Crocs, midges and Greek heroes

Friday 15th: Running off the main channel is Gayundah Creek recommended by Alan Lucas as an excellent anchorage so we headed up said creek. Hemmed in by mangroves with a 7ft croc sunning itself on a mud bank did nothing for my equanimity and then the midges arrived. They ignored Carr completely and feasted on me while I was getting the anchor down. So up anchor quick smart as crocs and midges do not make comfortable sleeping companions and back to the main channel to anchor in the midstream breeze. Infinitely better as it was away from all categories of biting creature.


Saturday 16th: It was still dark as the anchor came up at 0600 and we headed for Port Hinchinbrook Marina. As the sun came up, the only ripples on the glassy water were in our wake and the sky gradually busied with shearwaters and darters looking for breakfast. At the shoreline, a few egrets and white faced herons were intent on the same task. Further along we spotted a sea eagle. As planned, we arrived at the pylons marking the entrance channel for the marina almost on high tide but just as we went to turn in, a supply barge came out and commenced a water ballet routine around the pylons. We could not work out what was happening so radioed to the skipper who explained that he was inspecting the pylons and moorings but was happy to move aside so we could enter. Thank you Perseverance II. Love the names of these supply barges, Hercules and Samson in the Whitsundays and we've seen Ajax and Hector (plus Perseverance) around here. Perhaps Jason and Achilles are further north. Amazon and Penthesileia would round out this genre of names nicely.

Tinnies only

Fishing is from tinnies only, crocs deflate inflatables and eat the contents.

Green, green, green.

Once through, travelling along the channel all was serene, and most impressive. Flat dark water, craggy cliffs and volcanic mountains shrouded in cloud with various shades of green in bands of colour along the banks and up the cliffs; dark green opaque water, lime green fringing mangroves, dark green tropical rainforest and, as your eyes go higher, the typical green of an Australian eucalyptus woodland. Looking over to mainland Australia, the clouds caused an ever changing pattern of light and dark green over the mountainous terrain. Occasionally there was a tall tree such as a young child would draw having a thick pale trunk with a dark green round ball of leaves on top, perhaps the now rare pink bloodwood.

I know crocodiles inhabit the channel as I saw one with just the tip of its snout and two eyes above the water and its dark shape underneath. The extensive mudflats and mangroves are an ideal habitat for them so definitely no exploring in the inflatable dinghy. The presence of crocodiles would be why all the fishing boats are tinnies.

Hinchinbrook Island

Thursday, 14th: Departed Little Pioneer Bay at 0612 hrs, long before our little feathered friends were in the mood to serenade us. The exceptionally heavy mooring line proved a problem for the skin of my left hand but we made it to the Hinchinbrook Channel on the rising tide essential to the safe negotiation of its tricky entrance. First obstacle to avoid is the Lucinda sugar loading wharf extending 5.6 km out into the water at the southern entrance to the channel which is somewhat scary as it is very shallow and at times I saw the depth gauge showing only .8 under our keel.

Orpheus visitor

Wed 13th: The birdlife on Orpheus is many and varied including an osprey patrolling over water and a brahminy kite over land. This dear little spectacled monarch, a species of flycatcher, and his partner have been constant visitors to Breakaway over the last two days and woke us this morning with their song.

Beautiful Orpheus

The strong winds forecast for Monday arrived on Tuesday and into Wednesday but it is so peaceful and beautiful here in the bay that we have stayed a couple of days watching other boats come in for shelter from a beastly east’ly. At present it is quite an international group; a Dutch couple who have been sailing around the world for 7 years and are still a long way from home, a French ketch, two large catamarans, a Beneteau cruiser Belle Époque and Josh, a lone young man in a tiny craft heading for Weipa and the NT, which I believe stands for not today, not tomorrow, not Tuesday and not Thursday. We have spent today on maintenance and cleaning and all is in readiness for the Hinchinbrook Channel tomorrow.

Orpheus Island

Monday 11th: 0700 departure from Horseshoe Bay heading for the Palm Isles. The forecast was for 20/25 knot winds from the SSE. SSE was right but the strength was way off so we motor sailed. We gave Halifax Bay a wide berth as the air force use live missiles and bombs when it is active. Some of the smallest Palm Isles looked very attractive with a white beach protected by a coral reef but sadly no suitable anchorages for us. Casement Bay at Great Palm Island also looked inviting but we had heard that visitors were not welcomed and crime a constant problem due to the repercussions of the Aboriginal Protection Act of 1897 by means of which many groups and families were forcibly relocated from their traditional lands onto government reserves and missions, one being Great Palm Island. This indiscriminate and unsystematic mixing of separate and distinct tribes and families continued on the island until the mid 1960’s and the result is causing great difficulties for the present day inhabitants.

As we cruise north of Townsville, it is noticeable that the vegetation of the islands has changed markedly from those we saw south of Cleveland Bay. Rather than the previous rugged and very rocky topography, the islands from Magnetic and northwards are much greener and, especially in the gullies, lush with tropical rainforest and palms. Orpheus Island is one such paradise with some lovely deserted beaches fringed with palms. The only inhabitants of the island are at the resort and a small James Cook University research establishment. Little Pioneer Bay is very pretty with a fringing reef and four public mooring buoys, of which we have one. It is also home to two very large black rays, possibly manta rays, silently and endlessly patrolling their patch of reef. Shoals of tiny fish surround us all the time too and seem to be keeping us between themselves and the rays.

Blogging

Sunset, Horseshoe Bay


Sunday, 10th: Out of the marina at 0624 to catch the high tide and back to Horseshoe Bay. Arrived 0827 and Carr then spent the day with his charts planning the route for the next day’s sail to Orpheus Island. My book supply is rapidly being consumed - I probably should polish the chrome or something but it is too hot to be working outside in the sun. Southern friends: read this and weep, or should I say shiver.

So I spent some time learning how to blog and how to insert the photographs we have taken. I then had to learn how to do them together. Hope this works.

Wigs and gowns

Friday 8th: This afternoon, while sipping my cappuccino in a delightful outdoor café, a number of barristers headed up the street to the law courts. Shades of a former existence. I much preferred my outfit of shorts and tee-shirt to their hot wigs and gowns. Then I remembered that the coroner’s report into the disappearance of the three men aboard the catamaran Kaz II in April last year was due to be handed down and they were off to hear his findings. The coroner found the deaths were caused by a freak accident when one of the crew had attempted to free a fishing line from the yacht's propeller and fell in the ocean. Another crew member fell in trying to rescue him and the skipper was then knocked over by the sail (boom) trying to get to the other two men. Once in the water, it had been impossible for the three men to get back to the yacht due to the conditions. I now have a new rule on Breakaway – no fishing while underway. Besides, what if we caught a fish? I would then have to work out how to clean and fillet it.

Townsville

Wednesday, 6th. Headed for Townsville but had to wait for the high tide to negotiate the channel into the marina. Left Horseshoe Bay at 1035 and on the way we investigated the many pretty bays of Maggie that we had seen from the land. Arrived at the marina channel right on high tide but even then it came down to .9 of a metre under our keel. It is usually full with local boats but we were lucky to secure a casual berth among the large live aboard population. Once again, there were building sites all around us as developers make the most of water views, same as in Mackay and Abel Point.

From the water, Townsville is the prettiest town we have seen so far with a beautifully landscaped 2.5 kilometre beachfront park and promenade with many leisure amenities. Behind the parks and on into town are some magnificent government and commercial buildings dating back to the mid 1800’s, most sensitively restored. The Customs Building in particular attracted our attention. Guess who left "her" camera behind on the boat?

Magnetic Island Bus Service

Great airconditioning - only breaks down in the wet season.

Breakaway at anchor in Horseshoe Bay, Magentic Island.

Three pretty young girls from Germany

Drei hubsche junge Madchen aus Deutschland, much more photogenic than Carr and Ann.
Horseshoe Bay in the background.

WW2 lookout post, Magnetic Island

Radical Bay, Magnetic Island

Whale off Abbot Point

Abel Point surrounded by fog and wind

Misty Brampton

Position, position, position.

Saturday, 2^nd August: Joined at anchor this morning by Tony and Nola on Follow the Sun. An Alfred’s Cruise to Horseshoe Bay rather than Hallets Beach for us this weekend. Today, Carr and I caught a local bus around to Nelly Bay where the ferries come in from Townsville. Oh dear. What a shame such unsympathetic development has been permitted here as a pretty little bay has been thoroughly spoiled. However, the bakery is very good with the best bacon and egg rolls we have ever eaten.

Sunday, 3^rd August. A layback day then sundowners and a bbq ashore with Evening Star and Follow the Sun where we are joined by Rob from Brisbane who is on his way to the Louisiades in his Hanse 42 Imagin. Rob has heard that the elders who run the islands have declared August an alcohol free month after some recent problems there. Sounds like a fun place at the moment. We were then joined by a number of curlews with their distinctive call which sounds like they are being murdered.

Monday, 4^th: Woken by the jackhammers at 7 am so decided to take a bus tour around the island to get away from them. A small island but full of beautiful little bays and thick vegetation, a mix of eucalypt on the hills and tropical in the gullies. We hear about the 25 kms of walking tracks in and around the island including the Forts Walk and decide to do it tomorrow morning.

Tuesday, 5^th: A steep 7 km walk to a now abandoned defence post built during WW2 to protect Townsville in the event of a Japanese invasion from the northeast. The stiff climb up to the old gun emplacements and observation tower were well worth the effort with stunning views out over the Coral Sea and back over to Townsville. The bus driver had told us about the large numbers of whales to be seen from the various vantage points on the track but there were none about today. We should have been there yesterday!

Magic Maggie

Friday, 1^st August: Magic Maggie averages 320 days of sunshine per year and today can certainly be counted as one of them. Temperature about 25º.

The dinghy trip ashore was through a belt of dark seaweed called sargassum, a bit offputting as I am not a dugong, and ashore we were greeted by the sounds of jackhammering and other assorted machinery noises. A block of apartments is being erected along the waterfront and the racket is not welcoming so we walked away from Marine Drive (a tourist trap if ever I saw one) and inland about 1 km to a koala sanctuary attached to a backpacker establishment. Our tour guides were two charming young ladies who certainly knew how to handle their animals including crocodiles, cockatoos, assorted lizards, a baby echidna and koalas. One of the crocodiles apparently is starting to display some alarming habits, so has been renamed Britney and is off to crocodile rehab. We then were taken on a walk through Butterfly Valley – enchanting. By the time we return, the construction workers thankfully have gone home.

Back on Breakaway, we received a call from Simon and Julie on Evening Star. They were en route from Dunk Island and expected to be in Horseshoe Bay by late afternoon so sundowners and an Alfred’s First Friday on Breakaway was the programme for the night. Evening Star has been as far as Cairns and is now heading for Mooloolaba for some r & m.

Thursday 31^st. 0548 start for an even longer day today, 78 nautical miles to Magnetic Island. Wind from the SSE but variable between 5 kts and 0 kts. Motoring only today. By 11 am Breakaway is abeam Cape Bowling Green, a long, low, shrubby, sandy spit with one tree standing at the end of it. With the aquamarine water, cloudless sky and the sun shining bright and warm at 24º, it looks good enough for a holiday brochure. And then I see dolphins. Perfect.

Cape Cleveland at 2 pm and now Townsville and Magnetic Island are in sight. The sea has been dead calm so while the engine is running I have used the microwave as a convection oven and cooked diner for tonight. Stuffed aubergines in the Turkish style. Yum.

1600: Anchored in Horseshoe Bay on the northern side of Magnetic Island. A palm fringed bay with sand the colour of Sydney’s northern beaches and a few houses amongst the trees, a wee bit rolly but so beautiful we will stay here for a few days. A popular anchorage I would say by the number of boats here.

A whale

Wednesday, 30^th. 0605.

Anchor up and a longish day of 52 nautical miles to Upstart Bay, bypassing Bowen as the wind is cold and we want to make the most of some sailing with the wind coming from the SSE but forecast to ease off later in the day. It does. At Abbot Point we see a conveyer belt of 1.6 miles along a jetty taking coal out to a loading tower so we head further out to sea and watch a whale lazily drifting along with the current. We wave as s/he passes by and get a wave in reply!! Down to 5 kts of wind, cloudless sky, aquamarine sea flat, we motor the rest of the way into Upstart Bay. The land here is very steep, very rocky and rugged but no ragged rascals running round them. Surprisingly, there are dozens of houses built along the eastern shore, no roads that we can see but lots of small runabouts. Fishing is probably good around here as there is constant tinnie traffic. We anchor off Nobbies Inlet surrounded by mangroves and midgies so we midgie-proof Breakaway and spend a peaceful night.

Gloucester passage

Tuesday 29^th, 0626:

Finally the marina is left behind. Heading north, we wave to Double Bay East as we pass by and keep on for Gloucester Passage. Tide OK when we arrive so we make it through and around the point to anchor off the new Eco Resort. Lovely beaches behind all the rocks and a good place to stretch the legs as the water is too cold for swimming. Very peaceful night with campfires on the beach providing a very pretty view along the shore.

Chris, another new friend

Monday 28^th.

After persuading an electrician to come and look at the hydraulics (now please?) it was a simple job of replacing a fuse and a switch. Just time to go back along the boardwalk to Cannonvale to replace the prawns I had fed to the fusiliers of Double Bay East and to BUY some fish for dinner – coral trout, magnificent eating, even better than barramundi.

Hello Airlie - again

Saturday 26^th.

6 am departure planned, but now we have no hydraulics. This means we can motor but not sail. No fun. Weekends mean no workmen available so we must wait in Double Bay East until Sunday afternoon before we can turn back to the marina at Abel Point. No fish wanting to be caught today either but it passes the time. At the rate I am going my books will run out before the cruise so I give them a rest and clean Breakaway inside. At least the outside was done by all the heavy rain.

Leaving Airlie

Friday, 25 July

Departed from the marina at last and heading for Double Bay East, sailing in sunny weather and winds SSE at 15 kts. Heaven. A peaceful anchorage, plenty of fusiliers around but too canny for me to catch. All I did was give them a good feed of prawns. The fish were meant to be dinner with the prawns as the standby so bacon and eggs will have to suffice. Even the baked beans are gone – they were used to check the toilets were working. No Narelle – we tipped them in straight from the can!!!

Gale warning

Friday, 25 July

At last we were ready to continue north but the weather had other ideas. All was set for a 6 am departure but a gale warning was then issued for the region so we turned the alarm clock off and stayed put. For the next two days a wild storm ensued with hammering rain and wind gusts up to 37 kts, and that was in the marina! We heard that outside it was more like 65 kts. The 24^th was sunny and warm so we spent it on the boardwalk constructed along the shoreline between Airlie Beach and Cannonvale and waited for the seas to calm down.