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.