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.