The Kindness of Strangers

Stokes Bay - our turnaround point.

We spent 10 days in Flinders Group exploring and fishing. 

 

Over a couple of days at Owen Channel we had bid farewell to Ceilidyh  and Endurance of the South http://www.enduranceofthesouth.com  as they headed on towards Darwin. We made the short hop across to Blackwood Island.

Here is Arjuna

In April 2014, while Arjuna sat down at Sheridan Flats in the Great Sandy Straits thinking we were having strong winds, Cyclone Ita sat over Lizard Island for around eleven hours and ripped the place to shreds. However, not having seen the place before, the clear surrounding waters were obvious even from a distance although the island itself looked barren. When the southeaster blows, which it does often, 400-450 days a year on average in fact, Watson's Bay on the northern side is the place to drop your plow. There were about ten boats in the bay when we arrived which we understand is on the empty side. Being a marine park A area we saw the obligatory batfish wander up at our arrival. A few reef sharks also swam over to check the newcomer out. The water was the clearest we had seen since Lady Musgrave Island so the bottom was clearly visible through the depths. In fact, it was the first time on the trip we could swim along the anchor chain and see our trusty hunk of iron embedded in the sand.

This be a  fine island

Being Resourceful in The Family Islands

We are tucked snugly into Brammo Bay at Dunk Island (Coonanglebah) for our sixth consecutive day of a Bureau issued Strong Wind Warning. There are far worse places we could be sitting it out in.

Third Mate whittles in a beach shelter built by one of the kids who lives full time on the island.

Magnificient Maggie



Arjuna amongst the Granite and Hoop Pines at Florence Bay

Magnetic Island ("Maggie") is only 4 nautical miles from Townsville, so on Sunday July 6th, we set off with 5 adults and 6 children in fine weather for a picnic at Florence Bay.

Brolgas and Jabirus on the Town Common



Townsville Wetlands

Jane L. took us for a July afternoon stroll through the lush wetlands at the Town Common Conservation Area.

Again with the Whitsundays

At Blue Pearl Bay we spied the sun and courted the voracious batfish with their favoured meal of delicately flavoured arborio rice. At last, the Whitsundays were beginning to show us their true colours and some snorkelling was likely in the upcoming days with the water clearing after the turbulence of the recent winds. All was well. Which is when a gentle wind change, much like that early in Pirates of the Carribean, wafted across the bay and heralded trouble brewing in the air. Months on the sea had tuned the senses of the Captain to these subtle shifts in the atmosphere and sure enough, on the falling of dusk, a no good pirate ship drifted into Blue Pearl Bay and secured itself to another mooring buoy. There was something unusual about this boat indeed: it came with the lines of a clipper but with a fully enclosed transparent marquee erected on the deck. The immediate blaring of some sort of Ibiza house music mix heralded its intentions and these intentions were unmistakable: a backpacker's dance party until the wee hours of the morning.

`The sun departs for the Winter Solstice at Stonehaven

Windy Week of Whitsuntide

The entire week after Whit Sunday (seventh Sunday after Easter) is known as Whitsuntide or Whit week. At this point if I was the Captain, I would be able to insert some hilariously self referential "Whit" play on words - but it's beyond a First Mate. 

Submarine vision (Second Mate)

Brampton Island

On June 2nd, after a week spent with the captain muttering and cursing in the bowels of the boat in Mackay, we raised the sails and headed back out to wage battle with the shoals and bulk carriers. After a punishing schedule of boat repairs, the captain was really looking like he needed a holiday on a nice tropical island.

Insert tropical island picture here

Much Happens

The mighty rocks of Rosslyn Bay

Rosslyn Bay at Yeppoon was initially a planned three night stop to re-encupboardise, refill water and attend to a headsail tear which we had sustained in the less than tranquil conditions out of Fitzroy Reef. Trying to get work done at short notice and in a short turn around period in the marine industry is not easy. The Captain used his skills at begging to book the sail in for surgery and also managed to track down a separate upholsterer to put a new zip on our boom bag. As expected, neither of these jobs fitted into our booked time and we extended at the marina for several more days.

Great Keppel Island - Unexpected poetry and Hermit Crabs

Riding the sand dunes of Butterfish Bay - Great Keppel Island

Great Keppel Island exceeded expectations and we ended up staying for 6 days exploring and swimming in the beautiful clear sandy bays.

A pre-dawn start to cover  the 40 nautical miles from Northwest Island brought us back towards the coast. The afternoon snorkel around the coral on the drop off at Northwest Island promised much, but after four days not setting foot on land, the crew were becoming restless, we didn't want to risk another wind shift leaving us stranded.