Boobies at Michaelmas Cay



WARNING: TWITCHER CONTENT

We picked up one of two public moorings at Michaelmas Cay, dodging around a few shallow coral bommies on the approach. Some practical Marine Parks' person has thoughtfully placed the moorings just outside the range where the booby guano really starts to really get on the nose.

Michaelmas Cay - a booby.

Finding Nemo - Photos from Escape Reef, Tongue Reef, Michaelmas Cay

A week of fine weather to explore the reefs east of Port Douglas and Cairns - October 6th-13th. Here are a few favourite photos. No doubt the Captain will follow up with a couple of words.

Second Mate (often reserved in his praise) thinks Tongue Reef is "alright"

In which we visit Endeavour Reef

Endeavour Reef - Cape Tribulation to the south west.

After picking up "The Rock" in Cooktown, a week of calm weather was predicted - a perfect opportunity to visit the reefs, of which there are no shortage between Cooktown and Cairns. We headed out to Cairns Reef via Osterland Reef to anchor overnight. This was a very comfortable anchorage in the 15-20 knot southeasterly, a natural harbour protected on 3 sides by reef. With the wind still up though, the visibility wasn't great for snorkelling. A really big dolphin came and swam upside down in our bow wave for about 500m. He had a few chunks out of his dorsal fin, possibly from close encounters with boats, but didn't seem at all deterred.

A dugong at West Pethebridge Islet

 

The Captain will at some point be updating you with the action packed account of our journey around Cape Melville and onward, but in the meantime here is one of those beautiful things that occur just when things seem to be getting unpleasant.

 

Cape Melville

Tuesday 16th September saw us raise anchor at dawn and set off northwest from Watson's Bay towards Cape Melville. We had initially planned to overnight at Howick or Ingram Island but a brisk 20 knot wind steadily built behind us and we passed Howick shortly before lunch. So we decided to push on for Cape Melville.



 

Cape Melville - a lizard on every termite mound.

Where is Arjuna?

Well we are back in Cairns after 6 weeks of adventures in the north.  We got as far as Stokes Bay, Stanley Island in the Flinders Group before turning the bow southwards again.

Now everyone is busily catching up on schoolwork, boat work, paid work and paper work while the blog remains sadly neglected.

There are many crazy tales waiting to be told:

of monster fish caught . . .

Platypi and a Pub

We've been in Cairns for about three weeks now and plan to head off tomorrow further north.



View from the Esplanade

Our beautiful new main sail arrived yesterday from Hong Kong and it was a bit like Christmas as the crew gathered round to unwrap the enormous box. The anticipation had been killing us.

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.

Clam I Am

We spent another week in Townsville after returning from Nelly Bay. There were, as usual, some details to be attended to including another problem with our solar charging system and the need to get an order in for a new mainsail after shredding it on final departure from the Whitsundays. We had our bow roller straightened and reinforced after being bent sidewise sitting on our anchor in too many strong winds. Eventually, we cast off the mooring ropes for a final time and bid our farewells to Breakwater Marina, hailing a hearty goodbye to the staff over the VHF before knuckling down for another arduous passage to Magnetical Island.

Magnetic Island. Viewed from the general vicinity of the gelato shop at Townsville

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.

Third mate reports from the Whitsundays

Hello. It's the third mate here to tell you about Hammo, Montes, and Mays Bay. I have been living aboard for six months and I'm ten years old. I'm loving life on the seven swelly seas (a.k.a. Coral Sea). So down to business.

Mum, can I have a pie for breakfast? Mum, can I have a pie for dinner?

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

Hexham Island



As the sun rises over Pearl Bay, the crew emerge.

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.

We reach the reef - Lady Musgrave Island

We left Bundaberg at dawn and headed due north about 40 nautical miles to Lady Musgrave Island,  our first encounter on this voyage with the Great Barrier Reef. Lady Musgrave is a cay completely encircled in a natural lagoon by coral reef. It lies along with Lady Elliot Island and Heron Island in the Capricornia Cays National Park.

It was not that far north from here that Matthew Flinders' luck changed very much for the worse on Wreck Reef, after the Porpoise ran aground as he returned to England with his completed charts following his circumnavigation of Australia. In an amazing feat of navigation and endurance, he managed to return Sydney in an open boat to organise the rescue of his men stranded on a sandbar on the reef.