Back home to the Sunny Coast

The southern end of the Narrows, just north of Gladstone, was a nightmare of dredges, ferries, ships, work boats etc, and we had our hearts in our mouths as we negotiated the channel down to the marina.  Think that could be our last trip trough the Narrows as we may travel outside Curtis Island in future!  At least until the gas pipeline is completed, that is!

Dredge in Gladstone Channel 

We spent two weeks in Gladstone marina, catching up with extended family and waiting for a SE blow to pass.  Had quite a sociable time there!

 Gladstone Marina

After we left Gladstone, we headed to Pancake Creek for a quick overnight and then off again early next morning.  The northerlies were back and we took them!  We were having such a terrific sail that we bypassed Bundaberg altogether and aimed for the northern end of Frazer Island, arriving just north of Coongul point about 8.30pm. 

Next day we lobbed at Garrys Anchorage in the Sandy Straits and stopped for a few days to catch our breath!  Garrys is another favourite spot of ours.  It’s an excellent all weather anchorage with heaps to do – fishing, walking and socialising with the other boats there.

 Outahia at Garrys Anochorage

 Greg on track to Lake Garry

Then we visited Tin Can Bay before a weather window appeared with favourable tides and winds so we took off for the Wide Bay, crossing at 4.10am (closely followed by about 15 other boats!!) aiming for Mooloolaba.  We had an excellent run though the motors were on most of the way.

 Sunrise over the Wide Bay Bar

The fleet following us across the Bar

All too soon our trip is over!  We’re now tied up on a pontoon in the Mooloolah River till we take off again next year (if the boat doesn’t sell, that is!)

On our way south

Three days after leaving the Whitsundays (with overnighters at Brampton and Middle Percy Islands) we were at Port Clinton, north of Yeppoon. We hadn’t been there before so spent few days exploring and fishing.  We caught a nice feed of flathead and the odd crab.  Greg also hooked a barra, our first for quite a while, but it flipped off just as he was about to pull it into the dinghy!  Drat!  Still, we know they’re there now and they’ll only be bigger next time!

 Whales at play off Percy Island

Flathead for tea!

Then we spent a couple of days at the Keppels before heading to Gladstone via the Narrows. 

 The Keppels - a favorite spot!

 The Narrows near the cattle crossing

At anchor in the Narrows

We’d planned on a week in the Gladstone marina to catch up with extended family and reprovision, however, the weather had other ideas, sending a strong south easterly change our way. Two weeks later we’re still here, but the wind has eased a tad and we’re hoping to head to Pancake Creek tomorrow. (24^th October)

Cruising the Whitsundays

We’ve spent the last six weeks playing here in the Whitsundays, a very attractive cruising area.  The only disadvantage is that it’s full of other boats and it’s a rare occasion that you have an anchorage to yourself!  Makes for a sociable time, however!

 Nara Inlet - boats everywhere

Outahia & Xhale off Grassy Island

Though they’re few and far between, we did manage to catch the odd fish and crab in places we didn’t expect to find them!  We also explored other places we hadn’t been before, in company with Xhale.  The crabbing was disappointing and the fish not very plentiful, but Greg did find a painted crayfish in one secret spot!

 

Mouse, Brendan and Taylor came down from Townsville to spend a week with us mid month. The weather wasn’t all that kind throwing SE 15-20 at us that week, but we sat over in our favourite spot in Cid Harbour and were very comfortable. 

 Our favorate spot at Cid Harbour

We found Pirate Pete’s treasure buried under a coconut palm in a little cove after Taylor found the treasure map in a rum bottle in a cave on the beach!  Much excitement!  We also spent a night at Nara Inlet before we had to head back to Airlie to drop them off.  Our sail back to Airlie was a tad vigorous - even hit 11 knots at one stage!   Taylor’s comment: “It’s a bit wobbly, Nana!” So love having them onboard!

 

 Greg and Mouse with their catch

 Taylor found Pirate Pete's treasure!

Fun on the beach at Cid Harbour

It’s the last week of September now and the northerlies have kicked in.  The temptation is too much, so we’ll reprovision, top up fuel and water, and start making our way south again within the next couple of days.

Shaggers Party

A highlight of the trip so far was our Shag Islet Cruising Yacht Club (ie: Shaggers) annual rendezvous at Shag Islet off Monte’s Resort opposite Gloucester Island from 25 to 28^th August.  This is the third annual get together though the first one we’ve attended.

We couldn’t believe that so many boats could fit into such a smallish anchorage – we counted over 80 and have no idea how many were actually there. The action was full on with activities planned over the 4 days of the rendezvous, including a byo lunch party on the sand spit at Shag Islet, best dressed boats competitions (by night and day), a parrot head party (come dressed as a parrot head!) and a pirate lunch at Dingo Beach (which we didn’tattend).

We met so many new yachties as well as caught up on many we’d already met. A thoroughly sociable time was had by all!

Flying the kite behind Outahia

 Dinghies galore!

 Not much room left on the sand spit!

 Greg's parrot head!

Birthday at Airlie Beach

Our daughter, Carolyn (alias Mouse), and granddaughter, Taylor (alias Minnie Mouse!) came down from Townsville for the weekend of 20-21^st August to help me celebrate my birthday – bonus!!

 Who's a spoilt Nana?

My turtle birthday cake

Island hopping north of Mackay

We stayed a tad longer than planned in Mackay due to strong winds, but eventually escaped north to the Newry Islands. There’s reputedly good fishing there, but we obviously weren’t looking in the right spots!!  Did lots of exploratory walking on the islands though!

Outer Newry Island Anchorage 

Then it was across to Goldsmith Island - our first time there as well – another beautiful spot!  After leaving foot prints on the beaches and trying the fishing spots there, we headed north to Thomas Island for yet more exploring and fishing - had a sociable time was had by all when Greg rounded up the boats in the anchorage for a beach bbq.  That is what cruising is all about! 

Thomas Is - dinghies galore

The orchids are in flower all over the islands!

Shaw Is was just around the corner, so we had a leisurely sail across to Burning Point.  Here we parted company with our travelling buddies on Xhale for a week or so as they headed to Shute Harbour and we went to Cid for a few days.

Friendly bat fish at Shaw Island anchorage

Digby Island to Mackay

The weather was coming up and the anchorage in West Bay is very rolly, so we moved across to Digby Island, a much better SE anchorage, for a couple of days.  This is also a new spot for us as we hadn’t been in there before.  The little bay is very rocky with a sandy beach in shore over a rocky reef.  A very pretty spot! 

 Anchorage at Digby Island

We explored there for a few days before heading into Mackay, another first as we hadn’t been here either.  We are now full of fuel, food and water waiting for a break in the weather to wend our way further north

The Percy Islands

The Shoalwater Bay military area was totally closed till the end of July, and rather than wait for another two weeks till it opened, we decided to make a run for the Percy Islands leaving at the ungodly hour of 1.00am.  The moon was out and showed us the way though it was an uncomfortable trip.  With sloppy seas and the wind up our tail, we wallowed and surfed our way for most of the 104nms to South Percy Island.  It was such a relief to finally stop and drop anchor! 

We spent the next week relaxing in Rocky Shelf Bay, enjoying walks on the beach and exploring the bush, fishing and diving.

 South Percy Island Anchorage



One that didn't get away!

While we were there, two kayakers (Eddie and Silvio) arrived seemingly from out of nowhere!  They’d island hopped from Stanage Bay on the seaward side of Broad sound, some 50 odd nautical miles away!  They’re either brave or mad!  Eddie was a keen spearfisherman and he and Greg explored the local reefs and kept us in fish.

 
We then moved across to Middle Percy Island into West Bay, where we revisited the “A Frame”, a yachtie’s sacred site, updating our “sign” in the hut.  We walked up to the homestead and sampled some of Cate and John’s generosity.  They were re-roofing the homestead and were looking for extra helping hands.   Later in the week, they put on a goat stew, cooked to perfection in camp ovens by Ernst, one of the island’s caretakers.  All in all, a very sociable time.

Aframe - Yachties Sacred Site!

Middle Percy Island Homestead

Corio Bay

After we dropped our mate, Ross Cooke, off at Rosslyn Bay, we headed up to Corio Bay just north of Yeppoon.  We hadn’t been there before and it’s an interesting place though rather shallow with lots of sand bars but enough room for a couple of cats.  The flathead were biting and we managed to get a few good feeds.  Also, the crab pots gave us one mud crab.  We explored the beach on the seaward side of the bay and found tons of flotsam and jetsam washed ashore – including all manner of plastics!  We were disappointed that such a beautiful spot could be so heavily polluted.

Flotsam on 9 Mile Beach

Playing in the Keppels

The Keppels is another one of our favorite places.  We have our friend, Ross Cooke, on board for a week and he and Greg have been diving to their hearts content.  The fish are very wary and to date, remain safe under their rocks.

The weather has been laying it on for us and we now have picture postcard stuff!  We've caught up with Alan and Tania on Somewhere, and with Outahia and Xhale, there are three Oram 44C's in the same anchorage.  Makes for a sociable time!

We'll play here for another week or so and then contemplate heading further north.

Sundowners on Hummocky Is - Greg, Neil & Carol



Jan attacked by a "Croc" at Butterfish Bay on Great Kepple Is



Greg and Ross off diving

Sheltering from SE blow

We've been told by other yachties that you pay for every day of beautiful weather with a week of horrid weather!  Well, we're paying for our magical time at Lady Musgrave now. 

We left Musgrave for Pancake Creek, spent a week there crabbing, fishing, walking and socialising, before the SE blew in.  We made a run for Gladstone and had some rather vigorous sailing, surfing down waves hitting 14.2 knots at one stage - whoooo!  Time to find the brakes!  Would you believe it but the wind died in the shipping channel and we motored for the last 5 miles to the marina.

There we reprovisioned, and, with the strong wind warning still out there and 20-25knots of SE up our tail, left this morning for Pacific Creek, at the northern end of Curtis Island. We made record time through the Narrows arriving off the creek mouth 4 hours after leaving the Gladstone marina!  Entering the creek was a challenge with 28 knots and gusts to 34 knots hitting us in the face, but we bounced our way in and are now securely attached to the bottom off the hut in the creek mouth.  We'll stay here for a few days till the wind eases before making our way to the Keppels.

The crabs caught at Pancake Creek blew us away!



Xhale - our sister-ship and travelling companions - making a run for Gladstone

Magical Lady Musgrave Is

We've just had an excellent week enjoying one of our favorite places, Lady Musgrave Island. The water was crystal clear and though a tad cool, the snorkelling was terrific. Even I got the body wet! 

Greg's 61st birthday wish was to spend his birthday at Lady Musgrave, and that's just what we did!   We got together with our cruising buddies, Neil and Carol on Xhale, and caught up with Sunny Coast friends, Alan and Vicki on Dalliance, for a birthday party on Outahia and lots of wine, rum and food made for a very pleasant evening!

The wind whistled in from the south-west for a couple of days making it a tad uncomfortable, but all in all, a beautiful place to spend some time.

 A beautiful anchorage

 The whales put on an impressive display outside the lagoon.



Even the gulls came to Greg's birthday party!

In cruise mode

We spent a few days in Garrys Anchorage in the Sandy Straits waiting for a blow that didn't quite reach us.  Left there on Friday (3rd June) and meandered our way up the coast to 1770, via Burrum Heads, Elliott Heads and Bundagerg.  We caught up with Neil and Carol on Xhale at Elliott Heads and are now travelling in company with them.  Our quests, John & Marg, left us at Bundaberg.

On the hard at Elliott Heads

Came into Round Hill Creek at 1770 yesterday afternoon and found a spot to anchor amongst the dozens of other boats!  The sunset turned it on for us - absolutely brilliant!  Will stay here for a few days as there's a blow coming later in the week.

This was our welcome from 1770!

On our way!

We left Mooloolaba on Sunday and had an excellent screecher run up to Inskip Point with a S-SE 10-15 wind behind us all the way.  We'd timed the Wide Bar Crossing so the wind and tide were with us, and though I was a tad anxious, it was a comfortable crossing though the mad mile was a bit sloppy.  We overnighted at Pelican Bay and had a liesurely drift with the tide up to Garry Anchorage yesterday afternoon. We'll more than likely stay here for a day or so - need to gently break ourselves back into the sailing life again as we've been land based for the last 6 months!  

There was a severe thunderstorm warning out yesterday afternoon.  The storm passed south of us, thank goodness, but it did make for an excellent sunset!

Preparing for departure

We're almost ready to go.  Will Sleep on board tonight and take off early in the morning.  Have our mates, John and Marg Young, (ex Second Innings) coming with us on the first leg.  Hoping for fair winds and calm seas!

We are currently on the Sunshine Coast preparing for the 2011 cruising season.  Watch this space to follow our progress.