Catching Up With Friends & Coochiemudlo Island 28th - 31st August

Catching Up In Mooloolaba

By now we were very comfortable in our area of the Mooloolah River anchorage. No-one was close enough to give me the horrors overnight and we did not swing too far out into the channel or too near the private jetties. We spent the next two days catching up with Ric, Val and Lexie, the cocker spaniel - coffee and cake on the cappuccino strip and drinks on board in the evening. On Monday we had drinks on Arkaydes with Sue and Dave from Duet. They were tied up nearby. We haven't sailed with others this year as we are mainly going against the annual migration up the coast. It was good to relax and socialize.

After doing some research I suggested to Peter that we might try to make Coochiemudlo Island, in the southern part of Moreton Bay, as the winds being forecast were in the southerly sector. Lucas recommended that this was an excellent anchorage for these conditions, but it was a long way - about 60nm. We were up at 4am, had a wake up coffee and then left the river at 5am. We slowly motored out as the vast amount of background lighting from the cityscape makes it difficult to determine where the anchored boats are and sometimes the channel markers get lost until you get close to them. We motored all day. Where was that light northerly we were promised? Negotiating the sandbanks and shipping channels in Moreton Bay kept us alert, both outside and on the chart plotter. At 4pm we anchored on the western side of Coochiemudlo Island and in came the south westerly, but it was still OK here and it soon settled down to a gentle breeze.

Coochiemudlo Island

Lovely Walk - Most of it in the Shade

This is a lovely calm anchorage and with the SE wind we are beautifully protected on this side of the island with 8 other boats. It is quite shallow here and we slowly motored in as far as we thought sensible and anchored in about 4m of water. With a tidal range of 1m we were in a good spot.

Coochiemudlo Island is a delightful place. We took Lily around to the southern side, which has the beach for landing the dinghy, trying not to get too wet with the spray kicked up by the chop from the southerly wind. The first stop was for a coffee at the kiosk and then we spotted an island map and discovered that a walk track or roads circumnavigated the island. The whole walk took us about one and a half hours, but we stopped to read the information signs on the way and diverged through a mangrove track to look out over the anchorage. The island is covered with thick bush and huge trees, mainly gums, sheoaks, melaluecas and pine trees and all the way we were accompanied by birdsong. Coochiemudlo has a large area that is covered with houses and really is just a suburb of Brisbane. The houses are set amongst the trees and do not encroach on the waterfront. In fact from Olivia we cannot see a single building.



Coochiemudlo Island

The first part of our walk took us through the Melaleuca Wetlands. Signs informed us that the Quandamooka People came here up to 20,000 years ago to collect red ochre from the beach cliffs and gather food from its rich resources. There are 200 species of plants and 100 species of birds found here. After the wetlands we walked along the road in front of the houses for a while and then returned to the bush track which weaved amongst the trees next to the mangrove swamps. What a beautiful walk. In some parts the bush is overrun with garden escapees, such as freesias, asparagus fern (not a fern or asparagus) yukkas and others, but it is still a charming walk. Eventually we came to the golf course then took a road back to where we began as we'd already walked along the beach.

Nice Beaches Too

By now we were feeling hungry so stopped at the resort café for lunch. What a gorgeous setting for lunch amongst the orchids, ferns, palms and bromeliads in the cool green gardens. After lunch we thought we'd walk around some of the streets to get a feel for the suburb. I could live here. The huge trees dominate. Amongst them are large suburban houses, little beach cottages, kit houses and Queenslanders. There are almost no cars on the streets and it has a lovely holiday atmosphere. It reminds me a bit of Kalamunda or Dangar Island in the Hawkesbury River. There is a ferry running from Victoria Point to the island which would be a journey of about 5 minutes. This is a lovely place to spend half a day

You can let your imagination run riot here. How would this go in Applecross or Rowes Bay?

Or this?
 

Tomorrow we are moving south down the Main Channel towards the Gold Coast Seaway. We will probably stop at Jacobs Well on the way for a night as the hotel there has a good reputation for pub meals and we feel like treating ourselves.




The Mangroves



Admiring the Scenery. Can't you tell we loved this place?



 

Favourable Winds to Mooloolaba 21st - 26th August

Off To Tin Can Bay

Waterfront Tin Can Bay

At 6am we pulled the anchor in the Susan River and motored out towards the main channel in the Sandy Strait, against the flood tide. This only lasted for half an hour or so, until we turned south in the Great Sandy Strait. The idea is that you should follow the flood tide to the shallow patch at the halfway mark and then as the tide turns catch it down the rest of the channel to the south. We timed it perfectly and had no trouble negotiating the sand banks at Sheridan Flats. We passed plenty of other boats as the day was beautiful and everyone was out on the water enjoying the lovely weather.

Just before the exit to the Strait at the Wide Bay Bar we turned into Tin Can Inlet and motored the 5nm down to the township of Tin Can Bay. There are more boats in this patch of water than people in the town. Everywhere you look there are boats. We anchored in a clear spot opposite the entrance to Snapper Creek and from here had easy, although distant access, to the dinghy dock at the Tin Can Bay Coast Guard. We visited them to get the latest co-ordinates for exiting the Wide Bay Bar as the bar changes constantly. They were most helpful. After stocking up on fresh fruit and veges, bread etc, we  decided that two nights here was enough, so we motored back to Pelican Bay for the night to enable us to get an early start for the bar crossing.

The car ferry rumbles past for the early morning run.

The Wide Bay Bar

Rising at 5.30am had us ready to leave our anchorage at 6am, with way points entered in on the chart plotter. My job was to watch carefully to make sure we followed the course closely. The car ferry to Fraser Island was ready for a 6am departure from the sand spit and we counted 17 cars loaded on. There was even two that could not fit and had to wait for the next ferry trip. People were obviously going to make the most of their day over on the island.

The crossing went without incident as the morning was still, although very foggy. We couldn't see that far ahead which was a bit disconcerting, but we could see the odd large wave rolling down the sandbank nearby. I watched another boat with his AIS on in front of us take the old co-ordinates and try to cross further south than we had been advised. Peter and I watched him and sure enough all of a sudden he turned around and backtracked. Then he went further in the wrong direction. We could see ourselves involved in a rescue, but thankfully he managed to negotiate the bar without any help from us. The boat was named Beachball and we imagined him bouncing across the bar through the breaking swell - an appropriate name we thought. The fog prevented us seeing the action. The moral of the story is - Contact VMR Tin Can Bay to get the updated co-ordinates for crossing the bar.

Mooloolaba

The Neighbours at Mooloolaba Anchorage

After a pleasant motor sail south we arrived at Mooloolaba at about 4pm and we entered the river and motored up to the anchorage area. The area for anchoring here is not large and is quite crowded at times. It took us a while to find a spot between a motor boat and a small yacht. The current here is not very strong, but against the wind the boats all got up to some serious wind over tide antics. I awoke at midnight and decided to take a look as we were closer to others than I was comfortable with. I should have stayed in bed like Peter and hoped for the best. After two hours of stress watching Olivia and the little yacht doing 360s around their anchors, and almost touching, Peter got up. Of course the boats were by then in opposite directions from each other and he decided I was over reacting and went back to bed and began quietly snoring away. In the end I couldn't keep my eyes open so gave in and joined him in the bunk. No-one bumped into us, of course, and I got the, "what on earth were you worried about?" brush off. Luckily the motor boat left early in the morning and we re-anchored a little further over and now we have a very good spot for our stay here. Anyone who anchors too close now will have to move, not us.

The Walk from Caloundra to Dicky Beach

 

We have taken the bus to Caloundra for the day and walked miles along the foreshore, explored Mooloolaba beaches and canals and sampled some of the coffee shops. Yesterday Ric and Val, from Arkaydes turned up and we had dinner on Olivia. It was great to catch up with them. We are going to stay until Wednesday, and if the weather permits will then leave to journey further south. Ric and Val are on their way north with a new little, black cocker spaniel named Lexie. She is very cute and is beginning to adapt very well to the sailing life. She came to dinner as well and at one stage I discovered her in the front cabin with her head buried in something. When I spoke the guilt was obvious. She slunk off. She had got into the rubbish bin a discovered a cheese wrapper and was having a sneeky lick at it while we weren't looking. Naughty girl!

Lexie - new crew member on Arkaydes

Sheltering In The Susan River 18th - 20th August

Looking upstream in the Susan River Anchorage
(Check out the current!)

After our vigorous sail down from Lady Musgrave Island and then the next day from Bundaberg in a fresh NW breeze, a look at the forecast predicted a SW change. All the anchorages on the eastern side of the Strait looked dreadful, so we tried for a spot in the entrance of the Susan River on the western side. It has turned out to be a  delightful place to wait for more favourable winds to continue south. The tidal streams are very strong here and a look over the side almost induces motion sickness (perhaps a little exaggerated, but not much!!) We are now tucked in beside Separation Point in a deep hole in the centre of the Susan River. Behind the mangroves makes this very protected from NE to SW. East and SE could be a little lumpy, especially with an ebb tide. On the first night we anchored out further as we were not confident to enter upstream without exploring first. It was OK there.

Yesterday the forecast from Willie Weather was 10-15kn SW so we decided we could go over to the other side to South White Cliffs. Lucas advised that this was secure in westerly winds. What a wet, windy, unpleasant little outing. We did 21nm and ended up 300m further up the river from where the journey began. At South White Cliffs there was white water everywhere, lumpy and revolting. Peter said it would be quite safe. I vetoed that and we went back to the Susan River. We got gusts to 30kn on the wind instrument. So much for the forecast!

Getting a bit cold now. (8c this morning)

Todays forecast was for a strong wind warning for the Fraser Coast and Hervey Bay - 20-25kn S up to 30kns, turning SE late in the afternoon. We decided to stay put. Both Brisbane and Bundaberg had strong blustery wind forecast. We went ashore and walked for miles around River Heads suburb. It is mostly a new area with houses 10 years old and less. It is located on a hill overlooking the northern part of the Sandy Strait on the eastern side and over the Susan and Mary Rivers on the south western side. It is a lovely place. It also has a very good café. After our walk we decided we deserved fish and chips for lunch. YUM!! The café has a wonderfully situated veranda which affords a view up both of the rivers and over the Susan River anchorage. The lady who runs the café was friendly and stopped for a chat with us. The tables were beautifully clean. (Amazing how many don't bother to wipe tables between patrons!! YUK!!! 2/10!) This was a ten out of ten place. I had whiting, chips and salad. Peter had snapper. It was excellent. A great portion of fish, cooked well and top presentation. If anyone is coming this way we can recommend this café. There is only one small shopping centre at River Heads so you can't miss it.

 

Susan River anchorage from the café veranda. Olivia in the background.
The trees were full of Rainbow Parrots eating the blossom.

Tomorrow we are going to have attempt number 2 to go south to Tin Can Bay. We hope to stay there for a couple of days to do some laundry and get a few fresh stores. The forecast looks good - if they are telling the truth!

Great Keppel Island, Lady Musgrave Island and The Great Sandy Strait 11th - 18th August

Great Keppel Island in Perfect Weather

The anchorage, Fishermans Beach, Great Keppel Island

The weather forecast for this weekend was sunny, warm and calm so we thought it would be a good idea to get to the fuel jetty in the Keppel Bay Marina before 7.30am when it opened. We could imagine the number of stink boats that would be lining up to fill up with fuel prior to a weekend fishing trip. We were the first ones there and after a perfect departure, (didn't look like running into anyone!!) we slowly eased along side the fuel jetty after pushing through the mud bank on approach. It was near low tide and a mud bank runs across the track to the southern end of the fuel jetty. This is something to watch if you have a keel boat. $265 later we dropped the ropes and motored out for a 6nm trip to Great Keppel Island.

The first day we anchored on the western side as the winds were very low from the NE. Many boats were anchored off the resort and tourist boats motored in and unloaded people on the beach most of the morning. The resort is still closed and looks very derelict now. However, there is a bar/restaurant next to the beach, a café come nic nac shop and a pizza place to serve the visitors. The sand spit where the bar is situated is being eaten away by the sea and that building is close to being washed away. Like Dunk Island, further north, large tractors etc are moving huge quantities of sand to halt the erosion. It doesn't seem to be working!! The ocean appears to be winning here. We had a lovely walk along the beach, over the hill path to Leekes Beach, on the northern side and then back along four wheel drive tracks, over the hill, to the resort. We thought we had earned a coffee which we had at the beach bar before going back to Olivia for lunch.

Negotiating the steep track down to Leekes Beach

We had watched several boats make their way around to a southern bay called Long Beach and as the wind was still in the north we thought we'd like to take a look. What a gorgeous beach. You can anchor quite close to the white, sandy beach in beautiful clear water. I could see the anchor lying on the bottom as we gradually swung over it in the calm conditions. The chain wound it's way along the sea floor like a long skinny snake. Three Remora were lying next to the chain pretending they were invisible. Later we walked along the beach enjoying the late afternoon sunshine.

A Long Motor to Pancake Creek

At daybreak we were on our way to Cape Capricorn. We are leaving the tropics behind after three and a half years. However, when we arrived at lunchtime we thought the anchorage there looked uninviting in the light northerly breeze, so we revised our plans and kept on going to Pancake Creek. We arrived after sunset and with darkness overtaking us we anchored in the outer creek. Everyone else was upstream in the inner anchorage due to the northerly winds. It was too dark to proceed with any confidence so we would have to put up with any discomfort if necessary. Luckily the wind stayed light and we had a peaceful night there.

Lady Musgrave Island

Beautiful Lady Musgrave Island

The weather forecast was still for light northerly winds so with the neap tides we thought this was a great opportunity to visit the outer Barrier Reef and Lady Musgrave Island. Whales were again everywhere, tail slapping, poking heads up and generally having fun. At midday we slowly motored down the northern side of the island and reef to the narrow man made entrance to the lagoon. It is clearly marked, but once inside it is necessary to have someone keeping a good lookout on the bow to spot the bommies. Most of them are very deep and we realised that the dark coloured ones were too deep to cause any problems. Beware the browny/yellow shades!! About twenty other boats were anchored in the lagoon for the two nights we were there. There was plenty of room in the centre of the lagoon where most people preferred to anchor.

Having satisfied ourselves with a tasty lunch we dinghied to the shore and walked around the whole island, (about half an hour) and then discovered a forest walk through the bush. There are huge Pisonia trees growing over much of the island. They are like shrubs gone ballistic. The wood is pithy and fibrous and when a piece breaks off it often just keeps on growing. The whole island is covered in bird nest burrows, but they were not nesting when we were there. We did see many tiny ground dwelling birds that reminded me of the ones we used to call Water Chooks, in Albany, as kids. They even have the same clicky tail, but are much smaller. They were skittering about all over the island. We think they might have been Buff Banded Rail - according to a National Parks sign.

Pisonia Forest Walk, Lady Musgrave Island

It was so lovely here that we decided to stay another day. We explored the lagoon between us and the entrance and slowly drifted over some of the most amazing coral. Turtles swam under us as we quietly drifted by. I've never seen that before. They are very beautiful creatures. Many coloured fish inhabited all the coral bommies. What a gorgeous place to visit in this wonderful weather. The tourists visiting on the large cat from Port Bundaberg could not have ordered a better day for this trip.

With a forecast of stronger NW winds for the next couple of days we thought it would be a good idea to get some miles south under our belt. We motored out of the lagoon at 6.45am. Having explored the route out the day before we were confident of avoiding any stray bommies on the way to the marked channel. The strengthening wind piled the sea up against the north side of the island into a very lumpy, choppy mess and we decided to wait until we were past the reef before we put up the sail.



Lagoon Anchorage, Lady Musgrave Island

 

Port Bundaberg to the Susan River

We had a boisterous sail in the NW winds and arrived at Port Bundaberg on dusk. Motoring down the channel was uncomfortable as the waves rolled in from the north across the channel. Once behind the rock wall things settled down and we found a spot just past the Burnett Heads Harbour to anchor for the night. You could not anchor here with a wind anywhere in the east, but for us and three other boats is was comfortable for one night and avoided having to negotiate the sugar port and go further up the river.

Again NW winds up to 20kts were forecast so we left early, ran the gauntlet of the lumpy channel again and turned south for the Great Sandy Strait. Our destination this time, Kingfisher Bay Resort on Fraser Island. At 50nm it would take most of the day. On arrival the wind was still blowing and the anchorage there did not look inviting. We had researched earlier, thinking this might be the case, and came up with a recommended anchorage in the entrance to the Susan River on the western side of the Strait.

The Susan and the Mary River both converge around North Head and tucked under the River Head side is a secure anchorage in the NW winds. The tides are strong here as the water pours in and out of the river systems and collide near the North Head. The current is something to behold as we found out when we came to take the dinghy ride back to Olivia after a walk ashore. I resigned myself to a good wetting, but was relieved when we only copped an odd splash.

There is a scenic bush walk along the Susan River bank, under the tall gum trees, which winds along in front of the large, expensive looking houses. After a pleasant walk we came to a street and walked to a small shopping centre where we had coffee and cake (what else!!) At the IGA we stocked up with chocolate and bread before going back to Olivia for lunch.

Tomorrow we will probably motor further south down the Sandy Strait to another sheltered anchorage as the wind is set to continue, this time from the SW at over 20kts for a day or two.

On Our Way Again

A Week in Keppel Bay Marina 5th - 10th August

Rockhampton


On Monday we caught the local bus into Rockhampton. The gen-set part was expected to arrive on Tuesday and Peter had done as much work on it as possible, cleaning, checking it out and generally making sure that nothing else looked like it needed any attention. So there was nothing for it but a touristy trip with a bit of sight seeing.

The bus trip took about 50 mins and we relaxed and watched the scenery roll by. It is quite hilly and there are more of those ancient volcanic cores dotted about the countryside, easily recognisable because of their unusual rock structure. They are made up of hexagonal columns laying in various directions. We alighted in the centre of town hoping to see the Fitzroy River and some historic buildings. We saw both, but it looks as though Rockyites have only just begun to value their river and old buildings. The riverfront has a small, new, landscaped area for public use and another section under construction. It will certainly be an asset when it is completed. There are many old buildings along the banks and there must be a rich history centred around this wide navigable river. There is such potential here to entice tourists, so I hope they continue what has been started.

Fitzroy River, Rockhampton

The B@**#!*! Gen-Set

The part (raw water pump) did not arrive on Tuesday. Much grinding and gnashing of teeth. It did come on Wednesday. The gen-set is located under the floor, just above the bilge, on top of the keel. The space is very small, boaties will appreciate this. One has to be a contortionist to work on it and then work blind most of the time feeling for the parts you want to work on. The gen-set is a Kabota 10hp diesel engine. It runs the fridge, lights, hot water system and charges the battery when we are at anchor. It only runs for a couple of hours a day and when it works, does a great job. However, it had not been used for three years when we bought Olivia and of course sitting there meant that parts corroded and basically deteriorated as things do when they are not used.

Peter set to work with the new water pump. Finally the whole thing was back together and a trial run was initiated. It would not start! Shock! Horror! In the end Peter discovered that he had dislodged the fuel line and air had got in. He bled the fuel line all the way up to the injectors. Then away it went. Hooray!! Then, NO WATER! coming out the exhaust! Sh#@*! Some more stress and finally Peter decided he must have put the inlet and outlet hoses on the wrong sides. Fixed! It ran beautifully. We have both read the riot act to this little b**#@!! under the floor. If it does not live up to expectations it will become a mooring anchor!

Yeppoon & Rosslyn Bay - An Impressive Place



Fan Rock, Double Head, Rosslyn Bay

We have really enjoyed our stay at Rosslyn Bay. The marina pens are large and the alleyways?? between the pontoon fingers are wide. We feel we will be able to get out of here without causing chaos. The marina staff are helpful and there is a very nice café/restaurant here. Everyday we have walked along the beautiful beaches and bush walks. Looking to the east across the water we can see Great Keppel Island, an inviting scene indeed. Tomorrow we will fuel up and probably motor over to the island and join the others we can see anchored there. The NE winds mean that the boats are anchored on this side of the island. From there we will continue south and hopefully make a detour to Lady Musgrave Island if the weather permits. It looks good so far.

This is our walk that we have done every day. Along the beach, a circumnavigation of Bluff Point including to the top and back along the beach - a delightful walk of about 8  or 9 kms.  

Keppel Bay Marina from Double Head, Rosslyn Bay


 

Goodbye Whitsunday Islands and Hello Capricorn Coast 26th July - 6th August

Keppel Bay Marina, Yeppoon 6th August



Love those sunrises.  Keppel Bay Marina

We have decided to spend a week in the Keppel Bay Marina to do some repairs to the gen-set and as a bonus avoid some fairly ordinary weather that is predicted for the next few days. The raw water pump on the gen-set has worn out and a new one has been ordered through a local boat engineering company, but will not be delivered until Tuesday. We arrived here a 2pm on Friday afternoon and Yeppoon is a small place where parts etc., need to ordered from elsewhere. It is often better to book in for a week as marinas do specials of seven days for the price of five. At $265 for seven days this marina is reasonably cheap compared to Abel Point at Airlie Beach which is $86 per day for 4 days if you are in the Shag Island Cruising Yacht Club (we are) and over $100 p/n if you are not.

We are going to have the big clean up here and then move over to Great Keppel Island for a day or two before continuing our journey south again. From now on we should be in range for mobile coverage etc., so the blog may be kept up to date more often. The Broad Sound and Shoalwater Bay area is very isolated and even radio is out of reach. We did manage to get a weather forecast every day from Thirsty Sound VMR, channel 81 on our VHF radio from an old guy (at least he sounded like an old guy) who apparently has been providing forecasts for the boating community for years. Every day at 6.33am and 4.45pm we tuned in for our one connection to civilisation - the weather forecast. We have had magnificent weather since we left Airlie Beach with light winds and sunshine and mostly just enough wind to sail south close hauled. On a couple of days we had to use the engine most of the day, but the scenery; mountains, islands, ocean, whales, dolphins, white sandy beaches and blue sky a pleasure to behold.

It doesn't get much better than this. West Bay, Middle Percy Island

This weekend the Brisbane to Keppel Ocean Yacht Race is being held and Peter has been following the race on the IPad and so far three of the yachts have finished here in the bay. Wild Oats was first by miles and then Alive (66')  and Celestial (TP 52') and Showtime is the next one to come in shortly. There will be a big event here tonight at the marina with bands and lots of carousing, no doubt.

This morning we went for a walk along the beach southwards to Bluff Point. Bluff Point is an ancient volcanic core as is Double Point next to us here at the marina. They are very steep rocky hills where the rock strata is aligned in rows a little like columns lying on their side. There are other hills and islands in the vicinity that have been formed in the same way. It is quite a scenic spot. The walk around Bluff Point is worth the effort as it winds up through thick bushland to the grassy top and the magnificent view for miles in every direction. The walk is easy on a well constructed bitumen pathway of 2.3kms. We walked the beach first and I recon that was about 3kms from the marina so we did about 9-10km altogether.



On top of Bluff Point, Double Head and Roslyn Bay in the background

However, I am jumping ahead of myself and now I had better go back to 26th July when we were still at Abel Point Marina.

Abel Point Martina to Brampton Island

Our stay at Abel Point Marina turned out to be a very expensive little exercise. Apart from the marina fees we had an unfortunate mishap while exiting our pen. This boat, like most of her type, do not reverse very well and have a mind of their own. Add wind and it is very difficult to get them to reverse where you want them to. Our pen in the marina was very tight with almost no room to manoeuvre between us and the next boat and a cross wind was picking up by the minute. We requested some help getting out, but the boat next to us had a dinghy hanging out beyond its pen and Olivia was blown onto the dinghy breaking a bracket which held the motor in place. The man who owned the boat yelled at us in his French accent, "You will pay for zis!" a few times until I was ready to give him a mouthful as well. Maybe if he had helped it would not have been so bad. Anyway the quote for repairs is $320 and yes you turd we will pay for the damage we caused. We contacted the marina and questioned them about the dinghy hanging well out of the pen and they told us they have a rule that the charter boats are allowed to have their dinghies 30% out. Well, a one night stand really can't argue against a charter boat owner who probably pays for more than one boat here for the whole year. We will have to wear that one!!!

After our bingle in the marina we sailed over to Cid Harbour where we sat licking our wounds for the rest of the day. A walk to Dugong Bay helped put us in a better frame of mind. While there we met an old fella on the beach who is the Unofficial Mayor of Cid Harbour. We have heard of this old guy before. He likes to make sure everyone does the right thing, eg., no dogs on the beach, and our doggy friends don't like him. He was chatty though and told us some stories about cyclone Debbie and kept us entertained for half an hour. Another night at Cid and we were ready to move south.

We motored out of Cid Harbour at 6.30am and into the light breeze, east along Fitzalan Pass between Whitsunday Island and Hamilton Island before turning south towards Shaw Island where we thought we would spend the night. Tacking into the light SE wind had us arriving at Shaw Island at midday so we decided to go on to Thomas Island, 9nm further on. In the end we continued on past Goldsmith Island and ended up at Brampton Island just before the sun began to set, some 52nm covered for the day.

Scawfell Island

Lush bush at Scawfell Island

Scawfell Island is a mountainous crescent shaped island to the SE of Brampton Island which we thought might give us a better angle on which to sail further south to the Percy Islands. The sail to Scawfell was delightful, light SE winds and only 20nm away. We arrived at lunch time and anchored in the western part of the bay then spent the afternoon walking the beaches and watching the 15 or so other boats arriving for the night.

Magic Middle Percy Island

Admiring the totem pole in West Bay

Once again we pulled the anchor at 6.30am and decided to make for Curlew Island for a night or two. The weather forecast has been for light winds and sunny days for a week now and it looks like continuing for another week or so. We can't believe our luck. With neap tides as well, it is the perfect time to traverse this part of the Queensland Coast. The tides are huge here, up to 9m in some places and the tidal streams are strong causing some very ordinary, even 'dangerous sea conditions' according to our cruising guide. Again we had a lovely sail south in light winds from the E/SE which meant we changed course and aimed for West Bay on Middle Percy Island.

On the way we saw two ships leaving the coal loader at  Hay Point so I looked on the chart plotter at the anchorage area. We sailed through the outer anchorage and I counted 32 ships at anchor, 3 loading and the two leaving. Still seems to be a bit of action there.

Since leaving Cid Harbour we have seen numerous pods of whales cavorting, tail slapping and cruising past. Some are close and some in the distance. There are so many they hardly crack a mention now. However, when Peter called me out of the cabin to see some that were very close I abandoned my book for a look. They had disappeared! Peter says "I don't know where they went." "But I do," I said, "They are under the boat!" I could hear them calling, sounding just like they do on TV documentaries. They were accompanied by a group of short, stubby dolphins who swam with us for a while.

It was another long day, but we had covered 61.7nm.  West Bay looked inviting in the late afternoon light and we anchored with eight other craft in the bay. The whole time we were at Middle Percy the weather was perfect. In the morning we dinghied ashore to take a look around. We inspected the A frame building which houses memorabilia from many of the boats that have journeyed this way. We discovered Argos from Albany 2014, so we are not the first.

The A Frame at Middle Percy Island

Part of Middle Percy has a private lease on it and the people there welcome boaties and invite them to visit the homestead to view the books, photos and other paraphernalia outlining the history of the early lessees. Kate gave us a cool homemade lime drink on the upper floor verandah whilst regaling us with stories of the past. At times when they have excess fruit or veges, they are able to be purchased as is honey from their hives. I must say the drink was very welcome after the long slog up the steep hill to the homestead. The walk winds up the hill via a sandy track through open bushland and near the top even rainforest areas. Along the way little plaques displaying encouraging rhymes or messages help to keep you going. Thank you Kate for your welcome and sharing your stories with us.
It was a wonderful spot to spend a few lazy days.

Encouragement to keep going

The track to the homestead

We met another yachty is the bay, Daniel, who told us he was born in Fremantle. He had quite a Scottish accent and Peter and I wondered where that had come from. Later we invitied  him over for a cup of tea and he had spent many years on fishing boats in the North Sea fishing for crabs and lobsters. What an interesting story. Some of the storms he described were amazing. I don't ever want to be caught in one of those.

Signing the visitor's book at the homestead

Pearl Bay

This time we left for a days sail with several destinations in mind. Again we had light winds and we motor sailed all the way to Pearl Bay a beautiful anchorage on the mainland south of Island Head Creek. When we arrived an irritating NE swell was sweeping into the bay and that caught us side on all night and had us rolling all over the place. Not a very comfortable night, but still quite safe. Luckily the next day the swell subsided and we enjoyed a much less lively anchorage. Pearl Bay is very pretty with white sandy beaches and clear water. There are many small islands nearby that look like something that comes out of a muffin tin. Again we met some interesting people who came over in their dinghy to see Olivia. They had inspected her and almost bought her before we did. I think they almost wish they had. Anyway we had a good natter about the pros and cons of our two boats.

Admiring Olivia anchored in Pearl Bay

Roslyn Bay and Yeppoon

Now here we are back at Keppel Bay Marina. We have discovered an excellent bus service that operates between here, Rockhampton and Emu Park. Yesterday we caught the 11.20am bus to Yeppoon to do a little fresh food shopping. With our Seniors Card the fare is $1.30 each, each way. We asked the driver about going to Rockhampton. It takes about 45mins and the fare is $3.60 each one way. Tomorrow we are looking forward to the bus trip to Rockhampton for the day. That will take us to Tuesday when hopefully our new water pump will arrive and Peter will be able to get on with the repairs.

While creating this blog I have been listening to some nostalgic music on Capricorn Coast Community Radio. What a great radio station. At the moment 'Polyester Girl' is playing. This tune takes me straight back to Karin's modelling days as a teenager in Geraldton. Now we have John Denver - 'Country Road'. They must be digging deep for some of these!!

The End 

An interesting rock formation, West Bay Middle Percy Island

 

Resting after a walk to Rescue Bay, Middle Percy Island