10) The Whitsundays to Cairns. 14 June to 2 August 2013.

After two beautiful seasons in the Whitsunday Islands it was time to move on. It is always so hard to leave beautiful places that you have become familiar with and very fond of, but it is always great to discover new places and meet new friends. So yet again it was time to move on.

We had 1.5 months to move north along the coast and get to Cairns by the end of July. That way we could have a month to get 'Reverie' around the top of Cape York, across the Gulf of Carpentaria and along the Top End to Darwin, in the safest month of August.

So on the 14th June 2013 we left Gloucester Island for the large port town of Bowen, officially the tip of the Whitsundays. It was a quick sail north being chaperoned by dolphins and we anchored in the sheltered northern bay, known as Queen's Bay. There were no buses into Bowen and it was a long hot walk into town and back, to check out the scenery and get a few fresh items from the supermarket. This did us good as we don't usually get much exercise when making passage.



Northeast tip of Magnetic Island.

We continued north returning to the same places we had stayed at in June 2011, on the way home to Sydney. So leaving Bowen behind we sailed to Cape Upstart and then to Cape Bowling Green - yep flat as that. These two mainland bays are a very long day's sail between each other and other weather refuges to the north and south. So at the end of a very long eleven hour sail it is good to find a peaceful anchorage. We were the only boat at Cape Bowling Green and just on dusk we were surrounded by dolphins hunting fish. The water was boiling.

Horseshoe Bay Beach

It was mid June and the weather was perfect for sailing and we were able to put up both the main and the jib, giving us 8 knots. This got us to the south east of Magnetic Island very quickly before the wind died. Then out came the 'iron main' and we did the last little bit around the east side of Magnetic Island and into the northern bay, Horseshoe Bay. We were planning to spend a couple of days here. It is a quiet and pleasant island with a relaxed atmosphere but at the same time it has everything a traveller would want.



We ended up staying a week at Magnetic Island as the weather had turned foul again. This was not a hard ask and quite pleasant. Walks around town, bus trips around the island, swimming, and nightlife activities saw the time go by quickly. 

A great night's entertainment.

Peter roaming.

Soon it was onto Orpheus Island and we decided to stay a few days here as it is very beautiful and probably the last spot Peter would get the chance to clean the hull without the menace of crocodiles.The marine research station on Orpheus assured us that they dive and snorkel daily and have never encountered crocodiles. They also advised that crocodiles are rife behind Hinchinbrook Island, which was easily seen from Orpheus and only a few hours boat ride away. So out came the hooka (underwater breathing device and not what you were thinking) and several days later most of the hull was clean.

A small taipan - still dangerous though.

I spent my days checking out the beautiful fringing reef - complete with colourful fish, coral, turtles and a few giant clams. Even managing a few wildlife shots while exploring the island. We even had a great night with people from a neighboring yacht. I struck up a conversation on the island with David and Helen and before you know it, the nibbles and drinks were out.

A beautiful kingfisher (Goold Island).

Finally we said goodbye to Orpheus and sailed northwest to the large uninhabited volcanic island of Hinchinbrook. Boats can enter the large strait (the Hinchinbrook Channel) that separates the mainland from the island, from either the south at Lucinda or from the north at Cardwell. 

Ancient Aboriginal fish traps with Reverie (background).

Most shallow keeled boats do cross the barred channel at Lucinda but having a deep keel we had to travel a long way north to enter the large strait. Two lovely days were spent checking out the small island - Goold, to the north of Hinchinbrook Island, and the even smaller - Garden Island. 

Beautiful Garden Island with Goold Island in the background.

But you would definately not swim here.

Finally we entered into the Hinchinbrook Channel and after anchoring went ashore. It was a very wet and wild dinghy ride over to Cardwell Beach, as the wind had picked up and was rifling through the strait. I had visions of the dinghy overturning and the crocodiles having a nice big feed. So I sat on the floor of the dinghy to help maintain maximum stability. The town was undergoing repairs to the main highway and the beach frontage, as Cyclone Yasi in February 2011 and further storms in January 2012 had really made the whole beachfront a war zone. Twisted metal telegraph poles, trees uprooted, houses inundated with sand and water. We circumnavigated the town, got provisions and went to the post office. Luckily we noticed a house advertising mud crab ($22/kg) and prawns. Well for all those in the know I dream about prawns, smoked salmon, crab and of course chocolate. So back we went to the boat with our stash which made a beautiful weekend of feasting. It was the best and freshest crab I have ever tasted. YUM.

Stunning Hinchinbrook Island.

We made our way from the northern town of Cardwell to the southern port town of Lucinda and then did the return. The Hinchinbrook passage is really very deep and wide. It ranges from 6 to 22 metres in depth and offers some beautiful, secluded and safe anchorages to all boats. 

Everywhere a Kodak moment.

 The channel also has many smaller channels adjacent to it and numerous river tributries running into it. These other channels are also able to be entered by a yacht and the numerous river systems by dinghy, as long as you don't mind sharing with the crocs.

Last position.

After staying a good twelve days in the strait we could prolong leaving no longer and so at the first good weather window we left. Obviously it was the day to sail because as soon as we left our anchorage we noticed three other boats had left just before us. It is a well known fact in the sailing community  that if there are more than two boats together, at any given time and going in the same direction, then it is a race. We left last so were hard up against it but had to give it a red hot go. So up went the sails and we hoped for the best.

After passing the forerunner we are now in front.

Little by little every hour we gained ground and by the time we passed the Family Islands we were in front. The reason is mostly because when our boat has the right conditions it can really fly. The largest and most well known of the Family Islands, is the picturesque Dunk Island.

We are officially surfing.

The winds were 15 to 20 knots and were coming right on our starboard quarter which allowed us to reach 8.7 knots not long after leaving the channel. This was the most we had ever achieved and we were happy that we eventually passed the nearest boat. Later in the day we got to 10.2 knots, a personal best. It felt exhilarating but also scary at the same time. It felt like we were surfing on each and every wave.

Passing Dunk Island resort.

It was also great to get into the tiny sheltered bay that is Mourilyan Harbour, first. This way we could get the best position before the others arrived. They were smaller and had the luxury of fitting in anywhere. Whereas being a large vessel we had to take the deepest spot with the most swinging room otherwise we could not stay. The harbour is quite shallow outside the marked channel and as it was we were at times well within the marked channel. On Wednesday evening we were paid a visit by the authorities who advised that we would have to leave by Friday 5am or move out of the marked channel, as they were expecting a large tanker. These supertankers come into the tiny narrow entrance that is Mourilyan Harbour, turn around on what looks like a ten cent piece, fill with sugar and then leave again. We advised them that we would leave Thursday morning and for this they decided not to fine us. Bless their hearts.

The next morning as promised we left for Cairns, our final destination for this leg of our trip. The entrance to Cairns is a very long narrow dredged channel. Outside of this channel it is very shallow. We arrived at the outside leads and waited for a break in the volume of large ships and supertankers. We preferred not to be sandwiched between them nor having one of these huge ships bearing down on us, while our motor was struggling to do 5 knots. Finally we were in and we anchored just outside the harbour entrance and mooring field.

Greg, Denise and Peter.

 

Denise, Suzan and Peter.

It was nice to arrive but we had a lot to prepare for - repairs, fuel, and food for the month trip around the top of Australia. We were pleasantly surprised to find that we had anchored right beside our old neighbours from our Brisbane anchorage. Glen, Julia, Scarlett and Hunter, from 'Honeymoon' had left Brisbane after us and had managed to arrive in Cairns a few days before us. Though we never crossed paths during that time. Just shows you how big the east coast of Northern Australia really is. We also met up with old friends from Sydney, Greg and Suzan, who now call Cairns home.

Glenn and Julia with Scarlett and Hunter.

9) Brisbane to the Whitsundays. January to 13 June 2013.

Christmas celebrations with Ron and Peter.

All too soon the silly season for 2012/13 in Sydney had drawn to a close. It was fantastic catching up with all our friends and family, but it is amazing how quickly six weeks can come and go. Mind you the cash we set aside seemed to go even quicker. Too much partying I'd say. Time to return to our lives in Brisbane, back to the boat and back to work, for a while.

Sally and June on Australia Day.

On the drive back to Brisbane we took time out to visit Colin and Chris in Maitland (who we had seen the week before in Sydney), then Sue and Mark (who we had not seen for 2 years). It was so great catching up with everyone. Great friends, wine and food - what could be better.

Peter outside his Grandparent's old Urbenville shop.

We were due to stay a little longer in Nelsons Bay to catch up with Margaret, but after watching the news for two days and the prediction for major flooding in the Brisbane River and south-east Queensland, it was suddenly an urgent matter to get back to look after the boat. Visions of boats, pillions and jetties floating downstream and smashing into bridges only the year before came to mind. As the Pacific Highway was closed due to flooding in northern NSW, we headed inland.

Our boat (centre last row D8) Brisbane anchorage.

We had to zig and zag across northern NSW to avoid flooded roads and landslides. It only took us 10 hours to drive to Sydney, but it took 22 hours and an overnight stay to return to Brisbane. By the time we got back to the boat the River had receded and thanks to friends on nearby boats lengthening our lines, we had no damage. Moral of that story was to stay in Nelsons Bay and then return the next day.





 

Travelling along the Fraser Island east coast.

Way too soon it was April and time to head north for our second touring season of the Queensland coast. Our good friend, Lloyd was on holidays and had decided to accompany Peter from the Brisbane River, up along the east coast of Fraser Island, to Gladstone. As I had done this leg many times I stayed at Lloyd's place to get some work. I then drove Lloyd's car up to Gladstone to meet them four days later.

Dolphins at Great Keppel Island.

After leaving Gladstone Harbour we travelled the now familiar route along the Queensland coast, overnighting at Hummocky Island then to Long Beach, south coast Great Keppel Island. It is not often one gets to anchor off Long Beach, as the constant southerlies make this an unbearable and even frightening prospect most times. But luckily there was no wind from the south and we were able to stay here along with the local dolphin pod.

The next afternoon we moved around to the northern beach, Leeke's Beach, just as the southerlies returned. Boy did they return with a vengeance, necessitating a stay much longer than we wanted. We filled these days with a daily ride to the beach, swimming, picking up rubbish, walking and reading. 

Port Clinton - pristine wilderness.

We also had to wait until Port Clinton 'opened'. This huge, unspoilt harbour belongs to the Defence Force. When they are finished practising air, sea and land movements, complete with bombings, they reopen the Port to local sailors. So on May 1st we arrived to find the whole harbour to ourselves with no one else arriving until 24 hours later.





As soon as the weather was perfect we set sail again and quickly ticked off Middle Percy and Scawfell Islands. Since we had time we went to some of the nearby Islands of Keswick, Brampton and Carlisle, as we were trying to travel to islands that we had not visited before. We were also going to have overnight stops at Goldsmith, Thomas and Long Islands too, but as per usual a large low was making its way across Melbourne to Sydney. With predicted 35 to 40 knot winds, we couldn't risk having to wait out for up to a week until things died down again. We had to make a rendezvous in Airlie Beach to meet up with Nigel and Marina in three days time. That afternoon it was already an uncomfortable ride with winds 25 knots and swell 1.5 m, but by 8.30 pm we were safely nestled in Cid Harbour, Whitsunday Island. 

Marina and Denise - Hook Island.

Airlie Beach Marina staff allow 30 minutes to fill water and diesel tanks, get unleaded fuel, and empty garbage, recycling and poo tanks. We also picked up Marina and Nigel off their boat shuttle at the same time, then it was a great sail (getting up to 9 knots) crossing to Hook Island, and the beautiful sheltered inlet - Nara Inlet.

After two days in Hook Island it was off to Whitehaven Beach, Whitsunday Island. Rated the best beach in Australia it didn't disappoint.

Northern end Whitehaven Beach.

Nigel fishing with a Nara mud face mask.

It was a beautiful day and we spent the day swimming, snorkeling, cleaning the bottom of the dinghy, walking along the beach and checking out the island's lake.

Checking out Reverie from the sandbar.

Whitsunday Island's inland lake.

Blue soldier crabs everywhere.

 
Whitehaven is beautiful by day but due to its east facing beach it can be prove an uncomfortable night while trying to sleep. So we reluctantly left Whitehaven Beach and stayed overnight at the lovely, quiet anchorage at Haslewood Island. We had the beach and bay to ourselves. Dinner and drinks by a beautiful sunset and a nice long stroll around the beach the following morning. In the afternoon we motored two hours north to lovely Border Island. Peter and I checked out the coral fringing the island in the dinghy while Nigel fished.

Sunset at Border Island.

The next morning we set out after a big breakfast for a snorkel around the fringing reef. Nigel and Marina managed to find a bed of giant clams. Peter and I set off in a different direction and swam with a turtle for at least 750 metres. She/he was just as interested in checking us out as we were her/him. Later we all walked along the beach picking up rubbish while Nigel snorkelled back to the boat to get the dinghy. Later still we sat out on the deck and captured this beautiful sunset.








The following day it was a long sail back to Airlie Beach as Nigel and Marina's holiday was drawing to a close. The girls were all dressed up for a night out while the boy's sailed the boat back into Airlie. Just at the last moment a huge storm blew in from the south and we could not see anything in the bay necessitating us to anchor way out to avoid colliding with other anchored boats. No one wanted a very wet and salty dinghy ride to the shore and back, so the evening's entertainment was abandoned.

The following day as our guests departed the sun came out and we left Airlie again. It was late May and we were going to our most favourite sites again before we had to leave the Whitsundays - probably for good. We went over to Nara Inlet for a couple of days and then returned to lovely Border Island to finish snorkeling the reef we didn't see the last time. We returned to Airlie for our last visit and to refuel and reprovision.

High rise on Hamilton Island.

Then it was off to Cid Harbour, south east Whitsunday Island. The next day we had a quick but terrifying sail around the south of the island, past Hamilton Island to Whitehaven. Now we know why the long way round Whitsunday Island is the preferred option.









After another beautiful day at Whitehaven we sailed up to the top of Hook Island to beautiful northern anchorage of Butterfly Bay, where we even managed to get a free mooring for the night. These mooring balls are placed in strategic and popular sites to protect the coral and seabed grasses from boat anchors. They usually have a two hour limit but if you snag one late in the day, as we did, you are allowed to stay overnight. A quick snorkel at the end of the day - it was cool but pretty.

The next morning we left and went to Stonehaven - this is a beautiful spot on the west side of Hook Island. Hook Island would have to be our most favoured place. It has numerous safe and pretty anchorages along with some great swimming/snorkelling options. If you ever venture on a Whitsunday sailing holiday, you couldn't beat Hook, Whitsunday, Haslewood and Border Island as the best of all the options. Not only would you see great sites and close together, but they are only a few hours sail away from Airlie Beach.

The sand spit between Langford and Bird Island, Hayman Island at the back.

Lastly it was time to go as it was close to mid-June and we had to be on our way. We left Stonehaven and had a quick sail north past Bird, Langford and Hayman Islands. We then opted for a beautiful mainland bay as one of the final destinations in the Whitsundays.

 


There are three bays only about 30 minutes' drive from Airlie Beach but you could be fooled into thinking you were miles away from anywhere. There are no buildings and they often total isolation for anyone looking for some peace and quiet. The next morning we set sail for Gloucester Island.

It was a really different experience at Gloucester Island this year compared to 2012. Last year we were anchored off Shag Island for the Shag Island Cruising Yacht Club Annual General Meeting. The AGM is really just an excuse for five full days of fun and socialising. It was a really strange experience as last year there was over a 100 other yachts anchored around us and now we were by ourselves. It would be great if we could have gone to the 2013 meeting but we were two months too early for the event. A quiet dinner on deck proved to be the best choice and this stunning sunset farewelled a fantastic season in the Whitsundays.

Overlooking Bowen.

8) June to October 2012. Brisbane to the Whitsundays.

2012 ended up being the antithesis of 2011. We continually had storms coming up the coast from the lows that were centred in the Tasman Sea. You would look at the map of Australia and you would see a low over Sydney/Melbourne, one over Adelaide and another over Perth. So they would deliver three to six days of really windy and ugly weather. After this it would die down for two to three days of perfect weather, and this is when we made passage to the next destination and before the next low made it to the east coast of Australia. This weather situation followed us from Sydney and we were not finally free from its grip until we passed the Tropic Of Capricorn.



Leaving Brisbane City.

Finally the day had come to leave Brisbane and the weather forecast was going to be good for at least 4 days, which was plenty of time to get up safely behind Fraser Island. We motored down the Brisbane River and anchored behind Bribie Island for the night. Just on dusk a huge storm hit, with 40 knot winds it turned Moreton Bay into a raging torrent. We were tossed about quite a lot but the anchor held. At 1am the anchor alarm went off. On investigation we weren’t dragging our anchor but it had pulled the anchor chain taut and we were now too near the shore for comfort. With visibility down to one arm’s length, pitch black, wind and rain coming in sideways we would have to move. So here I was lying flat on the bow as the boat pitched and rolled like a bucking bronco. Hanging on for dear life with one hand and pulling up the anchor via the winch, with the other hand. We then motored further away from the shore and reset the anchor. After 10 minutes we were satisfied it was going to hold and went below to get out of our wet clothes and warm up. During the night we took turns every two hours to watch the GPS position and the anchor chain (anchor watch) to be sure we didn’t move. The next morning we noticed that the neighbouring boat was on the rocks. The wind and swell had picked up the boat and its mooring ball and with no one on board had flung it on the beach. Three days later the storm abated and we finally remembered to wait another 24 hours before setting north again.

We stopped overnight at Noosa Beach and then it was a quick sail up to Wide Bay, south of Fraser Island. We had arrived at the perfect time it would seem - calm water and midday on a bright sunny day. We could not see the daytime light leads so we followed our chart plotter to the letter to find the deepest channel across the shallow bar. It wasn't until we were committed that we realised that something was deeply wrong. The waves were standing up signalling that it was very shallow water. I suggested to Peter that we turn around immediately but as he pointed out we would take numerous large waves over the side, which could potentially sink the boat. So over the bar we went.

After this photo was taken it was too rough to take any further shots.

The waves got bigger and the boat was tossed around in what felt like a washing machine. The waves flooded into the cockpit and everything here, cushions and books, was swimming around on the floor. I scrambled around trying to close the hatch as quick as possible with one hand, as letting go would mean falling.

Meanwhile, Peter was madly trying to keep the bow into the waves to prevent us from being swamped and going under. The waves smashed into him and he nearly lost his grip on the wheel several times. During this time the keel just kept smashing into the sand below, each and every trough. We were bobbing around like a cork. The feeling it gives you is nauseating. You know the keel is tough but if it breaks the boat will turn upside down and you cannot help thinking of this every time it would hit the bottom. The crossing took about 20 minutes but it felt like an hour. We were utterly exhausted and shaking uncontrollably after crossing this bar (well I was). Later we were enlightened that it had the reputation of being the worst bar on the east coast of Australia. Great, our first bar crossing and we had to pick the worst. They don't call it "the mad mile" for nothing.

More bad weather was upon us but we were safe and snug up the river at lovely Tin Can Bay. Feeding 'Mystique' the local dolphin was a highlight. We met our now good friends, Patrick and Marie from 'Gael Force', at the yacht club. As we found out our chart plotter software was last year's model and was out of date for the quickly shifting sands of Wide Bay Bar and behind Fraser Island. Luckily for us Patrick and Marie had an up to date one, so we closely followed them safely through the shallow 'Sheridan Flats'. At one stage we had only 400mm below our keel. Sharing meals and sightseeing Fraser Island with them was great fun. But after Fraser Island we went to Gladstone, while they continued to Yeppoon, to refuel, provision and to have my tooth refilled (yuk!!!).




Coming into Great Keppel Island - just on dusk.

Ever onwards and north, we had to make passage during the limited good weather windows if we were going to get to the Whitsundays in time to enjoy the dry season and also make our rendezvous with our good friends - Karen, David and Frannie. So we made quick progress from Gladstone to Great Keppel Island, Port Clinton, Marble Island, the Mackay Marina, and then finally Airlie Beach.



Arriving at beautiful and safe Port Clinton.

Arriving in Airlie Beach at 8pm and having to dodge all the unlit boats in the harbour and navigate through the 'S' shaped marina entrance, was challenging. The marina staff had told us to tie up on our starboard side - which we did. It wasn't until trying to connect the electricity and water later that we realised they should have told us the port side. We were paying $140/night here for this luxury but didn't want to go through the whole process again at 9pm at night, so we would have to do without the amenities overnight. We were just glad to finally be in the Whitsundays and breathing a sigh of relief as we had made it just in time to see off Marie and Patrick from 'Gael Force' at midday the next day and welcome our guests from Tasmania some hours later, at 4pm. 

After having dinner Peter checked the depth of the position the marina staff had allocated us. After rechecking his calculations he realised that at low tide later that night we would only have 100mm of water under our keel. Worse still, every night after that it would get shallower. This would see us take out the wharf and the catamaran beside us the next evening. So after speaking to the security guard we moved into the deeper water berths, usually reserved for the super-yachts (boy, do some people have too much money). When going to the office the next morning to pay they were annoyed that we were in this section and suggested a third move. Peter nicely pointed out all the stuff ups that had occurred and the fact that we could not contact their on-call staff the previous night to reassign another berth. So in their wisdom they decided to leave us there for the rest of the week, bless their hearts.



Peter, Denise, Frannie and KT.

Our guests arrived and we all spent the next five days stocking up on food, eating out and seeing the sights of Airlie, Bowen and the pretty coast in between. Then it was off to the Whitsunday group of islands a few hours sail away. We based ourselves around Hook Island, where we could easily see all the sights for the remaining week. It was a great sail over and we were greeted by a whale; breaching and waving its fin and tail. We anchored for two days in Nara Inlet and went ashore for a bush walk and to see the aboriginal art. We also spent our time snorkelling around the fringing reef and swimming in deep water off the back of the boat. Well the Tasmanians did this bit, as it was too cold in the water for us on these occasions. They breed them mighty hearty in Tassie.


 



KT, Frannie and David - on way back to Airlie.

Then we went around to another inlet on the west coast of the island. This had a spectacular fringing reef and even provided an opportunity to swim with turtles. On the last day we slowly motored back to Airlie, again seeing three whales together and a pod of dolphins. 9 year old Frannie was in heaven by this stage. Nothing can beat seeing whales, dolphins, turtles, stingrays and numerous birds in the wild.


 




Wendy, Richard, Denise and Peter.

We dropped our guests back at Airlie to continue their holiday and then did all the usual chores, before we could head out again. It was during shore leave that we met some lovely people, Richard and Wendy from 'Charon'. They convinced us to stay in Airlie for the annual race week and festivities that was starting the following day. After this fun week we were firm friends, so we followed them up to Gloucester Island and Monte's Resort for the annual Shag Island Cruising Yacht Club General Meeting.


 






Over 100 boats attended.

Members are affectionately known as 'shaggers' and the annual general meeting was basically a good excuse for a lot of partying. On the serious side, they did also raise $30,000 for Prostate Cancer. There was the welcome party, the Shag Island low tide party, the parrot party and a pirate party. There was even a wedding and of course the after wedding party.




  



Pirate party - Peter with other pirates.

These parties usually started at 10am and with most people going back to their boats by about 10pm. After 5 days of this regime Peter and I were absolutely 'shagged' (excuse the pun). We said goodbye to our new friends as they went north to Bowen and then onto Cairns. We chaperoned them to Bowen, only a short half day sail away and then returned to Gloucester Island for some much needed rest and recreation. This was a popular choice as some other shaggers obviously had the same idea. There was the usual knock on the hull and the invite for an impromptu lunch on the island for 20 of us, which helped fill in the lazy days. 



Beautiful Shaw Island.

We returned south with the agenda to see as many of the Whitsunday and Cumberland group of islands that we could fit in - Hook, Whitsunday, Cid, Haslewood, Long, Shaw, Lindeman, Scawfell, and South Percy Islands, before leaving to go south.






 



Peter and Richard - full after eating fresh oysters off the rocks.

At Hook Island we met another new friend, Richard from 'Sail La Vie'. Richard was sailing south to Brisbane as well, so we teamed up with him. As per usual for 2012 the lows were ever present off the south coast of Australia. As usual giving us days where we had to shelter behind islands and then pleasant days when the weather passed, and we managed to make passage south again. It was nice to have Richard with us on the rest days to spend time swimming, bushwalking, beachcombing and fishing. 

The biggest and best highlight of the whole trip was the last island. We arrived at South Percy Island late afternoon to find ourselves alone in the anchorage. Richard had decided to stay at Middle Percy Island for the night. To our delight two whales also decided the anchorage was to their liking, and they were swimming around the boat. We watched them up on the deck for ages until it was too dark to see them. Later we went to bed and listened to them through the steel hull, singing to each other.

All too soon it was the end of the season and we headed south to Brisbane to wait out the northern cyclone season. We would get work, visit family and friends and drive down to Sydney for Christmas.