Category: Travel (Page 3 of 4)

Articles that are mostly about the places we visit

Whitsunday’s to Great Keppel

November 8, 2020 / fiandadrian

We had avoided the ‘hustle and bustle’ of Airlie Beach on the way up, choosing instead to anchor at the quiet wilderness bays just north. Airlie is the main Whitsunday hub full of tourists, backpackers and tour operators. Having spent a few days there, to our surprise, Airlie soon became our new favourite marina. The best marina facilities on the east coast, good coffee, and lively dog friendly restaurants quickly won us over. Throw in the Airlie markets, shops and ‘lagoon’ beach front pool recreation area, and we were sold on the place. After 5 nights we headed to the fuel dock on the way out: Addictive on one side of the fuel dock getting our 35 litres of diesel and 3.5 litres of unleaded and the f**k off massive motor cruiser on the other side with top deck looking down on our mast and requiring a bank guarantee to fill up with the high-flo diesel…that’s the Whitsundays.

Leaving Airlie, we avoided the most crowded bare boat charter areas such as Nara Inlet and CID Harbour, and headed south to Lindeman Island. Lindeman Island is part of the bare boat charter area, however oftentimes, on a weeks charter, people find it a little too far to go when there is a plethora of amazing places within only an hour or two. So we were banking on a quiet anchorage.

Once past Hamilton there were only a couple of sail boats in the distance and light sailing winds. Now that we are heading south we are looking for northerly winds and anchorages on the south side of the islands. Lindeman has a sheltered anchorage with an almost perfect beach, close to the mothballed resort. We visited the resort which looks functional from a distance but close up the degradation is obvious. There is evidence of rebuilding with work on the pier underway.

On a windy afternoon we dinghyed around to the next beach which was sheltered and empty. Bernie practised his shallow water fishing and we couldn’t resist a quick skinny dip.

After a few nights at Lindeman we decided to do a short hop South. We had stopped in at the north side of Thomas Island on the way up and loved it, and the cruising guide recommended one of the southern anchorages for protection from the north winds, describing it as having “a truly ‘South Pacific’ atmosphere” (Colfelt 2016, “100 Magic Miles”). This was absolutely true and we had a lovely time on the beach in this special place.

We have learned that wind and tide in the same direction means fast flat passages whereas the opposite is good for washing clothes. Leaving Thomas early after 2 nights, we had tide with us and quickly arrived at Goldsmith Island which looked a suspiciously rolly anchorage so we continued on to Brampton, for our second visit there. This time we were on the south east of the island away from the resort. We stayed 3 nights watching the cruising boats come and go as they headed south away from the cyclone season. A trimaran anchored over night and much to our surprise had a springer spaniel on board.

At high tide the lagoon near where we were anchored filled with water providing a beautiful calm swimming area. Each day mackerel herded the bait fish around our boat for a feed. We managed to hook a couple but they both escaped before we got them on board.

Eventually, we found some good weather, and enough motivation to leave beautiful Brampton Island for another spot further south. Keswick Island was only a couple of hours away and looked to be a good jump off point for the longer passages south. The paddle boards came out and we took Bernie into the beaches to harass the tiny fish. Afternoon storms brewed over the coast, provided a light display and fortunately declined before reaching the islands. On the last day we were there, Peter who had been living on his wooden boat for 20 years came over and offered us some tuna they had caught on the way in. Poke bowls for dinner setting us up for the next days sailing!

We came very close to being the first boat (unusual for us) to leave Keswick for the big trip south after getting up at 4:30am, but we were pipped at the post by our neighbours who were heading to Curlew Island. There was soon a procession of boats behind us heading out for the 10-13 hour trip south. At this time of year most cruising boats are using the Northerly winds to head out of cyclone territory. We motor sailed until lunch time when the wind and tide whisked us along at 7 knots. We enjoyed passing Mackay as we had enough food, water and fuel not to re-stock. When Sphinx Island came into view we were reminded of our blown water pipe on the trip north which happened in this area. Sails were dropped as we entered the channel between the Percy’s and we found a steady 3 knot current against us as we motored into the anchorage at dusk surrounded by a display of rainbow sands. We would have liked to have stayed a while, however we were mindful of our water situation, and Fi also wanted to spend a couple of nights at Island Head Creek which is the next hop south. Plus there is the inevitable blow predicted for 6 days away so we do need to move along.

The next day brought another long passage to Island Head Creek. We would pass through the washing machine area where we had miscalculated the tide against wind situation on the way North (you can read about that here: https://fiandadriansailing.com/run-to-paradise/). This time we were very careful to travel most of the day with the tide in the same direction as the waves and helping us down the coast. In the late afternoon we dropped sails and navigated the shallow entry to the creek. A catamaran that had been gradually catching us down the coast overtook us in the creek in the ‘race’ to the anchorage. But without the cruising guide book for the area, they followed the electronic charts smack onto a sandbank as we anchored safely in a deep pool in small tributary. After hitting the sandbank and fortunately reversing off, you could see the realisation in their eyes that we had better information than they did, and they headed off sheepishly around the corner to more predictable depths. It reminded us that local cruising guides are worth their weight in gold, and that the charts are not always correct.

For 2 nights we had this spectacular anchorage to ourselves. Its a military training area so there is no buildings, no phone coverage and just spectacular mountainous terrain (and maybe the odd croc). We put the crab pots down, but alas the famous “muddie” didn’t want to play with them, and we tried some fishing, but again, only little trumpeters wanted to play with us. We did find a few massive oysters which we enjoyed as entree one evening.

It was hard to leave Island Head but a combination of a looming SE winds forecast and a dwindling water supply meant it was time to leave. There was a strong tidal current coming into the creek as we left, but we were soon sailing down the coast with the tide changing and giving us a helping hand. A night out at Great Keppel Island before going to the marina was a possibility but a forecast review changed our minds and we set course for Keppel Bay Marina. The shoal areas close to the marina often create more choppy conditions, but today it was flat, with only a 1.5m Cobia. It was definitely too much fish for us and we returned it, hoping for something smaller and more tuna like, but alas…

So we will stop off here in Rosslyn Bay for a day or two, before heading back to Great Keppel Island again! We’re very happy to be back. This is a stunning part of the QLD coast.

North to Bowen and heading South

October 15, 2020 / fiandadrian

By Fi and Adrian

Two nights in Hamilton Island for some re-provisioning and shore time quickly became one night as Bernie wasn’t welcome, and the school holiday party throngs were overwhelming.

So untying our lines at Hamilton Island Marina early, after one nights sleep, the next stop was Cid Harbour one of the most popular charter boat anchorages in the Whitsunday’s. We had been there a few times previously on our first bareboat charter together, and had a fair idea of the place. We drove on in, dropped anchor and had the sunshade straight up and a cup of tea ready. Another yachty swung past and commented on our confident anchoring. Perhaps the practice is paying off, at least compared to the charter fleet who often tentatively anchor and re-anchor and re-anchor and re-anchor. We were pretty chuffed with the feedback!

We spent two nights at Cid Harbour, and even managed to catch up with our friends on their Riveria!

On departure day, leaving the 45 other boats in Cid Harbour we headed North to find a sheltered bay on the mainland. The SE trade winds pushed us up the coast to Double Bay where we were the only boat in a large bay surrounded by the Dryander National Park. Croc country here so no swimming or doggy paddling off the boat; however, some fishing was had and a few “Darts” jumped on Fi’s line, but we didn’t know what they were at the time so threw them back.

The next day we sailed north again through the tricky Gloucester Passage and into Bowen. The passage is shallow in part with several possible routes through the sand banks and reefs, so we timed our passage for high tide. The guide book described the sail into Bowen (after the treacherous passage) as some of the finest sailing on the coast with no waves and trade winds on the beam, and it turned out that way as we sped across the flat aqua water in perfect conditions.

Bowen marina was one of the cheaper ones we have stayed in and had cost appropriate facilities. We found the local shops, big mango, pub and fish shop (fisho’s). The constant SE trade winds showed no sign of abating. We get a little sick of marina’s so we headed into the rainforest again for some land time and Fi and Adrian time, and Bernie had a little holiday at the local kennels for 2 nights.

From here it would be easy to head further north as the SE trades are still blowing, but after our couple of days off the boat in our mountain hide away we decided it was time to turn around and head south. The further north we went the more we would be dependent on the SE trade winds giving way to northerlies before the cyclone season (which is forecast to live up to its name this year with a predicted La Nina system).

Starting early in the morning to take advantage of lighter (southerly) winds we motored from the Bowen Marina to Cape Gloucester resort. We missed this place on the way north, but are unlikely to miss it if we pass by again. Free moorings, white sand, pool, live music, a bar, Bernie friendly and good food… Whats not to like? We enjoyed the trips first pina coladas beside the pool. After a couple of nights here and taking our health into consideration (really good pina coladas) we left and motored south at dawn back to the deserted anchorage at Double Bay.

We hadn’t planned to visit Airlie Beach, the bustling heart of the Whitsundays, where most of the charter boats, helicopter rides, ferries etc are based, but some friends kindly offered us three of their unused nights at the marina. Leaving early again to avoid the worst of the wind, we beat into 15 knots and short steep waves. Addictive handles these conditions better than we do, keeping us mostly dry and the boat is so well balanced we barely needed to steer. It’s always interesting finding the boats internal contents in new and unusual locations after these trips.

We came into the Marina, and realised that its a fantastic place, set up perfectly for yachties and we are happily enjoying the doggy friendly restaurants, the excellent facilities and the lagoon pool!

Our plan is to continue south in the coming days, as the forecast suggests that some northerly winds are coming, so we can sail!

Hello Whitsundays

October 3, 2020 / fiandadrian

By Adrian

We enjoyed 10 days in and around Mackay and got to know a number of other cruisers who were sitting out the winds in the marina. But as soon as the winds showed signs of moderating we joined the procession of boats heading to Brampton Island a few hours away. It’s shallow water outside Mackay marina and the waves are short, steep and uncomfortable after an extended blow. We motored into the seas to get to deeper water and hopefully calmer conditions. I’m not sure how successful we were but once the sails were set it was fast but bouncy sail to Brampton.

The anchorage at Brampton was close the resort which closed about 8 years ago. A caretaker keeps unwanted people out but does little to stop the encroaching jungle and general dilapidation. It would have been a spectacular spot when it was open, with sheltered beaches, waterside pool and warm turquoise water. Here you can see part of the pools paving has been washed into the pool over years of cyclones, king tides and strong winds.

A stroll to the island’s top lookout gave a great vista north over the Whitsunday Islands. This area offers great sailing with the reef providing protection from ocean swells and short hops between hundreds of sheltered anchorages. We descended the hill through clouds of blue tiger butterflies.

Here you can see the general dilapidation of the resort: curtains, mirrors, art and some furniture all left in place.

Our next stop was Thomas Island about 4 hours to the north. The tides run north-south through this area so we spent the morning chasing tuna whilst we waited for the tide to turn in our favour. The tuna were feeding just off the island but in the end it was a case of the ‘one that got away’ with our line and lure.

We broke our Speed Over Ground record on the way to Thomas, registering 8.8 knots with more than a little help from the tide. The anchorage was sheltered from the south and fringed by white sand beaches and coral reefs. It was made even more prefect when all the other boats left and we enjoyed the island to ourselves.

Our sailing journey had started 3.5 years earlier when we had tried living on a sail boat by chartering a yacht in the Whitsundays (see Fi here helming our charter boat in 2017). The next hop would be to the iconic White Haven Beach which we first visited on our original trip, bringing us full circle. We timed our arrival at the narrow (and infamous) Solway passage for high tide and no tidal flow. Even so there were eddies and small whirlpools where the water was being pushed through the narrow passage… must be an exciting place on a big tide!

White Haven was just I remembered it: beautiful white sand and blue water peeping out from behind a hundred million tourists delivered by boats, seaplanes, and helicopters. We anchored off the the beach where were a number of white tents set up, and set about celebrating our achievement with a champagne lunch, and a little swim.

I noticed a line of large white motor boats steaming directly towards us. As they anchored all around us in their multi million dollar boats I reflected that we must look like real yachties who know the best spots to anchor. It soon transpired that they were here for a wedding in the white tents on the beach. We moved on from Whitehaven to our overnight anchorage further north at Tongue Bay, to get some respite from the sea of humanity.

Northerly winds gave us a rare opportunity at this time of year to explore the southern end of Whitsunday Island. So back through the Solway passage we went again (at high tide!) and headed west towards some beautiful spots. We spent a couple of nights in Turtle Bay catching up with friends, fishing and enjoying the antics of the charter boats. Bernie found a shallow area of water where he could chase fish in the shallows, and would likely still be there if we had not dragged him away.

From the ocean, to the (v)alley

September 27, 2020 / fiandadrian

By Fi

For any of our international readers, or anyone confused by my title, its a John Farnham lyric, except the actual lyric is “from the ocean, to the alley”. Aaaaaand, now that song is stuck in my head, so it should be in yours too – listen to the legend here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZIbpexA4g8

Once we got to Mackay, we managed to fix the issue with the hot water tank quite quickly. I’m sure you remember from last time we thought we were sinking as the fresh water spilled from the engine bay out over the floor while we were 70kms away from land. But it was an easy fix, just putting the hose back on and ensuring it was secure. We took the opportunity to check all the other hoses as well.

Unfortunately, the prediction of the wind picking up was absolutely true and we looked at the forecast, and we were in for days and days and days of strong winds – The image here is of our wind prediction system – red isn’t great. Too strong for our little boat (and many others) to venture out of the relative comfort of the marina. So to exploring it was!

Mackay is a mix of industry (coal and sugar) and a little bit of tourism given its proximity to the Whitsundays. We elected to get a car and check out the local area. We headed south, hilarious given how we always want to go north at the moment. We ended up in Sarina, and saw the “Big Cane Toad”, and the immense amount of sugar cane growing and sugar production that happens in this area. After wandering around some little shops selling local goods, we were keen to check out the Sarina Beach and have some lunch. Happened upon this lovely motel at the beach (which is almost the only thing there other than houses) which had some excellent food! I had the crab linguine which I am still thinking about and Adrian had the chicken parmi, washed down with a Great Northern (beer). Sunny but windy, we took the dog for a bit of a run on the beach, and then headed to our next stop.

Cane and coal seems to define this area. Industry is everywhere. Next to the marina is the massive dock where large tanker ships come in which we had to navigate when we entered the marina, and further down the coast is the biggest coal loader in the southern hemisphere. We were keen to check it out, as we had picked out way through over 20 tanker ships anchored off this coal loader as we came in. Very intimidating to sail around these huge things in our tiny, comparatively slow boat!

Nothing prepared me for the size of this coal loader. It was utterly massive, 3.8kms long is the northern pier, and the southern a measily 1.5. The ships we passed were anchored off the blue coast, and the black coal was in piles below us with automated fresh water spraying systems to stop the coal dust coating Mackay and surrounds. The trains that bring in the coal from over a dozen mines are 2km long and weave their way slowly into the drop off points. Huge. You can see why this industry is so powerful. It feeds and houses thousands and thousands of Australians, creates side industries in towns, such as leisure activities for the mining families, and enables Australia to be a well off country. Its just so terrible the impact is has on our environment. A very conflicting day, and I do wish for more renewables and a path to get that industry as busy for people as the coal industry. I don’t think we should be pumping this stuff into the atmosphere.

Enough of that. We wanted to see the rainforest! When we got back to the boat, we organised a trip inland and up the hill and left a couple of days later.

Bernie was to have a little holiday, so we dropped him off with a lovely couple who run a kennel in the local area, and we headed to the Eungella National Park, and more specifically Finch Hatton Gorge with our swimmers and sandwiches packed – oh and raincoats, huge first aid kit, EPIRB, hiking books and water. As we entered the park, I saw a teenager preparing to tackle the track in high heels, so I couldn’t help but feel we were overprepared. Oh well…

After a few kilometers of stunning scenery, cascades, butterflies and – SNAKE! I didn’t shout this… Instead I said to Adrian “DON’T… STOP” – to which he thought I meant for him to walk past me. I grabbed him and pulled him up before he could tread on the black snake sunning itself on the wooden walkway in front of us. “Sorry,” I said, “there’s a snake”. We’d learned that if you stomp your feet, snakes tend to want to get out of your way. “They’re more scared of you than you are of them”, I hear a multitude of old mates saying in my head. But no, this little guy was bold as brass and wouldn’t move no matter how much stomping we did. It ended up taking 6 adults and 15 minutes before it decided it should move along. I researched later and discovered it was a blue bellied black snake, and yes, poisonous.

Continuing uphill, we reached the “Wheel of Fire” swimming hole and jumped in to the FREEZING water. Its very cold, but so refreshing! There was a waterfall feedigng the swimming hole from further up the hills, and the water was so clear you could see the big boulders and rocks on the bottom. I couldn’t stay in too long as the water really was very cold, plus lunch. Sandwiches eaten, and a sense of tingly relaxation from the cold water, meant we were ready to head back down and on to our accommodation. On the way we stopped at yet another swimming hole and at this point were already cold so jumped in here as well. Here is Adrian enjoying the sensation.

Later that day we arrived at our accommodation, had some hot showers and a great sleep! Still and quiet.

The next day we were keen to explore more of the national park and the helpful team we were staying with had some good walking maps so we were off again with sandwiches and the whole “preparedness” kit in tow. Crossing the first bridge, we spotted a platypus! Very exciting for me as its my first in the wild. After a small crowd of other excited onlookers from the camping ground closeby gathered around us, we thought, “lets go” and got walking. We walked through the rainforest admiring the river and its clear cascading falls, tortises, monitor lizards and fortunately, no more snakes that we could see. At the halfway point (about 10kms), we had a quick bite, and headed back along the track aiming for a stunning cascades we’d spotted in the hope of another refreshing swim – and it was refreshing! I got my own private little freshwater spa, and Adrian floated in the pool below. Delicious!!

Back at our accommodation, we did a quick leech and tick check – PHEW none! So we enjoyed dinner from the restaurant (takeaway – COVID…) and another hot shower and sleep.

The next day we checked out and headed back down towards the marina, picked up little Bernie who was so happy to see us he ran right past us, did some provisioning and packed and cleaned the boat. We were planning to head out the next day as the winds had dropped quite a lot to a point where we were happy the sea state and the winds would drive us further north. We are planning to head to Brampton Island where we will officially be in the Whitsunday’s and then over the coming days and weeks, further north into the islands! Bye marina!

Run to paradise

September 10, 2020 / fiandadrian

By Fi

After a few days hiding from the wind in Rosslyn Bay, we made the short trip back to Great Keppel. As we were sailing the final 30 minutes towards the anchorage our friends on their large new motor boat rounded the point and had dropped their anchor before we even got our sails down (they left about an hour and a half after us – such a fast boat). We were back to the blue! Quick setup of the dingy and we were having fun runs on the beach with the dog, and a fantastic bush walk.

The bush walk is dedicated to a marine who lost his life at only 23 years of age in Afghanistan. It is maintained by his family and friends, and we followed the path up the hill enjoying beautiful vistas, seeing echidnas, lizards and snakes. Rounding the side of the hill, we were amazed to enter a grove filled with thousands of blue butterflies. It was like being in a dream with these beautiful creatures flying all around us. They are hard to photograph but I did manage this little pic (bottom left).

Once we reached the top, we could see over to the other side of the island, and made our way back towards the anchorage, ending up completing a loop up one side of the hill then down and across past another beach to the north of our anchorage. It was about here we saw a goat.

We were just as surprised as it was! It just stopped still and stared at us as we passed. Happily the dog didn’t notice (he was, of course, on lead).

After such a nice afternoon, we quickly caught up with our friends who invited us out for a day on their motorboat the next day. “YES!” we said!!!

The next day we were picked up and ferried over to our friends Riveria 505. Dingy stowed, engines on and we were off doing 25 knots for a loop around the island. This boat is so powerful and the wake was absolutely massive! I waved goodbye to little Addictive as we rounded the corner of the bay.

A very short while later, we pulled into the anchorage on the southern side of Keppel, at a small island called “Humpy Island”. Here we had some lunch, and decided to pop out in the dingy and go for some snorkelling. Bernie was a good boy and stayed put in the dingy waiting patiently for us to finish. The fish were abundant and colourful and the water was cool but fine. We stayed in the shallows as there had been multiple sightings of a bull shark and none of us wanted to tempt fate, although given it was the middle of the day on a bright sunny day, I’m sure there would have been no issue with a shark confusing us for big fish or seals.

After a lovely hot shower on the transom, we headed off back to the anchorage and our little Addictive (here you can see Addictive in the middle). We hosted our friends for some sundowners and roast coconut, and planned the next days travel. We were wanting to catch some wind north to get to a sheltered anchorage at the start of the Whitsundays, as some pretty strong winds were due to hit in about 5 days.

The next day we were up early to pack up and turn our little house back into a sailing boat. We upped anchor and headed out of the anchorage at Keppel, first stop Island Head Creek. After around 8 hours of motor sailing (we had no luck finding the forecasted wind), we arrived at the creek head just after low tide. We soon discovered that this was likely the worst time to be entering the creek as the tide and swell and wind were all competing as to which could throw us around more. Once we realised how rough it was, we were already committed to entering the creek and had to push through. We know that in these types of situations, turning around is more dangerous than committing to entering. It was like being in a washing machine. However as with most things like this, the boat handled it okay, and the excitement passed. We navigated slowly through the sometimes very shallow creek to get to the anchorage. Dinner and bed! We were to be off again early the next day.

After coffees the next morning, we upped anchor again. I hope we get to come back to this cool creek as there is supposedly good fishing and crabbing, but “north” was calling in this instance. We headed out the much calmer heads (high tide this time), and turned north tracking towards “The Dukes”. The Dukes are another little group of islands that are supposedly gorgeous, however we didn’t make it there…

Again, the wind didn’t fill in as forecast, so we were motor sailing north. We noticed that the seas were picking up and picking up and we remembered that a lot of our new sailing friends had said to us “watch out for the tides after Great Keppel and up to the Dukes” – oh… Apparently we had discovered the infamous tidal area off the coast of Shoalwater Bay, and we (of course) had picked the perfect moment for wind against tide. So for 3 hours we battled through some really bumpy and rolly conditions, all the while realising that the tide was pushing us away from our destination and out to sea.

We’ve learned throughout this journey not to be too hung up on plans. They can change very quickly and in this instance, I grabbed the cruising guides and looked for an alternative place for us to spend the night given we were not going to make it to the Dukes before bed time. Hexam Island! It was further out to sea than the Dukes, which was ideal as that is the way the tide was pushing us, and we would actually get there 2 hours sooner which would mean we could anchor while it was still light. Perfect. So a few hours later the seas calmed a little more, and we rounded Hexam Island to anchor on the north side, sheltered from the south east wind. Little bit rolly, but a gorgeous anchorage and we got some sleep.

But exploring the island wasn’t in our future, as we still wanted to go north – the blow was still coming! The next morning, it was coffees and what was turning into my morning exercise routine – pulling up the anchor (you may or may not be aware that we don’t have an anchor winch, its my job to pull up the 30m of chain and the oversized anchor), and we were off for a reasonably uneventful passage up to the “Percy Islands”. Oh no wait, I lie, I caught a FISH!! IT WAS A BIG ONE! YAY!

After 3 big days of sailing, we dropped anchor at Middle Percy Island, I processed the fish (it is an Albacore), we enjoyed some fresh sushi and sashimi and had an early night, keen to explore the next day.

A paradise to rival that of Great Keppel, Middle Percy Island is home to a national park and a conservation area, taken care of by a couple who are appointed to live there and look after everything. There is a large A frame structure where visiting boats traditionally hang up their boat names as signs, and where you can cook and eat and use the large fire to BBQ. Here you can see some of those boats who have gone before us. Its such a great social place to meet people and share stories.

We spent the morning on the beach. I got a swim, Bernie did his usual trick of finding the only bit of food on the whole beach and eating sand, and Adrian chatted to the other yachties who were chillin in the A frame about their plans and the weather (mindful that the blow was coming in the next few days). We husked some coconuts, and went exploring in the creek behind the beach. We threw the fishing line is as there was a tonne of garfish around (none near my line…) and also tried our luck at getting some crabs (no luck). It was all so idyllic.

That evening, we headed back to the A frame to meet all the other boats in the anchorage. Its so great to put peoples faces and names to the boats we are often seeing around. I’m glad we took the opportunity to meet some more people that evening, as we had agreed to leave the next day and so wouldn’t have had another opportunity (plus we put up our sign). The blow was still coming, and we needed to get to a more protected place. So after a gorgeous day, and then a lovely evening chatting with people, we headed back home, packed up the boat, fell into bed and set our alarms for 04:00. We had a BIG trip to do the next day up to the start of the Whitsundays, aiming for Scawfell Island which has a good protected anchorage. More on that trip to come!

We found our paradise, and I lost something…

August 30, 2020 / fiandadrian

By Fi

Rosslyn Bay is a few kilometres south of Yeppoon and offered us a week of yummy coffees from the marina cafe, big dog beach walks, swimming paddle boarding and a free courtesy car to use so we could provision for our next adventure. We also took some time to knock off a couple of jobs, such as winch maintenance, preventer setup, and general cleaning. After a week of this (plus a massage) we both felt ready to get back out there and see some more of our beautiful country. So with a fully stocked up boat, we tracked direct for Great Keppel Island.

We left at high tide one sunny morning, as we realised there was the distinct possibility of us touching the bottom leaving the marina, as at low tide in our marina berth, our keel was about 50cm in the sand. Great Keppel is only a 2 hour sail east from Rosslyn Bay, however as the wind was on the nose (again) we were close hauled, heeled over, and tacking over there. Monitoring a few of the shoals in the bay outside of the marina, we eventually reached the pass between Myall Island and Middle Keppel Island, again tacking our way through this pass and looking at our targeted anchorage coming closer and closer.

Reading the cruising guides, and having a good understanding of the weather forecast for the next few days (and also hearing from some friends) we elected to sail to the anchorage on Great Keppel called Leekes Beach. It was gorgeous. When we got there the water seemed so shallow because it is crystal clear and so it was a little disconcerting choosing where to anchor. As it were, we had a good 5-6m under us and anchored happily. We are the second boat from the left and most often the smallest boat in the anchorage.

It wasn’t long before our friends stopped by and invited us to play finska on the beach! Its a fun game not unlike a cross between bowling and boules. We watched the sun set whilst playing and having a few sundowners, and Bernie was able to run around and make everyone laugh. He made a new friend called Mouse.

The next day we were keen to get back to the beach to go for a proper explore, so out came the paddleboards and the three of us paddled over to the beach. I was stunned at the clarity of the water and spent a good time floating around and trying to coax the dog in to join me. We wandered up the beach and Bernie was busy at the high tide line eating… something… After a few hours of this, and some sandwiches and beers (for us), we headed back to the boat and grabbed the dingy for a bit of a blurt up to a creek we found. We managed to weave our way into the creek and discovered and old shearing shed, tonnes of stingrays and crabs, heaps of fish and the salt flats which were just inland from our anchorage.

Our friends had left for another anchorage so we had family dinner on Addictive and a good sleep – AFTER cleaning up Bernie’s projectile vomit! The holding in this anchorage is great, in hard sand, and the weather forecast was good, so we did actually manage some sleep.

More walks and adventures were to be had the next day! We knew the old resort was on the west side of the island (do you remember ‘”Get wrecked on Keppel?”) so we walked down the beach towards the headland that looked down the west side. It certainly looked a little less rolly than we were experiencing, but alas likely too shallow so we decided to stay put for another night. It was about then we saw our friends on Bushytales coming back around the island. As we walked back, we saw they had chosen to anchor at Svenson’s beach which is the cove a little further east from where we were. We saw a few more people move there too, and soon had a message saying it was a lot less rolly. We decided to go back to Addictive and pack a few things to move. It was at this point Adrian had the idea to maybe catch some fish for dinner, so I rigged the handline, popped on some old leftover fish and boom, 4 excellent sized whiting for our dinner later!

We upped anchor after that, and headed over towards Svensen’s beach and found a good spot right on the 2m contour on the chart. Perfect. Sundowners on Bushytales were had, and after a far less rolly night, and more blissful sleep, the next day we were ferried back to Bushytales for an adventure to the resort! Here is Adrian on our walk around the headland right before we decided to up anchor. Look how crystal clear the water is!

The resort really had its hey day in the 80s and 90s, and now is left in ruin as you can see here (cyclone fences and “Keep Out” signs abound). We had a little look around, and it was a little sad to see the broken windows and filled in pool. There are still shops and cafes on the island, so we enjoyed some coffee, before heading out in the dingy to do some snorkelling. There is a green zone just off the beach, so we saw heaps of sting rays and really healthy sized fish which was really good to see. The snorkelling certainly got our appetite going, and burgers and beer were on the menu, before heading back to the anchorage where we were happy to see Addictive still swinging in the breeze.

There is a picnic area at Svenson’s beach which is maintained by yachties that visit, and when we returned from our resort adventures, we noticed about 10 dingys there and a right party going on. We decided that we had had enough excitement for the day, however, and got ferried back to Addictive. We also had to start the pack up as we were planning to leave the next day. The boat in the picture is our dear friends on Bushytales who took us out for such an awesome day!

I REALLY didn’t want to leave Keppel. The dog is allowed to run around, the water is warm and clear, the sun was out, I was swimming and snorkelling and paddle boarding, we had friends there and I had found a couple of coconuts, plus caught some fish. I wanted to stay longer, but we had already stayed slightly longer than we planned, and we knew that the next night the wind was going to pick up and cause everything out there to be very uncomfortable.

So the following day, after a relaxing morning, we headed back down wind towards Rossyln bay again and our booked berth at the marina. It was a rolly sail, but downwind this time which was nice. The wind did indeed pickup over the next couple of days (even now its still a little hectic) with the Rossyln Bay monitoring station clocking 26 knots. We also have some other friends who arrived and said they were out at Keppel in it and it was horrible. So we were pretty happy with our decision. See – we’re learning!!! Here’s Bernie happily pooped at the dog beach near the Rosslyn Bay marina.

So whats the plan from here? Well we don’t want to just stay at the marina, even though I got to make friends with this turtle. However, the winds and tides to go north aren’t conducive to comfortable nights on anchor at the next set of islands, although we would definitely have good sailing weather to get there. So rather than sail north, and potentially have rolly, scary, windy and BIG tidal anchorages to contend with for a week, we’ve decided we’ll go see if we can retrieve my lost heart from Great Keppel Island for a few days, then head up further north.

Sunny Yamba/Iluka, and on to the Sunshine State

July 21, 2020 / fiandadrian

By Fi

After arriving in Yamba, we took some time to explore the town. With the Queensland border still closed, we were in no rush and spent a few nights here. There is a great market on Wednesday mornings from 07:00 near the headland that sells local meat and veges, cured meats, gin, sushi, cheese and dairy, and so we stocked up on some yummy produce and groceries. Here is Adrian and Bernie enjoying a walk at the beach after visiting the markets.

We’d heard some stories as we travelled up the coast that Iluka was “packed full of boats waiting on the border” so we had been a little dubious about adding to the numbers, but on a sunny morning, we decided to pop over and have a look, and there was plenty of space for us to drop our anchor and visit one of NSW coastal town gems. This gorgeous beach is along one side of the anchorage. Behind me is the dock where we set our dingy to go ashore.

Iluka is a small coastal town, and the bay where we anchored is right next to the pub and the fish coop. Iluka prawns are some of the best we have tasted. We went for some walks around town, and out to the surf beach where Bernie got to play with his bumper things. Spotted this little guy eating at the side of the road too (Echidna). Iluka was a great town to keep us stocked up, and we also leaned a little on the Post Office in town as we needed to get a few things ordered for the inevitable boat jobs that we would have to do. The most pressing being the anchor light.

When we anchored in Iluka, and as dusk settled in, I turned on the anchor light, and to my dismay realised it wasn’t working. Fast forward a few days later, and we had enlisted the help of our friends on some other boats, and borrowed a bosuns chair (chair/harness device that I sit in to go up) and hoisted me up the mast to figure out the problem. It was about 3 hours later, and a lot of tools going up and down, and discussions, that we all realised the light had no serviceable parts and needed total replacing. It did need replacing anyways, after I mangled it trying to figure out how it worked whilst gripping on to the mast with my legs 14m up. This photo shows how I had to basically rip it off at one screw because the flat head screw was cheap and nasty and I couldn’t get the screwdriver to stay on to get it out. This was all fine in the end, and a week or so later we had our new light and up I went up again crimped the wires, tested it, and screwed it on. Works well now!

Around our time in Iluka we also cruised the Clarence River and wrote a post here: https://fiandadriansailing.com/travelling-inland-the-clarence-river/

As the dolphins circled around the bay night after night, we found ourselves settling in to the Iluka life, making friends, exploring the trails, trying out new recipes on the boat, and attempting new skills. In some respects, I stopped being cranky around this point about the Queensland border because we wouldn’t have had these experiences in this stunning little place, or perhaps even met some new friends for who’s friendship we are so grateful! Oh, also new toys – our new toys are two stand up paddle boards and this is my first attempt ever.

And one day, the news came that Queensland was opening up to us Southerners, and the race was on! The borders opened midday on the 10th of July, and whilst the weather window for our boat would have been okay-ish, we decided to let the bigger faster boats head up en masse and we’d see how they got on. Plus we could partake a little more in the delicious local seafood. All was fine and we planned our own passage for a few days later.

We planned to head north on the 14th of July, as the swells were quite low, which would mean leaving Yamba/Iluka over the river bar would be straightforward. We left at midday on a rainy and cool day, and planned to stop in at Byron Bay for the evening. During our travels, the whale activity was epic, and we saw many whales breaching, flapping around and playing quite close to us. Here you can see a whale just breaching out of the water. So awe inspiring. We finally dropped the anchor at 10pm in the rolly Byron Bay anchorage.

We had a little bit of sleep rolling around, and the next morning picked up the anchor at 06:30 for our final leg across the border and into the Gold Coast. I had been in touch with Maritime Safety Queensland to ensure our safe passage across the border, and had been assured that the authorities were aware of our approval to cross the border and we would have no troubles. It was so exciting off the Tweed Heads/Coolangatta coast line to know that we were entering Queensland finally and more adventures were to come, plus more whales, dolphins and the biggest turtle I have ever seen were there to welcome us! We travelled through the Gold Coast seaway late afternoon (shown here), and picked our way north to a marina we had booked arriving about 17:00. Big day and we were ecstatic to arrive in Queensland. The plan from here is to head into Moreton Bay and then further north to Mooloolaba and Noosa as weather permits, and as quickly as we are comfortable with.

Bernie is doing well! And so photogenic.

Travelling inland – The Clarence River

July 10, 2020 / fiandadrian

Travelling by small boat we have been surprised by the different types of waterways we can use. This week we travelled 50km inland up the Clarence river to Grafton after having spent some lovely time at Iluka and Yamba.

After a 2 hour motor inland from Iluka, our first obstacle was the Harwood bridge. Although the new highway bridge has been built, the old bridge remains in use for local traffic. The old bridge isn’t high enough to let our 14m mast through, but with 24 hours notice they open the bridge for travelling yachts and we had booked it for 10:30 that morning.

We pulled up at little towns along the way which have public pontoons big enough for a couple of boats to stay for the night and welcoming pubs often overlooking the river. With lots of shallow water we sometimes posted a double watch on the bow.

Our first stop was Harwood. We were surprised by this large partially completed houseboat that pulled up behind us to resupply before heading up the river. It had come down the coast from Ballina that day crossing two bars and was heading up the river where it would be completed, although we didn’t spot it again as we travelled up stream. We had a great meal at the pub, and could see the boat from our dinner table. Overnight the temperatures dipped to significantly lower than we were used to near the coast.

Maclean was our next stop to resupply. There are many small trawlers in this section of the river although they were not active during the day. We met our first cross river ferry at Lawrence. These use cables across the river so we needed to time our crossing when the ferries were on the bank and the lines are slack. The ferries are surprisingly well used with queues of traffic on both sides of the river mid-week.

We stayed at Ulmarra overnight and enjoyed the great pub on the river and many small crafty shops. Again the temperatures overnight were about 1 degree celsius and we lamented not having more insulation! We do appreciate our little heater though on nights like this. The next day we did a day trip up the river to Grafton where the low bridge prevents any further progress for us upriver.

The next night we stopped at a small town called Brushgrove. Bernie especially enjoyed Brushgrove where we found a big park where he could chase his bumpers. Again there is a lovely local pub where we could have a beer and still admire our little home on the dock.

There is lots of sugar cane grown in the area, as well as the large processing factory on the river. On our last night back at Harwood they were burning the cane as we went for a dog walk along the river.

These guys were a feature up and down the river. At Harwood this Pelican would complain with a deep guttural growl every time we came out on deck and upset his normally quiet pontoon.

From Harwood we had a rainy and wet motor back to our now familiar anchorage at Iluka. The anchorage was steadily filling up with vessels preparing for the Queensland border opening (of which we are one).

We’ll be looking to move further north in the coming days, now that the border is open and we both have our QLD declaration passes at the ready.

Exploring the Coffs Coast

June 24, 2020 / fiandadrian

By Fi

We arrived in Coffs Harbour International Marina on the 22nd of May, and as of writing this a month later, we’re still enjoying the atmosphere and the weather here in Coffs. We’re in no hurry to move, as the borders are still closed, and we’re waiting for the perfect weather window to head north to Yamba. Both Adrian and I have spent time on the Coffs Coast in the past. Me as a toddler learning how to swim and ride my bike, staying at my grandparents house in Toormina, and Adrian as a young adult training for the Canoe Polo team, and working a part time job when his parents lived near here. We were both keen to see some of the places we knew and loved.

But first, friends! With COVID19 restrictions relaxing a little, we had a welcome visit from some friends! We spent one day with some friends having little boat tours, eating some yummy burgers at the local chargrilled burger place called “Attitude”, and soaking up the warm winter weather with an icecream and going for a walk’along the jetty and foreshores discovering the history of the place. Then another day more friends and more boat tours! Was so great to see people!

“Coffs” was “discovered” by Europeans, namely John Korff, originally as a safe haven in 1847. Soon after, its proximity to fine timber was realised, and given the troubles of getting large logs onto large ships off the beach, a jetty was proposed. The jetty here was completed in 1893 (after a few set backs given the NSW coast’s ability to pick up the waves and winds and storm down on these settlements). Soon after this the walls of the harbour were also constructed, evolving into the marina and harbour we now see. There’s a load more history and well worth the trip here.

We hired some bikes, and took a loop ride around Coffs Creek which was gorgeous, and the next day did the 20km round trip to Boambee Creek, where I spent idealic summers learning to swim, discovering the crabs and fish, going for explorations with my cousins over the railway bridge and out to the scary surf beach. It all seemed a lot smaller now I’m grown. Bernie ran next to Adrian the whole way, and had a swim with us at Boambee Creek, and was still wanting more when we got back to the boat.

The next day we left for a quick trip to Sydney to see family, and on our way back north we couldn’t pass up an opportunity to visit Scotts Head. This is very close to where Adrian’s family lived and we got to catch up with more friends! The beach is off leash and so the doggies had a great time eating sand and chasing balls. We also took Bernie out to visit Eungai Creek Buffalo farm for lunch. Well worth the trip. We had their persian fetta, buffalo lasagne, and a buffalo curry for lunch, and took home some milk (which is delightfully creamy), extra feta and some steaks. So freaking yummy.

So then we were back in comfy warm Coffs, settling in to a routine of dog walking, boat jobs and making some yummy food with our haul from Sydney and the Buffalo farm. Here’s Bernie and I enjoying the off leash area at Coffs Creek. We still have his floating fetch things (“bumpers”) from when we were trying to teach him to be a proper gun dog. Given we all failed at gun dog stuff, the bumpers make great fetch toys. The Sunday marina markets here are excellent and we’ve loved the fresh veges, macadamia nut spread, pickled garlic, cured meats, bananas and avos. Adrian’s also taken some time to connect our AIS (the system that means we can see other boats and they can see us) to our old, but big VHF antenna, make the outside speakers work with the VHF radio and also install me a new magnet board so I can collect magnets because I love it, and I don’t know why – but every place we go I get a magnet, for years now. I have hundreds and just started a new board for our cruise.

After all the land based travelling, both of us were keen to get out on to the water again, and so we planned a nice day to sail out to South Solitary Island to do a loop and take a look. The island, whilst not overly “remote” (you can see it from land easily) would have been a harsh place to live when people were occupying it. The shore is basically sheer cliffs all around, and to get people and goods onto the island, they had to pick calm seas and also build a large crane, the remnants of which still remain. Now, if there is work to be done, or the rare tourist is booked to visit the island, a helicopter is used. The island has a lighthouse, and it is the lighthouse keeper and their families that occupied this island for almost 100 years up until 1975 when the lighthouse was automated. It is a very special marine sanctuary as well, and given how it is fed from the East Coast Australian Current, contains a variety of temperate, sub tropical and tropical species. We saw a green sea turtle and numerous whales and birds on our quick trip.

Speaking of protect marine areas, the Coffs Harbour Marina is also a protected area, and there are strict rules on fishing and pollution in the marina. These rules have meant that on our little walks out of the marina we have seen an abundance of marine life in the clear marina waters. We have seen spotted eagle rays, mullet, bream, mangrove jacks, flathead, dolphins and a bunch of colourful tropical looking fish that I wouldn’t hazard a guess of the name. Apparently wobbegong sharks also frequent the marina. We never could get a good photo, so here is a beautiful sunset.

We also took time out to visit the botanic gardens. Once a dilapidated landfill site, the place has been transformed into a wonderland of landscaped gardens and plants from all over the world. I was particularly in love with the super healthy roses, and Adrian took this fantastic picture of an upturned tree. There was even a family connection as John Wriggly (Adrian’s mothers cousin) created the original design for the botanic gardens in 1979.

Every day we are planning our trip to Yamba by checking the weather in PredictWind (our weather program). It will be a longish day – about 12 hours, and we need to time it perfectly to get through the Yamba bar at the best time of tide, which is 3 hours after low tide. This is when the waters are at their best to navigate over the sand bar, and into the Clarence river. Coffs has treated us so well, and I can see why we so easily spent a whole month here!

Laurieton to Coffs Harbour

May 25, 2020 / fiandadrian

We tied up to the pier outside the United Servicemans Club in Laurieton. Its free for a few days and they have a hot shower and toilets…very welcome. Oh and a coffee shop. And ordinarily a club serving cold beers, but in COVID19 world, its closed of course.

Most days someone came to the pier to say hello to the visiting yachties. Some days we did little else but talk to and learn from these more experienced sailors. From the young guy who had sailed a Janeau 36 from Sydney to Gladstone, the local who knew the safe line across the bar to the guy who grew up in Sydney building his own boats and competing in Sydney to Hobarts.

The BIG news was Fi’s fishing success. After a bunch of just under the limit bream, this chap turned up for lunch, lightly fried with some salt and pepper.

We went for a big walk to the Dunbogan Boat Shed for coffee and beyond to the surf beach where Bernie was delighted to run, splash and consume large amounts of sand. We were picking up little piles of sand posing as poos for a day.

Of course there are always a list of boat jobs to complete. After arriving at Laurieton we found water in engine compartment. Like, a lot. The bilge is almost always dry in Addictive, but we found that after long periods of following seas the engine bay has some water (Fi is editing this and says “a lot”). We soon traced it to the cockpit drains that needed re-sealing and tightening, which was straight forward apart from the contortions required to reach around behind the inside of the cockpit.

A weather window appeared for us to leave and head up the coast to Coffs Harbour. Crossing the Laurieton bar and arriving at Coffs in the day light meant sailing overnight again. The bar was mostly calm as we crossed at 4:30pm

We headed up the coast towards Port Macquarie as the sun set. Not enough wind to sail but knew there would be a be blow during the night.

By Hat Head the wind had picked up and we were under sail again, but soon reefing down the sails and then dropping the main as the wind increased to 20-25 knots, with stronger gusts. It quickly became like the set of one of those old movies where they throw buckets of water from just off camera. Fi stayed indoors and watched the chart plotters and placated Bernie as Adrian watched the sails and seas, and enjoyed the good test of his foulies.

The wind moderated before dawn and as the sun rose we increased sail and had a beautiful sail up the mid north coast. Bernie was invited on deck to sniff a new part of the world and clean up the crumbs from snacks consumed during the night.

At about 10am we entered the harbour at Coffs and headed straight for our assigned berth. After a long salty night we savoured some champagne and oysters for breakfast and a well deserved snooze.

We’ll likely stay in Coffs for a few weeks. Fi spent summer holidays here with her family and so we’re planning a nostalgia visit to Nan’s old house, and Boambee Creek where she learned how to ride a bike and swim. So far, the burgers are excellent, the fish coop is fresh, and the beach is doggy friendly and off the lead so Bernie is getting some great running and swimming in!