Snorkelling at Lizard Island

Peter had a great opportunity to snorkel with Paul and Barbara Banks from S.V. Aqua Safari, who have been diving at Lizard for 16 years and photographing the marine wildlife, including many nudibranchs.  Barbara’s photos appear in the Lizard Island Field Guide (a free App) and in the Australian Museum (owners of the L.I. Research Station) and she thinks that this year the coral reefs and marine species have recovered well from the last bleaching event and cyclone, which is great news.  

pic by Barbara Banks

goniobranchus albopunctatus by Barbara Banks

Tubulophilinopsis pilsbryi by Barbara Banks

pic by Barbara Banks

Damsel Fish by Barbara Banks

Starry Puffer by Barbara Banks

Green Turtle and Remora by Barbara Banks

Thanks Barbara for allowing us to share your wonderful photos...

Double to Low Isles

Double Island is a great anchorage, if you like the smell of jet fuel, it is right under the flight path to Cairns airport.  A sweet downwind sail to Snapper Island with the promise of same for dinner, we did manage to catch a reef shark instead. 

Alas, after 4 attempts to anchor at Snapper, (the only good spot seems to be a small vessel mooring, doh!) where it drops from 5 m to 13 m and rocky bottom, we had to give up and sail into the sou’easter to Low Isles. 

Just before our second tack we saw whales frolicking and realised they were only about a mile away.  After lots of leaping, tail slapping and cavorting the flipper waving began and the calf leapt in delight. 

One more tack and we were near Low Isles and luckily picked up a mooring near Aqua Safari, with the usual welcome by the huge batfish.  

Mobs of Pied Imperial Pigeons were arriving to roost and the brown boobies and terns were jostling for roosting spots on the tourist boats and moorings.

Free Concert at Yank's Jetty

At yesterday’s sundowners at Yank’s Jetty, on Orpheus Island, Beach Bum and Heatwave were treated to a free concert by The Australian Chamber Music Orchestra.  (in the right place at the right time!)

The sound team arrived mid-morning to set up speakers and gear under the shade on the beach, then the Reef Cat brought the musicians and audience. 

Most of the audience set up on the sand while the musicians warmed up, but some snorkelled and swam, listening to the music from the water.  They even brought two life guards with a paddleboard, which was just as well as a few people ventured a bit far.

The highlight of the concert was Wu Man playing the Pipa, an ancient Chinese type of mandolin/lute.  Brett had been raving about this instrument and finally got to meet the Star herself, Wu.

Just on sunset the audience were ushered back to the ferry for cold drinks and dinner.  Everyone was on board except the captain, who soaked up the last of the sunset as he crossed the bridge back to the ferry.

Skipper-Chef's English Muffins

Skipper Pete tried his hand at English Muffins with great results!

Ready to eat!

The heart-shaped one is for Toni :)

Cooking in the BBQ

Cook for 3 - 4 minutes each side

He cooked the first batch in the BBQ then cooked eggs in capsicum rings and tomatoes to complete the colourful brekky.  Yum!!

Have Sails, Will Travel ...

At last a calmer day to remove the old genoa and to fit the new one...

and now we are itching to sail away!

Yay! New Mainsail!

With winds gusting to 30 knots and light drizzle in the bay, we were nervous about going in to the jetty to fit the new mainsail, but Ken from Charm and Brian from Cockatoo came to give us a hand,  and the jetty was a bit more sheltered than out in the bay.  Thanks guys!

We first had to tie up stern in to get the spare battens out from the boom, then turn around bow in to fit the sail into the wind. Charles and Ryan (Doyle Sails) fitted the battens as they fed the sail into the mast tracks.  A couple of battens had to be shortened, so it was scary to see him cutting them in situ with a hacksaw!

Yikes!  Not the hacksaw!!

Peter and Brian attaching the halyard

sail goes up...

... and up ...

and fits!

Brian, Ryan and Peter folding sail back down

... and it fits in the bag!

After the sail was fully raised, fitted and checked it was time to lower, fold and repack it into the boom bag. Easy peasy!  Tomorrow we will sort out the reef lines and sail away to Woodwark Bay for the test run.

A Tiger at Lion Point

At Lion Point the wind dropped, sun shone and it was the best ever kayaking on a glassy sea.  There were shovel-nosed rays, turtles and lots of colourful reef fish, though the coral itself was lacking in colour.  A beautiful calm anchorage and a full moon over the water, ahhhh!

Next morning we noticed the anchorage up at the Whitsunday Cairn walk was free again, so we sailed up to try for our fourth attempt at the bushwalk.  The track is quite challenging, with only a few markers and mostly rock clambering through rainforest, with a few stinging trees on the track just to keep it interesting. 

Larry on the track

Then just as we started the climb, Toni’s right boot parted from it’s sole.  Peter went back to get some rope and tied it together to the boot, but after half an hour the left boot sole perished too, so we had to turn back.  Walking downhill with no tread on the boots was even more scary and those boots were only about 15 years old!

Lost Soles 

A stitch in time...

One day we will return to conquer that walk!

Whitehaven to Apostle Bay

So with a few weeks to wait for our sails we pottered around the Whitsunday Islands.  Yes, there are worse places to be stuck, but even so the weather forecasts were quite iffy.  First week at Woodwark Bay it was blowing 30 knots with intermittent drizzle and rain squalls.  Luckily we caught enough rainwater to wash our clothes, leaving the sheets and towels for the next Laundromat trip.

The next few days back in Airlie Beach were mild and sunny so Peter was able to climb the mast, with the help of Brian from Cockatoo, and fix the wind instrument.  Brian also has some good contacts who helped us to get spare parts.  It actually took two trips up the mast, but Peter loved it.  A bike ride, some shopping and appointments, then we were ready to sail away from the noise and lights again. With the first report of two whales in the area, now the race was on to see the first whale of the season. 

Back to Nara Inlet this time, avoiding Macona after our earlier dramas, we met up with Cat-O-Gery to attempt the Whitsunday Cairn bushwalk, a walk we had missed last time here.  As we moored the boat the drizzle, rain and squalls returned, lunch was served and eaten, and still the rain persisted.  Giving up the walk idea again, we sailed back to Border Island, arriving on the mooring just as the next squall hit.  Drenched again!  Next morning proved much more pleasant and we were first up the walk over the saddle in lovely morning sunshine. 

Haslewood Island now has 8 moorings and very well used, so many boats coming and going to Whitehaven Beach.  We did the same and motored over to Whitehaven to walk to the lookout before the crowds arrived.  Peter took the famous G-Spotter aerial and we had enough signal, Optus and Telstra, to video call Dee for her birthday. 

The G-spotter in action!

Choppers galore on Whitehaven

After watching a couple of power boats finding their way between the myriad of sandbars into Hill Inlet, we tried to follow in the dinghy.  The shifting sands and eddies are full on and stingrays are darting everywhere, the most we’ve seen, some were massive.  The inlet is a protected area for shorebirds and a mob of godwits, eastern curlew and pied oystercatchers were feasting on a mud flat near the mangroves.  Fish are abundant and the water so clear you can pick out each species on the sandy bottom.

One cat in Hill Inlet

shifting sands...

With jet boats, cruise boats, planes and helicopters circling all day we decided to sail to a quieter anchorage in Apostle Bay.  It is so beautiful, with a fringing reef, clear water and high cliffs on both sides and so much serenity!  Then the drizzle returned. 

Next morning we motored around to try the Whitsunday Cairn walk again, with clear skies and no wind the water was like glass, our third attempt.  Alas no moorings at the cairn beach, as one was now broken, and with a few power boats fishing along the beach we gave up again.  There’s always next week!

Border Island Walk, Whitsundays

After a rolly tide change at Maureen’s Cove, not our favourite anchorage, we sailed over to Border Island to check out the new walking track.  It is mostly steps up over the saddle to spectacular views over Whitsunday Island and beyond.

Grasstrees (xanthorrea) cover the hillside, interspersed with hibiscus, paper daisies and mulla mullas (ptilotus), which I hadn’t expected to see here, being more familiar with the desert flowers. 

The grasstree flowers were attracting Tiger blue butterflies to drink their nectar, and lots of colourful blue flies.

It was good to take the walk early as the big noisy tourist yachts arrived late morning with all the snorkellers and music blaring.