The Franklin Group of islands

The Franklin Group is beautiful, with interesting walks around Normanby Island, then the very cute little Mabel Island and Russell Island with granite and rainforest at the southern end and a long sandy section of casuarinas, palms and ferns to the north. We were lucky to pick up a mooring at Russell Island as it’s difficult to anchor there in 15 – 20 metres. 

Russell Island

Mabel Island

Normanby Island

Lizard Island to Low Isles

The weather window to leave Lizard arrived with forecast of easterlies and north-east winds so a big flotilla left early, some going to Cooktown, some to Hope Island and a few just kept sailing.

Hope Island was very busy with campers and fishing boats and people destroying the vegetation and lighting fires on the beach, so we didn't go ashore.

At first light we sailed to Low Isles, a favourite spot near Port Douglas.  We were welcomed by bat fish, remoras and a beautiful black-tipped reef shark, who stayed under our boat.  

On the island we met the caretaker who said the 2 osprey chicks had fledged, but one was still on the lighthouse begging for some fish.  It didn't bother the Torresian Imperial Pigeons, who were all over the treetops.

The bridled terns were nesting and there were many eggs left along the paths, so we had to tip-toe very carefully.

We were surprised to see how much sand had eroded since our last visit 2 years ago.

The Tip to Lizard

 

At the Tip we did the pilgrimage to the sign at the top of Australia, as you do.  A group of motorbikes arrived and ignored the sign “No Vehicles Beyond This Point” and parked in a neat row along the beach.

Catching the tide to get around Cape York, we decided to keep sailing to avoid the forecast SE winds and 3 days later arrived at Lizard Island, the last 8 hours were the hardest sail we have attempted: into the SE winds and through eddies and strong currents but we had to get in before the forecast 25 knots.

There are some things you just can’t capture in a photo: the full moon rising red through clouds on the horizon with sheet lightning flashing through the build-up clouds and a sunset through big towering clouds resembling a scene from Maralinga nuclear tests.

Off Bathurst Heads I saw a log in the water and was about to veer off when it turned into a pair of green turtles mating.  By the time our bow was near them they looked up, flipped over and swam away.  Hope they have another go at making baby turtles, away from passing boats.

We already knew half of the boats anchored in Watson’s Bay so it was party time again.  The Marlin (staff) Bar was open Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays so we joined the Sunday session for dinner.

On the beach was the usual silver gull, a common sandpiper, a few whimbrels, a lone beach stone-curlew and red-capped plovers. 

The walk to Cook's Look has improved with gravel on parts of the path and a few added steps in the slippery areas.  The view as always is amazing.

The kapok trees are always fascinating and we managed to see all phases at once:  from flowers to green fruit to seed pods and exploding pods sending fluffy seeds out to grow again.

Return to Cape York

Long sail from Gove Harbour to Seisia, Cape York:  71 hours and 359 nm with only 20 hours of total sailing time.  Apart from our sailing buddies, Nomad Davina, the only sights to see were 2 ships from Weipa, a few terns, brown boobies and a pod of dolphins feeding.  

An immature little tern hitched a ride with us, it was very hot our there!

By the third day the gulf was a glassout with barely a zephyr of breeze.  

At the Seisia anchorage we joined the other cats Exhale, Mad Fish, Slow Motion and Nomad Davina and mono Upstart.

A family of white-breasted woodswallows were determined to build on our real estate, bringing nesting material over to check out a fold in our mainsail.  While they are very cute we had to discourage them and move them on, so they began checking out all the other boats in our flotilla.

Seisia's name comes from one of the first families of Sabai Islanders who came here after WW2, Mr Mugai Elu, who used the first initial of his father and childrens' names:  Sagaukaz, Elu, Isua, Sunai, Ibuai and Aken. 

Seisia Ferry Jetty is popular with locals for fishing with masses of bait fish under the wharf and some deft hands with a cast net collecting them.

Return from Darwin

Cullen Bay Marina has limited facilities, charges extra for power, which is metered, but is surrounded by wonderful restaurants and a grassy beach to watch the spectacular sunsets.  It was great to be able to kayak around the loch and leave our kayaks tied to the jetty, but by the time we hauled them back on board they had lots of barnacles and green growth.

It was a stormy early start after a rolly night at Fannie Bay and as we neared Cape Don the rain began, almost horizontal so the boat was well rinsed. 

Our first overnight sail of 32 hours to Valentia Island with Nomad Davina went calmly, the water temperature stayed at 29 degrees C.  Through the night we hot-bedded on the couch taking 1 or 2 hours each and swapping back to the helm.  It’s still tiring especially if you have lots of sail changes, but smooth seas help.

A 6 am start from Valentia Island and another overnight sail of 33 hours to Galiwinku, where we anchored in the channel.  Because of Covid we weren't allowed ashore, the rollout of vaccines has been painfully slow in remote communities.

A juvenile crested tern decided to hitchhike on our solar panel while the parents circled around and kept an eye on their kid.

Ghost nets from trawlers are still a big hazard around these islands, sadly entangling lots of marine life.

A day sail through the eddies of the Bromby Islands and we were back in Nhulunbuy with 5 other cats who we had met along the way, some from Qld, some from WA and Tassie.  And now we have sailed across 6 seas:  Tasman Sea, Pacific Ocean, Coral Sea, Arafura Sea, Timor Sea and Indian Ocean.  PHEW!!

 

 

Return to Darwin

Today we left the Kimberley to start the long trip back to Darwin across the gulf.
The weather looks good for a few days, followed by some strong SE wind.
We should be safely tucked up in Darwin by then.

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Talbot Bay to Darwin

Had a great sail back to Sir Graham Moore Island where Whiskers joined us again.  

At Fly Point the rocks are quite different, resembling stacks of house bricks.  

We anchored with Whiskers in Talbot Bay and enjoyed a long stroll on the sandy beach. 

 One small croc slide on the sand had us looking carefully and sure enough, as we started pulling up the dinghy anchor the croc was heading towards us.  We managed to jump in and run away before it reached us.

the spectacular Dice Rock, and no-one has painted white dots on it yet! 

Freshwater Creek, Jar Island and the DC3

Back at Freshwater Creek the rainbow pitas were calling, and the brahminy kite, who had been sitting on a nest in the mangroves when we visited in July, had a chick, just a ball of fluff really, but very cute. 

Down in Vansittart Bay is Jar Island which also has lots of rock art. To reach the overhangs we had to cross a mangrove-lined creek which with Spring tides still had ankle deep water running. The water was clear so we waded across and scrambled up the rocks to the gallery. On our return the tide had dropped and we safely reached the beach again. 

every rock formation has a struggling fig tree

hold it or run away fast

Our neighbours from a trailer-sailer were coming into the beach, with a large croc following their dinghy. The croc came right up behind them to the water’s edge then stayed and watched us all. Mark found some rocks to throw and scare it away but the croc leapt as the rocks landed like it was jumping for food, then raised its tail hackles and looked very menacing. Eventually it moved out far enough for us to launch our dinghy and run away to our boat. 

Across the bay is the wreck of a WWII DC3 plane, a US Airforce Douglas C53 Skytrouper transport aircraft was emergency landed here in February 1942 after the crew got lost flying from Perth to Broome. The crew were recued 2 days later by Qantas crew. 

 [Toni’s first plane flight was on a DC3 from Sydney to Moruya, many years ago.] 

Walking back across the salt flat a lone jabiru [black-necked stork] was also enjoying a stroll.

lone jabiru

Winyalkan Island Bradshaws

Only a short sail to Winyalkan Island near the famous Bradshaw painting of “Five Men in a Boat”.  After meeting Grahame Walsh on our first trip to the Kimberley on Mount Elizabeth Station in 1997 and recently reading Ian Wilson’s book “Lost World of the Kimberley” which gives an archaeological and anthropological perspective, we were keen to see these Bradshaw paintings. Scrambling up the rocks leads to a trail of overhangs with paintings all around, some ancient and fading, some modern touch-ups have been added.  A small diamond python had found a perfect snoozing hole in the sandstone, but right next to the main path.  Rock wallabies were hopping about and one small wallaby with a brushy tail we weren’t sure if it was a monjon or narbalek; hoping to see another soon.

Five Men in a Boat painting

more amazing rock formations

Another Bradshaw painting “Four Men in a Boat” is in the next creek with other rock art visible from the dinghy.

At Murrangingi Island we caught up with catamaran Whiskers again and shared a few yarns over sundowners. 

our cheeky visitor

Barra for dinner

We are at week nine of our Kimberley adventure and fresh salad is a challenge.
Dinner was bbq Barramundi served with a roast pumpkin, chickpea, beetroot and feta salad, and a serve of coleslaw from one of our long lasting red cabbages.

Desert was half a chocolate cornetto that we bought at the fuel barge a few weeks
 ago with a splash of kahlua.
It was bloody delicious!

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Hunter River Barra

Peter caught this beautiful sikver salt water Barramundi in the Hunter River.
It was 73cm long, a great eating size.  In WA they have to be between 55 and 80cm
so we were allowed to keep it.

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Hunter River and Prudhoe Islands

Hunter River is as spectacular as many other big rivers in the Kimberley, with huge, ancient, colourful escarpments all around and large mangroves well adapted to the huge tides.  A few crocodiles spotted in Porosus Creek and good fishing with a threadfin salmon for lunch.  Our food supplies into week 8 are surviving well, due to our usual over-catering, as we just cracked the first pumpkin to make roasted pumpkin, feta, beetroot and bean sprouts salad.  Chick peas and frozen green peas can also be added for crunch and colour.

first big barra, yummo

eagle head rock

sundowners True North style

The creek was getting busy when True North, a large cruise ship, arrived, but they showed us a new way to enjoy sundowners when they rafted up their 5 dinghies and cruised down with the outgoing tide to the main river, singing as they went by.

how terns commute to work on the big tidal rivers

After all the boats left next morning we had 2 days of peace and quiet on our own, so quiet we could hear the rainbow pittas calling and watch the dolphins and turtles feeding in the creek.

We passed Caledonian Sky, a larger cruise boat, with their two helicopters ferrying passengers to the beach on Naturaliste Island.  By the time we sailed up to Wary Bay on Bigge Island Caledonian Sky had anchored and all the passengers were heading to shore in big black ribs to see the rock art in the caves.  The art here was more modern, Wandjina style, with a burial site in one of the caves.

turtle tracks

The Prudhoe Islands have spectacular rock formations and a safe anchorage.  We took our breakfast picnic and iced coffee to the beach and found fresh turtle tracks to and from a nest in the dunes. We climbed up the sandstone rocks for our picnic with a scenic view over the Indian Ocean.

fresh turtle tracks on the beach up and back from the nest

brekky with a view of the Indian Ocean