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!