Tuesday 25 July 2017

Back to Old Haunts 22nd to 25th July

Airlie Beach to South Molle Island

A poor sad victim of Cyclone Debbie, Airlie Beach


We spent the morning at the laundry. Julie's laundry at Airlie Beach has to be one of the cleanest and best run we have come across in all our travels. We are laundry experts now and you don't get hot water very often or the huge machines on offer there. Best of all 24 minutes of drying actually gets the washing perfectly dry. I'm beginning to sound like an advertisement!!

Having cleaned everything cleanable we pulled the anchor and made our way over to South Molle Island. Six other boats were anchored in Moonlight Bay for the night with us. An inspection of the resort through the binoculars revealed a very sorry sight indeed. The former resort buildings lay tangled and torn where natures destructive power, in the form of cyclone Debbie, deposited them several months ago. Total devastation! The jetty is badly damaged and the whole site resembles a rubbish tip.


The wreckage at South Molle Island
The next morning we motored Lily ashore and took the walk trail to Sandy Bay, quite a long walk and a steep climb at either end over the high centre of the island. The tracks were in very good walking condition, well maintained and freshly mowed. At Sandy Bay we enjoyed the view across to Daydream Island (also very cyclone damaged and no longer taking guests) and over to Shute Harbour.

When caught out - Bluff. It's just a pile of sticks. (They did not move a muscle)

The walk to Sandy Bay, South Molle Island

 
Cid Harbour

After our strenuous walk back from Sandy Bay we decided to sail the 6nm to Cid Harbour, which is a favourite anchorage for us and almost everyone else in the Whitsunday Islands. Many of the charter boats end up here for the night. It is such a beautiful place with the added bonus of a challenging walk to the top of Whitsunday Peak (437m). It is also a great spot for boat watching, Huge sailing yachts and motor boats anchor there along with the charter fleet and a selection of private craft of all descriptions.

Another thing I love about Cid Harbour is the birdsong at dawn. Birds chirp, tweet and sing here. None of the honking, hooting, hissing, squawking, screeching raucous racket of many of the birds in North Queensland. Here you get the beautiful dawn chorus with hundreds of small birds trying to out sing each other. It's amazing just how many small birds must be living in the bush here.

We decided to walk up Whitsunday Peak for a bit of exercise and also to observe the cyclone damage for ourselves. Many of the trees are still leafless or just beginning to sprout some new shoots. The path has been cleared of debris which would have been a major task for the Parks and Wildlife people. Hundreds of trees had been sawn and shifted off the track, some of them huge. From the top, looking over the landscape, it was easy to see that the damage to the forest was severe. Many of the hills are now covered by matchstick trees.

Going

Gone!
Summit, Whitsunday Peak

While we were at Cid Harbour Peter decided to change the engine oil on the main motor. Having hunted around the boat for the necessary equipment to carry out this task Peter discovered that there was no oil pump to get the old oil out. After much 'umming' and 'ahhring' I suggested we go back to Airlie Beach and buy a pump and do the job properly. This we have now done and with great success. Having booked in to the Abel Point Marina for a night we have been able to dump the old oil, refill the water tanks and buy a few provisions we had previously forgotten. We are now ready for journey south.... MKII.

A Survivor. Cycads haven't been here for millions of years for nothing.
South Molle Island

Friday 21 July 2017

The Beginning of a Long Journey 19th - 21st July

Magnetic Island to Cape Upstart

Cape Upstart

Peter set his phone alarm at 2am, silly I know, but Cape upstart is 68nm from Horseshoe Bay and we are heading into the wind on this journey. In winter the SE Trades blow consistently, sometimes light and often strongly up this coast. We will have to pick the lighter winds to go south. We left our favourite Horseshoe Bay at 2.30am just as a bright crescent moon peeped over the eastern hills. He is a comfort our cheesy, yellow moon shining a soft light over the landscape. It is no longer pitch black.

We had a calm day of motor sailing the whole way to Cape Upstart with the wind no more than 5-6knts. We saw two groups of whales, one lot quite close slapping their flippers out of the water. Very exciting! As we motored into the anchorage at Cape Upstart we spotted a pretty little shark floating near the surface of the water. It must have been a Wobbygong of some sort.

Cape Upstart, rocky, barren and mountainous stands out from miles away and you feel like you are never going to get there. Along the north side where boats anchor for a night or two there are numerous small beaches that are populated by many beach houses. The people who own them must access their dwellings by boat as there are no roads here. We had a calm night, but by early morning bullets of wind were shooting through the area.

Cape Upstart to Gloucester Passage

A windswept Liz steers Olivia along the northern face of Cape Upstart

Sailing along the eastern side of the cape had us covered in spray as the bullets of wind slid along the side of the mountain. Then it would be calm for a while and soon we would notice the white horses increasing across the water and another bullet was on the way. I was glad to see the end of Cape Upstart. It lived up to it's name. We had a long day sail with variable winds from nothing to 27kts. A lumpy sea had us bouncing around uncomfortably on a starboard tack. This time Abbot Point coal loading terminal seemed to be with us forever.

On reaching Gloucester Passage we anchored off the Eco Resort on the northern beach and had a beautifully calm night with 8 other boats.

Gloucester Passage to Airlie Beach

Peter steers Olivia through Gloucester Passage

We were going to stay a day here, but thought better of it as the wind was light and we could see an opportunity to sail to Airlie Beach. Besides we have spent quite a bit of time here one way or another so we have seen what is on offer here. The wind did not reach more than 12 knts  so we sailed our zig zag way down to Airlie Beach. Of course the wind was coming from exactly the point we were wanting to go. It was very pleasant though and we are now anchored off the Whitsunday Sailing Club and tomorrow will do the laundry and stock up on some fresh provisions for the next leg of our trip.

From here we are going to slowly island hop down the coast to Yeppoon and Great Keppel Island. We have enough fuel and food for this extended trip and hope to visit the Percy Islands which we did not visit on our trip north four years ago. Four Years!! I can't believe it!


Shag Island or Passage Islet Gloucester Passage

Tuesday 18 July 2017

Goodbye Magnetic Island 18th July



Sundowners on Olivia in Horseshow Bay

 
We have packed away Lily and made ready to leave early in the morning to begin our journey south. We are hoping to get as far as Sydney by the beginning of October. We have a forecast for calm weather so it will probably mean motor sailing. I am looking forward to this new adventure and seeing some of the places we missed on the way north three years ago. we will miss Horseshoe Bay, Townsville and family and friends we have made here. We will be back.