We haven’t really needed it and occasionally when we could have used it, we were doing a short hop and were just plain lazy. We got the same result by having the engine ticking over slightly above idling, (800 revs) to assist.
But today we’re saying farewell to the Whitsunday Islands and heading for the Gloucester Channel, then we’ll anchor in the lee of Stone Island on Bowen’s doorstep. We’ve got 15 knots on the aft quarter and with 3 sails up we’re scooting along at a very comfortable 6.5 - 7 knots. The forecast is for winds to drop this afternoon so we’re making the most of the morning.
We have no need to go into Bowen itself and we’ll be on our way again early tomorrow. We’re managing day hops up the coast to Townsville.
From Hook Island with its cockatoos we had an easy sail to Airlie Beach. Sandy was last here 31 years ago and it sure has changed since then. Pioneer Bay is a big shallow bay and Airlie Beach on its southern shore really is the perfect jump off point for the Whitsundays. There are numerous ways to explore the islands with big fast jetcats carrying hundreds of passenger to smaller old sailing vessels providing a day of snorkelling and bbq lunch and no doubt the skipper strumming his guitar singing old sea shanties on the way home.
The town itself isn’t big, but there are a couple of shopping centres with all the urban sprawl happening and they’re a $20 cab ride away. There are a few expensive-looking resort type developments showing the big money has discovered this little piece of paradise.
On our first day we anchored in the shallow water off Cannonvale but the big tides make it difficult to use the beaches. When the tide is out there are long muddy flats before you can get to the beach. Fortunately the Abel Point Marina has big breakwaters and there is a public pontoon inside so shore access is easy.
We caught up with Ron (Rozanne) who we found anchored in the same area. There are a huge number of boats on moorings and a few of at anchor either just behind them or to one side. We noticed many of them are charter boats for the bareboat charter industry. For those with devious minds it’s the boat that’s bare, ie without a skipper. No doubt there are some hirers who get confused by the term too!
With our provisioning done I took a look at the diesel price and decided Townsville may be a little cheaper. On the Gold Coast we paid $1.74/litre, here the price was $1.90.
The town itself is a very pleasant holiday town. It has a happy feel about it, somewhere between Byron Bay bohemia and Surfers Paradise before it became tacky. It has pubs and restaurants and coffee shops and the tourists seemed happy. Since when did a basic ice cream cone get to $5?
On our last evening before we left it was a quiet night and we decided, rather late in the day to have a bbq. It was pitch dark with no moon up and I was fumbling around, blind as a welder’s dog. I found that using a head light to see what I was doing was the answer. Sandy thought this was the funniest, most ridiculous thing and felt she was getting dinner from a coal miner. She was quite sure I was just messing about, but the head light is now a permanent piece of bbq equipment.
The next morning we made an early start but it was a windless day and we had the sails up purely for decoration. We chose the passage between the Molle Islands, known as Unsafe Passage and even though it was named by Capt Cook with sailing ships in mind, we still held our breath as the depth sounder dropped to 3.8 meters.
After exploring a few other bays on Hook Island we made our way back to Nara Inlet and Refuge Bay, which has to be the quietest anchorage we’ve experienced. You couldn’t even hear water ripples against the dinghy. High ridges and bush all around, but still no fish! We had kookaburras laughing at sunset and sunrise but they sure weren’t sharing their secrets.
The main reason for coming back to Nara Inlet was to find the aboriginal cave and paintings up near its headwaters. I remember being so excited as a boy when we hiked into the Drakensberg Mountains and found a cave with bushmen paintings. We had no idea how old they were, but there was something very special about sitting in a cave where they would have sat a thousand years ago, looking out as they would have, and trying to imagine their thoughts.
We loaded up the dinghy and motored to the top of the inlet where a few steps lead up into the bush. It was only a few metres before we came to a big board pointing the way, welcoming us to this sacred site and asking us to be quiet and respectful. Then we got to the wooden boardwalks and platforms. So much for getting a feel for of how they lived!
The cave would have been a treasured home with deeper sections leading off from the main communal living area. But we could only imagine it because we were kept behind a wooden railing on the elevated timber platform. The rest of the area was cordoned off with an electric fence. The paintings were simple and while some were old, others looked as though they may have been ‘freshened up’.
It was the first aboriginal cave Sandy has seen and she found it very interesting. I was disappointed because I had memories half a century old that gave me an unrealistic expectation. I just hadn’t thought it through. Any similar site anywhere in the world within easy reach of tourists has to be protected these days. It’s a sad, obvious reality. I don’t know what I was thinking.
The next morning we headed north up the western shore of Hook Island and across the short gap to Hayman Island, the most northerly of the Whitsunday group. We had heard that the snorkelling was good in Blue Pearl Bay and no sooner had we picked up a mooring than we were visited by 4 or 5 batfish. They are fearless and visit new arrivals hoping to be fed. The biggest one was about the size of a large serving platter. They can’t be good eating or they would have disappeared long ago.
The water was colder than we expected but comfortable enough after the first few seconds. We weren’t disappointed and as we made our way towards the rocky shore the coral varieties and colour ranges were beautiful. There were all the usual colourful fish and starfish, and we saw a good size coral trout and grouper. Good size being good for a few meals. But we’d left the speargun on board because most of these areas are marine park reserves.
Eventually we made it to the coraly beach and Sandy decided she’d look for anything on the rocks she could use for bait. Her foot slipped off one rock and she ended up with a severe bruise and a couple of coral cuts. These are not to be messed with because they can develop into severe ulcers in no time. I swam back to the boat and brought the dinghy ashore to cart the patient home. Rubbing alcohol and antiseptic cream seems to have saved the day.
While we were sorting this out a big, expensive fishing cruiser came doef doeffing into the bay. What is it with these guys? We have never been disturbed by loud music from a sailing boat, ever, anywhere, even the ones sailed by young guys. But there is a selfish arrogance you get with young males with too much money and they have zero consideration. We found the same thing with many of the waterskiing boats. It’s the water equivalent of the same brain dead types that drive cars with cranked up sound systems worth more than the cars, or drivers. We dropped the mooring and left.
Our next anchorage was in Butterfly Bay. It’s an excellent, protected spot for an overnight stay, and I remembered anchoring there in Aspergillus a few decades ago. We had gone ashore and crept up a dry waterway covered with forest. Inside we’d seen a lot of butterflies, but further in it was as though the leaves of the trees all took flight. There were millions of them, so many in fact that you could hear the wind from their wings as a loud hush. It was spectacular and we were looking forward to seeing it again.
As we approached the headland we could see 2 catamarans heading for the same bay. By the time we rounded the headland we counted 14 boats in Butterfly Bay and the closely adjoining one, most of them charter boats. The companies must have this listed as a place they must go. Any chance of seeing the butterflies seemed doomed.
All the Parks and Wildlife moorings were taken, but we noticed 2 deeper in than the fleet and carefully picked our way through to the shallow top of the bay where we hooked on and went ashore.
The tide was out and we had quite a distance to walk from where we could drag the dinghy to, to the shore. There were quite a few water courses leading to the bay so we started with the extreme right, but the first three weren’t it.
The shore became stony and difficult to walk on, particularly in thongs which is all Sandy could get on her foot. There was also a thick wall of mangroves to try to penetrate. Eventually I went on ahead to try to find the main water course. After half an hour of searching I found it and as I crawled under the protective layer of bush, butterflies started taking flight all around me. It was the right spot for sure, and so difficult to find few would ever find their way through the mangroves, and once behind those, the entrance to the water course itself.
I decided not to disturb any more and back tracked to the shore. The tide was coming in and Sandy had already made her way to the dinghy, her foot throbbing painfully. As I pushed the dinghy to deeper water we saw small stingrays gliding across the shallow incoming tide. There was no way she could get to the butterflies so they are for next time we come to the Whitsundays, which we are both determined to do.
As we climbed back on board, kids were jumping off the other boats, shouting and laughing and yahooing and having a wonderful time. Queensland school holidays had begun. The Whitsunday Islands were to become a crowded, noisy place for the next few weeks. As we slipped out of the bay one of the dads yelled “Sorry for the noise”, which was decent of him. We yelled “Not a problem”, and it isn’t. These families are gathering wonderful experiences, memories they will cherish for a lifetime. It’s so easy to move to another bay.
Which we did, one that had just two quiet boats in it and a few campers’ tents on the beach. Sandy was tempted to throw a line in but we checked to see the bay's Marine Park status. Fishing prohibited. But Blue Pearl Bay with the big coral trout and grouper, free to spearfish! But we're out of time.
At 7 am we got the boat ready and by 7:30 we were slipping out of the bay and saying goodbye to the Whitsundays, headed for Gloucester Passage and an anchorage near Bowen as our journey north continues.
Until next time...