25 – 27 August

Magnetic Island

Our three days on Maggie have kept us busy with long walks ashore and a day out sailing.  Last time we were here, a little over two weeks ago, we set out to walk from our anchorage in Horseshoe Bay around to Radical Bay, but were prevented by a bush hazard reduction burn in the area.  It seemed appropriate then that we should spend our first day here doing that same walk, although we ended up extending it to walk to all four beaches on the north-east corner of the island.  This “Four Bay walk” took in Balding, Radical, Florence and Arthur Bays.  The character of the bush was, not surprisingly, exactly the same as we saw on the Forts walk, but each beach proved to be somewhat varied. 

Several yachts were anchored in Radical Bay for lunch, one of which was another Catalina 400, which I always like to see.  This is apparently a popular luncheon spot for local yachties, and certainly it's a very pretty place to drop your anchor.  Being exposed to the south easterly wind and swell makes it unsuitable for an overnighter.

Arthur Bay.  Hiking up and down between the beaches and lookouts such as this made for a good walk.

Like all of Maggie, rock formations at Florence Bay are like works of art

Radical Bay

We walked through sections of the backburn that had closed the track on our last visit

There's estimated to be many hundreds of koalas on the island - we saw this one along the track

The walk proved to be a good workout, partially because access to a couple of the beaches involved steep slopes over rocky terrain, both down and then back up.  We ended up back at the Horseshoe Bay tavern after about a four hour excursion, and had lunch there before going back to the boat.

The weather is simply perfect up here and in the absence of anything else to do we spent our second day taking the boat out for a leisurely sail.  This became a training session for James on how to steer a boat upwind, something we’ve not really had to face on the cruise so far.  We met up with John and Jo on Verve, who have just made it up from Sydney in time to do the Magnetic Island Race Week in a couple of days.

I think I'm getting nostalgic.  I only took this photo because it will be the last one we see from the boat at Magnetic Island.

On our third day we decided to take the local bus service to the southern most point on the island, at Picnic Bay, and to walk back 6km to Arcadia, the site of the cane toad races from our previous visit.  We ended up lengthening the walk by inadvertently hiking out and back to a lovely lookout over Picnic Bay.  Not to worry – we got the best views of the day.

Looking northwards towards Nelly and Alma Bays

Picnic Bay and beyond to Townsville and the mainland

From the lookout over Picnic Bay, this sea eagle wasn't so much higher than us

We passed through Nelly Bay which seems to serve as the centre of activity on the island.  This is where the mainland ferry arrives and where locals and tourists are being funnelled on almost a continuous basis.  By chance we met up with Leon, Nirvana, John and Jo and joined them for lunch in one of the cafes just off the small marina.  Then it was back to our walk and a return to Horseshoe Bay by bus.  We arranged to see John and Jo again for closing drinks ashore at the tavern and then it was down to the business of preparing the boat for the return to Townsville.

24 August

Orpheus Island to Magnetic Island

The question for James and me this morning was whether to stay at Orpheus Island with the other boats (possibly in the next bay around) or to push on to Maggie.  I think we both felt we’d spent enough time at Orpheus and there seemed to be no weather related reasons for us not heading off today.  James was also interested in having a look around Magnetic Island and after having such a short time there myself on the way north I tended to feel the same way.

So we pushed off before breakfast for what ended up being a largely benign motor sail south.  We had the wind only 20-30 degrees off our bow almost the entire way but the water was quite flat with the exception of the last two hours or so.

Just south of Palm Island we saw the regular ferry veer off course and then stop, a pretty sure sign that they’d seen some whales.  I headed over to them and managed to get our own view of a pair of whales just cruising along.

The best photo I could manage of a couple of whales

I managed to hook two spotted mackerels along the way.  Sorry to say I couldn’t land either of them.  Chalk that down to inexperience but it was useful to learn from my mistakes.  I think I’m in a far better position now when I hook another fish in future.

Approaching Magnetic Island after a longish sail.  The last couple of hours were a little cloudy and lumpy, but this photo probably makes it look a little worse than it was in reality.

We reached Horseshoe Bay by mid afternoon.  We didn’t put the dinghy in the water – that will happen tomorrow morning.  However it felt really nice to be back somewhere that felt so comfortable and familiar, and a place where we’d enjoyed such a wonderful day on our last visit.

23 August

Hinchinbrook Channel to Orpheus Island

I was up before sunrise in time to experience a breathtaking scene around us.

First light looking west down Gayundah Creek towards the mainland

The peaks of Hinchinbrook Island on a perfectly still morning

We heard Galadriel and Kailani on VHF heading off early from their slightly more southerly anchorage.  They’re both aiming to get to Townsville early.  We were due to head off and meet Nirvana’s Kitchen and Seas the Moment by late morning in time for us all to exit the channel just before high tide.  I have the shallowest draught of the three and, since the exit involves some shallow patches, I was happy to lead the way.

Last shots leaving Gayundah Creek

The Lucinda bulk sugar jetty at the southern end of the Hinchinbrook Channel.  According to the Queensland Government's tourism website, this is the longest service jetty in the southern hemishphere, at 5.8km length

Nirvana's Kitchen and Seas the Moment following us over the shallows, hoping I don't hit bottom

It was an uneventful motor across to Pioneer Bay, our Orpheus Bay anchorage for several days on the way north.  Entering such a (now) familiar spot is so easy.  We’d had a longish day and we jointly decided to stay on our own boats for a quiet rest.

22 August

Dunk Island to Hinchinbrook Channel

A new day.  Today we begin heading south.

We’re reconciled to the fact that our fleet that has broadly held together for many weeks (or months for some) will begin breaking up as everyone makes their own plans for heading back down the coast.  We’re all being guided by our own timetables for returning home and by considerations of the wind and weather, which will no longer be reliably at our backs.  On that point, it’s remarkable that in the almost three months since I’ve left Sydney the wind has been in the south every day except for a few days while I was in Southport.  It has made for gentlemanly downwind cruising and required little in the way of thought.  Those trade winds are due to begin giving way to intermittent northerlies during September and into October, but the best we can hope for up here are lighter south easterly trade winds.

Leaving after an all too brief stay at Dunk Island

We got those light winds today.  We headed for the reasonably narrow Hinchinbrook Channel, between Hinchinbrook Island and the mainland, rather than the outside track as we did on the way north.  This is an area of rugged wilderness, ringed by mangroves and populated by crocodiles and every other type of wildlife.

Our track down the Hinchinbrook Channel, and then into Gayundah Creek

Four of the other boats have headed for the southern end of the channel, while I’m determined to spend the night at Gayundah Creek, about halfway down.  Well over a year ago we chose a Club Member’s photo of this creek to be the backdrop to the Alfreds Cruising promotional activities, and the image has captivated me ever since.  Real life proved to be just as stunning as I’d imagined.

Anchored in Gayundah Creek - Leon has previously described it as being like Jurassic Park

The view from our deck, in changing light as the sun sets

Looking back down the creek as the sun sets into smoke from a bush fire

We saw no crocodiles, to my own disappointment, but from well before sunset we were inundated with midgies, tiny blood sucking flies that are small enough to get through the mesh in our flyscreens.  I didn’t seem to be a target but James was attacked pretty badly.  We had to seal every hatch and vent and endured the night without ventilation.  Our dinner had to be BBQ’d (we’d known about the midgies, but assumed they wouldn’t attack until sunset, so allowing us to get the BBQ done in time).  So I ventured out in long sleeves and dripping with Bushmans insect repellent to cook the food.  I survived intact.

I might as well admit here to having put the boat up onto the river bank today.  No big deal – I was staking out the anchorage and moving very slowly.  The banks are soft mud and shallow very quickly.  The impact was barely noticeable and I simply reversed off.  I don’t think James realised what had happened until we were back in deep water.

19 – 21 August

Dunk Island

In addition to the first afternoon on the island we’ve spent three full days on Dunk in what’s proved to be a very laid back time, somewhat like a “normal” tropical island holiday.  Our first day comprised a short group walk around to an adjoining bay.  This served as a type of introduction to the island and its resort, the latter which is undergoing a very gradual reconstruction after being destroyed by cyclone Yasi in 2011.  The walk was also a precursor to the following day which would be a complete walk up to the highest peak and around the island.

The view from the resort out to the anchorage

One of the resort's destroyed accommodation buildings

More lovely expanse of beach

Here's Leon trying to use his dinghy to troll for fish - unsuccessfully

Afternoon drinks were ashore each day in an area that’s been provided with BBQ facilities and outdoor tables by National Parks.  Every day at 4pm there was a gaggle of dinghies all brought up onto the beach next to the jetty.  The weather remained reasonably calm for most of our stay and made for very pleasant evenings back onboard.

The first night at Dunk Is, seen from our deck

The next group walk was far more substantial.  We took the track to the site of a WWII radar station that had been installed on the island’s highest point, part of Australia’s northern defence system.  From there we walked around a loop that took in a great part of the entire island, then back along the disused airstrip and through part of the resort.  The whole lot consumed a very enjoyable few hours.

Views from the site of the WWII defensive radar station

The final day of our stay at Dunk was taken up with the “formal” Rendezvous BBQ lunch.  This was a special one and we had seven crews participating.  A good number in light of the commitment and effort required in getting a boat this far north. The day was also a celebration of Leon’s 70^th birthday.  What started as a 12 o’clock lunch developed into afternoon drinks and a quiet chat through sunset and then a bonfire on the beach after dark.  For me, the reality of having reached our northern limit raised all sorts of reminders of returning to Sydney.  In spite of the general party atmosphere amongst our group, I spent a good deal of the afternoon alone with my thoughts.  

Happy birthday, Leon

The Dunk Island Rendezvous - crews from Galadriel, Gypsy Princess, Seas the Moment, Mix'd Nutz, Nirvana's Kitchen, Kailani and Echo Beach

Looking out over the bulk of the Alfreds Cruising fleet

Our dinghies all in a row

The Dunk Island beach and jetty

For the record

Sunset over Dunk Island

I’ve enjoyed the four nights we’ve had here anchored off Dunk.  It’s been a very relaxed time in a location that is most agreeable - like a tropical holiday in the middle of a bigger tropical adventure.  I doubt if somebody planned it that way but it’s given us a chance to rest after months of continually looking ahead to our next destination.  This is the end of the line and it’s time to begin retracing our steps.

18 August

Cape Richards (Hinchinbrook Island) to Dunk Island

The conditions today are fine, warm and still.  The light southerly wind wasn’t strong enough to sustain sail so the engine got us the 18 miles to Dunk Island.  This morning before we left however, a few of us dinghied ashore to look at what was left of the old eco resort in our bay.  The resort closed in 2010, and then a fire destroyed most of what remained in 2015.  Signs warned of trespassing, but unfortunately the one facing our direction had collapsed and was unreadable so we didn’t know we weren’t allowed to poke around (what a shame).  The diesel power generator and fuel tank were still intact as was the swimming pool.  Only some burnt out refuse and the general layout was otherwise discernible.

The pool looks remarkably well - everything else is trash

The beach on the far side of the resort layout was really quite lovely and was obviously worthy of a small resort.  James took it on himself to climb one of the coconut palms and dislodged four coconuts.  Sadly, all were very young and inedible.  He came away from the experience having shown us he could do it but with a bunch of skin abrasions that required a trip to our medicine box.

The beach outside the old Hinchinbrook eco resort

James climbing a coconut palm

The final northwards passage was quiet and easy, under engine and autohelm.  We passed Bedarra Island just south of Dunk, host to another small, exclusive and yachty unfriendly resort.

Reaching Dunk Island deserves a bit of a special comment, I guess.  I’ve been specifically preparing for this cruise for over two years, both individually and as a member of the Alfreds Cruise Committee.  We’d decided very early on that it would be the Pittwater to Dunk Island Cruise and, while the island itself could be described as being like so many others with a gorgeous white sandy beach, it had special significance for us.  I’ve covered a total of 1,540 miles (2850 km) in the effort, a longer distance than sailing Sydney to Hobart and back again.  To have finally reached this destination gave me a sense of relief, satisfaction and immense pleasure.