Tweet Manookatoo Adventures: September 2017

Friday 29 September 2017

Making tracks to Airlie...beyond the yellow brick road

Leaving the First Mate on the dock at Mackay Marina, the captain cast off his lines at 8:20 on Wednesday morning and cleared the harbour at 8:30 am, cruising north east in perfect conditions and arriving at Brampton island at 11:45. He enjoyed an afternoon walk on the beach near the now-closed resort, with a stern warning from security not to go above high tide mark. The resort has been closed for a few years and approval has been granted for a 5 star development but to date no work has started. Later that afternoon he had drinks aboard "Lady Margarita" with Reg and Kerrie, heading back to Manookatoo before dark for dinner - a solo favourite chicken satay. Meanwhile the first mate enjoyed a day "in town" shopping, returning home to Kirsty's for a lazy afternoon, cooking pasta with prawns for dinner and watching "The Bachelorette" - thatwouldn't happen on the boat!!!
Lindeman Island - closed for repairs
On Thursday, the captain raised the anchor at 5 30 - first light - and headed for Dent passage, passing a number of islands including: Linne, Goldsmith,Thomas and Shaw before diverting to take a look at Lindeman island. Like Brampton it has been closed since it was Club Med and has recently been purchased by a Chinese company with approval to develop a 550 million 5 and 6 star resort with completion due in 2021. He cruised into the well marked Channel and up to the jetty, which was in a state of disrepair; the old resort looks ok but deserted and after yesterday's experience he did a u turn and headed north again. He completed the 12 n/miles to pick up a courtesy mooring in Dent Passage, near the entrance to Hamilton island marina, but after enquiring he found it costs $15 per hour to go into the marina by dingy, so he dropped the mooring and headed up to Gulnare Inlet, 3 n/m north, arriving there at 12:50 and anchoring for the night. He spent some time that afternoon boat cleaning then enjoyed a cruise up the inlet before sunset. Meanwhile, the first mate visited the Art Gallery in Mackay, enjoying all the new exhibitions, then headed back to the apartment for another lazy afternoon followed by dinner with Kirsty and a workmate in the local waterfront restaurant! 
ELTON JOHN!!
Beer by the water
Friday was footy finals day, so the captain was keen to find a location with television reception! Due to the narrow entrance and shallow passage at Gulnare Inlet he waited for the rising tide before departing just after 8am, passing Heading Island on the port side, continuing on to South Molle Island, picking up a courtesy mooring in Bauer Bay to do some minor boat repairs for an hour, then arriving at Airlie Beach just before midday, anchoring outside the Whitsundays Sailing Club. Later that afternoon he enjoyed a "well earned beer" and chatted with a couple of sailors at the club, before returning to Manookatoo to watch the footy while enjoying seafood marinara. Meanwhile the first mate enjoyed a shopping day with Kirsty, including a Japanese lunch, followed by ELTON JOHN! A wonderful night of singing and dancing was enjoyed. 
On Saturday Manookatoo remained anchored at Airlie and the captain cruised ashore in the dinghy to explore the local markets and shops. The first mate cheered Kirsty on as she swam in the local corporate marathon, then all eyes were tuned to the television to watch the football! The "right" teams won in both AFL and NRL, so everyone was happy. 
Sundowners
On Sunday the first mate and Kirsty drove to Airlie, meeting the captain in the dinghy at the boat ramp to be transported to Manookatoo for an overnight cruise. We anchored at North Molle Island for lunch before Kirsty and the first mate enjoyed an afternoon swim, then cruised around to South Molle, pulling up a mooring in Bauer Bay, just near the old, dilapidated resort and jetty. We cruised ashore in the dinghy for a closer look; apparently the resort buildings, abandoned already but destroyed in Cyclone Debbie, are full of asbestos so the whole area has been fenced off. Even the walk to the lookout is wrecked, so we returned to Manookatoo for sundowners and a lovely pizza dinner. 
Daydream Island - closed for repairs
Monday was another glorious morning, so we dropped the mooring straight after breakfast and cruised across to Daydream Island. The resort here is also closed, due to Cyclone Debbie, although work was due to begin the next day to refurbish it ready for re-opening in 2018. We tried snorkeling at Sun-lovers' Bay but the choppy conditions made it not a pleasant experience, so we cruised around and dropped anchor near the resort and swam ashore there, while the captain rowed the dinghy ashore to try to fix the engine. Once again, security people approached to tell us not to go past the high water mark! Returning to Manookatoo, we enjoyed lunch before returning Kirsty to Airlie Beach for the drive back to Mackay, while we headed out again, keen to find new places to explore in the "100 magic miles" 
(100 magic miles of the Great Barrier Reef: the Whitsunday Islands by David Colfelt)
The Captain's Log: Mackay to Port of Airlie
Distance 74.7 nautical miles
Fuel 82.4 litres
Cruising time 13 hours 30 minutes

Tuesday 19 September 2017

Meandering to Mackay

We were sorry to leave the beautiful Percy Islands, but with so much more to explore it was time to go. On Monday morning, just before 6am, the captain started the engine and raised the anchor, pointing Manookatoo due west. It was another beautiful day for cruising, with a bit of a swell across the back quarter reminding us to stow anything loose. We enjoyed raisin toast for breakfast just after 8am, rounded Bluff Island before 10am and entered the channel between Tinonee Bank and Curlew Island soon after. We dropped anchor in 17 feet of water and took the dinghy ashore for a walk along the sand. The tide was rising as we walked, so we enjoyed a swim as we waded out to the dinghy, then returned to Manookatoo for lunch. We had been alone in the channel when we arrived, but as the day wore on several others joined us in the calm waters, sailing south from Mackay or the Whitsundays, north from Thirsty Sound, or east, like us, from the Percy Islands. Later in the afternoon, the captain drilled our coconut for the water for our curry - also made with the Percy Island sweet potato - then he sawed it in half for the flesh, which he removed ready for the first mate to shred for future cooking projects. Dinner was delicious! With no TV reception - again - we watched one of the many recorded programs before retiring to bed.
Curlew Island was a "swelly" spot, and we were rocked all night, waking early on Tuesday morning and raising the anchor before 6am. Heading due north, the swell over the back quarter continued to make cruising "interesting", particularly as the Captain prepared bread for our lunch! We passed islands and waves, and counted 26 ships standing off Hay Point, before reaching the Egremont Channel just before 1:00. We dropped anchor just off Homestead Bay, at St Bees Island, and enjoyed hamburgers in fresh bread rolls for lunch before taking the dinghy on a cruise to the beach. We explored several of the shallow inlets along the channel, all with coarse, coral and shell covered beaches but all too shallow for Manookatoo to anchor in. There is a small resort development on Keswick Island, across the channel, but there didn't appear to be much happening there. Large turtles were frolicking in the water near us but apart from that it was all pretty quiet! With TV reception for the first time in a week we settled back to watch - but quickly decided we hadn't missed much!
After 12 days away from "civilization" it was time to restock the pantry and fill the water tanks. We could do longer without replenishing, but the first mate was also keen to see her daughter, so Mackay beckoned. We cruised out of the Egremont Channel just after 6am and headed west for the mainland. There was a slight swell as we cruised, reaching Mackay Harbour and tying up just before 9am. After breakfast, the first mate walked up to see Kirsty and borrow keys to her apartment and car - enabling us to do our washing and shopping at our own convenience, the marina being about 5km from town. We spent the rest of the day on our "chores", then Kirsty joined us on Manookatoo for an afternoon drink before we enjoyed dinner in the local Thai restaurant.

Our time in Mackay has been longer than expected, as the wind developed over the course of the week and weekend. This has given us ample opportunity to explore the local area, and to spend time with Kirsty! We have enjoyed meals and drinks in some of the local restaurants and pubs, including a lunch at the iconic Pacific Hotel in Eimeo, long walks along the foreshore and the breakwater, which protects the port and marina from cyclones to category 5, and the luxury of a car has enabled us to get not just groceries but other boat necessities as well as explore the local area. After a week in the marina, the Captain is ready to return to the sea tomorrow, but the First Mate will remain behind for a few days - Elton John arrives on Friday and she has a ticket to see him!

Captain's log Percy Island to Mackay
Distance 89.4 nautical miles
Fuel 109.1 litres
Cruising time 14 hours 25 minutes

Wednesday 13 September 2017

Island hopping #1 - from the Keppels to the Percys

Leeke's Creek
The lure of Great Keppel Island warranted a return visit, so on Friday  morning, after breakfast, we cast off from Rosslyn Bay Marina and returned to Svensden's Beach, where many of the same boats from our previous visit were still anchored. It was still as beautiful and we enjoyed a walk along the shore and across to Sven's beach before lunch. As the tide went down, we took the dinghy around into Leeke's Creek, a tidal estuary that winds its way through the mangroves to a landing near the old homestead we had previously visited. We saw huge manta rays skimming through the water beneath us as we cruised through the maze of trees, with dead end channels and a fast flowing tide keeping our attention focused, but we couldn't find the channel to the homestead so we cruised back down the creek and over to Manookatoo. Later that afternoon, a flotilla of dinghies landed near the boat camp on Svensden's beach, so we made our way ashore for sundowners and new acquaintances. It is always great to hear about new places to visit, and we took away many great ideas for northern anchorages.
Plenty of fish in the sea!
Saturday dawned bright and sunny, so we attempted to do our exercises on a challenging swell, before breakfast and a walk along the beach from Leeke's Creek to the rocks at the other end. Two boats were ashore in the creek, a favourite for "careening" to carry out repairs below the waterline at low tide. Returning to the dinghy, the First Mate enjoyed her first swim now that all dressings were removed from her finger and it was allowed to get wet! As the day progressed, the number of boats in the bay diminished, until by 4:00 there was only us and a houseboat left! Checking the BOM website, we discovered the wind was shifting to the north as the day and night progressed, so we decided to follow everyone else's lead and do the "Keppel shuffle" to another side of the island, dropping anchor just near the reef at Monkey Beach. We took the dinghy ashore for a walk along the beach and over to Long Beach, where many of the other boats we knew were anchored. Returning to the dinghy, we noticed Kool Sid, previously owned by Robyn and Dick (now on Kool Sid II) was nearby, so we ventured over to make acquaintance with their owners, Tremain and Sue. We didn't linger long, as we had a three course "Saturday night special" dinner to prepare, with champagne on the Flybridge for sundowners! After our delicious dinner we took our red wine back up to the Flybridge to enjoy the balmy evening and moonlit night.
New friends - from Kool Sid 1
Sunset, Monkey beach
On Sunday morning we went for a long walk along Long Beach, before returning to Manookatoo,  grabbing the snorkel and swimming over to the reef. The colours of the coral were muted but the fish were plentiful and beautiful, of all shapes and sizes. Later we took a cruise around to Fishermans beach, where all the facilities are, but there were so many boats and tourists around that we soon returned to our own quiet bay. After lunch we enjoyed another snorkel before meeting Tremain and Sue ashore for sundowners and a proper acquaintance. They have cruised for years along the east coast so had many suggestions of places to visit and anchor. All suggestions duly noted! Returning to Manookatoo we made pizzas and enjoyed a quiet night.
Follow the deep water in!
Suset, Corio Bay
The alarm rang at 6am on Monday morning - time to leave the beautiful Keppel islands and continue our travels north. We cruised across to Rosslyn Bay to fill the water tanks, get fuel for the dinghy and buy some seafood from the co-op. By 8am we were back in the Coral Sea, cruising north past Yeppoon, seeing many whales frolicking in the water before turning towards Corio Bay. There are no markers to show the channel through the sandbanks, but some sage advice given by an experienced local was to use Google Maps, and the blue dot showing our boat, to follow the deep water in. It worked a treat, and just before 11am we were anchored in a deep lagoon. As the tide dropped we could see the sandbanks appear around us so we took the dinghy ashore for a walk along the edge towards the sea. The outward current rips through the channel and the Captain braved a short swim close to shore but the First Mate was mindful of the fast flowing water and the outside chance of a crocodile and could not be tempted in. A delicious lunch of Tiger prawns and a lazy afternoon followed; with just two other boats anchored nearby it will be a quiet night tonight.
Green sandbanks at Port Clinton
Another 6am start on Tuesday morning, the captain following the route he had plotted out of Corio Bay and back into the Coral Sea. Conditions were glassy as we cruised along, passing a small settlement surrounded by national park at Stockyard Point, seeing mother and baby whales frolicking between us and the coast at Five Rocks, passing yachts sailing south at Cape Manifold and entering the "military zone" where passage or anchoring is banned when exercises, including live firing, are underway. Luckily it's all quiet at the moment! We cruised into Port Clinton just before noon, dropping anchor near mud banks which appeared as the tide fell. Many turtles cruised by, raising their heads for a closer look at us! We went ashore and walked along the beach - as we are in the military zone you are not allowed further than the high water mark. As the tide receded, grassy sandbanks were revealed - no wonder there were so many turtles near us! The water was murkier than at Corio Bay, so neither of us was tempted to swim, rather, with a freshening wind outside we lazed the afternoon away reading and relaxing on Manookatoo before a delicious dinner of pan-fried Coral trout - something we intend having more of as we continue in the Coral Sea! After dinner, with no TV reception, we ventured outside but were beaten back inside by hordes of tiny insects, so we played a game of "Battleships" and retired to bed with our books.
Coral trout

Keeping the midgies at bay
When the captain got up on Wednesday morning, every surface was covered in tiny insects, so he immediately shut the cabin door and fumigated both inside and out and covered himself in repellant. So far, we haven't noticed any bites, but he wasn't taking any chances! The wind had dropped overnight so the insects had invaded. Soon after, he raised the anchor and we were heading north again, out of Port Clinton, past the rugged rocky coastline and around into Pearl Bay, where we stopped to enjoy breakfast. It's a beautiful spot, and one we have earmarked for an overnight stop on our return, provided the winds are in our favour! Conditions were perfect on the sea, with no swell, so we continued north, around Island Head and into the bay, passing several catamarans and cruisers, including the 102ft "Lady Audrey", before dropping anchor in a small inlet favored by both Noel Patrick (Curtis Coast) and Alan Lucas (Cruising the Coral Coast) just in time for a mid-morning cuppa. The landscape here is very rugged; no wonder it is a military zone - so there was no incentive to go ashore. Our neighbours cruised by in their tinny in the afternoon, keen to show us their freshly caught, huge Spanish Mackeral - we're still just thinking about fishing, while they will have many meals from that fish! As evening approached, the big yellow full moon appeared over the ridge top and we sat back enjoying the serenity - no reception again, but we don't think we're missing much!
Island Head
Thursday was another early start, with the captain starting the engine just before 6am, and we cruised out of Island Head and followed the shoreline until we reached Cape Townshend, where the mainland turns north-west and we continued north. We left the military zone soon after, seeing a couple of boats way off in the distance but not much else. Coast Guard Thirsty Sound gave us the latest weather - with no reception apart from VHF we have to rely on this for making good decisions about cruising and anchoring - so we continued heading NNE, arriving on the the northern side of Hexham Island just after 10am. After dropping anchor and having a cuppa, we discussed options for the day and decided that, with the calm conditions, we would continue cruising and head for the Percy group of islands. The whale migration continues south and we saw many pods or family groups, some were quite close but it was those further away who tended to be most active, breaching and tail slapping. We enjoyed fish cakes for lunch on our cruise north, passing South Percy Island soon after and cruising on to Middle Percy, dropping anchor at West Beach just after 2pm. We jumped in the dinghy and headed ashore to explore. The tide was going out so the captain was not keen to go far and have the dinghy stuck on the sand, so we explored the A-frame hut filled with memorabilia from other passing boats and met some fellow travellers - including two crews from Clippers we had seen in Pearl Bay, who were all from Port Stephens, so many stories of lovely cruising times were exchanged! Later we enjoyed sundowners on the beach and we were invited to join some others at the A-frame for Kangaroo Stew but declined and returned to Manookatoo for Roast Beef. Another full moon rose over the island as we enjoyed our meal, with a lovely Shiraz, in beautiful surrounds.
The A-frame hut
No cruising today, so it was a morning for exercises on the Flybridge! A whale family was also exercising nearby, with the little one breaching while mum and dad (possibly more!) showed their appreciation with tail and fin slaps, loud enough to hear from our vantage point. An amazing show! After breakfast we cruised ashore and walked up the track, past the "treehouse" and Andy's Lookout, to the old homestead, now occupied by Andy's niece, Kate and husband John. Kate very hospitably showed us around their lovely old home, then served us a lime and honey soda on the verandah. Living on the island full time has its challenges, with the house to renovate, garden to tend, animals to care for, etc - not for the faint hearted! They do have internet coverage, though, so we took advantage to check the weather for the next few days and ensure we were safe to stay here. Farewelling Kate, we took the "goat track" back to the beach, via a tidal lagoon where two large boats are moored, returning to Manookatoo for a well earned rest. That afternoon, Rod and Gaye from "Double Diamond" invited us aboard their beautiful catamaran for sundowners - their boat is so luxurious it would almost tempt the first mate into sailing. We returned to Manookatoo in the dark, before the moon rose, for our favourite salmon dinner and a lazy night watching pre-recorded TV shows.
Another lovely evening at the Percy islands
On Saturday morning, Double Diamond left early heading south and a few other boats followed soon after. Meanwhile we went ashore and enjoyed a walk up around to the lagoon and retraced our steps across the mangrove flats, then back past an original homestead site, before returning to take the dinghy up into the lagoon while the tide was high. Matthew Flinders described the entrance width as "no more than can fit the oars", and I'd have to agree with him! It is amazing how tidal this lagoon is - the two boats moored here are completely dry at low tide, but we were able to follow a couple of mangrove-lined channels for quite a way on the high tide. We cruised back to the beach, where the captain de-husked a coconut we had found nearby, and we bought some produce available in the A-frame: locally grown sweet potatoes, honey and mango chutney. We'll enjoy those in the coming days and think of Percy Island. Returning to Manookatoo the Captain made his delicious focaccia for lunch and we enjoyed a lazy afternoon before heading to the beach to attach our own memento, with the thousands of others who have come before us, in the A-frame, then joining some other boaties for sundowners on the shore, returning to Manookatoo for our "traditional" three course Saturday night dinner.
Our piece of memorabilia
Another exercise routine was the order of the day on Sunday morning, before breakfast then heading ashore in the dinghy. With no VHF coverage again, the captain was keen to know the weather outlook. "Young Kate", from the treehouse, suggested we climb the hill to find their aerial, with a plug attached that just happened to fit our dongle! It took us a bit of scouting around to find the location, and it was a was a slow service, so we whiled away quite a bit of time while we downloaded weather forecasts, checked our emails, sent messages to our families and scanned social media - but it was worth it just to stay in touch - non communication might be peaceful, but it's also good to be informed. We returned to the beach and chatted to a few of the locals, who had very kindly stopped our dinghy from being completely swamped on the rising tide, then returned to Manookatoo for a cuppa and to collect the makings of a sausage sizzle. The A-frame hut, as well as being full of memorabilia, is set up well for preparing and cooking meals on their fireplace, so we enjoyed lunch and a couple of glasses of wine on-shore for a change! A short return to Manookatoo to prepare our pizza bases, then we were back onshore for sundowners, meeting boaties heading north and south - some returning home at the end of their winter cruising, some, like us, exploring new locations on the reef and mainland. Returning to our boat for Sunday night pizzas, we prepared Manookatoo for a new adventure tomorrow, heading on to other islands on our trip north.
Captain's Log: Great Keppel Island to Middle Percy Island
Distance: 127.3 nautical miles
Fuel consumption: 131.3 litres
Hours travelled: 31.25

Friday 1 September 2017

Reaching the Reef

A lovely wedding

The First Mate's family
We spent 8 days "off boat", with catch ups with family, a Hunter Valley wedding and surgery to remove the pins from the First Mate's finger on the Gold Coast, before flying back to Gladstone and restocking Manookatoo ready to continue our cruising.
The Cattle Crossing in The Narrows
We left the Marina just before 8am on Friday, on a rising tide. The Narrows, between the mainland and Curtis Island, dries to a height of 2 meters at low tide, with a cattle crossing midway just to add to the excitement! Local knowledge suggests passage on the high tide, with a higher tide to follow in case you get grounded, so, with lower tides for Saturday and Sunday, today was the best day to attempt it. Following the ample channel markers and leads, we slowly made our way through The Narrows, passing over the Cattle Crossing, with 7 feet beneath the keel, just after 10:30. We continued another 3 nautical miles into deeper water before turning into Barker Creek and dropping anchor amongst the mangroves, feeling a great sense of achievement. As the tide dropped the banks were exposed - a long way! - but we were in a deep channel so not concerned. We lazed the afternoon and evening away and saw only two other boats pass  by in The Narrows whilst the tide was high enough.
Sea Hill lighthouse
Approaching Sea Hill
Saturday was a short cruise, about 6 nautical miles north, to Sea Hill, first explored by Matthew Flinders in 1802, then later a Lighthouse was built and Pilot Station established. This closed in the 1960s when Rockhampton ceased to be a beef export port. A few buildings remain, but it is certainly a quiet outpost. We cruised into Pacific Creek, crossing the sandbar on a rising tide and continuing upstream to anchor midstream near a yacht and two commercial fishing boats. After the captain zipped over on the dinghy to greet our fellow travellers, we made our way back downstream and pulled the dinghy ashore just near an old jetty for an exploratory walk along the shore, past the old residences and up the hill to the lighthouse. One house does look like it could be inhabited occasionally, but the rest look abandoned. Returning to Manookatoo we enjoyed another lazy afternoon; the Captain watched his beloved footy team lose while the First Mate  read and did some knitting. The weather was glorious and we enjoyed sunset drinks upstairs, leaving the windows and doors open, but putting the fly screen on the back door to keep pests out - big mistake - sand flies are so small they came in through the back screen!! Sleeping that night we noticed nothing, but the morning (and the next few days) revealed welts all over the first mate in particular, and proved most uncomfortable!!
Sunset, Great Keppel Island
On Sunday morning, keen to reach The Keppels early (and scratching like mad!), we pulled up the anchor just after 8:30, as soon as depth over the bar allowed, and continued  north, past Sea Hill point and into Keppel Bay. As we left the entrance to The Narrows in our wake, the water cleared from muddy brown to tropical blue. There was a reasonable swell as we cruised past Peak Island (a preservation zone for Flat Back turtles), then we headed due north to Great Keppel Island, past the reefs of Monkey Beach and the resort and houses of Fishermans Beach before rounding the rocky point between Putney Beach and Middle Island. As we approached Svendsens Beach we were amazed at the number of yachts already moored there! It's certainly a popular stopover. We dropped the anchor in water so clear you could see exactly where it was, then took the dinghy to shore to explore. We walked right along the shoreline and across to Sven's Beach, meeting some friendly yachties who invited us to Sundowners at a specially created boaties' "camp" on the beach. When we returned after 4:30, many dinghies were on the shoreline and we enjoyed a social time meeting new people and reacquainting ourselves with others we had met at Tipplers many weeks earlier. We heard of lots of new places to explore (and where to avoid) - always good information, before returning to Manookatoo for our weekly Sunday pizzas and an early night.
Views from Mt Kanute
On Monday morning we went for a long pre-breakfast walk, up Robbie Track (dedicated to a young soldier killed in Afghanistan) and along to the lookout at Mt Kanute. The views from the ridges are spectacular in both directions and well worth the steepish, rocky climb. We returned via Svendsens track, no less rocky, down towards the secluded resort and onto the beach. Returning to Manookatoo, we pulled up the anchor for a cruise around to Fishermans Beach, where a large resort lies abandoned. We walked along the shoreline and visited a couple of small shops, having a drink at the Great Keppel Island Hideaway before returning to Manookatoo for lunch. Later, we returned to Sven's Beach, going ashore again for pre dinner drinks while the sun went down.
Inside the Homestead
Tuesday was exercise time before breakfast and another trip ashore. Other boaties has told us of a good walk to an old homestead, so we were keen to investigate! The walk up over the hill and down another rocky incline was quite invigorating and we saw some spectacular butterflies, lush mangroves and even a large yacht ashore in a tidal lagoon, presumably for repairs, before we reached a large, goat filled clearing and the old timber and iron homestead. It had been occupied up until 1945 and many old artifacts remained, including a Singer treadle sewing machine, a wood fired stove and an old rocking chair on the front verandah. It was a real slice of a bygone time. We returned via Second Beach, a much flatter, easier and shorter walk, and scrambled across the rocks back to the dinghy and home to Manookatoo. After a lazy lunch we ventured ashore again and took the track to Butterfish Beach, enjoying the view north from the ridgetop. The beach and boat camp seemed deserted - no sundowners today, so we hoisted the dinghy back onto the Flybridge in preparation for tomorrow's journey, then enjoyed our own sundowners aboard!
The "Singing Ship"
We have chores to do ashore, including washing, shopping and servicing the dinghy, so we lifted the anchor early on Wednesday morning and headed across to Rosslyn Bay, 12 nautical miles west. Arriving just before 11:00, we borrowed the Marina Courtesy Car and drove to Yeppoon for an impeller for the dinghy and food and alcohol for us, returning via Emu Bay and the "singing ship" - a memorial to Captain Cook overlooking Keppel Bay. In the afternoon the Captain spent quite some time fixing the motor, with helpful (and other!) advice from passing boaties, before we walked to the local yacht club for drinks while the sun set.
Rockhampton streetscape
We were keen to see Rockhampton so we took the bus on Thursday morning, enjoying the sea views before we turned west. It is very dry countryside, exacerbated by a lack of rain this winter, between the coast and Rockhampton. We explored this beautiful old city, full of heritage buildings, constructed at a time when Rockhampton was a major port mooted as the capital of a North Queensland state by separatists in the late 1800s, pre-federation. We were amazed at the number of boats on the Fitzroy River and are considering a visit in Manookatoo on our way south later next year. We enjoyed lunch at the majestic Criterion Hotel, the oldest pub in Rockhampton, before returning to Rosslyn Bay in the bus, stopping at the fishing co-op for some prawns and jewfish, which we enjoyed for dinner.
Double Point, Rosslyn Bay
Fan Rock
On Friday morning we walked around the headland and up the Double Point lookout, with beautiful sea views and the amazing "Fan Rock" at the top, created by cooling lava when the area was full of active volcanoes. We returned to Manookatoo for breakfast then started untying ropes, ready for departure. With fine weather and calm seas forecast, we are returning for a couple more days at Great Keppel Island before moving north.
Captain's log - Gladstone to Rosslyn Bay 
(via The Narrows and Great Keppel Island)
Distance: 62.4 nautical miles
Fuel: 57.9 litres
Cruising time: 10 hours 35 minutes