“Going the wrong way”

We have been told, by many other Boaties, that we should be heading north, like them, to escape winter. But we did that last year, and this time we are doing our best to be available for family commitments, so a large airport, with direct flights to Melbourne and Sydney, and a safe place to leave the boat, is what we must seek this year. We will still have plenty of cruising fun, along with some trips in the caravan, between commitments, and as always we will make the most of every opportunity!

Sunset, Tin Can Bay

We spent two nights at Tin Can Bay Marina. The captain replaced the impeller in the generator, we took some walks to the shops and the point, we borrowed the courtesy car and drove to Cooloola Cove shopping centre. Tin Can Bay is a nice little village with a large fishing fleet and a lot of retirees, the facilities  for boating folk are very good and it has a nice, relaxed vibe. On Wednesday, after a delicious lunch of local fish and chips, we cruised out from the marina, dropping anchor just off Snapper Point, east of Tin Can Bay, for a night on anchor, enjoying the calm conditions and the twinkling lights from the village. The next morning we cruised north to Pelican Bay, where we took the dinghy across to Inskip Point for a walk on the sand, watching the car ferry take 4WDs across to and from Fraser Island, thinking this is something we would like to do one day. We returned to Manookatoo in the late morning, putting the dinghy up and preparing the boat for departure, eating lunch and watching to see when other boats started crossing the Wide Bay Bar, an infamous crossing to be attempted only on a rising tide with calm seas! Right on one o’clock we raised the anchor, contacted the Coast Guard, and started our journey.

The Wide Bay Bar is crossed by following a set of waypoints, regularly updated by Marine Services, as the sand shifts and channels move. The captain had entered these into the chart plotter so he had a reliable course to follow. Conditions had softened after a large swell off the coast so everyone was on the move, and as we approached the first waypoint we encountered 15 boats coming the other way, all part of a “Riviera rally” heading for the Whitsundays. Many more yachts and power boats followed, all heading in, and coupled with lumpy conditions caused by northerly winds, the crossing was certainly “interesting”! We were glad to get through it and into the ocean. We cruised along the coast, past Rainbow Beach and the coloured sand cliffs, before we reached the sand spit which has temporarily turned Double Island Point into a lagoon. We had information from others about waypoints into the lagoon and safe anchorage, so we followed the sand spit in, anchoring in calm waters just after 4pm. Many others were already there, including a large flybridge cruiser which would need much more depth than us! We spent a comfortable night on anchor, with occasional wave slap and a couple of light showers the only noise we heard. 

Sand cliffs, Rainbow Beach

Early next morning, the captain was up before dawn and we raised the anchor at first light, happy to follow the larger boat out of the lagoon and into the ocean. We passed the Double Island Point lighthouse as the sun rose and we turned south, following the coastline. 

Double Island Point, pre-dawn

 Conditions were beautiful as we cruised along, with only a small swell and light breeze moving the water. Just after 1pm we crossed the Mooloolaba bar, mindful of the “Notice to Mariners” highlighting shallow depths on the port side. We stuck to the starboard side of the channel and had at least 8 feet below the keel all the way in. The breeze sprang up as we approached the marina berth, and our weight lifting exercises came in handy in securing the boat to the jetty! We enjoyed lunch on the flybridge then walked up to the fishermen’s co-op, buying some Red Throat Emperor for our dinner. Later in the afternoon we walked to the Mooloolaba surf club for celebratory drinks, returning to Manookatoo for our delicious meal. 

Sunset at Mooloolaba

Passing Caloundra

Another early start on Saturday morning had us crossing the bar again before sunrise, turning south after rounding Cartwright Point and following the coastline past Caloundra and Bribie Island. The sea conditions were very benign and there was little to no wind, but the captain complained that the breeze coming through the flybridge as we motored along was most chilly! Fortunately, the first mate had recently knitted him a beanie so his head was nice and warm. We turned into Moreton Bay and headed west, the clear conditions allowing views all the way to the city. We continued west and entered the Scarborough Channel just before midday, tying up at the Moreton Bay Boat Club jetty soon after. The boat club has a lovely restaurant on its big deck, overlooking the marina, and we decided to “celebrate” our return to the bay with a seafood platter for lunch - most delicious! The Moreton Bay bugs, eaten as we looked out across that bay, were a real standout. We had a lazy afternoon and enjoyed a sunset walk along the foreshore and past the seafood restaurants before a very small dinner and a quiet night in. 

Moreton Bay Boat Club

We didn’t have to rush out of bed the next morning but we were still up reasonably early, untying the lines just after 8am. Conditions were very calm again, so we did some exercises as we cruised along, able to complete them with hardly a wobble. After breakfast we cruised across the shipping channel and continued south, rounding Peel Island and stopping at Horseshoe Bay for lunch, surrounded by at least 35 other big boats and plenty of smaller craft as well. Testament to the beautiful day, everyone is out and about!

Horseshoe Bay, Peel Island

 Later we continued south, choosing the Canaipa channel, with its prettier scenery and lack of large vessels, over the wider and busier main channel. We dropped anchor for the night just off Canaipa Point just before 4pm, appreciating the quiet and serenity. 

Canaipa Point

Next morning, before breakfast, the captain raised the anchor and we continued cruising south, past Russell Island, with its lovely houses with jetties on one side and the tree lined banks of North Stradbroke Island on the other, a sunken yacht reminding us of the importance of boat maintenance and constant vigil when cruising. 

A sobering sight

We continued to Slipping Sands, where we stopped for breakfast, then on to Tipplers, on South Stradbroke Island, our anchorage for the day. We were joined by Jenny and Simon, who cruised up to have lunch with us and then later in the afternoon, Sal and Peter, from Music Maker, came aboard for sundowners on the flybridge. It was a lovely, social day - a reminder of why we like being here!

Safe anchorage

On Tuesday morning we walked across to the ocean side of South Stradbroke Island, ours the only footprints on the sand, although three powered paragliders flew overhead, surprising us! Returning to Manookatoo we had breakfast then raised the anchor again, to cruise down to Runaway Bay Marina, our final stop. This will be the end of our travels for the next while, so we have taken a longer term berth at the marina, where we can stay on the boat whenever we are here, walk (or take the dinghy!) to the local shops, catch a bus to town, also where we have friends nearby to spend time with who will also keep an eye on Manookatoo when we are not around. Our cruise may be over for the foreseeable future, but we’re sure the adventures will continue!

Canaipa channel, Russell Island

The Captain's Log:

Distance travelled - 168.8 nautical miles

Fuel consumption - 180.8 litres

Cruising time - 26 hours, 30 minutes

Averages - 6.42 NM an hour, 1.07 litres per NM

Calm seas

Celebratory sundowners

Lunch with friends at Tipplers

We love South Straddie

Paragliders overhead!

Back on the Gold Coast

Adventuring by land and sea

Having completed our “must do” cruise to Lady Musgrave Island, our thoughts turned to plans for the foreseeable future, mindful that we have trips to make to southern states in the months to come. It was time to move ourselves to a more accessible southerly base. As “Vanooka” was also in Bundaberg, we decided the time was right for a land based trip, but first we had COVID injections (Astra Zeneca, of course!) and shopping to restock supplies, both in the boat and the caravan, as we will have no easy transport options once the car goes.

By Friday, 14th May, we were ready to go, hitching the van onto the car and driving through Bundaberg, first stop, Seventeen Seventy! We had hoped to visit there by boat, but the bar is quite tricky except in high tide (even though Captain Cook had managed it!), so we settled for the driving option. The town itself is quite small, just a pub, a general store and the marina; Agnes Water is more populous but also not very big. We couldn’t get into the campground in town, which, as it turned out, was very small and with a very tidal beach, instead opting for the park 4km out of town, with a walkway through to the beach and lovely surrounds. We spent the day exploring the area, with walks to the lookout and to Cook’s landing at 1770 and the Paperbark Forest walk at Agnes Water, across stepping stones through the marshes and between the trees (quite beautiful!) with a sunset drink at the 1770 pub, watching the tourist boat return from Lady Musgrave as the tide rose and the sun sank. 

Next morning we were off again, crossing the Bruce Highway at Miriamvale and heading west. The road was quite winding and very steep, with signs warning about taking care with caravans, but the Pajero was up to the challenge of towing Vanooka up and down the hills and we arrived at Monto late morning, buying a few supplies for the next couple of days before continuing on to Cania Gorge. We stayed at the campgrounds right on the edge of the national park, enabling us to walk to almost all the trails. Over the next few days we visited all the highlights, marvelling at sweeping views and rock formations, waterways and cultural sites. The weather was beautiful and sunny by day, but the temperature dropped considerably each night! Lucky we were warm and snug in our caravan.

   

 We continued our travels on Tuesday, with a night in Kingaroy and a visit to the local museum, learning all about peanut production and buying some (very expensive!) local produce, seeing very little reference to that famous local, Joh, apart from a couple of photos. Next day we followed the Burnett Highway into Brisbane, returning to the Newmarket Caravan park. Thursday was “Boat show” day, so we drove to the Gold Coast for a day filled with all things nautical, admiring all sorts of beautiful craft! On Friday we caught the bus into town, wandering the streets, enjoying lunch at Southbank and catching the “Kitty Cat” ferry along the river. On Saturday Kirsty joined us and we drove up to Bribie Island, with fish and chips for lunch by the beach. We are leaving Vanooka in Brisbane for now, so on Sunday morning Kirsty drove us to Roma Street railway station, from where we had a pleasant train trip back to Bundaberg and Manookatoo. We are lucky to have such a choice of holiday “homes”!

We spent Monday and Tuesday preparing the boat for departing Bundaberg Port; filling the water and fuel tanks, stocking up on perishables, checking out the weather and our inventories and planning our route. We left the marina on Tuesday afternoon for a night on anchor in the Burnett River, enjoying the serenity and solitude away from others. On Wednesday morning, at first light, we started the engines, pulled up the anchor and headed out to sea. Conditions were perfect - hardly a breath of wind, lightly rolling waves - as we cruised across the water towards Fraser Island. We cruised straight across Hervey Bay to Rooney Point, waiting until the water shallowed enough and dropping anchor just south of there for delicious prawn sandwiches for lunch. The waves were rolling right across the bay, with the occasional larger one making conditions a little more uncomfortable than what we like, so after lunch we decided to continue cruising, following the sandy shoreline around towards Moon Point, where we anchored for the night in the lee of a sandbank. As the sun set, the super moon rose, and we watched, delighted, as the eclipse of the sun turned it blood red. We had the perfect spot for viewing!

On Thursday morning, when the captain checked the weather forecast, he read that the wind was freshening and turning slightly west, not good for where we were anchored. So, with the first mate still in bed enjoying coffee and the news, he lifted the anchor and we cruised further along the Fraser Island coast, turning south after Moon Point and entering the Great Sandy Straits. While the first mate rose and did her yoga routine, we were passing Big Woody Island, heading for the Kingfisher Bay Resort where we anchored for breakfast. Later in the morning we put the kayaks in the water, paddling over to the shore and walking along in front of the resort. There are lots of people around, a far cry from last year, when everything was closed. Returning to the boat, we enjoyed a leisurely day, taking the dinghy over to the resort again just before sunset and enjoying a drink at the sunset bar, marvelling at the pleasure of looking out across the water as day turned into night.

Overnight the wind increased, rocking us around a little, so, early on Friday morning, we repeated the actions of the day before, raising the anchor and continuing south along the Great Sandy Straits. Later that morning we entered the narrow channel beside South White Cliffs, watching the depth diminish below the boat before we reached the lagoon just near Yankee Jack Creek, a waypoint marked the year before giving us the confidence to go so far in. We anchored in 12 feet of water just on high tide, happy to be out of the wind and all on our own. While the tide was still high we went for a ride in the dinghy, exploring a couple of waterways lined with mangroves and entering Yankee Jack Creek to plan for further adventures. Later in the afternoon, when the tide was low, we kayaked across for a walk on the sand cay and reminisced; this was a regular “go to” spot during last year’s lockdown, when walking on Fraser Island was prohibited! Sand crabs scurried about as we walked, making the most of the diminishing waters. Returning to Manookatoo, we enjoyed “virtual drinks” with our friends Jo-Anne and Ian before a still and quiet night. We didn’t move on Saturday, preferring the solitude of our lovely anchorage, venturing out for a dinghy ride all the way to the top of Yankee Jack Creek at high tide and lazing the rest of the day away. We observed many yachts making their way north along the Great Sandy Straits; it is certainly the time of year for following the warmth!

On Sunday morning we took our time over breakfast, waiting for the tide to come in, before we slowly headed out through the narrow, shallow channel and turned left, crossing the “hump” in the straits where the tides meet at maximum height, before continuing past the houses of Stewart island and turning into Garry’s Anchorage. This is a popular spot with Boaties and there were quite a few here before us! There is also a campground ashore and we enjoyed exploring the tracks on Fraser Island while we were there. Shortly after breakfast on Monday morning, with the tide rising, we raised the anchor again and cruised out, heading south. We passed the entrance, the Wide Bay Bar, shortly after midday, observing the whitecaps across the water, highlighting the swell and dangerous conditions out there. We continued on down the channel and into Tin Can Bay, tying up at the marina just after 1.30 for a late lunch and a restful afternoon. We walked up to the shopping centre and had a late afternoon drink at the local pub before returning to the boat for dinner.

Winter begins tomorrow and the weather reflects that - in a Queensland way! We have burrowed under the bed to exchange singlet tops, shorts and swimwear for jumpers and long pants. While we are not heading to warmer parts this year, we are happy to be on the water and enjoying our surrounds. As the swell offshore is continuing to soften, we will spend a few more days in the Great Sandy Straits before we cross the bar and continue on towards Brisbane and the Gold Coast, our winter getaway for this season.

The Captain's Log - Bundaberg Port to Tin Can Bay

Distance travelled:  125.4 nautical miles

Fuel consumption:  121 litres

Average fuel consumption: 0.97 litres @ nautical mile

Travelling time:  20 hours, 35 minutes

Manookatoo 2021: the adventures begin again

On the “hard”

Back in the water at last

Crossing the road!

After a longer-than-anticipated hiatus from cruising, in late April we towed the caravan north into Queensland, visiting friends in Surfers Paradise and spending the first mate’s birthday with Kirsty in Brisbane, before we reached Bundaberg, where Manookatoo was perched “on the hard” at the marina. The captain spent the next two days busily scrubbing and painting her underside, while the first mate made a start on the inside, before early Friday morning, when she was hoisted onto the travel lift and gently lowered back into the water. After more maintenance and cleaning, and a “shakedown” cruise up the Burnett River, the weather was fine and we were ready to set sail! 

Bundy Rum factory

Anchored in the Burnett River

A lovely place for seafood

The channel into the lagoon 

We woke early on Wednesday 5th May and dropped the lines, cruising out of the heads and north-east across the ocean. Conditions were a little bit rolly, with a few white caps on the waves, but we had put all loose items away and Manookatoo handled it beautifully. Just before 3pm, on a high tide, we followed the channel markers into the Lady Musgrave Island lagoon and, with the first mate keeping a sharp eye out for bommies from the front and the captain steering from the flybridge, we picked our way between the coral and over to the anchorage. The colours and clarity of the water were incredible! Twelve other boats, of all shapes and sizes, were here already. We were very pleased to get some “limited” internet reception, and to pick up Marine Rescue Bundaberg on the two-way radio. It’s reassuring that we can keep an eye on the weather and know if anything changes. As night descended, the wind picked up, and by bedtime it was blowing 25-30 knots; no matter, we were snug and safe on anchor and, apart from some wave slap, undisturbed by the conditions. 

Lady Musgrave Island

The beautiful island forest

Debris from wild weather!

The wind continued for most of the next morning but was abating by midday, so we put the tender in the water and headed over for a walk on the island. A coral border surrounds the sand, but we found a clear patch to anchor and come ashore, enjoying a walk through the green and verdant vegetation to the other side and following the sand around the shoreline and back to the boat. As the day wore on the wind died away completely and we enjoyed a calm, relaxing afternoon and evening.

Turtle!

Happy castaways!

The next few days were spent relaxing and enjoying our surroundings. A mooring very close to the coral reef became available and we took advantage of it to make exploring even easier. We got the kayaks down and spent time paddling around a couple of bommies, amazed at the range and size of the corals. As the wind died completely and the lagoon became a millpond, we donned the snorkel gear and swam over to the nearest bommie, circumnavigating it, marvelling at the colours of the beautiful corals, particularly along the edges, and surrounded by fish of every size and colour. We took the dinghy across to the edge of the lagoon, where waves crash into the coral outside, and explored the depths, seeing big turtles, stingrays and a huge array of fish. We also circumnavigated the inner island, both on foot and in the kayaks, enjoying a refreshing swim after both of those exertions. All in all, our five days at Lady Musgrave Island was everything we had hoped it would be.

Millpond conditions

Beautiful sunsets every night

On Monday morning, after sunrise, we dropped the mooring and headed out through the entrance again. The captain had made a track as we came in, so it was easy to follow that path out and know there were no coral bommies to worry about! The sea conditions were a little “lumpy” for the first few hours but the waves settled after a while and we enjoyed an easy cruise across to Burnett Heads, where we followed the channel markers in and beyond the sugar loading facilities, anchoring in the river for the night.

Sunrise on the lagoon

Early morning departure

Stowaway!

Back into Burnett Heads

Right on high tide, a large ship manoeuvred into position alongside the molasses loading terminal, but no sound disturbed our calm night on anchor. The next morning, a heavy fog had descended, making visibility "interesting". We raised the anchor, and as we passed the molasses tanker we could see the funnel shaped pipe carrying molasses (used to make stock feed, a big industry in this sugar-rich area) into the bowels of the ship. We entered the marina just after 9am, tying up on the jetty ready to wash the boat, do the laundry and enjoy a few "land based" days.

Molasses ship at the terminal

 

The Captain's Log:

Distance travelled - 112 Nautical Miles

Fuel consumption - 149.7 litres

Travelling time - 17.05 hours

Average speed - 6.56 knots