No News is Good News-Townsville to Airlie Beach

Shopping mall, Townsville

     Yes we did arrive safely back from Townsville at the beginning of October.

Strangler figs,Townsville

 On the way back we spent more time at places along the way and were lucky enough to have some good sailing winds and moonlit nights. Just south of Townsville along a spectacular stretch of rocky coast, we noticed military helicopters practicing their coastal approach skills over the cliffs and narrow beaches, finally lowflying and circling Two XS waving cheerily out the open sides.Further south at Cape Upstart we ventured deeper into the rocky bay, and while ashore met some locals who have built holiday homes amongst the rockpiles,arriving by boat to spend weekends and timeout from the mainland in this beautiful, isolated spot.
     They were intrigued with our sea-gypsy lifestyle,and Bodi’s seadog competence. Bowen is an interesting oldworld town, with streets so wide they have provided shady resting seats in the centre median area. Above the town department store, they are still proudly displaying the banner “Bowen welcomes Baz Luhrmann and cast”, referring to the movie filmed there earlier this year. All around town buildings are decorated with colourful murals depicting the town history and prominent early citizens.
   

 

Once back at Airlie,in very bumpy bay conditions, we welcomed aboard friends from Port, Ray and Ronda, to spend a week of island hopping.

Strong winds prevailed for the first few days but we managed to visit Hamilton Is. coincidentally meeting up with other Port friends,staying at the resort .In spite of difficult conditions, we visited bays around the islands we had not seen before, the highlight was at last entering Hill Inlet behind Whitehaven Beach,at high tide, with Two XS sitting high and dry in a puddle of water overnight,moving out again through the winding channel at high tide next day.Photo opportunities galore!!
     At the end of October, Airlie staged its Reef Festival,with many activities, including a great fireworks display on the foreshore only 200 metres from our back deck, street decorations and parties,sand modelling competition,and fashion parade including colourful locally designed stinger suits.A good idea as they are mostly in black and very unbecoming-but necessary.There was also a stall giving info.and displaying stingers in jars-and they are so tiny but lethal.

 

Picnic Bay, Magnetic Is.

Bodi admiring batfish, Magnetic Is.

  During November we went for a little trip north as far as Magnetic Island,

A swim at Maude's Bay, Magnetic Is.

 stopping over at many of the bays and islands on the way, scoring a feed of juicy oysters off the rocks near Jarrod McCracken’s proposed dream home-no wonder he’s in trouble with the authorities-we walked all around the huge site and saw the devastation clearing the site has caused to this superb coastal nature reserve.

    Gloucester Eco Resort welcomes passing boaties,so we went for a drink at their open air bar and stayed for a gourmet dinner of seafood,music provided by a band who was playing for a 50^th Birthday party at the restaurant,and later heard from Two Xs out in the bay.

    On our way back we called in at Hideaway Bay near Dingo Beach ,a very pretty spot with a bay full of tidal coral reef,and many interesting houses of modern design,mostly timber and glass.

    At another bay with no name (excellent beach no.3 in our guide book)not only did we all have good swims and beach walks,but we brought out Dad’s old net, set it across a tidal creek, catching a large fish.Our first catch except for the landing netted garfish at Tongue Bay.We were lucky with perfect weather and helpful winds on the way back to Airlie.

    Strong winds and frequent showers were not good conditions for cousin Geoff and Kathy setting out on their first rent-a yacht holiday here-but they bravely made the most of it and had many memorable experiences during their week aboard little “Ripple”. We managed to spend some good time with them catching up and swapping sailing stories.

    Since then we have been waiting for favourable winds to head south, have changed the car rego to Qld. And spent a high tide/low tide night at nearby Woodwark Bay beaching Two XS,cleaning off the Airlie Bay grime ready for a quick getaway.We are sad to be leaving Airlie, having enjoyed the last four months there and feeling almost locals.

    As this is the second attempt at this post,the first dogged by intermittent internet sabotage and frustration-the whole episode painstakingly finished-only to vanish before publishing, we have moved on considerably and are now on our way back south to avoid cyclone season.At the moment we are at Freshwater Bay sheltering from the strong S/E winds and rough seas-forecast for N/E winds not until Tuesday.We had made really good distance until yesterday, sailing 14 hours,covering 85 nms and all in daylight.But then the N/E changed.

    This is a remote lovely bay south of Port Clinton and about 40 nms north of Yeppoon-but it’s a military exercise area and large signs are all along the treeline forbidding entry-just as well Bodi can't read-he loves sniffing around the bush.There is no phone or internet access here but I hope to post this up as soon as we’re back in range insight of Yeppoon.

     An update on Ben and Bianca-her RAN contract has been extended to 12 months so they’ll be staying in Mataranka-Ben has grown a Moustache for Movember, and is working busily on website design.

   Marika and Khan in Canada again have liftie jobs and have bought a car to travel to the snowfields-main problem is finding accommodation near Fernie as it is not provided for staff as at Nakiska.

   Tigger has had to have vet treatment for a tick but is now resting comfortably at her Beechwood retirement home.

    Please wish for NE /N winds-anything but S/SE !

    PS.Sad news just received-Tigger was attacked by two more ticks and despite the vets best efforts did not recover-poor little pet had only one week to go to her 17^th birthday.

P.S.

Photos to go with latest post-
Our new home address -Pioneer Bay.
Maud's Bay,Mag.Is.
Bodi admiring batfish
Town centre,T.ville
Marina, Townsville

Just a little further north this year

    Yes,it's about time we updated and a lot has happened.We're now officially canetoads with Qld licences and boat rego to prove it.Our new legal residential address is-S.V.Two XS ,Pioneer Bay Airlie Bch .Qld.and we even have a post office box.
     We were lucky to get a lift back to Port to pick up our car-thanks again Jono-and found that Tigger has completely disowned us! 5.5 days with 4 spent on the road,a fleeting visit to Port,torrential downpour near Rockhampton on the way back-but it's great to have wheels at Airlie. Lucky Bodi now has doting fosterparents who minded him on their cat while we were away.
     Since then we have made the voyage to Townsville,where we met Ben&Bianca on their way to Mataranka,NT. where Bianca will spend the next 3 months as R.A.N (just like the TV series,Flying Doctor?)and Ben hopes to find some work also.
     Townsville is a friendly little city,very north Qld,full of historic buildings,beautiful bayside parks and gardens,and plenty of outdoor cafes and pubs.
     Tuesday afternoon we were about to set sail for Magnetic Is.across the bay,but a strong wind blew up,so Bill ended up helping rescue other boats which broke their mooring out in the "duckpond" anchorage around us and were washed onto the breakwall nearby.Wednesday we sailed to Mag. discovering Maud's Bay,accessible only by boat on the NW coast,a spectacular and magical spot to spend the moonlit night,lined with huge boulders,fringed with a sandy beach and clear blue water.
     Next was Horseshoe Bay,more civilised with beachside pub and shops,but the bay full of turtles,and the Red Baron biplane doing joyflights. Radical and Balding Bays are gorgeous-more huge boulders and sparkling tropical sea.Staying overnight in Florence Bay we were mobbed by a squad of huge grey and yellow batfish,who fascinated Bodi with their antics.Picnic Bay, the oldest port,is a lovely spot with quaint holiday houses and history /craft centre in the old schoolhouse.On our island bus trip with Friendly Fred we toured every back street of shady Nelly Bay,and even picked up an entire wedding party needing transport to Peppers Resort for the reception after a bayside ceremony.
     On the way back to Tville we anchored in the bay to watch the Offshore Powerboat Race,exciting in the windy swell.As we were heading back to the duckpond we spotted Catamaran Imagine, which took us on our first cat voyage in 2004 from Mackay to Southport and confirmed our present lifestyle choice.Of course a reunion and catchup followed with our Melbourne friends,Glenda&Warren.
    Wind is wrong today,S/SE,but tomorrow looks like a better chance to head back to Airlie-about 4-5 days sailing.We intend to see more of Bowen and spend more time at places we bypassed on the way back. T.ville is as far north as we will go this season.
    An update on Marika&Khan-they have settled in Vancouver for 2 months,after 6 months in Japan, a month in Thailand, bicycle touring in Cambodia,and another brief visit to Europe.They will work the snow season again and are deciding on which resort area to spend the next 6 months.

more photos

More photos


Here's where we're hoping to go tomorrow-Hill Inlet-entry at high tide only.

Whitsundays for winter

Whitsundays for Winter

     Having been banished from the mainland anchorages by the military wargames we headed out to the islands-Hexham, then on to the popular Percy group where we enjoyed rugged rocky scenery,more goats-(Bodi had a close confrontation with a large old billygoat), coconuts laid on, and fantastic sunsets.A-frame hut,boaties' memorabilia(West Bay) 

     Then it was on to Digby Is. and Mackay, where we stayed a few days,met some more interesting boaties and had our freezer fixed.From there, with more strong SE winds promised we sailed with great wind assistance via St.Bees and Keswick Is.,stayed at Brampton Is., on to Airlie Beach, and Abel Pt Marina, where we commandeered the public wharf to take Ben and Bianca aboard for a Whitsunday tour.

    In spite of the still strong winds early on, we had a great week-snorkelling in beautiful bays,           anchored at Whitehaven Beach overnight at full moon,did some bushwalking at Nara inlet to see aboriginal cave paintings, and Cid Harbour , and everywhere that incredible bluegreen ocean. At Coconut beach on the back of Lindeman Is. Bill gathered some huge oysters (yum!) and Ben caught a Chinaman fish which disappointingly was listed as poisonous.
    In the early hours of the morning there were suddenly big waves and when Bill went out to secure the ducky he saw a monstrous black shape surface out in the deep water in the moonlight.
    Next day we headed back to Airlie to pick up Bill's brother Ian,Elaine and two boys for more cruising. With 8 on board for several days Two XS handled it well, and everyone had a memorable time with lots of laughs,perfect weather, and great holiday fun including holing the ducky,overloading it,and nearly filling it with water-but everyone survived!
    Now we're back to 3 again,based at Airlie Beach. Ben and Bianca have continued on their round oz camping trip,last heard from at Townsville.
    We've had a 3 day stay at Woodwark Bay,background setting for the 90s TV series 'Tales of the South Seas',complete with island style luxury houses and outdoor bathhouses and spas and coconuts galore,lying on the beach.

Hamilton Is.

    Still no fish have been caught and we lost our crabtrap on its first outing-it can only improve! The mail has caught up with us and it's GST statements to compile and boring paperwork to do(for the Last Time!!) I guess there have to be some penalties for this idyllic lifestyle.
   The weather has warmed up,and we have discovered the regular Sat.am. Airlie Bch markets,with fresh produce to stock up-including fresh prawns and sticky rice- it's a tough life but someone has to do it and Airlie Bay is full of them.
   By the way Tigger is blooming in her retirement at Bellangry-with her own new garden apartment and meals to her door-she never thought life could be so good again.
   We're at Macona Inlet (Hook Is) at the moment and internet coverage is good-we have bought an aerial for our Turbo modem and hopefully should have better access. Later today we're sailing via Hook Passage to the top of Whitsunday Is. then to Tongue Bay for a feed of oysters,then around to Hill Inlet where we'll go inside the passage at high tide, stay overnight, then back out and on to Whitehaven, where we'll empty out the ducky of its pile of sand underneath the inner floor and check the patches.