Cruisin' in 15

We bid adieu to Port in late June and sailed across to Low Isles to get our heads and Manatee into cruising mode. Weather forecast was for a strong wind warning so we walked the island and relaxed on the near empty beach. Felt sorry for the tourists who came across to enjoy the reef-visibility was very poor due to the strong winds-ferocious enough to blow our HF radio antenna off the mast! Needless to say we didn't feel like swimming.

Beautiful Low

After 4 days we had a weather window so Ruby vocally encouraged us to get a move on-a walk was overdue. We had very heavy showers in 20kts of wind so sailed under genoa only. Off Cape Tribulation a very large wave entered the wheelhouse which surprised us all - Ruby looked accusingly at us! Of course the genoa wouldn't re-furl when it was time, shoulda had that shakedown cruise. 

After a 8 hour sail we anchored at Hope Island lagoon and noticed the genoa halyard was off- shoulda, shoulda.

We completed many circuits of the island which pleased Ruby. The winds were 30kts+. The only notable moment was a shark feeding in the shallows. Needless to say we didn't fancy swimming. After 4 days the winds abated so we sailed to Cooktown to get bits for the furler.

Ruby was very excited to be back at Cooktown (or Kookytown as some call it). She made a beeline for the Sovereign Hotel where, months previously, she enjoyed a sneaky night watching TV in a air-conditioned room. We caught up with friends and replenished our fresh food supply...and just enjoyed being there.

Cray boat seeking shelter in Cooktown's entrance channel

Sunny but still windy-locals at the jetty

Five days later the winds had dropped to 20-25, gusting 30kts so it was a chance to move further north. We almost turned back on the way to Cape Bedford which is so rough it causes seasoned sailors to spew! After 4 hours sailing we ducked around the corner of the Cape to anchor in shallow protected waters. The site of the old Hopevale Mission was here (it has since moved), and the soil is so sandy it is obvious why the move was necessary-they were expected to grow their own food which would have been virtually impossible given the site. We were so close to shore Manatee sat on the bottom at low tide.

The next morning we managed to sail up to 5kts in variable winds to Cape Flattery. The southern (ish) side of the Cape is a huge wharf for the silica mine and the northern (ish)  aspect is the site of many fishing camps. After 3 hrs Ruby was walked on a gorgeous beach. We all wanted to luxuriously roll in the beautiful sand. Very happy, alas no fish. The locals camping also had no luck.

Cape Flattery beach


The next morning we awoke to a pod of dolphins around Manatee- very auspicious.
At 1300 we pulled up the anchor-destination LIzard Island.


Chris and Ray- Marg has temporarily lost your email address! Could you email manateegirls@gmail.com!

Port Douglas = work & road trips!

  

So we returned to Dickson Inlet Port Douglas for the wet season which didn't eventuate. We were told it was the driest wet season in memory. We didn't undertake any major boat works this stop although we did haul out for a clean, reconditioned the anchor winch motor and re-painted the decks a paler colour as it was too hot to walk on them this far north.The paler colour does help. We both worked as much as possible to stock up the kitty. We also enjoyed lots of road trips!

Ruby ready to go!


Our first trip was back to Townsville to pick up the van and scooter, so we hired a "hippy van" and made our way slowly down the coast. Our first overnighter was a Cairns beach where I had camped back in the 70's.
 After loading the scooter we headed back via the inland route to get in as much sightseeing on the land as possible.

We stopped overnight at Paronella Park near Innisfail which was built by a Spanish cane worker for his wife between 1929-1935. It was their Spanish castle of dreams beside Mena Creek waterfall which was later opened to the public, powered entirely by a hydro-electric plant on Mena Creek Falls. The castle's great hall had silver chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and dances were regularly held there.

In 1946 the site was flooded when the dams bridge burst by a pile up of cedar logs. In the 70's fire swept through pretty much destroying most of the buildings. Then there was a cyclone. A couple travelling past appreciated the history and romance of Paronella and are slowly bringing life back to the park. The gardens were fabulous!


We also had a few trips to the Daintree area.....

Daintree rainforest

Daintree River near township

We also spent time exploring Cairns and its district.......

Palm Cove, looking across to Double Island



Kuranda park

Cyclone Nathan also made a few passes at Port early in the year-we tidied the boat decks and removed awnings the first time so it was easier when the area went into yellow mode the second time the cyclone was imminent, we just pulled up the anchor and found a spot in the mangroves up river. It was good practice!



Crowded river during cyclone Nathan

We also took a trip by road up to Cape York (not the tip!) and sold lots of our goods at Cooktown markets staying at the beautiful Sovereign Hotel. Ruby was most impressed!

Amazing art at Cape York 


We stayed in a little motel at Laura which was clearly a local cow's grazing pasture!

And we stopped for lunch at the quaint Lions Den Hotel where local miners were known to write up how much the owed the inn keeper by writing on the walls. Tourists now use the walls for their messages.

We stopped at markets near Cedar Bay...

and at Black Mountain (Kalkajaka - place of the spear) where people have disappeared into tunnels to escape capture by police


It was a busy 7 months and we were eager to continue north. We did spend some time in Port Douglas. 4 Mile Beach was spectacular,

the local markets fabulous,


and we had great anchorage neighbours!


Bye Bye Port!



 

Oh no we're going south!

By the time October was nearing its end and the trade winds rarely dropped below 25kts we realised pushing north to Lizard was not one of our best plans. So, on the 29th October we had SE winds at 10-15kts which were not too bad to head in to. We upped anchor at 0950 hrs for Hope Islands. We sailed near visible schools of mackerel but surprise, surprise no fish for dinner. We anchored at East Hope at 1400 hrs. The next day was perfect so we snorkeled and fished and Marg practiced using her cast net and caught 3 herring-hooray..
Our log reads "doing lots of reading and walking...no telephone or internet-could stay here forever." It was not a good thought to return to Cairns for cyclone season and work.

We were joined in the anchorage by a few yachts from Port Douglas. All members of the local yacht club and very fine fellows they were! Robert and Roxy from T-Break supplied us with fish which they easily caught and they all convinced us to see out cyclone season in Port Douglas. We headed south for Port on the 6th November nursing hangovers after farewell drinks with the boys!

Roxy from T-Break at Hope Island

Remembering Cooktown

 

On Thursday 9th October we dragged up our anchor at 1000 hrs to head to Cooktown. We trolled and caught no fish, what a surprise! The winds were variable so we had an uneventful trip. The channel entering Cooktown was horrendous - we needed to continue north and then tack south to make the channel markers. The channel was very rolly with dredging taking place as well. We entered the very crowded harbour (the Endeavour River) managing to miss all the sandbars and anchored at 1400 hrs.

Sunset over Endeavour River

We spent a few days walking around the town, exploring and getting ready to head further north to Lizard Island when.....the infamous weather of Cooktown set in: miserable stuff. At times it was difficult to hop into the tender the harbour was sooo rough. So we made the most of our forced stay and ended up loving the place.

The banks of the Endeavour River are parkland and the main street almost follows the river. Of course there are lots of monuments to Cook. A short stroll along from where the Endeavour careened for repairs is a spot named reconciliation rocks. "It was on these rocks that a group of eleven Guugu Yimithirr men and James Cook and several of his companions reconciled their differences and restored the peace and friendship that was the defining nature of the Europeans' stay in Endeavour River." 

Reconciliation Rocks

Cooks memorial near careening spot of Endeavour

The parks had copious numbers of mango trees bursting with fruit. Lucky us! It wasn't tourist season as it was too hot and cyclone season was almost upon us, so we probably saw Cooktown at its best and most relaxed. 

Lynda and Charlie from yacht New Horizons were also in town from Townsville (as were 2 other yachts) so we tried out barefoot bowling with them and had many laughs, mainly at my expense because I'm a crappy bowler!

the bowling team

We spent many a happy afternoon at an informal gathering of yachties and locals on a verandah overlooking the river. Cooktown is an unusual town filled with eccentrics and others. The last big cyclone which just missed the town saw the locals locked in the evacuation centre while police did warrant checks on everyone, not one of their best public relations exercises. 

The Musuem, which was once a convent boarding school was fantastic, we spent hours there checking out the Endeavour memorabilia, reading stories of the Guugu Yimithirr people as well as contemplating the Catholic relics.

Cooktown museum...sure looks like my old convent school

recovered Endeavour anchor, with canon in background

One early story......" Prior to the 10th June 1770, we the Koko Yalanji and Guugu Yimithirr were open to the concept of others. We would observe strange sailing vessels going by and we were usually aware of their purpose. They would be looking for fish, dugong, beche de mer, trochus or shells. But they were transients. They did not intend to stay. And they always left.On the morning of 11th June, 1770 a strange large canoe which the coastal people had kept under observation was seen just east of Kurangee now known as Cape Tribulation. It appeared that something was not right. Our Guugu Yimithirr ancestors considered that these boat people like others who came and went would not cause problems."  Wonderful stuff.

The Europeans did leave more than memories- their pigs escaped while work was underway and the "Captain Cooker", a descendant of the European wild boar, made its entry into the area. The ship's botanists recorded 180 plants new to science, including the cabbage tree palm and the Cooktown orchid.

In 1873 Cooktown became the sea port for the rapidly growing Palmer Goldfields. At one time Chinese made up the bulk of the population and merchants did business via trading ships with China and Singapore. Cooktown's Chinatown was enormous and included a temple. Unfortunately nothing of it now remains, although the cemetery does carry reminders.

Photo of Cooktown's tent city during the Palmer gold rush

One morning we set out walking up the hill (Grassy Hill) which we were told had amazing views in addition to a lighthouse. We were doing well until a local woman insisted we get into her car "you girls ARE NOT walking up that hill in this heat". Oh well we tried, and yes the views were spectacular.

"Before long the bright rays of our light will be glowing over the waste waters, carrying comfort and an assurance of safety to mariners who have to thread the intrictate navigation of our coast-no better monument could be erected to the memory of Capt James Cook." Cooktown Courier, 1885.

Marg doing the tourist bit

views over the river

We were sad when it was time to leave.

from Low to Hope

The weather forecast looked good, so on the 3rd of October we pulled up Manatee's anchor and headed out to the Low Isles. The seas were supposed to be 1m but of course they were 2m+ and on our beam. Luckily the trip was only 90 minutes, we were all very relieved to pick up a mooring and relax.
 Low Isles is a 4 acre coral cay surrounded by 55 acres of reef. The corals are very close to the island, so the snorkeling is great.  The two small islands are separate with one common reef. The larger of the two, Woody Island, is uninhabited except for a large bird population and is closed to the public from October for breeding season. The island has a caretaker who monitors everything closely and the island is off limits between sunset and sunrise so sun-downers started very early! There is also a historic, heritage listed lighthouse on Low which was built in 1878.

Dusk at Low

lighthouse on Low (thanks Quicksilver for photo)

Aerial view of Low Isles (thanks again Quicksilver)

The snorkeling was as good as I'd seen to date - lots of colourful fishes (which apparently like to be hand fed), and amazing corals .... little purple cauliflower trees, orange tufts of wool swaying in the current, huge splotchy toadstools and massive brains- all scientific names of course! Manatee became a temporary home to some decent size reef sharks.


Our stay here was limited to a few days as Ruby was boat bound, so on the 5th we headed out to Snapper Island (part of the Hope Island group) which is 4km east of the Daintree River mouth. This is also a National Park, very popular with sea kayakers who camp on the island. Ruby had a very restrained exploration of the island and we had a relaxing night at anchor.


The next morning we were off early for the other Hope Islands. We passed Cape Tribulation in 2.5 hours so we were making good time and passing the Cape felt like a special event for us.

passing Cape Tribulation

It was exciting but scary to be passing this coast - there is no coverage of any sort so we really did feel that we were in the wilderness. Again, there was little marine life although a huge turtle made an appearance. We arrived in East Hope Island anchorage at 1500hrs. East Hope Island is a sand cay with a forest of coastal trees in the middle. West Hope Island is a shingle cay formed from piles of coral debris on which only the most hardy plants such as mangroves survive. These islands are among the most important bird-nesting sites in the northern Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. Thousands of pied imperial-pigeons visit the islands to breed each summer and they make a racket! The reef is extensive around these islands with only the brave sailing between the two for the anchorage. We took the slower, safer route and went west of the islands to enter the anchorage from the north. There are lots of coral bommies in the anchorage so it was a relief to make the anchor secure.

reef around East Hope

and the other side of east Hope-more reef

anchorage at East Hope

West Hope in the distance

sunset over East Hope

The snorkeling here surpassed Low! Just amazing. East Hope quickly became our favourite place.

feeling at home in Port Douglas

Log entry 28th September. "Up anchor 0700. 10m chain remaining in water wrapped around old metal pipe. Took 1hr to dislodge the pipe working from the dinghy. 0800 finally free of obstacle. Dinghy back on davits 500m down channel. Very rough in channel with exiting tourist boats. Jib up in Trinity Bay. Seas 2m, wind SE 10-15kts. Dropped anchor at Double Island at 1100 for a lunch break.



Beautiful Double Island

Up anchor at 1230. Abeam Wentworth Reef 1530 after very heavy seas for an hour. Considered turning back to Cairns! No marine life seen. Wind dropped to 2-3kts abeam Korea Reef. Entered Port Douglas channel amidst returning tourist boats. Anchored Packers Creek 1645. Hooray!" 

Dusk Packers Creek

It was fantastic to be anchored in a secure spot, the bird life in the mangroves was amazing. One bird call sounded like "careful, careful", perhaps reminding everyone that this is lizard land. The Lady Douglas plied up and down the creek from the marina, with very helpful commentary advising of current croc locations. Apparently they are very territorial and the biggest/strongest keeps others out. "Pat" the 3m croc that lived in the stretch that we anchored in could occasionally be seen at low tide sunning himself. One of our neighbours snapped photos of Pat circling our yachts, checking everything out. Needless to say we were very careful, changing our routine and discouraging Ruby from standing on the bow sprit.

Lady Douglas

We all had a great time exploring the village, visiting the huge weekend markets and relaxing at the very friendly yacht club. We could certainly feel the tropical atmosphere, with daily showers of rain and very fast growing mould.

Yacht Club lawn

Friends from Townsville on Quantum Leap (Ted and Tacey) were also in Port Douglas, giving their friend Alice an opportunity to experience life aboard a yacht......

Tacey, Alice & Ted come visiting

...as was April the seadog and Notorious.

Notorious and Manatee at anchor

We finally found the solution to mozzies (and there were plenty here)- a mozzi net for a bed slung over the wheelhouse. It worked and looked great. Prior to getting the net on I (AK) got very ill with an allergic reaction to mozzi bites. I was swollen, bright red, feverish, fatigued and very itchy - crap. It took about a fortnight for my body to return to normal. Meanwhile yachts were reporting crap weather conditions with heavy seas outside our blissful oasis.