Category: Uncategorized

Posted May 7, 2023
about September 10, 2022

It was time to head to the beach. The low tide was exposing some rocky areas around the north-facing beach; so we headed to the one facing east. The sand was very soft, but low tide had exposed a lot of shells; so we tread carefully while bringing our dinghy up on the shore.

What struck us first was how beautiful this place is. With its impressively wide beach and verdant green hillsides, it looked like Queensland from out of a movie. The calm bay with its offshore islands and small scattering of boats added to the beauty. The water here was rather dark but also clear. This was the first area we had seen this trip that looked somewhat tropical.

We set off towards the north headland but first had to decide whether to walk on the prettiest sand higher up or down at the shoreline, amid all the shells, looking for treasures. We ended up doing a bit of both.

The large scale here was apparent when other people came ashore further up the way and looked about the size of ants. The sun was fairly intense, making the sea sparkle and the wavelets near the shoreline take on a glowing shine. Yet the light also seemed to have a softness that made the whole scene feel rather mystical. (Click any photo in the gallery below to enlarge.)

After a time we decided to turn around before reaching the headland, glad now to be walking into the cooling breeze. Our final stop was at a single red-leaf tree in among all the greenery, which from afar looked like a pohutukawa, another reminder of New Zealand.

It seems natural at this point that we’d want to take a dip in the water, and in fact the other people were doing just that. But after reading crocodiles had been spotted in the area, we were just not willing to take the risk.

We were now far enough north in Australia that swimming off the mainland (with all its river estuaries and mangroves) was out. The Whitsunday islands should offer swimming possibilities, but even then we’d have to be very shark aware. (And then at some point we’d have to contend with the approaching stinger season, but that’s a subject for a future post.)

Back on the boat later, we enjoyed a beautiful sunset.

I was feeling happy about where we’d ended up, hoping this was an indication that the scenery ahead might be more to our liking. It’s true we hadn’t yet been many places on this trip, but this was not our first rodeo in Queensland. We spent a good part of the 2015 summer season in the southern regions of this state, something we haven’t blogged much about yet, and it was a very mixed bag.

Basically now, instead of starting with a clean slate, we had a checkered history to overcome, especially for Rich who would not count Queensland as one of his favorite places. This was one of several factors that would make this trip more challenging than the usual cruise, and this season was already showing signs of being an uphill battle. Thus good experiences in places like Pearl Bay would take on extra importance as we made our way further north.

I had a nice moment later in the night when I stepped out into the cockpit. The bay was so still and glassy, and I could see some small boats had pulled up to the beach and set up campfires, their lights reflected in the glassy water. Later a full moon came up and illuminated the wedge of stripy clouds above us while a few stars remained visible near the islands.

Feeling pressed for time, we would be saying good-bye to Pearl Bay and the Capricorn Coast the following morning and heading further off the mainland into a new group of islands: the Northumberland Islands. –Cyndi

 

 

 

Posted May 5, 2023
about September 10, 2022

Once inside the islands, Pearl Bay looked like a fairly large anchorage. One standout feature was its beaches, actually a six-mile long stretch of sand that was divided into five separate beaches by rocky points.

The most striking feature, though, was the long, steep, and densely-vegetated hillside area that backed the beaches. Everything here seemed to be on a large scale, giving the area a sense of grandeur.

We anchored at the south end of Pearl Bay where the headland curved around towards the south island, creating a pretty half-circle bay with a north-facing beach. This little bay was partly divided from the rest of Pearl Bay by a reef under the water. We had opted for this spot as, in a sense, it felt like having our own anchorage.

Off to the north, the beaches ended at a large headland. From our viewpoint, the offshore islands seemed to overlap with each other and this headland, creating the illusion that we were nearly landlocked. This gave the anchorage a cozy feeling in spite of its size. In all, this place was, as advertised, beautiful and special.

Below, photos of Pearl Bay, including the approach to our south end anchorage behind the headland, the overlapping islands just northeast of us, and an early evening shot taken from our boat. (Click any photo to enlarge.)

Early the next morning we used our drone to get some photos from above.

Including a panorama from a distance which should convey a feeling for the size of this bay.

Finally, a Google Map of the bay…

Below, a map of Pearl Bay.

Posted May 3, 2023
about September 10, 2022

What a beautiful morning for a motor sail. The wind was light and variable, the air warm enough for shorts and a T shirt, and when the breeze picked up later, the sea around us glittered like crazy.

I was looking forward to seeing Pearl Bay, which more than one person had described as being the loveliest spot on the Capricorn coast. But I couldn’t for the life of me imagine how this roadstead of an anchorage could be all that nice.

Pearl Bay is an east-facing bay, which meant it would be exposed to prevailing swell conditions. I did notice some scattered islands just offshore, but they seemed too small to create much in the way of protection. And while we were technically in the tropics, we were still a long way from the rainforests that lie along the north Queensland coast. Instead, the vegetation was likely to be on the dry side. So what was it about Pearl Bay that could possibly be special?

Below, a map of our approximate route from Rosslyn Bay Marina to Pearl Bay.

As we motored along, we noticed the landscape of the Australian coast was mostly low, with only an occasional higher peak. Most of the coast was lined by beaches and to a surprising extent reminded me of a motorsail we’ve made several times in New Zealand. It’s probably my least favorite trip there, long and boring, but it signifies going to favorite places so I don’t mind it. I hoped this trip would also end in a nice place. Below, photos of the Australian coastline (click any photo to enlarge).

Meanwhile, I was excited to spot a dwarf minke whale, probably migrating south after spending the summer off north Queensland. What made me happiest, though, was seeing the mass exodus of boats heading south. The cruising season in the Whitsunday Islands was approaching its end, and these boats, who had probably been early arrivals, were now heading home. Hopefully by the time we arrived there most of the cruisers would be gone. Disconcerting, though, was hearing the Whitsunday Island group is a major destination for charter yachting so remains pretty busy year-round. We don’t mind other boats but do hope there’ll be enough room to find a spot in any given anchorage.

For most of this trip we had a knot of current helping us along. It turned against us near an area called Port Clinton as the wind started to come up from the north. Port Clinton was a possible stop but frankly looked dry and unappealing, plus it was a military training area. I was relieved when Rich told me that the wind would soon drop again and we could keep going.

Once we passed Port Clinton the scenery suddenly changed, becoming greener and more attractive. As we neared Pearl Bay I could see the offshore islands were bigger than I’d imagined, all craggy, dark rock topped with piney trees. There are actually three islands (and accompanying rock islets) close in, then two islands further offshore, the combination of which serve as a surprisingly effective breakwater for this area.

We entered the pass between the south headland and its closest island. And once again I was reminded of New Zealand, specifically the entry to Bay of Islands harbor. These islands were nearly identical to some of that harbor’s outer islands! The pass seemed like a miniature version of the south island’s French Pass as we went in, the current against wind making it a bit frisky. We were getting through nicely, though, when I was suddenly startled out of my New Zealand-themed reverie as a huge sea turtle surfaced beside us, soon followed by another.

After a moment of disorientation, I was reminded that I was a long, long way from New Zealand, and it was time to come back to the present and appreciate where I am. Especially if where I am has my beloved sea turtles, something I have long considered a talisman of sorts, signifying a sort spiritual thumbs up telling me everything is OK, that I’m where I’m supposed to be, and that I am loved. Powerful stuff, those sea turtles. –Cyndi

Posted April 29, 2023
about September 10, 2022

The time had come to leave Rosslyn Bay and continue north. I woke up  early, at 5am; so I decided to watch the morning unfold. First there was the sunrise which lit up the sky with shades of pink, yellow and orange, then all the birds burst into song. Large white clouds lingered nearby as if deciding whether or not to add some rain to this morning scene.

We’ve had many pre-departure mornings like this, but depending on the circumstances they can feel very different. Some mornings we’re heading to an area we know, excited about our getaway to a favorite place. Other mornings we might be headed to a new cruising ground with the knowledge we’ll be passing through this location again.

But then there are times when we’re saying a forever goodbye as we sail off into the sunrise, wondering what the future has in store. At this point, the entire north Queensland coast lay ahead, soon to be followed by Indonesia, all of which was intimidating. But for now I was most worried about making it to the next anchorage, Pearl Bay. While we had the option of stopping along the way, we hoped that with the cooperation of the currents and weather, we’d make the entire 50-mile trip up in one day.

Below, a video I took of this morning moment before it was time to make coffee and preparations to leave the marina. –Cyndi

April 27, 2023

When we left Los Angeles eleven years ago, we were told we’d need a boat stamp, but it fell through the too-many-things-to-do cracks. We never needed it and no one ever asked for it, until Indonesia where it’s getting quite a workout.

Every official, of whom there have been many, has asked for every piece of paperwork, which seems like thousands, to be stamped. I’m really glad we did this before we left Australia.

The design doesn’t seem to matter. Here’s ours…

I don’t really know what’s supposed to be on it, but this has worked without question.

-Rich