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
