Bundaberg (Bundy) to Darwin Australia Blog (May to July 2013)

Orpheus Island, Friday, May 31

We anchored in Little Pioneer Bay with free mooring balls available.  The bay is the site of the James Cook University Marine Research Station.  Also “yanks” jetty – a WWII ship degaussing station and a very exclusive resort are just around the corner at Hazard Bay.  We had dinner on Lardo with friends Jon and Irina (Footloose) and Randy and Jenny (Mystic).  Light winds initially and for most of the passage, but picked up to about 20 to 25 knots from the SE in the afternoon.


Townsville, Sunday, May 26


No better place to hole up during a strong blow than Townsville (population approximately 180,000).  We stayed at the Breakwater Marina and enjoyed all that Townsville had to offer – the strand along the beach, nice city center complete with museum and aquarium, restaurants and the Tobruk 50 meter pool which was especially nice as the beach was closed for stingers.  We even played tennis during our lay over.  On Memorial Day we visited ANZAC Memorial Park honoring all the Aussies and Yankees who fought the Battle of the Coral Sea in WWII.  Townsville had a nice young college feel due to several universities located in the city.

Townsville

Townsville

Bundaberg (Bundy) to Darwin Australia Blog (May to July 2013)

Cape Upstart, Saturday, May 25

Other than a well-protected anchorage, not really much to do here and not where we wanted to be for a forecasted three day blow.  So we decided to get up early to head first for Cape Bowling Green but realized later in the day that we could reach Townsville in daylight hours.  Cape Bowling Green would not have been a good anchorage in nasty weather so it was worth the long day!

Woodwark Bay, Friday, May 24

We fueled up at Abel Point Marina and inched our way up to Woodwark Bay, delightful little anchorage about 6 miles from Airlie Beach.  Got up the next morning at 3:00 a.m. for a 4:30 a.m. departure up to Cape Upstart.  Thankfully, we had good visibility under the full moon!

Airlie Beach, Thursday, May 23

Definitely the happening place for all those backpackers under 30.  We grabbed a free mooring ball outside the Whitsunday Sailing Club for the night.  Shared a cab with Footloose and went to Cannonvale to do laundry and groceries.  Watch out for the tides – when we returned from grocery shopping, our dinghies were stuck in the mud!

Whitsunday Island (Whitsundays), Tuesday, May 21 to Thursday, May 23

We caught up with our Aussie friends Jon and Irina (Footloose) at Cid Harbor (Sawmill Beach), Whitsunday Island.  Jon needed to get his daughter Amy to the airport on Hamilton Island so we hitched a ride with them to check our Hamilton Island – very luxurious resort community with lovely shops, art galleries, yacht club, cafes and restaurants.  There is also a grocery store but it’s pretty pricey and has limited stock.

We anchored at Sawmill Beach the site of a sawmill in the 1890’s.  Now there are walking treks on former logging trails.  Cid Harbor is a very scenic anchorage with an occasional turtle and many cruising charter sailboats that make a stop here.

Lindemand Island (Whitsundays), Monday May 20

Great walking treks – we spotted many sulphur crested cockatoos that roosted in the gum trees, brush turkey, the black robin.  When you hike up the trek to the top of the island, the panoramic views of the Whitsundays are stunning.  Nice beaches with plenty of stingrays, turtles and dolphins.  No other boats in this anchorage – we had the island all to ourselves!

Shaw Island (Whitsundays) – Sunday, May 19

Very pretty island with lovely beaches to walk and nice swimming and we spotted the eastern reef egret.  We shared this island with one other sailboat.  Shaw Island is about 37 miles from Scawfell Island.

Scawfell Island (Whitsundays) – Saturday, May 18

We cruised about 50 miles from Curlew Island.  Scawfell has a stunning bay with beach – great place to kayak and explore the coastline.  We could see why this anchorage is very popular with other boaters – a total of seven boats in the anchorage.  Hard to have a favorite but this island is on the top of the list.

Birds along the shoreline were awesome – we spotted our first olive back yellow billed sunbird with purple plumage on its neck and brilliant yellow breast, yellow breasted boatbill, the pheasant coucal, dusky honey eater, and other birds that we couldn’t identify.

Whitsunday "Magical" Islands

Whitsunday "Magical" Islands

Bundaberg (Bundy) to Darwin Australia Blog (May to July 2013)

Curlew Island (Guardfish Group) – Thursday, May 16 to Saturday, May 18

Woke up and ran the gribs for the weather – all light wind conditions or so we thought.  Based on the gribs and coast guard weather report, we decided to continue on to Curlew Island (33 miles).  About 2 hours before we reached Curlew Island, we got spanked by a nasty squally front that lasted through the night.  The driving rain and wind gusts up to 40 knots blinded our sight.  Visibility was extremely poor in these conditions so we had to rely totally on our navionics.  Lardo handled the conditions well and our navionics were spot on!  

The next day we opted to stay at Curlew Island to allow the weather to settle.  The anchorage was well protected from the southeast trades and we were able to go out for a kayak once the temp’s warmed up and go for a walk along the long stretch beach.  We spotted the bush stone curlew and the beach stone curlew – the island was appropriately named!

Hunter Island (Duke Group) – Wednesday, May 15

Beautiful islands owned by family originally for raising cattle, now for red deer grazing.  Delightful protected anchorage from southeast wind.  Nice beach, sea eagles and even a stag grazing just at sunset.  Kayaked and swam along beach as there were a few sharks in the neighborhood.

Port Clinton – Tuesday, May 14

 
Perfect anchorage for all weather conditions but boy was it buggy!  Because this was military property, we did not go to shore but had a nice kayak along shoreline.  Best to anchor away from creek and mangroves to avoid the sandflies!

Bundaberg (Bundy) to Darwin Australia Blog (May to July 2013)

Great Keppel Island – Thursday, May 9 and Monday, May 13 

Nice swimming beaches and great walking treks.  We spotted the pheasant coucal and heard the laughing kookaburra.

Rosslyn Bay (Keppel Bay Marina) – Friday, May 10 to Monday, May 13

Marina has great access to public transportation to Yeppoon for grocery shopping.  Lovely walking paths nearby where we spotted the many butterflies, brush turkey, kookaburra and a black cockatoo. 

Cape Capricorn – Wednesday, May 8

There was a quaint lighthouse with a family living on top of the hill next to the lighthouse.  The lighthouse family had to take a tram to get to their home.  Unfortunately, in strong winds, the anchorage was very roily so we opted not to stay!

Bundy to Lady Musgrave Island (Saturday, May 4 to Wednesday, May 8)

We’re off on Saturday, May 4!  After being in the Port Bundaberg Marina for six months, we finally threw off the dock lines.  First stop on our 1800 mile trek to Darwin is Lady Musgrave Island.  Lady Musgrave Island is about 56 miles from Bundy – very narrow passage into the lagoon but well-marked.

We sailed up to Lady Musgrave in very light wind conditions hoping to catch a nice big fish – instead all we got was a frustrated booby who thought our lures were his dinner.  We left at the crack of dawn and arrived about 4:00 p.m. – just enough time for a quick dip!  Our grandson Brenton Millard was thrilled to see his first reef in the aqua blue tropical water along with a giant sea turtle that magically popped his head out of the water just as we were anchoring!  Both loggerhead and green turtles nest on Lady Musgrave Island.

Sunday, May 5, was a picture perfect day for snorkeling in the glassy 77 F degree water.  We joined Rutea and Galatea for a lovely snorkel on a couple of balmies (coral heads) filled with tropical fish and sea turtles.  Water clarity was awesome.  Later that afternoon, we did a dinghy float with Galatea (Dan and Hugh), Marieke (Swedish; Ingvar and Saeya), Rutea (Neil, Ruthie, Corie and friend Mary) and Lardo – we tied off to each other and floated into the sunset as we shared appetizers.

That night, the wind picked up.  The anchorage was too roily anchorage for a decent night sleep.  The following day, Monday, May 6, was too choppy to snorkel, but we did take the dinghy for a wet ride onto the island in about 20 to 25 knots of wind.  This small wooded island with lovely white beach is home to lots of noddy terns and shear water birds.

We looked at the weather gribs every day hoping for a break in the weather – it was pretty bleak in that the forecast was for strong winds all week.  So we all decided to remain in the anchorage on Tuesday.  We didn’t even accept a Mexican train dominoes challenge from Rutea after we witness Ingvar fall off his dinghy as he was entering from our boat in the choppy conditions.  Galatea took off but Rutea, Marieke and Lardo decided that we would all set sail to Cape Capricorn, Curtis Island on Wednesday, May 8.

Lady Musgrave Island with Brenton, Great Keppel Island, Footloose (Jon and Irina)