As I indicated in the last post, this next section of the trip up the east coast, was to involve a fair degree of island hopping, and this has gone more or less according to plan. We left Port Bundaberg and day sailed to Pancake Creek- a pretty little spot where we walked up to the Bustard Head lighthouse and enjoyed some spectacular views.

From there, the plan was to head to Great Keppel Island, but the weather was not looking conducive and a fairly windy few days was coming up so we took the safe option of Keppel Bay Marina in Rosslyn Bay (just south of Yeppoon).  While this meant that we missed Great Keppel, the stop here brought quite a number of advantages. We caught up with Garry and Nat, yachting friends of our very good friends David and Leonie. In addition to a couple of very pleasant evenings together, Garry and Phil completed a couple of boat projects which have since made a few things (anchoring and fishing) much easier, and safer (new boom brake). Garry was kind enough to lend Phil some tools and also helped with contacts and transport. We also met couples (one English and the other Dutch) from two other boats doing the Indonesian rally who were also taking shelter in the marina. The guy from the English boat (Chris) turned out to know a bit about HF radios and sailmail and was able to adjust a few settings for us which has greatly improved our transmission. We also practiced using the digital calling function on our new VHF radio, so we are feeling a bit more confident about that.

After a week at Rosslyn Bay (which was actually a very nice marina to be stuck in), we set off to resume (or rather start) the island hopping. First stop was Middle Percy Island (via Port Clinton for a night) which is somewhat of a mecca for yachties. This island has an A frame hut in which hundreds of boats have left momentoes over many years, although somewhat re-arranged in the last cyclone. The hut is surrounded by coconut palms and so on approach it is very reminiscent of Gilligan’s Island. There are two couples living on the island and while it sounds idyllic, it would not be my cup of tea- more like camping than living in regular houses, certainly for the one couple that we chatted to. The island is overrun by regular black ants – and I mean overrun – you can’t stand still too long otherwise they are tickling your feet and legs! At least they don’t bite. There is often a communal BBQ/cook up in the evening, but the night we were there was raining and a bit miserable so we had drinks with the Dutch couple we had met in Rosslyn Bay instead.

We then moved on to Scawfell Island which was not on our original plan, but was highly recommended by Garry and it certainly did not disappoint. The sail to there was just about perfect and we arrived at dusk. The island is crescent shaped and provides good protection from the prevailing south-easterlies. We had two perfect nights and a glorious day there, having our first swim, and a walk on the pretty beach. The first night saw us in the cockpit enjoying our sundowners, watching the sunset and the night sky appear over very calm waters.

One of the things that is most difficult to convey in writing is the actual experience of sailing and cruising – the precious moments in time when conditions are favourable and we voyagers are transported to a magical state of mind by the closeness of nature. The bliss of a remote anchorage, a perfect balmy evening, a gently rocking boat, millions of stars, and a special person to share it with. The joy of flat seas, a decent breeze, blue skies, and the sudden appearance of dolphins at the bow.  The closeness of sitting together on the side of the boat watching an island gradually appear and come into sharp relief as it gets closer and brings the prospect of a secure night in a pretty spot and a new location to explore.  The peace that comes with having the time to pay close attention to the world around you -the way a certain cloud hangs above a rocky island, the dipping and soaring of birds, the sounds of dugongs and turtles coming up for air near the boat, the changing colour of the ocean, the bird calls at sunrise and sunset, the phases of the moon, the night sky. We have certainly been enjoying these things over the last little while.

After Scawfell, we had a brisk day sail north to Brampton Island, where we sat out a few days of wind. The resort at Brampton has been closed since 2011. Apparently, it was doing poorly prior to the cyclone which finished it off, although none of the buildings were damaged. The whole thing is still there- all the buildings, the rooms with beds, air con units, coffee makers, TVs, the outdoor furniture, and the small sailing dinghies. It is like a ghost town. I don’t understand why it has all been left to just sit there- all of that stuff could have been sold off but none of it will be any good now. The current owner apparently has plans to demolish it and build a very small exclusive 7 star eco-resort. It certainly is in a very beautiful location. The rest of the island is national park and has some lovely bushwalks which we enjoyed over the couple of days we were there. We did have one fairly miserable weather day when we didn’t leave the boat and so busied ourselves cooking, washing, cleaning, fishing, and doing our Indonesian visa application forms.

After a last very roly night in Brampton, we moved on to Cid Harbour, on the western side of Whitsunday Island and so this sail took us into the Whitsundays proper. It started out as a very uncomfortable sail due to the waves having been whipped up by a few days of wind, but soon settled into a lovely afternoon sail. We have been to Cid Harbour before, many years ago when we chartered a boat up here with our good friends David and Leonie. We loved it then, and are loving it again now.