Pancake Creek

We had a few more days at 1770. We walked to Round Hill Head on Thursday. The wind was quite gusty and the strong wind warning stayed in place for four days.

Round Hill Head and Light

The entrance green marker to Round Hill Creek. Note the close sandbanks

 We also walked at low tide on the sand banks around where Maripi was anchored. We had lots of rain on Saturday (60mm) but not as much as Brisbane.

VMR Round Hill's primary vessel

Maripi and Mini Maripi upstream in Round Hill Creek

Sandbanks at low tide

Swallows on the life lines

At 0630 hours on Sunday we up anchored for the 15 nm journey to Pancake Creek. The swell was still quite big after the strong SE winds. The forecast wind of  15-20 knots on the beam did not happen. The wind was light and variable from just about every point of the compass. So we motored. We passed Bustard Head lighthouse around 0900.

Bustard Head and lighthouse

Pancake Creek

Clews Point came into view and we rounded the headland to enter Pancake Creek. Pancake Creek does not have a bar and has relatively deep water. We anchored opposite the sandy beach and later that day, at low tide, rowed ashore to explore. We wanted to find the track up to Bustard Head lighthouse and after some bush bashing we did.

On Monday we packed the backpack and headed off.

Off to the Lighthouse

The Track

Bustard Head Lighthouse

This month's volunteer caretakers - John and Jenny from Townsville

Bustard Bay with 1770 in distance from Jenny Lind Creek lookout

Tuesday was washing day. We had a cup of coffee on board Mistweaver, a 12.5 metre Spindrift with Dan and Peter. In this small world, Dan knows Ron from Robyn's team in Coast Guard.

Mistweaver

Wednesday was a clear sunny day which started off really cold due to the fresh SW winds. Mid morning, they dropped out and it became a beautiful Queensland winter day.  We walked to Pancake Creek entrance, then Aircraft Beach and Clews Point Light. On Aircraft Beach a Cessna 172 delivers backpackers  to a bush camp site on the beach. It is amazing watching the plane take off and land on the beach.

Pancake Creek entrance

Robyn on a swing at the Pancake Creek camp site

Aircraft Beach

Interesting rock formations

Clews Point light

Bustard Head and Aircraft Beach from Clews Point

Cessna 172 landing on Aircraft Beach

We returned back to Maripi after walking 8.5kms in 4.5 hours. The sunset over Rodds Peninsula was spectacular and we viewed it from the deck chairs on the bow. 

Sunset over Rodds Peninsula

Sunset view from galley windows

On Thursday, we are off to Turkey Beach, a short sail of around 15nms.