Coming home

We flew back to Rockhampton on Wednesday 22 August after Muriel's funeral, reprovisioned the next day and headed out of Rosslyn Bay Harbour for Sea Hill and the Narrows on Friday 24 August.  We got the top of the tide in The Narrows and continued through to Black Swan, just north of Gladstone. 

This was where we were fogged in on the way up.  High tide was at about 0900 the next morning and we planned to be through Gladstone Harbour while the tide was still going out.  That required a pre dawn start. We woke up at 0520, and we were fogged in yet again! 

  

Fortunately the fog started lifting and there was enough visibility to get away by 0625.  With all of the passenger and construction traffic in Gladstone Harbour, we needed to be seen and be able to see them.  By 1345 that day we were at anchor in Pancake Creek, our intended destination. 

As we intended to move the next day, we anchored in the outer anchorage. The leads and beacons into the creek are only lit at the entry to the creek.  It does not have a bar, so as long as we did not have a relatively strong wind against the tide, we could leave as early as we liked.  The destination was Burnett Heads - 67.2 nautical miles from anchorage to anchorage.  We left next morning at 0345.  This was Sunday 26 August and Burnett Heads was a long way away.  The wind was coming from where we wanted to go so it was a motoring day.  We used both motors for the whole trip and got into Burnett Heads at 1440. 

The weather report for Monday was for stronger wind on the nose again, so we had a rest day in the Burnett River that day and did the washing. 

On Tuesday the weather was forecast to be southerly and south-easterly supposedly going east to north-east in the afternoon.  We set off for Rooney’s Point on the inside top of Fraser Island.  It was a fabulous day for a sail and we sailed close hauled under main, headsail and staysail and ended up about 4 miles off the direct line route because we could not sail directly to where we wanted to go.  So, four miles out, we dropped the sails and motored in.  We were heading for the northern side of Rooney’s Point as the wind had stayed from the south east and this would give us a sheltered and quiet anchorage.  We were focussed on the depth as we crossed Ferguson Spit which has accreted north from Rooney’s Point.  Chris was on the helm and yelled, “What’s that – rocks?” and immediately turned away from the dark shapes in the shallow water.  “No, it’s whales!” Robyn eventually replied in what seemed like minutes.  Four hump back whales were cruising along the line between the deep water and the sand bank.  They completely ignored us and continued to cruise by.  The Wildlife Service warnings to Mariners tell us to keep 100 metres from whales, and do not approach them from directly in front or behind.  When they approach us, it sure gets the adrenaline going!  

Whales just playing about - tail flukes on the closer one

Rooney’s Point is magnificent.  The beach is long and the sand is a beautiful pale yellow. At night, the loom of Sandy Cape lighthouse is visible from the anchorage.  We had Rooney’s Point to ourselves. We registered another “next time” for a walk on the beach here too.  Come Wednesday, we were on the go early to see Wathumba Creek at low tide and then to Moon Point for the night.  The Fraser Island coast is really beautiful – as good as the top of Moreton Island only more remote and with far fewer boats. 

Rooneys Point

Maripi was again visited by whales when anchored at Wathumba Creek.  She was one of 3 boats “inspected” by a group of 4 whales.  One rolled over and swam on its back for a while.  It was all white underneath.  Two came back to have another look at Maripi and then they moved on.  That day any time we looked for whales we could see some.

Whales at Wathumba Creek

Whales off the stern of Maripi

At Moon Point we were back at the start of the mangrove ecosystem and moving away from the long sandy beaches.  In Great Sandy Straits, we were again working with the tides and rode the incoming tide to the cross over point at Moonboom Island and then the outgoing tide to Garry’s Anchorage.  The anchorage was rough in the northerlies, so rather than stay a few days there waiting for a favourable weather forecast to cross the Wide Bay Bar, we moved on to Kauri Creek the next day, Friday 31 August.  “Catalina”, a Rogers catamaran made the same decision and once in Kauri Creek we caught up for drinks that afternoon.  We knew many people in common and their visitors live a Scarborough.  “Mistweaver” is at Tin Can Bay, so we have talked to Dan on the radio.

Sunset at Kauri Creek

Houseboats at Kauri Creek

Father’s Day is our last day in Kauri Creek and we plan to head out of the creek and over the Wide Bay Bar on Monday morning’s high tide.  The wind and swell are favourable and we will stay in the lee of Double Island Point on Monday night.  We will set off early on Tuesday for Mooloolaba.  Then home on Wednesday.  The forecast is good to do this so maybe it will unfold as we plan!