Burnett River - Bundaberg

We are now anchored in the Burnett River, just outside Bundaberg on some swing moorings.

Taking advantage of walking the town - very busy, clean with great gardens and trimmed shrubs. 

The Bert Hinkler Aviation Museum is just amazing.  So well done depicting the feats of this very intelligent man.  We are anchored opposite the foundry where he first started work.  It is still going well. 

Looking down the Burnett River from the Bridge - we walked about 8 kms to see the Bert Hinkler Aviation Museum, including the house which he lived in in the UK.  Was pulled down, transported to Bundaberg and rebuilt. 

View when I went out to turn the gas on for a coffee at 6.30 am.  About 8 deg at night and warms to 23 during the day.

Opposite our mooring, see the wonderful purple bougainvillea?

Two rows of boats on swing moorings in the river

Sunrise over the Burnett River

For Adrian - carvings in wood

Ian and I both think that nothing could rival your wonderful wooden clocks Adrian.  Having said that, a wonderful local in Bundaberg took us to see:

Denizens of the Deep - magnificent wood carvings that bring the ocean to life.

Arthur Henry (Nobby) Clark started this when retired.  He is over 80 now.

Look at the details in these carvings, wonderful depiction of an underwater scene (blue glass behind)

Carved from Mango and Hook Pine Timbers

Not a good photo, however it shows the detail and huge collection.

Sting rays in foreground!

12 August Pancake Creek to Burnett River (Bundaberg)

After listening to the weather reports we thought we would leave Pancake on 11 August, however as soon as we got out of the creek we hit a 30 knot headwind and decided that we didn't want to bash into it for 10 hours.  So popped back into the creek.

Ian made the right decision as Sunday proved to be the best we could ask considering the prevailing southerly winds.  We did have a southerly on our nose all day however it was pretty light mostly and we managed to make it into the Burnett River just on sunset.

So we are staying here until the end of the month when my sister Neroli is joining us for a sail through the Hervey Bay to Great Sandy Straits (Frazer Island) and Tin Can Bay.

Bert Hinkler was born in Bundaberg.  We bought the new book about him from an ABC shop in Yeppoon.  Ian is thoroughly enjoying the book.  Great buy if you are interested in aviation.

So we can be tourists for a while and explore the area.

6 August - Mackay to Yeppoon - 26 hours nonstop then onto Pancake Creek

We were not aiming for Yeppoon or Rosslyn Bay near the Keppel Islands.  :)

Departed Mackay Marina at 0515 aiming to reach the Percy Islands which are a popular anchorage (although not always comfortable) on the sail north.

Saw lots of whales today - mothers with their little ones and others playing and breaching in the distance.  One mother was very close to us - we didn't seem to worry her at all.  We are very glad that whales are not aggressive - they really are a very impressive size, especially when you are close in a boat.

South Percy Island was abeam at 1500.  The weather was so calm and waters glassed over so Ian said we need to keep going.  Aimed for Port Clinton.  However we were off Port Clinton at midnight and decided to keep aiming for Rosslyn Bay (Yeppoon which isn't too far from inland Rockhampton).

0730 found us through all the shoals and anchored in very calm waters off Rosslyn Bay.  We slept for about four hours and then popped into the Keppel Bay Marina (Rosslyn Bay not on the Keppel Islands).

Would have loved to catch up with my cousin Anthony and family who live near Rockhampton.  However we didn't think this weather window would last, so felt we had to keep going. As it turned out it was the right decision.

0200 saw us quietly motoring out of the marina - and would you believe another boat was entering!!  On the wrong side as he undoubtedly thought no one else would be awake at that hour.  :(

Motoring past Cape Capricorn at 0730.  Look on the top of the bare headland for the lighthouse.  See photo below.  How would you like to live here - very bare and picturesque?

We made very good headway, beautiful scenery past Cape Capricorn (didn't want to stay there again as we had a very rolly night on the way north, with bullets of wind shooting off the mountain and waking us up all night.)

See the Lighthouse on the cape?  Anchorage is around the other side - very small so only a couple of boats can fit in here.  We had a very rolly night here while travelling north.  The lighthouse is serviced by a fast catamaran these days.  I have previous photos of this on blog however not at this angle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We motored on enjoying the flat quiet sea conditions (If we had to motor that is.  The sailor in Ian really hates motoring and it is far noisier too).  We had our headsail and mainsail up for some of the day until the breeze was on our nose.  The sails did add a few knots to our speed which was great.  Even half a knot is celebrated. 

Anchored in Pancake Creek at 1415 which was great - we had motored for twelve hours and taken advantage of the tides and early flat conditions.  Just about 30 minutes out of Pancake Creek a westerly sea breeze came up and pushed us into the creek.

When you look into Pancake Creek from the sea it looks like a really large wide bay.   However, thank goodness for chart plotters and depth sounders.  Sand banks abound and the creek up which boats can travel is fairly (well very) limited.  It is well marked with buoys etc.

Conditions were a bit rough and rolly in the mouth of the creek so we continued down where lots of other boats where anchored.  It was lovely and calm here with only a little rocking when the tide and wind were opposed.

4 August Newry to Mackay

Well we did manage to do a little sailing today,  Left Newry at 0645 with a light westerly.  Eventually had  to drop the headsail and motor into Mackay.

Arrived at the Mackay Marina at 1115.  Pat and Chris Frahm came out for dinner with us on the windChalmer and they brought Neil Saville.  So it was great to catch up with school friends again.

Weather absolutely amazingly calm so we know we have to bite the bullet and make as much headway south as possible while this weather lasts.

3 August 2012 - Shaw Island to Newry on Mainland

We have now left the Whitsundays and are heading home.  Everyone has told us that we are going at the wrong time and won't get winds in the right direction. So we know our motor is going to get a workout.

I know that I have always loved the Family Planning motto:

Hope is not a method :)

Sailing has a lot to do with hope re the weather.  And listening to the weather reports each night.

Up anchored at 0645 from Shaw Island again to catch the tide which would add one to two knots to our speed.    We motored all the way with tides enabling us well.  So it was well worth the early start. 

Arrived at Outer Newry Island, just off the QLD coast at 1030.  Very pretty area.  An excellent beach at an abandoned resort which the National Parks now maintains for camping holidays. 

Pretty Outer Newry Island - anchored with one other yacht.  We saw no signs of life whatsoever on this other yacht!!  Bit eerie. Very quiet anchor, wouldn't know you were on a yacht.  More like a marina tie up.

What would you name this island?  Well it is called Wedding Cake Is!

Looking at our anchorage from the Newry Island, off the mainland. 

Ian walking on beach Newry Island

Wow, what an interesting rock on the beach at Newry Island.

Posing for a pic LOL

Said we wouldn't take anymore sunset photos, but the colours really get us in.

Coming into Newry from Shaw Island - great views of distant peaks.

Climbing Whitsunday Summit - 1 August

We didn't want to leave the Whitsundays without revisiting Cid Harbour and climbing the Whitsunday Summit.

We are now anchored off Outer Newry Island after travelling from Cid to Shaw Island (one night) and then to Outer Newry.  It is a smashingly beautiful day and lovely and quiet here.  Ian is out trolling the reef to see if he can catch fish.

What do you think of these views?

We motored  past Hamilton on Starboard and here on the Port side was Whitsunday Summit - it was 5.30 am.  We motored as the predicted wind was on our nose and we wanted to get advantage of the tide which would give us another 2 knots.  Was very rough through this passage, but we certainly got the extra knots and were anchored off Shaw Island at 9.am!  So enjoyed the lovely views here for the day.  We spent so much time here in the rain, that it was great to see the views in the sunshine.

Jan will enjoy this view, we were anchored below here right to the left.  This is Dugong Bay.

Cid Island in immediate foreground and you can see North and South Molle in the center, Shute Harbour would be back to left.

Dugong Bay yet again.

Gulnare Inlet with Yachts anchored - too shallow for us.  Then Hamilton Island - with the Buildings.  To the right of Hamilton is Dent Island, with Dent Passage in between.  We sailed down dent passage to get into Hamilton Island Marina to pick up Jan.

Hamilton to the right, then Pentecost with the very large granite rock, Lindeman behind this and then the long island in the distance is Shaw. 

The white strip on the left is Hill Inlet (where we took the photo of the most beautiful view in the world :)  )

National Parks have made a really good track up the Whitsunday Summit

Robyn had to stop for a huff, puff and sip of water stop every 15 minutes, very steep and the steps were made for 6' 6" people

National Parks have lots of good camping spots around the islands.