Exploring Mackay ..still here!

Still at Mackay Marina the weather has blown up and we are still here but hope to leave to explore the start of the whitsundays. The marina has changed as when we were here last time there was no marina or high rise. Great meals and icecream!
Mackay is located approximately halfway between Brisbane and Cairns, Mackay has all the appeal of a Queensland country town, with all the features of a regional centre.
It has been a geat stay and worhtwhile to have a click on the website and have a look aound.

Day 52 Digby Island to Mackay

The day was a good sail with 25 sw winds and wind chop to 2 metres. We averaged 7 knots and got to the marina ahead of schedule. We will have a few days rest before heading off to the Whitsundays.

Percy Islands to Digby Island

Finally headed off from the Percys a very special place. The weather was Ok with 25 knots sw and 2 metre swell but we aveaged vey good time and spent the afternoon exploing the island. Looking foward to getting into poet tomorrow!!

Peal Bay to Percy Islands

Percy Islands is known world wide by yachtsmen and women for its safe anchorages off some of Queensland's most rugged coastline. As if caught in a time capsule, Middle Percy has retained all of her natural beauty and aura. Ancient relics of her colourful history nestle quietly on her 5000 acres of remote pristine paradise. Her future is in good hands as plans have been laid to preserve and restore her unique beauty. The Island has been successfully nominated by "Friends of Percy Island," for heritage listing.

Fo more infomation you can go to this website

Port Clinton to Pearl Bay

A quick sale up to Peal Bay and had a wondeful day sunning ouselves and walking along the very extensive beach. A vey relaxing Day!!

Roslyn Bay to Port Clinton

Went off sailing on Amy's bithday and ended up at a great place called Pot Clinton.
Port Clinton is located in east Queensland. Port Clinton opens out into the Coral Sea which is part of the South Pacific Ocean. The three nearest beaches to Port Clinton are Five Rocks Beach, Nine Mile Beach and Farnborough Beach.
We had dinks and celebration and celebated the 21st Birthday! Photos to follow!!

Happy 21st Amy!!

Amy's 21st Birthday! How nice to have the whole family together for a special event!!

Day 43 Great Keppel Island to Roslyn Bay Yepoon

Today we went to the mainland to stock up fo the next pat of the jouney which will take us to the Whitsundays. The expected stops will be Port Clinton, Peal Bay, The Percy Islands and then the bottom of the Whitsundays. Reception will be poor so not sure when we will be able to blog again but we will see how we go!
Tonight we had a dinner for Amy's 21st which is tomorrow and lost of people came and celebrated with us!! Will post a photo soon!

We are also saving up our moments of the week as we have limited power over the past few weeks....but we have some good ones already but there will be more.!!
Bye for now!

Day 40 Yellow Patch to Great Keppel Island

Although it was only a short sail the wind blew up with gusts up to 40 knots. We vey glad to get into a sheltered anchorage at Great Keppel. Here is a picture.

Great Keppel Island is one of those undiscovered treasures sitting amidst a group of National Park islands off the Capricorn Coast. It lies 15 kilometres across Keppel Bay from the town of Yeppoon; 45 kilometres from Rockhampton, the closest major city - halfway between Fraser Island in Hervey Bay and the Whitsunday Islands near Airlie Beach. Ashore the unspoilt bushland is surrounded by 17 pristine, white sand beaches, private coves, and pockets of fringing reef excellent for snorkelling and diving. Ninety percent of the Island is bushland.

We had a great few days exploring the island!

Day 39 Pancake Creek to Yellow Patch

Well can you believe it we found another great place today! Yellow Patch! We all climbed to the vey top of this sand dune which was serious climbing. Even Maxie and Coco managed it. But that was the easy part coming down was a little bit tricky as well. Wondeful place and sunset!

Day 38 Seventeen Seventy to Pancake Ceek

Set sail today as Luke (Amy's Boyfiend) is arriving Satuday at Yeppoon. Anchoed up in one of the most best anchorages so far. Here are some photos (Thanks Mick !)

Day 37 Bundaberg to 1770

Left today and had a good sail to Seventeen Seventy.

Seventeen Seventy is a small seaside resort noted for its pleasant beaches and good fishing. It is located 501 km north of Brisbane between Gladstone in the north and Bundaberg to the south-east. The most common access is via Miriam Vale which lies on the Bruce Highway, 63 km to the west-south-west of Seventeen Seventy. This road takes you straight through Agnes Water which is 6 km south of Seventeen Seventy. The road is sealed all the way from Miriam Vale except for approximately 2.2 km. It is sealed all the way from Bundaberg. Deepwater National Park, Eurimbula National Park and Round Hill Head are nearby.
On Wednesday 24 May 1770, Lieutenant James Cook anchored the Endeavour about 3 km off this part of the coast. The ship was 32 metres by 9 metres and weighed 374 tonnes. Provisions included 81 tonnes of water, 9.64 tonnes of bread in bags, 5460 litres of beer in puncheons, 4000 pieces of beef and 1.13 tonnes of raisins. Cook went ashore near Round Hill Head with botanist Joseph Banks and his assistant Daniel Solander. It was only the second time during the voyage that he had set foot on Australian soil and his first venture on dry land at what is now called Queensland. The party landed within the south point of the bay where they found a channel leading into a large lagoon. Cook wrote: 'In this place there is room for a few ships to lie in great security, and a small stream of fresh water'.

Unfotunately we are having a few issues with the camera so camera shots will be limited.

Day 36 Jim's Birthday

The weather ended up being very overcast so we decided to spend the day at Bundaberg.

It was Jim's Birthday today! 19 years old!! Happy Birthday Jim!

Jim went off to the Bundy Factory and then off to dinner with a few friends!

Day 31 - 34 Bundaberg

Arrived at Bundaberg Port Marina (click on location to see where we are now) late Friday afternoon after a very calm sail so was very relaxing. A strong wind warning has been in place for the past few days so have been have been restocking the boat and catching up on the washing! How wonderful to be able to stand in the shower for those extra minutes. Ah the little things are certainly most appreciated! We went to the Shalom Markets on Sunday and managed to get the molst incredible fruit and vegetables for the most wonderful prices. For example 5 huge avocados for $1, tomatoes(yes the ones with real taste) 70c a kilo, whole pumpkins $1, larghe pink lady apples 50 cents a kilo. We were able to stock up on fuit and vegetables for about $10! Incredible!

For a great site on Bundaberg Click Here we are now at the beginning of the Great Barrier Reef!

We are hoping for the sun to come out tomorrow and we will head north to Pancake Creek. We were going out to Lady Musgrave but it is still blowing 20- 25 knots southerly so we might pick up this lovely coral cay on the way back home! Dave and I went out last time in our boat and is certainly something to see.

Well we will see how the weather is but looking forward to moving on tomorrow.

Award winning moments week 5

Luckiest break: Finding pool noodles (the ones you can float on) for only $1.89 (its a shame we had already bought some for around $8/each) - it pays to shop around, particularly given that we have seen them for almost $20/each!

Most random item: A huge blow-up killer whale (a toy for a swimming pool) that was holding up a TV satellite in Urunga on Fraser Island - rare!

Favourite Meal: The delicious bream fish caught by Mick on Fraser Island, or the meal at Bundaberg Marina Restaurant (and their famous Mars Bar cheesecake for dessert.)

Funniest moment: The two dogs have been doing the "Houdini" disappearing act all day today! They were locked in the boat securely, yet every time we returned they would be on deck! Mindboggling! Looking all over the boat, we found that a small hatch was slightly open at the foot of Jim's bed. The effects of Gary's anchorage strict food rashins has even made the dogs slim down haha!

Blonde moment: Again playing Trivial Pursuit, and again, to do with Amy. When asked which boxer knocked out Lennox Lewis in a boxing title match in 1999, after several guesses, her final answer was 'Lennox Lewis.' Sigh. And for the record, Lennox Lewis, surprisingly, did not knock himself out in that particular title bout. CLASSIC!

Most painful experience: Watching a yacht on Fraser Island misjudge the tide, and end up inevitably on its side on the beach.

Number of hours of TV watched: 3 hours, Friday Night Football (go the Dragons and the Rabbitohs!)

Favourite place: Kingfisher Resort, and all the luxuries that come from being a day guest there provides !
And also because the sun finally came out there after more than a week of clouds and rain.

Least favourite place or activity: Gary's Anchorage, and only because we were waiting for the storm to pass....although now we are back in a marina, doing the washing is probably a close second.


Skills learnt:

Jim: Jim has learnt that fraser island is the biggest sand island in the world, much bigger than stradbroke! Also, cottee's cordial is so much better than golden circle (had golden circle for the first time)

Amy: That Fraser Island is not spelt with an 'i' (as in 'Frasier' Island) and that she has limited knowledge of boxing champions (see her blonde moment above.)

Dave: To carry more water onboard, every drop counts!

Jo: Has now learnt (officially) how to make toast in the oven, and how to ration food supplies.


Feel good moment of the week: The sun coming out at Kingfisher Resort, Fraser Island.


Lesson of the week: You can never have too much food, and for the record, less is not necessarily more!

Plan for the week: Off to Lady Musgrave this week, weather permitting, and to reach Great Keppell Island by Saturday 14th June, how exciting, snorkelling and wind-surfing here we come!

Day 30 Finally moving onto Kingfisher Bay Resort

After being at Garry's Anchorage for well over a week the weather finally changed and we were able to move on!! Yeah!! We moved up the Sandy Straits a bit further to a great place called Kingfisher Bay Resort (click on the link and you can see an interactive map of Fraser Island) or you can view our trip journal to get a better idea of where we are.

So what have we been doing the past few days?

Drinking cocktails, clebrating birthdays (Happy Birthday Tania) hired a four wheel drive and drove around Fraser Island..what a truly amazing place, we lay around the pool, played table tennis and had some very hot showers. (Haven't had this opportunity for quite a while)

We partied with friends with a special mention for Mick catching 7 fish with combined weight of about 5 kilos. Yeah Mick! We also came across a boat who anchored too close to the shore and was left high and dry. There are very high tides (about 4 metres at the moment) and the current is very strong. They managed to float again at the next high tide

Headed off to day to Ferguson Spit and then on Friday off to Burnett Heads to restock and do some washing