Big sand hills and big fish

We left Brisbane on Tuesday and spent the first night at an anchorage called Big Sandhills on Moreton Island. Here there is a massive natural sand blow. The following morning we all climbed the sand hill and the kids took their boards to slide down. There was many fine crashes but no one was hurt too much.

. Those dots are us sliding down and climbing up.

Then we were off to Tangalooma, about 8 miles further north on Moreton Island. Here there are 15 wrecks that have been sunk to form an anchorage. There is lots of fish to been seen when you snorkel around them and there is also big sand hills. Amy made friends with a boy from Holland, they are spending the cyclone season in Brisbane and we met up with them again here.

. About to eat lots of sand, and below are some of the wrecks

From Tangalooma it was a days sail to Moolooaba. We dropped anchor the first night but as the tide swung we found ourselves about 10 feet from another boat. There was no where else to anchor so we grabbed a berth at Lawries Marina for 3 nights. This is the first walk on berth since Yamba at the beginning of the trip. We took advantage of the close proximity to shopping and stocked up.

. Michael caught this nice Spotted Mackeral just out of Tangalooma

This morning we made our way to Double Island Point, which is a head land that gives some protection until we cross the wide bay bar, then the inside of Frazer Island. We had a great sail, motoring for about 2 hours until the winds picked up. We had the lure out and something big grabbed it because the line broke. It was my $20 lure, I didn't want to use it at first as i thought it was too expensive to loose. We then used a cheap lure and didn't think we had much of a chance but shortly after Daniel reeled in a 45 cm Mackeral Tuna. He was pretty pleased that his was bigger than Michael's. It had a dark flesh and we didn't find it a very nice table fish. A couple of hours later, not to be out done by the boys Kathleen brang in a whopping 100cm Spanish Mackeral. A fine eating species that feed us tonight and probably another 2 nights.

, Daniel pleased with his efforts

. What a beauty and what a day

Brisbane

We left Tippler's and moved slowly up through the Bay Islands. We anchored off Russell Island for a couple of days and visited some of the smaller Islands in the dingy through out the day. It was quote busy at some of the anchorages with the long weekend and a yatch club going to one of the places we stayed at off Russell Island. We had to have Easter late with the kids as we couldn't get any eggs for the Easter Bunny to deliver on Russell Island. We ended having Easter in Brisbane.


We didn't plan on going to Brisbane, we were going to go to Moreton Island but the anchorage that we were going to didn't offer any protection in the southerlies that were blowing. That's why we ended up here. We are currently tied up next to the Botanical Gardens at Garden Point between a couple of pilers. There is all facilities of a marina but at a much better rate, $50 a week, right in the centre of the city

While we have been here we have done most of the tourist things like visiting the museum, the Maritime museum, art galleries and have been to Southbank where there is a great park for the kids,a beach with a pool and a water play park. We plan on leaving here on Tuesday and heading to some big sand dunes on Moreton Island and then a little further up to Tangalooma where there some sunken wrecks where artifical reefs and a anchorage for boats.










Left - Southbank, there is a hugh public pool and water
playground here.

Right - Botanical gardens, Brisbane.

Happy Birthday Kathleen

Fourteen years ago today Wendy & I were doing laps of John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle trying to bring on the birth of Kathleen after Wendy's waters broke the night before. Now 14 years later she is a beatiful and clever young lady who puts too much toilet paper in the head and blocks it up, then I have to unblock it and get covered in it!

We have had a busy few days this week. On Wednesday John, Jan & Mechelle(John's Daughter) & her 4 month old twins came up for a visit. We had a cuppa on the boat and then went over to the park and had lunch. It was good to see them all again as its been a while since we last saw them.

Michael, John, Charlotte, Harrison, Ian, Middy, Kathleen, Amy & Wendy at the park on the waterfront. We have spent a bit of time here with the kids. .

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The next day we caught the bus to movieworld, which is a theme park with rides and shows etc. Everyone had a good time and there was hardly any crowds as it was mid week and no school holidays, so there was only a couple of minutes to wait to go on the attractions.

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Amy hated this ride, too scarry.

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The following day we walked over to the chanderly to pick up the exhaust part that split on the way from Ballina. We fitted that and left for Tipplers Resort on South Stradbroke Island. We arrived just before dark and had trouble finding a place to anchor as it was packed with houseboats and powerboats dropping anchor in the channel. We ended up finding a little hole close to the resort after sending the kids ahead in the dingy and the portable depth sounder. We went over to the hotel in the resort and there was live music and Toad races. 8 cane toads(which are an introduced pest here) were painted with numbers and people could bid to buy a toad. The first three toads that crossed the line earnt their owners the pool. Some of the faster toads went to $100 and none went below $50. The winner picked up over $300.

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Cane toad races at Tipplers