Great Keppel and the Whitsundays

After leaving Lady Musgrave we headed to the beautiful Whitsundays. There has been strong wind warnings of up to 30knots but we haven't really felt it. We know that we won't have any Internet or phone service for at least a week maybe more so this post will be quite long while we try to catch up.

We made a few stops along the way Great Keppel Island which is popular with boaties. It is a beautiful Island with nice beaches. It was a rollie anchorage which meant not a great sleep at night but there has been worse. We went for a walk to the resort along the beach and planned to come back over the top of the island. There were so many butterflies on the beach, they even came out the boat and further out to sea.

Ian on our way to the resort.

Along the beach and over the rocks almost there 

Last time we were here the boys were trying to get coconuts open and the same was done this time. Ian had a go of trying to juggle a few coconuts which wasn't successful. Daniel and Ian both husked a coconut with the aid of a log.

Busy bees getting coconuts open

The resort has closed down so there was no swim in the pool which Amy was disappointed in. There is supposed to be a new resort going to be built with a marina, airstrip, golf course and everything else that goes with a 600 million up grade. We walked back over the island and Amy carried a coconut the whole way so she could paint up when we got back to the boat. There are still wild goats here which we saw in the afternoon while walking on the beach and Daniel was finding baby sole fish on the edge of the shore line. The fish are smaller in length than his thumb.

Pearl Bay was our next stop after grabbing groceries near Yeppoon. It was getting late when we arrived just enough time to drop anchor with some daylight to see what we were doing. Another rollie anchorage. Daniel went fishing for squid as we thought they may like the calmer waters of the bay to the rough sea. What he found was sharks. Only bay sharks so Ian and Daniel both ended up catching sharks and then let them go.

Both boys excited about landing a shark and a  quick photo before throwing it back. Watch out for the teeth!!

Pearl Bay is only accessible by sea and the defence forces use this area for training there is a sign on the beach warning people not to go into the bush.

Not going in there

Amy collecting some interesting shells.

Time to move around the corner to Island Head Creek and get a better nights sleep. This anchorage is well protected even in really bad weather if you go far enough up the creek. We stayed ear the entrance as we are heading of in the morning.

Daniel wanted to get yabbies but we didn’t find any holes but we did see heaps of soldier crabs. We also found piles of sand that Daniel said looked like piles of poo. He tried to dig the animal that made them out but had no luck even when he dug a huge hole that ended up being a quick sand puddle that Amy played in.

Amy getting dirty in the bog hole Daniel made while trying to find out make piles of sand
 

On to Percy Island

We went ashore and had a look for our boat sign that we left there in 2007 in the shed provided. I found it straight away, Ian couldn’t remember where we left it. The sign had faded heaps in that time and we were going to update it but Ian said that we would do it in the morning before we leave.

The shed which houses hundreds of boat names in it.



Refreshing and updating the sign. Amy's waiting for her turn patiently.

Update of another few years, who knows when we will be back.

Scawfell Island was a stop over while moving further into the Whitsundays. We did end up going ashore for a look around when there was a break in the weather. We had to be careful of all the oyster shells on the beach as to not damage the dingy or our feet.  The beach itself is not a very nice beach. It did  drizzle again while we were ashore but it didn’t worry us too much. We walked along a creek and back to the beach.

Brampton Island was the next stop, we got in as the sun was setting so we could see as we dropped anchor. We managed to be able to sail all the way here which is great. We didn’t bother trying to go ashore this night, we just played games with the kids. The weather is still rainy periods but we seem to have been able to avoid most of it which lucky.

The railway tracks that were in use last time we were here to get things from the jetty to the resort are no longer in use and the grass and weeds have overtaken it all. We didn’t go to far only to have a look at the sign. There are heaps of blue tiger butterflies here. We took over the snorkeling things so we have a look around under the jetty but didn’t stay in the water for very long as the water we really murky and Daniel got stung by something.

 

On the jetty at Brampton Island

We left Brampton Island and headed to White Haven Beach. It is windy with winds 20-25knots. The sea is swelling of 1-1.5m and steep in some places which did get uncomfortable at times. We must be getting better at securing things in the boat and not much stuff went anywhere.

We decided to go around one Island instead of through a passage as the notes in 100 magic miles cruising says it can be scary and really uncomfortable in the conditions and tides as they were. It wasn’t very comfortable going around the outside either. We arrived at White Haven Beach just as it was getting dark there are 2 other boats here. The last time we were here there was heaps of boats but it wasn’t windy like this.

Beautiful White Haven Beach

We went for a walk up the circuit walk is about 1km return. It was a really nice walk with good views at the lookout area at the top. We didn’t wear shoes and the walking track was nice and soft underfoot with the sand and dead vegetation.

At the top of the lookout



View from the top of the lookout.



Company for lunch, there were 6-8 around the picnic area

Enjoying a quite moment

We headed to Border Island for a snorkel. Daniel had the job of skippering the boat today so he and Ian changed roles, Daniel had to plan all routes and was to look out for other boats etc, Ian was having fun asking if he could play his game or back to bed because he was tired just like Daniel would do. We managed to pick up a public mooring instead of anchoring which makes life easier, but you can only stay on the mooring for 2 hours at a time. The water is quite cloudy and in some areas there is good snorkeling. We all swam from the boat to begin with but ended up going back for the dingy to get to the other side of the bay.

Amy having a look around

Daniel frightening the little fish

We then headed to Maureen’s Bay near Butterfly Bay we are the only ones here for a while then a tour boat came in with a few snorkels. We swam across to reef for a look  around, the water here is clearer but still murky. The kids were having fun swimming under the keel  while we were waiting for Ian to get ready.

Amy swimming under the keel

 

The reef

After dinner Amy was looking over the side of the boat and saw 2 big fish swimming around we got the flood light out and discovered that the big angel style fish love corned silver side and bread. There was also a lot of smaller fish swimming around.

 

Manta Ray Bay, isn’t very far from Maureen Bay and only took about 20mins. We have seen hump headed wrasse when we were here in 2007.

We didn’t see any hump headed wrasse but did see what looked like a big black tuna thing and some sort of trevally. Amy, Daniel and I got into the water at the first mooring where the tuna fish was while Ian saw content to stay on deck and take pictures. Daniel even had a few of the Angel fish eating out of his hand.

A big fish

The kids and I having a great time swimming with the fish

Daniel touched it.

We moved to the second mooring in Manta Ray Bay where the trevally fish was which wasn’t very far. We were hoping to see the wrasse but it was not to be. Daniel didn’t want to get in this time, he was more than happy throwing spam into the water around us and scaring the life out of Amy and I when the fish came so close they touched us. Ian was also feeding them but did come into the water for a really quick look but didn’t venture away from the duck board ladder.

He looks mean



This was one mean looking fish and a bit scary to start with, it wasn't bothered by us at all.

We headed to Airlie Beach as there was a strong wind warning issued with 30knot winds this afternoon. We had a swim in the lagoon on the foreshore, the water is cool and Ian only went in for a little while, only long enough to get wet. Daniel and Amy were having a great time playing around and diving for a hair clip.

Daniel and Amy cooling off

While at Airlie Beach we did some shopping and went for a walk along the foreshore. A man who was running a tour boat we met at Maureens cove told us that over 50 boats have been lost at Airlie in the past 3 years due to bad weather. We saw a total of 4, 2 on different beaches, 1 on a rock wall and 1 sunk next to a rock wall. It a reminder that mother nature can be cruel and have no mercy.