Calendar


Trip Diary

08-2012 Peel Island (An Ekka tradition)
08-2012 Moreton Island
07-2012 Rocky Point
06-2012 Blakesleys
06-2012 The Bedroom
05-2012 Breakfast on Karragarra
05-2012 St Helena
05-2012 Perigee Bedroom
02-2012 Queen Mary II
02-2012 Mud Island
11-2011 St Helena
11-2011 Shorncliffe to Redcliffe
10-2011 Weinam Ck to Dunwich
10-2011 Peel Island
10-2011 Breakfast on Karragarra
10-2011 St Helena and Green Island
09-2011 Wivenhoe Dam
08-2011 Fraser Island
08-2011 Canaipa Passage
08-2011 Karragarra
08-2011 Stradbroke Island
07-2011 St Helena
07-2011 So long, and thanks for all the fish.
05-2011 Green Island
05-2011 Wivenhoe Dam
04-2011 Upper Noosa River Weekend
04-2011 Easter at Woodgate
04-2011 Mud Island
04-2011 Karragarra for Breakfast
02-2011 Bongaree
02-2011 St Helena
01-2011 Weinam Ck to Blakesleys
10-2010 Moore to Blackbutt Rail Trail
10-2010 Whitsundays
09-2010 Mud Island
09-2010 Redcliffe
09-2010 Girraween
08-2010 Upper Noosa River
08-2010 Potts Point
08-2010 Peel Island
08-2010 Gateway to City Bike Ride
08-2010 Mud Island
07-2010 Blakesleys Afternoon Paddle
07-2010 Kedron Brook to Scaborough (and return)
04-2010 Colmslie Beach
04-2010 Brighton Park
01-2010 Nundah Creek
01-2010 Blakesleys
01-2010 Upper Noosa River (with a difference)
01-2010 New Year Paddle
12-2009 Potts Point
08-2009 Raby Bay to Peel Island
08-2009 Wynnum Creek to King Island
07-2009 Sandgate to Redcliffe
05-2009 St Helena
04-2009 Wellington Point to Peel
04-2009 Breakfast on Karragarra
03-2009 King Island
03-2009 Mission Point
03-2009 Mud Island
01-2009 Morning Tea at The Pin
01-2009 Circumnavigate Macleay Island
01-2009 New Year Recovery Paddle
12-2008 Caniapa
12-2008 Pine Rivers
11-2008 Coochie Night Paddle
10-2008 Breakfast at Karragarra
10-2008 Girraween
10-2008 Coomera Falls Circuit
09-2008 Hinchinbrook Island
09-2008 Manly Harbour Festival
09-2008 Linville to Blackbutt Rail Trail
08-2008 Weekend at Blakesleys
08-2008 Old Woman Island
08-2008 Circumnavigate Macleay Island
07-2008 Upper Noosa River
07-2008 Weinam Creek to Dunwich
06-2008 Scarborough to Bongaree
06-2008 Wellington Pt to St Helena
06-2008 North Stradbroke Jazz Weekend
05-2008 Point O'Halloran to Blakesleys
04-2008 Upper Noosa River
04-2008 Aquatic Paradise to St Helena Is
04-2008 Eprapah Creek
03-2008 Paradise Point to Moreton Island
03-2008 Wynnum Ck to Tangalooma Point
03-2008 Amity Point weekend
03-2008 Bremer River
03-2008 Brisbane River - Gregors Ck to Barneys Rocks
02-2008 Play Day - Coochie Mudlo
02-2008 World Wetlands Day Paddle
02-2008 Brisbane River night paddle
01-2008 Australia Day Week
01-2008 Blakesleys 3/4 Moon Paddle
01-2008 Shorncliffe to Nudgee
01-2008 Brisbane River - Barneys Rocks to O'Sheas Crossing
12-2007 Raby Bay to One Mile via Blakesleys and Potts Point
12-2007 Diamond Head to Tipplers
12-2007 Wynnum Ck to Green and St Helena Islands
11-2007 Bike Ride Bay Islands
11-2007 Tingalpa Creek
10-2007 Potts Point Night Paddle
10-2007 Return to Gilligans Island
10-2007 Salt Water Creek and Coomera River
09-2007 Elimbah Creek
09-2007 Scarborough to Caboolture River
09-2007 Fraser Island Whale Watching
09-2007 Circumnavigate Russell Island
08-2007 Pine Rivers Night Paddle
08-2007 Linville to Blackbutt Rail Trail
08-2007 Brisbane River City Reach
08-2007 Peel Island
08-2007 Brisbane River
08-2007 Green Island Day Trip
07-2007 Pine Rivers Night Paddle
07-2007 Mooloolah River
07-2007 USS Kitty Hawk in Brisbane River
06-2007 Black Tie on Peel Island
05-2007 Harrys Hut Camping Weekend
04-2007 Theodolite Creek
04-2007 Upper Burrum River
04-2007 Circumnavigate Big Woody
04-2007 Walkers Point to Toogum
03-2007 Boat Passage to Big Sandhills
12-2006 Woodgate to Mon Repos
10-2006 Fraser Island Whale Watching
04-2005 Keppel Islands
12-2004 Fraser Island
10-2004 Munna Point Camping Weekend
10-2004 Mooloolaba to Maroochydore
09-2004 Coochie Mudlo Island
08-2004 Karragarra Island
07-2004 Wellington Point to St Helena Island
06-2004 Noosa River Camping Weekend
05-2004 Brisbane River Night Paddle
04-2004 Budds Beach to Moreton Island
10-2003 Bulwer to Tangalooma
05-2003 Eatonsville to Harwood Island

Links

SEQSK Discussion Group
SEQSK Newsletters
Adventurer Anthony Malloch

Whitsundays
Date: 05-10-2010
Launch: Shute Harbour
Distance: 11km
Conditions: 10-15kn ESE
Shute Harbour to Joes Beach
'Go with the flow' seems to be the mantra for the Whitsundays, also called the Shitsundays by some of the locals. We were to find out why both of these held true.

On the way to Airlie Beach we were welcomed into great hospitality by Ray's brother and family. Four generations had gathered in Gladstone to celebrate the first of the fourth. We would have been grateful for a place in the shed, but no that would not do. After a magnificent BBQ and dessert we were hustled into the last night's luxury of a bed.

On the road north dismantled giants with their escorts made their way to the mines. A creeper with a yellow trumpet flower like thunbergia had taken hold of many areas of bush around the Calliope River. It lit up the tree tops with dazzling bursts of yellow. Cane flowers greedily sucked out the sugar while thick mud defied any harvester. Mackay and Gladstone had broken their residential banks and are now large centres. We made good time and found that Airlie Beach too, or rather Cannonvale was marching inland with the building of yet another McDonalds milestone.

We decided upon Flametree Tourist Park as it was the closest to Shute Harbour and a regular bus service of sorts would come by, when it was good and ready. I had heard that one caravan park was excellent, the other scungy and to be avoided. The person at Reception was helpful and friendly. The tropical gardens beautiful and well tended. The toilet block immaculate. Each shower cubicle had a bench, plenty of hooks and a glass shelf. The unrestricted showers sprayed soft water which foamed lavishly and had a strange soapy taste. Flametrees is Pet Friendly and there were plenty of dogs about on leads but I did not see one dog egg. The biggest nuisance was created by the guests themselves. We prepared our dinner in the open camp kitchen serviced by a gas cooktop, hot water wash up and microwave. Before long an obese male ringtail possum looking more like a brushtail with mange came crawling across the rafters. Next he was hanging in there poised for photos with with arms outstretched waving for his reward. Soon after a munch he rewarded the enchanted tourists by peeing all over the table, bench seat and fridge.

We were up and gone by 7am. Unsurpisingly Ray was first to close the hatches on the marathon pack with a total of 12 days of food and water. He left his car and the trailer at the caravan park for $10 per day and caught the bus back to Shute Harbour where he found us anointing the last of the sunscreen surrounded by a sea of yellow ships. We pushed off to escape the clutter of Ecos and Packhorses and their fleshy euro crew.

The boats were mammothly heavy. The Artic Raider was sluggish and the waterline constantly gurgled in the wheel holes. Ray's boat looked like it was sitting better but he too said that he copped a fair amount of water over the front deck. Mark on the other hand looked like he was sinking and it turned out he was taking on significant ballast. We were spat out of Shute Harbour at 7Kph on a tide which had only just turned. Giants eddies swirled but the girls were too heavy to dance pirouettes. A Navy destroyer silently cruised the waters which were passage to ferries of all shapes and sizes. Getting past Long Island seemed to take an age. Aiming for Henning had us facing SE on a giant ferry glide while the E-SE blew enough to make a nuisance of itself.

After a flying start, 4 hours later the northern white sand spit on Henning was not getting any closer. By the time Mark had pumped out an unbelievable amount of ballast we lost all ground we had made over the past 30 minutes. This was a slog and it was rapidly loosing its appeal. We decided to go ashore on a beach off the southern tip of Cid Island and wait for the tide to slow before continuing. It was when I saw Mark struggle to put his sail in the mast step that I realised how tired he was. Time to stick close while Ray checked out the landing. It scored a pass on account of coral rubble with rocks, okay if really necessary but not today. We suggested to continue on where a yacht had disappeared as we had seen what looked like another beach. With the sails up on a soft beam reach we came into Cid Harbour. Nearing the low we found ourselves in the middle of a tidal race. Standing about half a metre and higher it was the sheer volume of water that pushed up these waves, however, compared with the main channel it was a breeze to paddle against and we drew up at Joe's Beach right on the dead low.

Not many of the Whitsunday beaches are very attractive on the low and Joe's is no exception. Starting out as as a mud flat strewn with coral rubble before limited coral reef, more rock rubble then a thin line of beautiful fine sand. Two coconut palm tree trunks marked the entrance to the camp site. It was charming - sheltered and private with a beautiful shady canopy, a mammoth table with bench seats and the flashest bush toilet I have seen. Positively civil. Too bad about the March flies. It was war and they had reinforcements like I have never seen before. Apparently it was like this at Whitehaven, Nari's and Dugong Beach. They were plain nasty. The trees were adorned with snails and an occasional small deftly woven basket. We put Yip Yip to work and waited for the tide to bring the boats to us, resting before setting up camp after what had been an arduous mere 11Km.

Next Page
Excellent caravan park
Campsite Number 1
The peeing possum
First there were two
And then there were more
Escaping the euro zone
Ferries galore
And even a warship
Cid Habour
Walk with care
Arrival of the low
Put out Yip
And wait for the boats to come in
Perimeter of Joe's Beach
Tree snails
Ornamental decor
Entrance to the campsite
Tranquility of Cid Harbour
 
Whitsundays Map

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