After the paddle up to Mission Point, the boats were staying on the car. There is no such thing as overindulgence when you have had a month away from the water. With light winds and an incoming tide until midday we went south from the Boat Passage. Staying in close to the mangroves on the right bank took us through a wide shallow channel giving shelter to a number of graceful white herons. There was plenty of water and no spade handles in sight as we headed direct for Green Island.
The water was glassy and most of the yachts were motoring. Green was positively thronging with people and had a family feel about it. An oversized zodiac shaped craft with a hard hull arrived on the point then crawled out of the water on three large hydraulically driven wheels. It had to be seen to be believed. They chose this vessel as they can drive the boat out of the water and along the sand track to their house on Moreton Island. The chap got off with a large pitch fork and bucket. He was after flat worm as bait - they were easy pickings too, much easier than
yabbies and popular with bream.
After the hub bub of the sandy beach we drifted around to the solitude of eastern Green. So had another couple who declared they were lucky not to have been sprung having a silver swim.
Further south a jet ski was pulled up in the mangroves where one person was jumping nervously around in thigh deep water clutching a bucket. He was catching his mud crab the fair way, turned out the crab lost. Passing through the mangroves at the end of the island disturbed a flock of camouflaged godwits.
King Island was one of the few places I had not been to in the Bay and at the top of the tide we thought it was a place for a lunch stop less the weekend pilgrims. We landed on a beautiful sandy spit with coral rubble and rocks either side. I hadn't
realised just how tiny this island is. It had a yob atmosphere with stereos blaring and biscuits flying. The meagre shade was courtesy of a four foot mangrove. If you are looking for a charming place for lunch don't try King - go back to Green. Make sure you are there nearing the top of a very full tide. Large mangroves will give you dappled shade over charming (and usually
secluded) white sandy beaches.
After calling into Wellington Point it was a straight run back to the Boat Passage. My hope of sailing over the finish line was foiled by the committee boat hauling in the buoys with 200m to go. The NE gave some lift as we passed by the Darcy Light. There were still no spades and enough water to allow us to head into the beach rather than pull up next to the boat ramp. With the conversations had on Green and at Wellington Point it is clear that more people are coming our way and it maybe that you will
have company even when you thought you had the place to yourself.
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