A couple of hours paddling. It's all it takes to drift in clear turquoise waters. Silhouettes of dark rich red coffee rocks framed the white sandy beach bounded by a steep sandy bank
supporting towering eucalypts alive with lorikeets and friar birds. This sandy stretch just north of the silo at Dunwich was the destination for our first paddle to Stradbroke Island.
Today was deja vu, less the beach umbrella. On our first visit we
shared our lunch on a picnic mat in the shade yellow fish swimming around a bright blue brolly. After a leisurely lunch a steady SE flattened that day out. We piked and caught the barge back to Toondah Harbour. Wise choice as the crossing was rough,
the sort of rough that would have spooked the heebie geebies out
of me.
By the time we stowed away the picnic it was an hour off the top of the tide so we returned to Raby Bay via the northern side of Peel. Today the wind dropped, then left leaving the water like treacle. The visibility was excellent. We drifted over large
coral bommies off the NW spit. The bommies were deserted. No fish, no turtles. Despite excellent visibility to St Helena, no dolphins or dugong either.
Seeing the turquoise waters had us longing for Moreton Island, far from the maddening crowd.What we have on our doorstep is magnificent. Paul Theroux's description of paddling the pacific ripped apart any romantic illusions regarding a pacific paradise
the way rats shredded the allure of coconut palms on Hinchinbrook. The good news was that Australia was not spared his lashing critique, so maybe we will have the good fortune of being
spared the crowds who like to follow his travels. Frankly I was piqued by the size of the crowd Ray and I encountered when we came around the headland into Luncheon Bay at the Whitsundays. If they were not flippering with their pool noodles they were squeezed onto the beach where there was just sufficient room to nose two kayaks. I much prefer the solitude encountered on
Hinchinbrook or Fraser Island.
Having not paddled for a while I was feeling a bit stiff, but the colour of the waters have me looking forward to a week on Fraser. One day we return for lunch on this beach - with the umbrella. Only difference will be that I will check the brolly carefully
for travelling companions as the one I had today, while well behaved, was not particularly welcome.
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