G’day mates! Made it to Mackay, our port of entry on Australia’s eastern shore. After checking in with friendly custom agents, we pedaled bikes around town, a mixture of late 1800s historical to current architecture; a river port for exporting sugar, with modern marina and local fish market; beaches, eateries, and diverse shopping. All this surrounded by national park rainforests and mountains. We only stayed long enough to provision and scrub ourselves, the boat, and laundry. Islands and birds of the Great Barrier Reef were calling.
Sixteen miles out of Mackay we anchored in a secluded cove at Keswick Island next to Matt and Donna on their Catalina 36, Dream Weaver. At dusk, strains of Glenn Yarbrough’s “I Could Have Been A Sailor” filtered through the cockpit. We toasted beginning our cruises up the GBR—us for 3 months, the Aussies for 3 years. With Bundeburg rum and coke, of course. Cheers!
A light-wind, 20 mile sail guided us next to hilly Goldsmith Island planted with huge boulders interspersed with bushy white cypress and 100-ft hoop pine.
At Thomas Island our cove was fringed by 3 lovely beaches where we basked in sunshine and gentle breeze amid soft wispy Australian pines and rocky outcroppings. No worries here.
Moving north up the GBR, we discovered enchanting Lindemann Island clothed in rainforest. White cockatoos screeched and black pied currawong croaked in treetops while rainbow lorikeets chattered and whistled riotously, inebriated from the fermented nectar of umbrella and other flowering trees. We wound our way on a track with thick monkey rope and flowery wonga vines draping red-berried kamala trees, pines, and eucalypti. Mount Oldfield Lookout rewarded us with a scenic vista of islands dotting the Coral Sea where dolphins frolicked and multitudes of sea creatures thrived.
We dropped anchor in Cid Harbor, Whitsunday Island. Windsor-blue sky reflected in its calm water. Deep green forested hills hid Aboriginal caves, wallabies, and brushtail possums. Finches chirped and sacred kingfishers flapped iridescent blue wings, swooping to catch small lizards, crustaceans, and insects. Hiking between Dugong and Sawmill Beaches, we searched the shallows for the elusive dugong. These whiskery, grey-bronze creatures only eat plants like their closest relative, the elephant. No dugongs, but a 3-ft goanna (monitor lizard) ransacked a tent, foraging for delectables while others sunbathed on golden sand.
Aussie friends suggested we pop over to Hook Island, only a 6-mile sail. The fiord-like anchorage of Nara Inlet was shadowed by rugged mountains. A 20-minute bush track led to 9,000 year old Ngaro, an Aboriginal cultural site where middens covered the ground and caves held ancient rock paintings. Hawks and eagles soared overhead as we later clambered up a promontory with inspiring views of Pebble beach and beyond from Bluff Lookout.
As beautiful as the mountains and beaches were, it didn’t compare to the underwater landscape we splashed into at Manta Ray Bay. We were greeted by clouds of bright blue and yellow surgeonfish and pouty-mouth triggerfish nipping at gloved hands serving bits of bread. Feeding frenzy! Drifting among vivid red and cool blue corals near the beach was exhilarating, but never spotted a manta ray.
Windy conditions prompted us to move to a mooring ball in Butterfly Bay, more protected from prevailing southeast winds. We snorkeled among staghorn, blue organ pipe, sea fans, and pink cauliflower corals. Orange and white clownfish popped out of anemone, bright yellow butterfly fish, blue damsels, green and flatback turtles glided, and large grouper drifted within this quiet wonderland reef.
After 3 days of tranquility on Hook Island we spent a restless night in a poor-holding anchorage of Gloucester Island before a day sail to Upstart Bay. The national Park’s barren sandy hills with desert scrub, clumps of giant boulders, and a few cinder-block buildings were reminiscent of Joshua Tree National monument in California—minus the ocean!
Another sailing day delivered us to an undulating anchorage at Cape Bowling Green, and then on to Townsville. Dramatic red cliffs spotted with eucalypti backdropped the blended early 1900s architecture with modern and tropical. The sun shines 320 days a year in this laid back capitol of the north where you can visit military and maritime museums, art galleries, or shop and dine at Flinder’s Mall, housed in restored historic buildings. For you Foodies, here’s some Aussie favorites: Barbecued snags (sausages); Minced meat pies (with gravy, onion, & cheese); Burger with “the lot” (lettuce, tomato, pineapple, beet, onion, cheese, bacon, & egg)—a whole day’s worth of calories in that one! For desert their favorite is Lamingtons, the national cake (a butter cake coated in chocolate & dipped in coconut).
There’s also peaceful areas of natural beauty such as:
- Mount Elliott in Bowling Green Bay National Park. Craggy mountains rise from wetlands with plenty of birdwatching along Alligator Creek where water cascades into deep pools and waterfalls. Alligator Creek Falls Track is a difficult 10-mile trail while Alligator Creek Lookout is an easy, 1/2-miler.
- On your way, stop at Crystal Creek where cassowaries charge through rainforest and orchids twine among branches near a mountain stream tumbling over granite boulders and beneath a Roman arch stone bridge.
- We strolled beautifully landscaped Anzac Park, beside the marina, with its war memorial and indigenous trees; and along The Strand with protected swim areas, fishing pier, and sidewalk for skaters and cyclists.
- For a longer walk, try Townsville Town Common Conservation Park, an immense wetland habitat with tidal estuaries fringed with mangroves, venturing through grasslands and swamps to woodlands and vine thickets. You may spot honking magpie geese, melodious red-backed wrens,high-pitched buzzing golden-headed cistacolas, or stilt-legged brolgas.
After 2 days in civilization it was time to head back out to a serene retreat. Rocky Magnetic Island, nicknamed Maggie, is a nature-lover’s paradise. White cockatoos and sea eagles glided over horseshoe Bay. A 20-30 minute bushwalk through eucalypti, hoop and Norfolk pines, and around monstrous boulders brought us to picturesque Balding Bay. We picnicked in seclusion on soft white sand as small shorebirds skittered around for a meal. Rowing ashore late one afternoon we were surprised by raucous squawking. A rare flock of black cockatoos with orange-red or yellow tailfeathers feasted in the trees on sea almonds. Party time!
Another day we climbed a twisty bushtrack to the Forts. Remnants of WWII structures competed with the magnificent views of wooded coves, boulder-strewn beaches, and mainland, only 16-miles across the sea. Although a haven for koalas, none were spotted, but a trilling staccato laugh punctured the silence on our hike down. What on earth? We glimpsed a delightful brown and white laughing kookaburra peering through the trees, and sounding eerily human.
No time left for snorkeling several bays where fringing reefs of coral flourish, moray eels hide, and unicorn fish dart through submerged wrecks. Next time around… A final happy hour aboard White Dove was cherished as the sun set casting dazzling splashes of oranges, yellows, and pinks on the bay. Time to say Hoo roo, farewell, until we meet again in Part 2 of “The Great Barrier Reef Adventure”.
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