West Bay Middle Percy Island

After Hexham Island we sailed on to West Bay on Middle Percy Island (a sort of Mecca destination for sailors from all over the world). It's where boats and their crews leave something unique to mark their trip to the island. At Cape Capricorn we had found the sole of a very large sports shoe washed up on the beach, and this we carried with us for 100 nautical miles to Percy Island, where we nailed it in a prominent place with our own journey message. Our friends on Judet had left theirs five or so years earlier on an old fishing buoy they had found, and their message would have been read by 100's of visitors to the island since then. There are one or two problems with West Bay - it is usually very crowded and often the rolly conditions make it quite uncomfortable for those spending time on their boats. However, there is a small lagoon that some catamarans can enter at high tide and dry out on the sand at low tide, but to do this Erica would have to tie up to a very rickety old jetty - No way!

As the sun set over West Bay and the Percy Hilton, it was time for Erica and her crew to start thinking about sailing towards islands further north.

Pearl Bay, Island Head Creek and Hexham Island

After provisioning in Yeppoon, we are now moving a bit faster up the coast and the fish must like it, because we landed our first Tuna. Arriving in beautiful Pearl Bay we met other keen fishers and enjoyed our share of a very large Golden Trevally caught by a young man and BBQ'd on the beach that night with 13 other cruisers. Soon we moved on, and after spending a few days in Island Head Creek we sailed off in company with other boats, including our friends on Judet, enjoying an early morning sail to the Island of Hexham with great views of the Bay from the clifftops (including a view of Peta taking in the scenery from our dinghy on the beach).

Cape Capricorn and Great Keppel Island

After a week at the outer reef we sailed back towards the mainland, crossing the Tropic of Capricorn as we headed for the tiny bay at the base of Cape Capricorn. Lying on the beach looking at Erica, the only boat in the bay, made it feel like ours. After a swim we walked up the cliffs to find a great park bench for us to just sit and rest. Once at the top, we met Shaunie the caretaker of the Cape Cap Lighthouse cottages and enjoyed the spectacular view, with the ocean clearly visible on all three sides of the cape. From Cape Cap we sailed to Great Keppel, the resort island (resort now closed) a beautiful spot with palm fringed beach and crystal clear waters.

We Love Lady Musgrave

Lady Musgrave is at the southern most end of the Great Barrier Reef and about 60 nautical miles from Bundaberg, well out of site of the mainland. It consists of a sandy coral cay surrounded by coral reef and when we were there it had quite large breaking ocean swells. We love Lady Musgrave because of its crystal clear water and fantastic snorkelling. This time we swam for over half an hour with 100 year old turtles, saw thousands of fish, our first reef shark and an incredible Manta Ray which would have been 7 - 8 feet from wing tip to wing tip - hard to describe but what a sight. At Musgrave we love to walk and explore the small cay that is covered in a Pisonia tree forest. This time we were there the day after turtle hatching and saw a very small turtle on the beach. The cay is surrounded by all types of sea creatures and we loved the star fish but equally the birds kept us amused especially what seemed like black and white versions of the same breed. What Musgrave has most, is fish and some even jump on your hook. If you ever have the opportunity to doa day trip from the town of 1770 / Seventeen Seventy - Jump at it!!

Bustard Head and Pancake Creek

North of Bundaberg is the idyllic Pancake Creek (strange names in Queensland) that is overshadowed by the historic lighthouse on Bustard Head. Sailing towards the lighthouse it becomes clear why this was so important in early settlement days with the offshore reefs, but when inside the creek it's a spot where you can be lost for weeks at a time. Here we met friends from further down the coast and one chilly morning we set off bush waking to the lighthouse when we came across these fantastic cobwebs covered in early morning dew. The track has now become quite overgrown but many years ago was the supply route for the light and its keepers. Emerging from the undergrowth you are welcomed by the magnificent light. A fantastic spot to lose yourself for weeks and weeks and weeks...

Bundaberg has RUM

Fraser Island, the Sandy Strait and historic Maryborough were great but it was time to head further north once more. After provisioning Erica in Hervey Bay and finalising some property transactions in Adelaide, we cast off the marina moorings on 27 May and pointed the bow for the half day sail to Bundaberg on the Burnett River. It has a significant lighthouse at the entrance that welcomed us but unfortunately the marina is a long way from town. We also discovered when we arrived that it was a public holiday (show day) so the town had shut up shop and no buses were running! Undeterred, we hired a car and set off for the Bundy Rum factory where Peta met the Bear and I took to the bottle. A quick walk around town found a business advisory service I remembered and then we set off for the Botanic gardens, only to find the restaurant and aviation museum closed too. A fast but quick trip to what appeared to be a lovely town but now it's time to keep moving north.