S 19o09’.50’’, E 146o51’23’’
Around Magnetic
Island & Townsville
We picked up friends Siv and John in the marina
out at Magnetic Is. and then spent 4 fine and sunny days sailing around Maggie (as
Magnetic Island is known to all – yet another aussie nickname ending in ie, y or o) before sailing
back into Townsville Breakwater Marina where they jumped ship and flew back
into winter (he he).
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| J&J, John n Siv |
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| Hello sailor |
Some History: Magnetic island –was originally called Magnetical
Island by Lt. James Cook in 1770, because it looked like this area had magnetical
anomalies - ie his compass acted up. No such interference exists
and my theory was it was probably the iron bar down the trouser leg of the
bosun, carried for personal protection, or as a fetish.
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| Well balanced |
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| Florence Bay, Maggie Is. |
Day 1. Sailed slowly on just the new genoa from
Nelly Bay round to Radical Bay for lunch – what a great name. After lunch of
excellent chunky beef pies from the baker in Nelly’s Bay, we then sailed around
to Horseshoe Bay – a lovely anchorage with a few small eateries and a even a
pub.
Day 2. A walk to the WW-II forts built in
1942. Really just a gun emplacement high in the Maggie granite hills. Saw
koalas, an echidna and importantly a snake – subsequently identified as a
juvenile Taipan (read very very poisonous). Bloody thing moved like greased lightening too.
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| The WW-II observation post - nice view |
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| At the fort. |
Day 3. Spent the morning playing engineers
assistants on Time2 and then John and I had a relaxing afternoon pretending to
fish. We didn’t trouble the fish and they didn’t bother about us either, so again
no edible fish. I think it’s possibly the cold water – only 21C. Our freezer has more room devoted to bait than to real food. I have told Jo it's good quality bait and we could eat it!
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| John, Mike, Lynn, J and Siv - on the beach, Horseshoe Bay, Maggie |
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| Goin' fishin' |
Day 4. A sail in brisk breeze and motor into Townsville marina,
where after a lovely sea- food lunch, Siv and John departed
And then
another few days in Townsville of reprovisioning and doing the dreary laundry. Yes that’s right – it may come as a shock to
you, but we are not above doing our laundry and still somehow have to cope with
the other boring things in life.
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| Originally Townsville Post Office, now a brewery |
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| So called CBD, Townsville. |
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| Old hotel on the sea front |
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| Originally the Customs House, now empty |
· Having friends Siv and
John aboard.
· Exploring Maggie –a lovely
peaceful place, bush and magnificent granite outcrops.
· Seeing the wild life up
close and in one case too personal. Whales, koalas, a snake and an echidna.
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| The pointy look |
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| Rock hopping level 1.01 |
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| Functional sculptures, The Strand, Townsville. The ring-ins look a bit dysfunctional |
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| There's that pointy thing again. Maggie Is., Horseshoe Bay |
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