East Coast Cruise 2014: Dunk Is. to Port Douglas

S 16^o48’.36’’, E 145^o46’53’’

Dunk Island to Cairns and on to Port Douglas

Tempus fugit and isn't that the truth – the last 4 weeks have zipped by and I have not had the time to get a blog post done. No really - – really busy, like you would not believe. So very sorry to any disappointed readers –( if there are any ).

We swung - literally, on the anchor in Brammo Bay at Dunk Is. for 3 nights in increasing swell and increasing discomfort and then decided to head for Fitzroy Island via Mourilyan Harbour a cute little sugar loading very protected anchorage. Wind of 25 Kts so we zipped up to Mourilyan – avg speed 8 Kts with reef – caught another 2 nice mud crabs there. Crocs abound in this mangrove lined shelter, so careful laying the pots. Awful weather for 2 days – 25-30 Kts and rain! Perfect Queensland one day, schizen-hausen the next. Then in windy blustery conditions sailed to Fitzroy Is only 12 nM ( say 22 Kms in land units). But the harbour there was even worse than Dunk so we didn’t even drop the anchor but hoisted reefed sails and zipped into Cairns at 10+ Kts.

2 tugs plus coastal cargo ship, Mourilyan Hb. Crowded place.

Big goanna - Fitzroy Island

Game fishing boats ready for the comp - Fitzroy Is.

Lion fish - in Cairns marina

Cairns - what a great city – plenty of action on the beachfront with lots of live music, a man made lagoon to swim in, Rusty’s is a terrific market for fresh local produce and good restaurants aplenty. Only thing it lacks is a beach – more mud flats with crocs the ever present worry.

Lov ely leaves - Botanical gardens, Cairns

Jo with giant leaves - Botanical gardens, Cairns

Leaf pattern - Botanical gardens, Cairns

Botanical gardens, Cairns

Note insects on flesh coloured flower
Botanical gardens, Cairns

Bee landing on flower

Botanical gardens, Cairns

Big Prickels, Botanical gardens, Cairns

Hired a car and went up to the Atherton Tablelands. Mareeba is where they grow tea and coffee and also a limited amount of chocolate! Mareeba is a fun place and they grow almost everything from strawberries, to sugar cane and mangoes.

Giant termite mounds, near Mareeba, FNQ

After a week in Cairns we had itchy feet plus the heavy weather had cleared, so we headed out for a few days to Fitzroy Is. , Lt Sudbury Cay and Green Is. Great spots all, but the cay was the pick, we had it to ourselves so serene and with excellent diving. Water clarity superb with good fish and coral. Good walking tracks on Fitzroy Is to the summit and the lighthouse – most walks more a stroll.

Lt Sudbury Cay, FNQ

Kirra Kirra at Lt Sudbury Cay

Idyllic place - oddles of serentiy

Another short stay in Cairns then on to Port Douglas – pulled the top out of the head-board (that’s a sailing term) on the main sail coming out of Cairns. Do we go back and get it fixed? No way – so we sailed the 30nM up to PD easily just on the genoa at 6.5-7 Kts. A good rigger in PD fixed it with the new wonder rope dyneema for a very few $$. Also fitted new lower stays on the mast for a quite reasonable sum – 3 broken strands on one lower stay spotted.

Jo, Shellz and John, Lower Isles light house

Endurance of the South (RGYC) in a good breeze

Prawn trawlers at rest

Port Douglas would have to be the best holiday place in Australia on the coast. Lots to see and do, great beach (well great for north Queensland where mud flats abound on the mainland), the Daintree and Cape Tribulation, plus an excellent range of fairly priced restaurants. And good coffee! Last time we were here in PD they sounded the crocodile alarm on the beach as a 4 metre croc swam along it. Folks walked on water that day so miracles do still happen. Praise some god or other I suppose.

And then on Saturday 30^th Aug. we attended Eleanor and Phil’s wedding in the cute chapel in PD overlooking the water, with a superb reception after in an estate up in the Daintree rainforest. Everything went like clockwork and it was a great family reunion – see photos.