Boating / Anja 2 2022 Qld

Well how Covid has changed most peoples plans including ours.

The French boat now gone and replaced with a trailable cabin cruiser here in Aussie. Anja 2.

We are living on board for our first major trip away with the boat. It is compact living but allowing us to tow the boat all around the country. We will stay in mostly marinas but while travelling caravan parks or free camps if overnight.

The first major trip is up the coast of Queensland ,the main port of call and destination is Airlie beach and the whitsunday islands.

Night one By the side of the road heading north.

Week 1 visiting my son his wife and granddaughter in brisbane

Tincan bay marina for eight nights with three nights off the boat while we went to Fraser Island.

Unfortunately the weather and tides weren’t in our favour while on the water in Tin Can bay but we managed two outings

1/ fishing in alligator creek No fish were caught except a toad fish

2/ a trip up to inskip point stopped by the rain and fog

3/ third day exploring tin can bay and rainbow beach including the Carlo sand blow by car.

Fraser Island was great fun and great weather and lovely to have a nice room for three nights and good facilities.

We Explored

Central station , Lake McKenzie

Lake wabby lookout, Lake birrabeen, the coloured sand hills at the pinnacles and the red canyon,

We walked knee deep along Ellie creek and then drove along the east coast of the island on the beach.

The tracks across the island were easy going but very rough but we didn’t have to use low gear at any time. The beach a 80 km/ h Highway with lots of slow downs for creek outlets into the sea.

Kingfisher resort was a pleasant interlude from the boat and the restaurants and facilities very enjoyable.

Lake Redbrook near north Isis and inland from Bundaberg, included a three night stay in a caravan park. We couldn’t get accommodation in Bundaberg.

We explored around Bundaberg, Bagara and the marina also explored while visiting the rum distillery which is Bundaberg’s famous attraction.

1770 and Agnes Waters marina for 4 nights. Activités included

A few morning fishing trips in round hill creek with minor success , a flounder and two mud crabs. We explored the lookouts and towns and had a walk thru the paper bark forest.

The highlight a trip to lady musgrave island which included snorkelling on the reef , viewing the coral and turtles in the glass bottom boat and a walk around the island and talk about the bird life and how the island came about….built up from coral deposits.

Next stop

Yeppoon for eight nights

We stayed in the marina which had good facilities though the showers and toilets old and in need of maintenance.

Day trips included

Great keppel island where we kayaked in from our anchor point

walked around the western side of the island and swam off the beach

A trip to Pumpkin Island and north keppel island where we anchored in the lagoon fishing and enjoying the great scenery and calm waters with coral reefs everywhere , 2 blue tusk parrot fish were caught . The fish were hard to scale and we didn’t really like this fish to eat.

A morning fishing off main beach and the bluff with one whiting caught.

Some other activities were domestic duties like shopping washing and cleaning the boat inside and out and visiting Toyota for a car check .

Land trips included a look around Rockhampton while shopping

A look at wreck point lookout in Yeppoon and the main beach areas and lagoon areas

We took the scenic drive from Emu park back to Rosslyn bay where the marina is situated.

Emu park was a delightful little beach side town with a war memorial broad walk around the headland and the singing ship memorial.

The drive was along the coast and passed over causeway lake and a brief stop at bluff point.

A three night stay at Cape Palmerston where we stayed in the boat in the caravan park, a day trip to the cape included 4wd tracks and a great view over headland.

Airlie beach marina for one month

The first ten days the weather was very windy which stopped us from taking the boat out

Out first day in Airlie Johns birthday with a seafood lunch at Sorrentos and night at the mantra and swimming in the pool and relaxation for the afternoon.

We spent time with Johns cousin Bruce and wife Karen who were at the caravan park and also Paul who arrived a few days later and who we set up in a tent at the caravan park where Bruce and Karen were staying.

When the weather improved we took them all fishing inside the harbour with no success

We had a bbq breakfast at the van park with everyone and a another get together night at the marinas ocean club facility.

We had a catch up with Mark from Sydney one night at Sorrentos with red wine and pizza and another night with both Jackie and Mark a brief wine on the boat, they were visiting family in Airlie.

Our first night in Airlie was with Johns sister relatives Carmel and John.

And another day Karen and Paul came out to South Molle Island mooring at the jetty and did the 4.2 km walk up to Spoin Kip lookout with stunning views along the way.

A fishing trip to shit rock and other areas near hook island with two small fish caught for dinner , adding to the Russo for another night at the club marina bbq facility.

One the third week Lynette and Phil arrived for a week bringing the good weather with them. Many days spent were spent relaxing by the pool at Lynettes mantra accommodation and a picnic lunch at the towns lagoon or swims and beverages at the coral sea marina resort available to marina occupants

Outings included another trip to South Molle Island and walked up a very high and rocky climb to balancing rock 2 km return and a day trip to Bowen.

A day to whitsunday island where we moored off Whitehaven beach , kayaked into the beach and did the walk and steps to Hill inlet lookout followed by a swim on the famous white haven beach.

Then with most the family gone except Paul we went back to eating on the boat most of the time

We ventured out to Hook island with Paul in tow and stayed Nara inlet overnight, Paul sleeping on cushions at the back of the boat.

Activites included

A Kayak around some of the inlet and relaxing .

John and Paul climbed to aboriginal art site I stayed on the boat fishing with no success.

Week 4

With Paul gone John and I ventured to Hook island and Sid harbour staying overnight in Macona inlet, spent time relaxing but included a kayak stopping at some of the small beaches for a knee high swim only.

Another trip was to Long Island anchoring at Happy bay and doing the 25 min walk across the palm resort for a swim and lunch

. We walked back and the wind had come up making the kayak trip back to boat hard against the waves and the boat trip back to the marina quiet rocky .

In all Airlie was beautiful the weather improving as the month went on. No flies midgies or mozzies made living on the boat east and so did not always cooking on the boat.The last week the humidity became tiring.

Three days at Mackay central caravan park.

No exploring was done just time spent scrapping all the marine growth off the boat hull , plus loads of washing and shopping

Heading south

A overnight stop behind a pub at Marlborough. Dinner at the pub joining a couple whose daughter lives in the same street as my daughter.

Lake Marduran

A two night stay relaxing and a walk to the lookout and dam wall we had hoped to put the boat in the water but access wasn’t easy.

Hervey Bay marina

9 nights with only three days on the water the rest touring the local area and catching up with friends Ian and Margaret

Trips on the water

1 Over to Fraser Island near kingfisher resort , past woody island with a brief fish with no success

2/ a trip up toward point Vernon and the bay Lots of sand banks to be avoided

3/ a trip passing the top west side of Fraser Island and into Platypus bay to sight whales only get a brief glimpse of one but saw lots of turtles and dolphins.

Day trips by car and walking included looking around Hervey Bay , the beaches the piers shops and markets

We did lots of eating out at the boat club

We explored river heads one day and another seeing the small fishing villages south and that were on the sandy straits

It became obvious we couldn’t do this by boat as too many sandbanks and narrow canals

We went on a small stream train at Maryborough and looked around the town where the author of Mary Poppins was born.

Two days on the Mary river and over night at the marina At Maryborough. The boat put in a River heads, amnd we followed the river up to the small marina there.