Slideshow and Talk

COME ALONG

Date: 1st March 2007
Time: 7.00pm—8.30pm
Place: UTAS, Stanley Burbury Lecture Theatre 1
Churchill Ave, Sandy Bay
Admission: $5 on the door
Contact: 0437668537, pandoz@bigpond.com

This is the end my friends, Thursday Island. I'm off to the school to hand over the gift from way down south at Dover District High but otherwise there's only the thankyou's left to be said (final issue of newsletter in a day or two). In no particular order except for importance: my sincere thanks to Mum and Dad, brothers Matt, James and Jonny, Granny Hope Hughes and Granny Grace Hollingsworth, friends and other family out there (that's a catch-all), students and teachers from all the schools who've been following this journey, sponsors (AG, Utas SET, Sea to Summit and Power Plus), all the kind people who helped me lift the bloody boat or just stopped for a chat, and you sitting there reading this- you've tolerated and indulged me more than I deserve. Thankyou. And for my next trick I'll try to get off this island and wend my way south over the next six weeks. See you when I see you back in Tassie mid November.

With my books read (twice) and my radio way back on Restoration Island (flat batteries) there was only wandering around or paddling to be done.

Punsand Bay.

You little beauty, Cape York.

Orford Ness to Albany Island. The longest day of the trip at 70km but not the hardest with a tide and wind with me all the way. Sometimes a little too much wind but otherwise all good.

It was at Orford Ness, a beautiful place of mudflats, sandspits, mangroves and blah blah blah. Next photo please.

One more croc shot. This one slipped in just before I got there, eyeballed me from the water and disappeared without a sound.

Could I be so lucky! This silly old lizard was trying to swim against a shocking wind and tide with a turtle in its choppers. Next morning the turtle was abandoned on the beach. Or was it a trap, did it have eyes on a bigger prize?

Shelburne Bay to Captain Billy Landing. Blowing south-east and strong.

Most afternoons I would stalk about looking for crocs. I found this one sunning beside a creek behind Shelburne Bay. A moment later it was back in the water with a powerful and lightning quick flourish. If I could take a photo of my excitement it would be blurry and fluorescent.

Somewhere windy to somewhere else that was windy and then to here at Shelburne Bay. Still windy.

And twisted, defeated sticks too.

Restoration Island to somewhere very windy.

Dave's new puppy, Quasimodo. Wise but bitey.

Cape Direction to Restoration Island. Dave Glasheen, host spectacular opened up a box of rations when I arrived. Problem was that they weren't for me. Note to Anthony Malloch: I owe you 2 freeze dried meals and a ration of biltong. Dave owes you everything else but says you must come in person to collect it.

Saw another croc fishing in the shallows around the corner here. Looked happy enough.

Snavelled the odd coconut on the way up. A nice change from porridge and sultanas.

Yep, I did miss a day back there. This is Cape Direction.

Crocs. You can see the tracks of a big one and a little one coming out of the lagoon towards the ocean.

Cape Sidmouth to Cape Direction (or have I missed a day somewhere?).

Fife to Cape Sidmouth. First croc sighting here. From my camp on the hill I could see it fishing along the waters edge on the ocean side. RIGHT WHERE I LANDED.

Morning on Fife and the trade wind had died (it was the only time it did). Worth lingering.

Fife Island and my eternal enemy, the prickle. Note the two different weapons on display here. It's not unusual for the prickle fiends to cooperate in their sickening attacks.

Not often was it calm enough to put my feet up but this is hiding behind the snad spit.

Halfway to Fife Island on Magpie Reef (I think). the amount of sealife around these reefs is mind boggling. Just in this shallow bay there were schools of fish small and large, reef sharks, sting rays, turtles, blah blah blah.

Stanley Island to Stainer Island. This was a long day dodging around reefs and through shipping lanes. Bird poo and isolation are the attractions here.

Cape Melville to Stanley Island. Anchored off the distant sandspit is a French couple sailing around the world. I went aboard and ate bread with jam and drank coffee. Might do it in a yacht next time, more comfortable.

It was down the beach at the 4WD camp that a man was dragged from his tent by a croc and grandma jumped on it. Remember that one? I created a series of obstacles and early warning systems just in case. No croc for me though.

The cape and receding range are enormous piles of roundish granite. Stunning.

Cape Melville.

Aha, I know where that was. Cape Melville fresh water spring. I filled up on my way past and then boulder hopped back for a wash later in the afternoon.

Mmm, I'd have to check my diary for where is. Empty.

Tap, tap, hello. Anyone in there?

Flattery to a Turtle Group island.

Bedford to Cape Flattery. There's a silica mine and loading facility here but I stayed out of the way around the corner.

From Cooktown to Cape Bedford. Actually I came right around the cape and across the bay to these sensational coloured sands.

Nearly Ready

All the shopping is done and I just need to pack it properly and go to the post office. It's hot up here when you're not on the water so I've taken an extra day to get everything done. Why not! Also I had a chance encounter with Rob, Sharon, Rob and Andrew from the New South Wales Sea Kayak Club which was a bonus. They've paddled most of the east coast at one time or another, including Cape York, so I got great info for the upcoming stretch. Thanks. I've been in motel style accommodation for the last two nights and it's thrown me off guard. Too much TV, coffee and softness in the pillows but I can't seem to help myself. Time to go.

Thoughts are turning to the waters north of Cooktown. It'll be about three weeks from here to Thursday Island. I'll send the computer ahead so no more pics until then. JUST THREE WEEKS! Holey-moley.

It's also been a period of light winds. The fishermen are excited after a month of poor conditions. Doesn't matter much to me but it does get hot without the breeze.

Go Bombers.

All flower and no leaf? Seems topsy-turvy.

Red on black. A powerful omen that Essendon will find success next season.

Next stop was Cedar Bay where I found a 'whoopsie-daisy-ran-into-a rock' shipwreck.

The only ugliness I found was immediately around me. The new tent is certainly more functional in this climate but it looks hideous. It was always going to hard to compete with the sleek lines of the 2nd Arrow.

Green is a popular colour in the jungle. Even the ants are green sometimes.

That led me to this patch of jungle.

So I asked this painted crayfish the best thing to do.It told me to go north where the sand is cleaner and there are less red t-shirts. Good advice.

The coastline from the Daintree River to Cedar Bay is the part where the rainforest meets the sea. I was going to stop here at Cape Tribulation until a bus emptied about 50 people onto the beach.

My beach.

All rightey, I'm bunked up in Cooktown right now but let's cast back to Snapper Island, a day north of Port Douglas. There was a kayak tour group around the other side. Dennis, the guide told me yet more stories about crocs and tiger sharks and then sent his punters out to chase whale in the bay.

Kelvin is looking after the boat tonight. It's tucked safely amongst his catamarans on Four Mile Beach at Port Douglas. I'll check in again from Cooktown in 4-5 days. For students entering the Science Week Competition, good news, you have an extension. I've decided that Thursday Island would be a more appropriate place to read the entries and announce the winner. That means about 3-4 more weeks.

This morning I packed up slowly under the coconut palms and have tootled around to Palm Cove, north of Cairns. I'm tucked into a tiny little beach on the headland. I've just walked around the rocks for a hamburger and lime thickshake- one of the finest I've ever had.

Yesterday I stopped on Fitzroy Island hoping to stay the night in the camping ground. No can do, day-trippers only. I moved along to Turtle Bay where it started to rain. Some locals told me they'd seen a croc on this beach, hmm, a few years ago. Aha. Fresh water top-up. Lost another pair of sunglasses somewhere around here. Blast.

Safer to stay on the beach.

From Etty Bay I moved along to High Island where I found spiders. About 8 in one huge, insane, frightening, sticky, man-trapping web!

This suspicious fella was partrolling around the Conway Beach Training Area a few days ago, which meant I had to keep going to Etty Bay. Always defer to the bigger boat.

Today was a strangely quiet day with the wind wound right back to about 10 knots. Tried to squeeze my way onto Dunk Island (background) but they exiled me to this little dot next-door. Pays to book ahead when school groups are lurking around.

The flora was noticeably juicier.

Cape Sandwich. I'm not joking.

Poddled over to Hinchinbrook Island yesterday. Didn't see any bushwalkers but there is a popular track called the Thorsborne running the length of the island. Stunning backdrop of 1000m+ peaks for most of the day.