Magnetic Island Circumnavigation

Photos:

• Huntingfield Bay campsite;
• Florence Bay camp,
• From another trip, Parrots being fed at the YHA, Horseshoe bay.
• Thuraya Sat phone coverage.  (No I am not sponsored By them...) 

A rather offbeat way of spending the New Year: I did a solo circumnavigation of Magnetic Island, Just off Townsville, QLD.
Left the afternoon of Dec 31, strong winds, stormy. Crossed in the rain, then HEAVY tropical rain - the island would dissapear from view for minutes and I had to use my compass to keep on a bearing. Battling the winds, I made it across to the Mangroves and the weather cleared.

I paddled North, with the island on my right and went around the point , coming into some strong winds and swell, especially before Huntingfield Bay, where the kayak was crashing over 4m swell... and I had to work hard to make any headway against the gale force winds.
I decided to make a landing on the bay, where I set up a tarp against the rocks and relaxed.

I explored the beach that I had entirely to myself (no road access or tracks). Found some nice rivers, including one that was flowing freely with small cascades due to the drizzle. And watched Sea Eagles. real Robinson Crusoe feel... should do this more often I thought...

In the evening I got out my Sat phone, pointed it roughly NW to get reception from the Thuraya geo-stationary satellite over Singapore, and called up family and a friend or 2.
That was my New year's eve.... and one of the best I've had.... a lot to be said for real wilderness, but you need rain protection , long trousers and some good mossie repellent for the sandflies.

Day2:  weather fine with winds . paddle to Horseshoebay, have a beer and some icecream. Then to Florence Bay in strong winds - arrive 1hour before dark and set up the tarp with half a dozen ropes to stop it from flapping... a pyramid tent would be better. Magnificent bay...

Day 3: paddle to Alma bay where there is quite a few people, get approached by a man interested in my trip, talk about the logistics etc. relax in shade out of sun... and then paddle back to Townsville.

The best things in life are definitely free... although a bit of time and sweat may be involved in enjoying them.
Free Time... being the asset which us moderns often do not know how to create or enjoy. The trick being to use our prosperity to have "slack time" or time where nothing specific is planned, and sunsets and the company of people can be enjoyed...
In my humble opinion, Better than paying working extra to pay off that wide screen TV (to watch documentaries of people Kayaking... )  or whatever.. piece of stuff we were encouraged to buy.

Whitsunday Passage Crossing

From Shute Harbour to Denman island, spent the night on the island. Then crossed over the 5km or so "Whitsunday passage" wind against me partly, which made the crossing long and fairly demanding. Long break for lunch in the spot pictured above on Whitsunday island. Hot !!! shade is a must when there is so much glare from the sand.... putting up a tarpaulin or even a pyramid tent is recommended.... to avoid getting tired and irritable due to the glare,sun, heat.   siesta over 12-2 or 3 pm recommended... 

Also re-hydration powder, Gatorade style recommended. 

I snorkelled a bit, then packed stuff away and circumnavigated the small island just north of me :

Cid island. I pass yachts and wave. Some yachts moored in the natural harbours on Whitsunday itself. 

saw a very large turtle - 1.4 m or so .  Then back across to Denman, break, then back to Shute Harbour.

Good fun and gives me confidence for longer trips with swell etc.  Need to acquire a 2nd expedition Kayak so I can take friends out.. 

Australian Geo article on camping and paddling the Whitsundays:

Bryan says that the Ngaro developed a distinctive art style that can still be seen in paintings on the sea trail. “In fact, the whole southern end of Hook Island is littered with caves and sites, all around Macona and Nara inlets,” he says. “Nara probably has eight or nine caves with paintings and artefacts.” I ask him whether there were ever any permanent settlements on the islands. “The most prominent indigenous campsite was Cid Harbour on Whitsunday Island, which was used as a campsite all year round,” he says. Analysis of middens in this region have revealed that fish, crabs, turtles, shellfish, marsupials, reptiles and birds were all part of the traditional diet, along with many edible plants. 

http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/journal/whitsunday-best.htm

Kayaking the Whitsundays - Liberty in a Paradise of Islands

Camping and trying not to be eaten by large ants... in this particular campsite.

View of the mainland 45 minutes by Kayak from South Molle:

 Camping overnight on Denman island... solitude, beautiful coral beach, Sunset.:

 Denman island, as seen from  South Molle island.

Another weekend; camp on mid-Molle island. Great Sunset.

 And a Transcendental Full Moon with a path....

(click on a photo for a larger version) 

Really getting hooked on Sea Kayaking...

The last few weekends, I've been driving to Airlie beach and kayaking, 2 or 3 days at a time. Sleeping on random beaches or on small National Parks camping areas.
The Whitsundays is great because it has a diversity - 1star to 5 star resorts, camp areas, wilderness. Some really cute small islands that I camped on. Bushwalks up hilltops, Aboriginal paintings.
And lots of marine life - crystal clear water, coral, turtles. Even saw a whale 600m away one sunday evening as I returned to the mainland. Big thing the size of a truck, blowing air up and travelling around Daydream island.
Was quite awesome and breathtaking... to see this big powerful thing diving and surfacing, the spray being puffed up in a big spurt. 

Sea Kayaking is a bit like backpacking at sea... plus you get speed thrills when you get pushed around a point by the wind and waves, whooshing past the rocks and trees. Or when you are doing a 7km crossing and the waves make half the kayak come out of the water before crashing down the other side.
And there is no better way to get up close with marine life...

I have a mobile phone, which works in most of the area, and an Indigo telecom Satellite phone just in case.
I can also bring my kindle and read books when on shore.  I sleep in a hammock, or on the ground with a mattress  sleep bag and bivi bag.  Small gas cooker, tuna, wraps, some freeze dried food.  carry 9l of water in supermarket containers. All goes in the hatches in drybags, with one drybag behind me, on the outside of the kayak.

One could do this for weeks, with the only real cost being food... and the occasional stay in a cabin for a bit of luxury.

Brings me back to my roots as a Bohemian Libertarian Warrior in nature...

Townsville, Magnetic island etc

In Feb, drove up to Townsville. I enjoy living in the tropics, with huge beaches a stone's throw away, Maggie island one of my favourite Aus places , Mission beach and all the waterfalls and intense jungle walks between Townsville and Cairns.

Went around Magnetic with my Kayak - 1.5 days, sleeping on the beach at horseshoe bay. More adventures planned with this kayak... ideal way to travel with everything in the hatches, no roads, only cost is food.
(click on a photo for a larger version)

Quick summary Dec 2011-Feb 2012

Dec met up with le grand frere and stayed in Warrumbungles nat park for 5 days, doing most of the peaks and walks. Good weather. Also visited the Anglo-Australian observatory which has the biggest mirror in Aus and has had several first observations.

Then Bega to visit my friend Bernard in the house of character Heinola, then Blue mnts , then up to the Qld border to visit nat parks I've never been to: Bald rock and Giraween Nat park.  The last is a big one, with many wildflowers, creek to swim in and 2 huge granite boulders called the Pyramids. Great Australian camping with creek swims, kangaroos, campfires with sausages, bush campsites. Was great to renew with my hippie side and travel for a month in the van without any real schedule, after a fairly busy year in the Army  and being online last summer - limiting my travel options.