Mays Bay Whitsunday Island

Saturday 21th July 2012

Mays Bay Whitsunday Island
Warm sunshine but cold strong SE winds

Tropical sunset

The morning’s task was to get the new computer up and running but I’m afraid that it took nearly all day between cooking and moving AR again. I had forgotten how time consuming some of this stuff is to upload when you are required to restart your computer between each installation. 1600h, all done and now we are ready for another glorious sunset over a tropical sky.
Mays Bay Anchorage: 20’13.468S – 148’56.579E or more to the west end, if you can get in there.
May's Bay offers quite good shelter from South - South Easterly winds. It is just north of Cid Harbour, a nice spot to get away from the usual crowds of charter boats at Cid Harbour has a lovely sandy beach called Bernie’s Beach after Bernie Katchor,  http://berniekatchor.com/page2.html with whom it was a favourite spot when he started operations in the early ‘70s with the first crewed charter boat in the area, Nari. May was the wife of Lindsay Heiser; she and her husband were early partners in the Hook underwater observatory, which is now closed, and before their accommodation was finished at the observatory site, they stayed onboard their boat. When the weather blew too strongly from the SE they used to move over and stay in this lovely sheltered anchorage.

MrJ takes his pics to be stitched

Some history I found:
Heiser sold out his law partnership in Brisbane in 1968 and in his 13.6 metre motor launch Lewana took up residence on a mooring at the observatory, later to be joined by his wife May. In rough weather they would move to the small bay just to the east of Lion Point on Whitsunday Island, this to become known locally as May's Bay. By 1970 the Heisers had erected a mobile home unit behind the beach where the resort now stands and moved there from the Lewana. In 1971 a second unit was added adjoining the first and Heiser's son, Alan, and his wife Yumiko moved in to assist in running the venture. The lease to the resort area at that time prohibited the provision of overnight accommodation for tourists but improvements were added by way of a bar and kiosk, a barbecue area, toilets and so on to provide for the day-trippers brought to the observatory by Aircloud. The observatory and associated facilities continued under Heiser's direct control and when in 1975 Alan and his wife returned to Brisbane their place was taken by Lindsay's oldest son, Iain, and his wife Chris and the family remained there until in 1980 the venture was bought by Mackay businessman and hotelier, John Hannay. Lindsay and May returned to live in Brisbane while Iain and Chris took up residence in Cannon Valley where they still reside in 1996. Lindsay died in July 1992

View of AR anchored in Mays Bay from Bearnie's Beach

There's not much snorkelling here to speak of, but if you're desperate, in can be interesting. Don't expect good visibility though. Mays Bay is great area to do some kayaking in or some fishing off the point. I spotted two Sea Eagles round the point and a Masked Booby flying off then beach and there are several Pied Oyster Catchers on the shore.