Still at the Newry Islands

Sunday 9^th June 2012

Still at the Newry Islands
Cool, cloudy, windy (15/20knts) and a little choppy on the water

Concertina Rock, Outer Newry Island & Wedding Cake Islet 

Here we are still anchored between Newry and Outer Newry Island when our mates off Neriki and Forever Dreaming have sail out to Brampton Island. The weather has set in for a few days and MrJ and I chose to stay put rather than go. We have been to Brampton before, a couple of times and I know that it is another beautiful island worth exploring but sitting in the Newrys is a much better option in my books.

Thursday MrJ and I went for morning tea on Forever Dreaming, Mercedes and Gary’s boat, an eleven metre Easy that he built himself. What a lovely boat with a great finish and fresh feel.

After morning tea all of us, me and MrJ, Gary and Mercedes and Ric and Shelly, took the dinghies across to the rocky landing on Outer Newry Island enabling us to walk the short track over to the other side of the island. It was nearly high tide which made it very easy to get ashore but shoes were a must for the hiking and getting over the slippery rock at the water’s edge.

Wearing his best socks

The track across Outer Newry Island is well marked, leaving the camping ground area where there is an old fishing hut, picnic table, a water tank and two loos, male and female. The loos are pit type (hole in the ground) in a modern out-house structure. Most of these types of modern pit loos are self decomposing which is far better than the old hole in the ground of days gone by.

Following the track to the other side of Outer Newry Island I found more evidence of the digging wild life on the island and lots of Jewelled Spiders.



Jewelled Spider

Jewel or Spiny Spider - female: 8 mm, male: 4 mmThe ring of black spines around the abdomen and the distinctive yellow, white and black markings make this spider easy to identify. In some parts of Australia the common name for this species is the Christmas spider because it is most often noticed in December and January. However, with diligent searching it can be found from November to about May. I was very lucky to see these spiders at this time of year. This spider builds a small circular web between shrubs. Although sometimes this spider's web is reduced to a few supporting strands.

Over on the other side of Pouter Newry Island is a large stony beach area; to the west of this beach is Concertina Rock and to the east is Wedding Cake Islet.  The boys tried to walk across all those stones to get a better look at Concertina Rock but found the going too tough and came back. We decided that it was a much better idea to return to our dinghies to motor around the western point for our better view.

Stony beach

Lunchtime found our happy cruisers at the campground and old resort area on Newry Island once again. Picnic bags full of lots of goodies were spread across the table. Ric supplies the gas BBQ for our meat and everyone else brought enough food to feed an army and an army’s appetite we all had after our trekking and exploring most of the morning.

After lunch I went off to take a few shot of the ruins, the old resort building or what is now left, main brick and stone rubble. These shots will make very interesting black and white photos. Yes I know – as MrJ always says – I’m obsessed with my photographer. More like an addition, I think!

Picnic area

Friday morning the mates sailed out, Neriki and Forever Dreaming leaving Alana Rose behind, leaving MrJ and me to be “Darby and Jones” once more.

Being “Darby and Jones” is something that I have become accustomed to over the five years plus some that MrJ and I have been living on the water. I was introduced to this way of life when we chose to buy our boat home, Alana Rose, in another country and we had to get her home back to OZ somehow. The sailing passage through the Caribbean waters, through parts of South and Central American waters, through the Panama Canal and then all the way across the great Pacific Ocean to Australia was a fabulous adventure with many stop-offs at many wonderful, exciting and romantic places. Visiting all these magic places was the holiday; sailing the passages was the work and some of the work was very hard and at times was even scary. By the end of this passage the work became less stressful as I had learnt more ways how to hand not only the physical side by my own personal outlook, feeling and stresses.

The old Brady's Cabin

I was never lonely and am still not; there is always something new to see or do every day. I have learnt to be more “still”, to chill, to relax more and to find smaller things to do when confined to my home in bad weather which is not much different to a land person on rainy days. Besides doing the continuing cleaning chores I cook, knit, crochet, write, take pictures and play on the computer when the power lets me. When the weather is fine I go ashore to explore, walk the trails, take pictures or paddle my kayak to interesting shorelines. Sometime I have the company of other cruising and boating people, sometimes not. Most times it is just MrJ and me as “Darby and Jones”, all alone.

We are left at the Newry’s anchorage with two other small sailing boats. Two local boaties that I assume live in this anchorage for most of the time maybe to return to somewhere now and again for their supplies. I have waved to these two old sailors when I see them go by which is hardly ever; one has a small wooden row boat the other has a rubber duckie (rubber dinghy) with a motor. I never see either of these sailors on deck except when there is a need for one sailor to call out to his mate. One afternoon the row boat sailor went over to visit the rubber duckie sailor, who I have since heard him being called Pat. Pat the Rubber Duckie Sailor! Another day the two old sailors took a rolled sail over to the campsite; maybe to do some repairs. (???) Since the weather has turned inclement the old sailors stay below in his own boat only to surface once a day to have a quick slosh down out of a bucket  while standing in his own tint cockpit. They would get their fresh water supply from the rainwater tanks at the National Park’s campsite on the islands. Freezing!

The anchorage between Newry & Outer Newry Islands

Last night, Saturday, there was a small fishing boat camped on the northern side of the Newry Island campgrounds near the old resort area. They had a big campfire lit down on the beach where they would be protected from the southerly winds. Pity our boat was moving so much with the winds, the fire would have made a great photo.

Tonight a foreign boat sailed into the anchorage and parked right behind AR. What a pity that we are leaving in the morning. MrJ and I are planning a sail across to Goldsmith Island where we should meet up with Neriki and Forever Dreaming.