Sail to Low Isles

leaving Yorkeys at sunrise

Thursday 27^th Sept – Low Isles
We left Yorkeys Knob in Cairn at 0730hs to motor sail, mostly motor to Low Isles, 30n/m up the coast, passing Double Island as we leave.

Double Island

MrJ put the trolling line out while I start to get breakfast. Around 0750hs we hook a big fish that gets away just as MrJ has it to the bottom of the step. The fish was a real fighter and just shoot the lure out so hard that the lure ended up on top of the bimini.

MrJ fights the big fish



the silly fish gets away 

Oh well! MrJ puts the line out again and we go back to the daily life of breakfast.

the populated coastline north of Yorkeys

 0915hs the trolling line is hit again and this time it does not get away. MrJ reels in a 60cm tuna mackerel, another good fish that we can get a few meals out of.


Tuna Mackerel

the one that didn't get away

The seas are a bit lumpy with a small easterly swell and slight southerly winds. I can see ships passing on the horizon.

We arrive at Low Island at 1130hs and take up a public mooring.

 

After taking up a public mooring buoy and before getting a chance to settle in we were greeted by the resident Bat Fish and Black Tip Reef Shark. The Reef Shark had his mates tagging along - the Sucker Fish. I through a couple of small lumps of bread out to the bat fish and the sucker fish dart in to grab first while their ride, the shark, keeps circling. Reef sharks are harmless but I still don’t go in for a swim!

Low Isles - Low Isles is an inner patch reef, a large oval 200 hectare coral platform, 15 km north-east of Port Douglas. It is composed of a small coral cay (Low Island) and a larger mangrove island (Woody Island) Island is uninhabited except for a wealth of bird species - a vital habitat, all growing on top of senile coral reef. It has ecological importance due to the coexistence of a number of fully developed marine and terrestrial ecosystems. The combination of coral cay and mangrove island type is unique to the Great Barrier Reef. The hook like shape, which provides a sheltered lagoon, is also an excellent refuge and an ideal feeding ground for a large population of adolescent turtles. Living amongst the corals in the blue lagoon are a large variety of reef fish including angelfish, damselfish, anemones, giant trevally, sweetlip, fusilers and many green turtles.

Low Isles is an important indigenous cultural site for both the KuKu Yalanji and Yirraganydji aboriginal tribes. The sea country of both groups overlaps at Low Isles.

The English explorer, Captain James Cook, recorded the existence of these islands in 1770 during his voyage of discovery to Australia. He described Low Island as “a small low island”. It was officially named Low Isles in 1819.

A lighthouse was built on the coral cay in 1878. It was the tenth commissioned by the Queensland Government to help create the longest shipping lane in the world. There was a continuous presence of lighthouse keepers on Low isles up until 1993, when the lighthouse became automated.

Weather data has been collected on Low Isles since 1887 and scientific associations date back to 1928 when it was the base for a yearlong scientific survey which studied the structure and ecology of the surrounding reef. This was the first detailed scientific study of a coral reef anywhere in the world.

MrJ and I leave Low Isles early the next morning to sail to Cooktown.

 

My Week in Yorkeys Knob Cairns in Pictures

Yorkeys Knob

My Week in Yorkeys Knob Cairns in Pictures
Thursday 20^th – Wednesday 26^th September 2012  
This is our week in Cairns and/or Yorkeys Knob through my photography.
I need to get up to date with my blog.


sailing into Cairns

Thursday: left Fitzroy Island at 0720hs

 

 

 

 

 

 

the welcoming committee

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and arrived at the Half moon Bay Marina Yorkeys Knob (16’48.131S – 145’42.928S) at 1040hs.

our first visitor
This could be the Dainty Swallowtail common in Far North Queensland
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papilio_anactus

Friday:

our first morning in the marina

MrJ eats his breakfast in a hurry as he has a lot of work to do.

fixing the pump

fixing one of the heads

 

 

Saturday:

I went for an early morning walk over to Yorkeys Beach

there were other people doing the same

 

Yorkeys Beach

Yorkeys Knob

the lifesaver goes round & round

and there is a real lifesaver

the walk home

our friend Kelly took us to the Rusty's Markets

met an old busker

we are a multi-cultural society

and then we went to the meat market

view from Kelly's back deck

Kelly

in Kelly's deck garden

Sunday:

early Saturday I walked up Yorkeys Knob

the steep hill

alls quiet at the Boating Club

fishing boats have started their day

and then I walk over to the little beach near the boat ramp

one has already gone out

others are getting ready

the fellers have just arrived

more and more take to the water

out to sea they go

the girls challenge the waves

I lay on the sand and watch

as they paddle

in the morning's light

day has broken

and the paddlers have all gone

leaving me and me mate on the sand



back at the boat ramp the action is happening

cars and trailors are lined up for miles

there is movement in the marina

and a plane goes over

some one has found a quiet spot to fish

and so life goes on

I head back to the boat to get on with my day to day chores.



Monday:

MrJ and I drive into Cairns

in a little car that we have hired

we buy a portable airconditioner for the boat

on the way to the store we see the hinterland train 

Cairns may have the feel of a large country town but it is still a city

I love to see the natural life

but you can keep all that dust

give me the tranquility of water any day

Tuesday:

up early again

some people are sleeping on the beach

and then the morning begins

I find another friend

into the sea he goes

and loves to play

and brings back the stick - what fun......!

some one else is watching the new day

while some one is still sleeping

on the walk home I find an old building

a Kookaburra in a tree

and the creek by the marina



time for a shower - good way to disguise the shower block with lots of plants

 

and see another Koockaburra

 

MrJ and I go into town (Cairns) again

visit all the likely boating supply stores
this is where we had to get the new sparkplugs for the Honda generator

 

we take a walk along the esplanade

check out the low tide

check out the lagoon pool

and the park - love the big old fig tree, they make such wonderful shade

lunch at a diner

one more look at the baots anchored out the front of Trinity Inlet



more photos downtown



get to the bottle shop just in time for a emergency evacuation



and then off to the Chemist for our medical supplies 



now it is time for home and to unpack the grocies

That evening we have dinner and catch up with my dear friend Trish and her daughter Cortney.

 





Cortney - sweet girl she is

my dear friend Trish who I have known since primary schoool - good old Tempe days - so long agao

 

Wednesday:

0600hs and all is well

I take an early morning walk up to the Post Box to post off some birthday card for October; goodness know when we will be near any post box till we get to Darwin.

saw another Koockaburra - or maybe it is the same one?
 

someone lost their shoes - must be getting desperate for photo material

and the planes keep going over

I get back to spent most of the day trapping back and forth to the marina laundry - washing and cleaning day.

the swallow have made a home on the boat next door

the waterway out my back door

sunset across the waterway

That night MrJ and I have dinner out again - such a social life we lead - not! We catch up with good friends Billy and Lynette.

always has a smile our Billy

cheerful as ever is Lynette

and my dear happy chappy who has to be the main character in a lot of my photos

The next morning MrJ and I sail AR away from Yorkeys Knob, sail for Low Isles twenty something n/miles away.

 

ps. Hummmmmmmmmmmmmmm....! this posting was huge with graphics -  maybe I should not be taking so many photos next time - I did say maybe........!! ;o)))