Tantabiddi to Carnarvon

On Friday 25th September as we were enjoying a bottle of Friday bubbles Pioneer sailed into the anchorage at Tantabiddi. We had first met Peter in the Kimberley and we swapped travel tales of sailing the west coast of WA over a few evening drinks. Pioneer is on the final leg of its circumnavigation of Australia heading for Perth. On the leg Peter had Bob Emery as crew assisting him.

Our last night in Tantabiddi we enjoyed a beautiful meal of reef fish caught by Cran and left early the following morning for Norwegian Bay where we anchored overnight on our way to Coral Bay. Norwegian Bay is the site of an old whaling station now in ruins on the beach. The water here was crystal clear and as we swam off the back of the boat we could see many small star fish on the white sandy bottom, white with pink/red dots.

Our next destination was Maud’s Landing, just north of Coral Bay. This part of Ningaloo Reef is famous for the variety of colourful coral and fish. We spent 4 days here with very strong winds once again. Luckily we were able to use a Dept of Conservation mooring buoy. Cran cooked our dinner on the BBQ in 30 plus knots one evening – notice the polar fleece vest!

The township of Coral Bay was a half hour walk from where we could take our dinghy ashore. This part of the reef has many sanctuary zones where boating is restricted or prohibited. Coral Bay was very busy with school holiday campers and visitors. It has two small supermarkets, clothing stores, newsagency and post office, so all our shopping needs were met. There were many tourist businesses offering water related activities from glass bottom boat tours to deep sea fishing outside the reef. Situated behind the town are 3 tall wind generators visible from quite a distance off shore.

The reef is very accessible and we just had to walk in off the beach to snorkel. The water temperature not quite as warm as further north however the cabbage shaped corals were spectacular as were than many reef fish, some quite large as they cruised below us among the bommies. The turquoise water crystal clear and the white coral sand match all the superlatives on the travel brochures.

Time to head south again and Saturday 3rd October saw us heading towards Carnarvon. Just after we cleared the reef at the entrance to Coral Bay we caught a 1.3 metre Mackerel – well done Cran for landing this monster. We enjoyed BBQ Mackerel that evening for dinner at our overnight anchorage at Gnarraloo Bay where we dropped the anchor close to the beach where people were fishing. As the moon rose the sky filled with pinks and mauves above the sand dunes.
Leaving early the following morning for Cape Cuvier surf was breaking across the reef. As we approach and leave these anchorages we keep a forward lookout for isolated bommies as we motor through the passages in the reef. The reflection of the sunlight on the water adds an additional challenge and keeps the adrenaline pumping. The seas are lumpy with choppy seas and steep swells close together – not a comfortable ride. As we lurch around the boat making tea, coffee, lunch etc our balance and agility is tested. It is a relief at the end of each day to set the anchor and enjoy the view from the back deck.
Cape Curvier would have to be the biggest surprise on our trip south with 60 metre high limestone and sandstone cliffs rising up from the sea. As you can see from the photo we were anchored quite close to shore in deep water, with surf breaking on the shoreline. After weeks on low sand dunes and distant limestone ridges the change of scenery was appreciated. While enjoying sunset drinks a herd of goats made their way along the cliff top and down and across the precipitous slopes looking for food. We enjoyed a spectacular sunset that evening as it dropped over the horizon through the structure of the jetty where salt and gypsum is loaded on ships for export. That evening was full moon and as it rose over the cliffs the moonlight lit them to a creamy glow. This was a magic experience and when we left at 3am the following morning it was sad to leave such a beautiful location. We were fortunate to have the right wind and wave conditions to enjoy this anchorage.

We arrived in Carnarvon after a long day of lumpy seas however we did see many whales close to the boat as they make their way south. Carnarvon is a low flat town with a strong agricultural industry, growing bananas originally brought in from Queensland. We spent the last few days of Carmel’s time with us sightseeing, the historical precinct at One Mile Jetty with its Lighthouse Keepers Cottage and Rail Museum as well as the long jetty the was used for many years for the transport of produce and livestock and well as the people travelling this long coast before the road network was constructed. After lunch at the River Café on the banks of the mostly dry Gascoyne River, we drove up the coast to the Blowholes through low scrub and desert and visited some of the farms along the Gascoyne River to purchase eggs, chutneys and bananas. Water for the farms and the local residents comes from aquifers taking the water from below the dry river bed.



Today 14th October we depart Carnarvon after enjoying just over a week sitting out strong winds in the protected reach of the Gascoyne known as the Fascine. The Carnarvon Yacht Club provides facilities for a small fee and access to a small dinghy pontoon which makes life easier when going ashore. The town centre is a 10 minute walk along the river. We finally caught up with Mike & Chrisy off Ohmless, a Fusion 40 cat - we were in the Kimberley at the same time but didn't meet up and we were leaving while they were arriving at both Broome & Dampier. Mike & Chrisy sailed out of WA 29 years ago in a mono and after many shore based years are completing their circumnavigation of Australia in a catamaran. It was good to spend some time with them in Carnarvon. We have also met many other yachties who have generously shared their local knowledge of this part of the coast south to Perth, and beyond. Many thanks to them. We have made new friends who we hope to catch up with as we sail south or perhaps meet up again in other locations over the next few years. It has been an opportunity to catch up on boat maintenance, service engines, fix water makers and gensets, repair engine water pumps and an engine mount for the port engine as well as the usual cleaning and washing and shopping for provisions for the next leg of our journey. We have enjoyed our stay in Carnarvon and look forward to our next destinations.

Onslow to Tantabiddi Anchorage (Ningaloo Reef)

The past week has been spent sitting out strong wind warnings then taking advantage of breaks in the weather to make passage along the coast. We spent 3 days anchored off the township of Onslow. It is a small holiday town that also provides support to the offshore gas and oil facilities. We were able to purchase the weekend papers and replenish our fresh fruit and vegetables while ashore, and visit the local Goods Shed Museum which houses an eclectic display of local memorabilia. We enjoyed lunch at the pub on Monday after investigating the boardwalk which joins Sunset and Sunrise Beaches through the sand dunes at Beadon Point. From the walk you can observe the salt loading facility at the end of a long jetty. The dunes are home to an interesting range of plants that somehow survive the dry conditions. At the start of the walk is Onslow War Memorial depicting a Diggers Badge. It was designed for the sun to rise through the centre every Anzac Day.

On Tuesday 22nd Sept we set sail for Serrurier Island, a spectacular long sandy island with good snorkelling and fishing (21.36S 114.41E). We enjoyed a lazy day there on Wednesday before heading south to Ningaloo Reef and our present anchorage at Tantabiddi. We left Serrurier at 3am and had a good sail until we were abeam of North West Cape where the seas were very confused with large waves coming from all directions. The tall communications towers on the Cape (built by the US Navy) were visible from 5 miles offshore. No longer operational, the site has become a tourist attraction and a few of the towers are taller than the Eiffel Tower.

We are anchored inside Ningaloo Reef surrounded by sea grass beds with large waves breaking on the reef about 2 kilometres away (21.54S 113.59E). On shore we have a back drop of limestone ridges – the Cape Range National Park. There is a boat ramp with a tourist information shed and a bitumen road regularly traversed by cars towing caravans. We are experiencing very strong winds 25 to 35 knots with several gusts over 40 knots and a maximum of 48 knots. This morning at 2 am we were woken by the sound of the anchor chain grinding on the anchor winch. The chain is normally connected to a bridle that takes the strain off the winch; however the stainless steel shackle that connects the bridle to the chain broke as a result of the hours of straining against the winds and the currents. So there we were in the early hours of the morning on a pitching deck doing repairs in gale force winds. Fortunately the anchor didn’t drag nor the winch clutch let go so it was a good outcome. As we say “Cruising is an adventure everyday”

The conditions are forecast to ease off for the next 3 days before the next set of strong winds arrive. We will use that weather window to travel down to Coral Bay before heading for Carnarvon late next week. The weather is quite warm with the winds blowing from the south east and the humidity is 28 %, so it is time for a quick swim off the back of the boat before lunch, then a snorkel and walk along the beach this afternoon.

Dampier to Onslow via the Montebello Islands

Dampier is a port for the iron ore mines of the Pilbara and natural gas from the North West Shelf. Karratha is the main township providing housing and services for the workers and their families. Dampier is located on a peninsular and separated from the mainland by a vast salt pan from which salt is mined and exported. We were surrounded by mountains of iron ore and salt when anchored in Hampton Harbour in Dampier and the boat was soon covered in red dust.

We hired a car for 2 days and were able to shop in Karratha for supplies as well as collect Carmel from the airport on Tuesday 8 Sept after her long flight from Sydney. We had not seen Carmel since March when she left to start her new job with the ABC in Sydney. It was great to see her and to catch up on all her news over a bottle of bubbles in the cockpit watching the lights of Dampier and listening to the rumbling of the conveyor belts as they transported the iron ore out to the stockpiles next to the wharves.

We enjoyed dinner at the Dampier Yacht Club on Wednesday evening before heading off to Enderby Island on Thursday. We decided to sail out to the Montebello Islands, 60 nautical miles from Dampier and left Enderby Island at midnight to arrive in not very accurately chartered waters in the middle of the day. It was a lively crossing with strong headwinds and very lumpy seas. We sailed between two large gas platforms and were pleased to enter the calm waters inside the outer islands of the Montebello’s. (20 27.5S 115 32E) Our chosen anchorage was Brandy Bay located at the entrance to a lagoon on Hermite Island. Many bays are named after alcoholic drinks eg Champagne Bay, Claret Bay, and Vermouth etc etc. We read an article by a yachtsman whose dream is to drink a bottle of each beverage in its namesake location!! There were two yachts anchored in the bay and a third sailed in on our third morning - an unusual sight, 4 yachts in the one anchorage. One of the things we often comment on is the low numbers of cruising yachts in this part of the world. We saw a few in the Kimberley’s however along the west coast we mainly see yachts in harbours, not during our journeys between major towns. There were also a few fishing boat charters cruising around the islands.

These unique islands are low lying rugged limestone covered in spinifex and termite mounds. They are also the site of British atomic testing in the 1950’s. We decided not to venture into that area as our cruising guide recommends not going ashore for more than one hour per day – we did not want to glow in the dark. The waters are home to many sea creatures including stingrays, turtles, dolphins and reef fish as well as sea birds and small finches (Zebra Finch) with red/orange beaks and striped black and white tail feathers, who visit us each morning. We enjoyed four beautiful evening reef fish meals provided by our keen fisherman – Cran, as well as some fresh oysters collected from the rocks near our anchorage. Many of the channels are shallow and best navigated at the top half of the tide. We have experienced strong winds during our stay however were able to enjoy swims off the back of the boat crystal clear waters and today off the beach in our new anchorage in Manision Bay. We have used our kayaks for the first time since leaving Queensland. We did not want to have a close encounter with crocodiles in the NT or Kimberley so the kayaks have not had much use to date.

Today Friday 18 September we are underway from Great Sandy Island to Onslow, a township on the coast. We left the Montebello Islands on Wednesday and have a lively sail to Barrow Island, zigzagging through the shallow reef, around gas platforms and around low lying islands that are off limits to visitors because of the gas and oil extraction. All the islands in this area are low lying; some have large storage tanks on them which stand out from a distance, often being visible long before the actual island itself. We have been fortunate to see many whales during our travels, many surfacing not far for our boat rolling on their backs and flapping their tails or flippers on the water’s surface, or just broaching creating an enormous splash. Yesterday we came across a large whale sleeping on the surface, at first it looked like a large shiny black log but as we came closer the tell take shape of its back alerted us – so altering course we watched as it floated past in the current sending the occasional spume of water and air skywards.

Barrow Island is a nature reserve and it is not possible to land there. There are some unique plants and animals living on this island that require vigilance to protect them from extinction. We had a visit from the survey vessel and another from a shore based worker to advise us not to go ashore. It is good to see the Chevron employees taking an active interest in looking after this island and proud of the fact that they have the opportunity to help protect it. We were fortunate to be able to secure a safe overnight anchorage here as we made our way back to the coast.

We are all keeping well and enjoying Carmel’s company. Our time is spent reading, doing normal boat maintenance and creating interesting menus for our evening meals. We are lucky that all our friends enjoy cooking - much fun is had in the galley each evening. The IPOD gets a good work out however there is no TV reception most of the time. We watch the odd movie or music DVD and have been fortunate to be able to pick up local ABC Radio in some pretty remote locations – thank you Aunty!

Broome to Dampier

It is Monday 7 September and we arrived in Dampier this afternoon after spending a few relaxing days at Dolphin Island just to the north east. We had a slow sail from Broome south without much wind for much of the time, so it really was a motor/sail for most of the time. When we left Broome we headed out from the coast to avoid the pearl leases close to the coast. The bonus was sighting whales every day as well as many sea snakes, who sun themselves on the surface during the day. The water heading south is inky blue quite a change the milky blue of the Kimberley area. Off Port Headland we started to pick up many ships traversing the coast and our AIS system came into its own providing vital information as to the route and destination of these large ships. There is nothing quite like being on watch at 2am and seeing bright lights appear over the horizon coming towards you.

Our first landfall was Dolphin Island just north of Karratha and north west of Dampier. A spectacular anchorage surrounded by red cliffs and small sandy bays which provided a brilliant backdrop to the full moon.

It was a good opportunity to catch up on domestic duties and boat maintenance as well as kicking back and having a few relaxing swims and a few glasses of white wine and some cold beers. We were able to smoke some of the Mackerel that we caught in the Kimberly with Peter and Susan which we have enjoyed. We had our anchorage to ourselves for a couple of days until the weekend when some local boaties and fishermen were out enjoying the bay.

Tonight Dampier provides quite a contrast as it is a large iron ore and liquefied gas port with many ships and conveyor belts thundering around us in our anchorage in Hampton Harbour. This port operates 24/7 with bright orange work lights on shore and a busy airport just over the hills to our south east. Tomorrow Carmel arrives from Sydney, what a contrast for her.

Broome

Broome had been a relaxing break however working the tides to get ashore in the dinghy has been a challenge. We were anchored 1 mile off shore so it was usually a very wet ride home into the westerley afternoon sea breeze. Broome is a tourist town with many interesting shops and restaurants as well as the rich history surrounding the pearl industry. Cable Beach lives up to its reputation with a long sandy beach and many resorts and restaurants along the high sand dunes looking out over the "azure" blue of the Indian Ocean. We were fortunate to have friends in town who lent us their car, a big help with boat shopping and reprovioning for the trip south. We also managed a trip to the dump to remove a "few" empty wine bottles from the trip from Darwin!!

While in Broome our friends Nick and Kat announced their engagement. They joined us for a lovely day on the water on Sunday with their friend Sarah. We motored around to Cable Beach, with the fishing lures out but no luck. Tried a bit of fishing at the reef then anchored just off the beach for a swim and lunch. The beach was covered in 4WD vehicles, the occupants enjoying the beautiful weather. We then had a good sail back to Roebuck Bay and nearly lost the lure to a large mackerel - however it was one the ones that got away, such a shame for Nick who is a keen fisherman.

The Sea Princess was in Broome for the day - it is a large inernational cruise ship and was quite a site at the wharf. We are currently sailing out of Broome heading south to Dampier. We will be sailing non stop for the next few days as there are not many anchorages of this stretch of the coast.

Raft Point to Broome

Hi to all our family and friends, we arrived in Broome late Wednesday 26 Aug, after a 16 hour journey from Beagle Bay on the West Coast of WA. We have TV reception again so were able to watch an episode of "The Cook and the Chef" while enjoying a well earned glass or two of wine.

Our last update had us underway to Raft Point. This area has a long Aboriginal history associated with initiation ceremonies on Steep Island, located opposite at the point at the entrance to Doubtful Bay. Raft Point gained its name from the launching of rafts to fish for Dugong, Turtle and also to send food across to Steep Island where the young men stayed during their rites of initiation. In the caves high up on the Point a series of rock art galleries are accessible after a walk up the hill. The paintings are of the large Dugong, Turtle, crocodiles and fish that were hunted as well as some more of the Wandjina art. The cave floor and walls are coated in soot from cooking fires as well as remnants of stone tools and shells.

Later in the day we smoked some Mackerel which we enjoyed for dinner. We spent two nights here, a good opportunity to catch up on the washing, and take some time out to enjoy our spectacular surroundings of sheer red cliffs, rocky islets and and the vista of Doubtful Bay across which a few of the large tourist charter boats travelled each day.

Our friends, Peter and Susan had planned to fly out from Cockatoo Island and when confirming their flight found that a change of departure point was required. The best option was to head to One Arm Point on the eastern side of the Dampier Peninsular. On Thursday 20 August we sailed/motored across the top of Collier Bay, past Koolan Island and Cockatoo Island. These islands have large iron ore mines carved out of the steep rock hillsides which fall precipitously to the shores below. It was fascinating to see the large mining trucks winding their way up and down the hillside.

We selected Myridi Inlet as our overnight stop however while looking for a spot to drop the anchor we ran aground on a sand bank. Luckily we were able to reverse off and anchor near a charter boat - providing some entertainment for their guests who were enjoying sundowners on the top deck as we came to a sudden holt. Cran philosophized that, if you are going to do something like that, it will always happen when you have an audience! The bottom went from over 10m deep to less than 1m on a verical wall. Luckly the top of the wall was sand/mud so no damage to the boat, just the skipper's pride.

The following morning we left early in order to work the tides to cross the top of King Sound. We motored through narrow straits with whirlpools and eddies, across strong current lines, zigzagging around the many islands in the Buccaneer Archipelago, finally passing to the south of the Sunday Islands. The islands at the top of King Sound have a low profile and are very weathered with sparse vegetation. We were heading for Catamaran Bay part of Cygnet Bay however at we approached the anchorage we could see a large pearl farm operation in the bay. A call then a personal visit from the owners of the farm advised us to anchor around at Shenton Bluff which proved to be a delightful anchorage and a short dinghy ride to the beach near the end of the air strip at One Arm Point. We enjoyed a celebratory champagne and dinner with our friends Peter and Susan, who were leaving us the following day. The past four weeks had passed quickly and we have covered 810 Nautical Miles since leaving Darwin, seeing much that the Kimberley has to offer. The vastness of the area is not easy to comprehend. We have met people who have cruised here for many years and still have new places to explore. We have been fortunate to see as much as we have and to be able to share this memorable experience with good friends.

On Saturday 22nd August Peter and Susan treated us to a scenic flight from One Arm Point over the Sound and Talbot Bay. We were able to view the area we had sailed through over the previous two days. From the air the vast folded landscape of the western end of the King Leopold Ranges and the many islands in King Sound spread out before us. We could see the movement of water in the sound as it raced past the islands on the outgoing tide. The highlight of the flight was to see the Horizontal Waterfalls from the air. The falls are two narrow gaps between vertical sandstone rock walls which are the entrance to two bays. As the tide rises and falls the water inside the bays rushes in or out with up to 10 metre tidal range causing height differences between the inner bays and the outer bays forming the waterfalls of whirlpools and raging currents as the water pours through. An amazing sight.After our return to One Arm Point we said our goodbyes and Peter and Susan flew to Broome and then on to Perth for connecting flights home to the Gold Coast.

Sunday morning we were invited by the Cygnet Bay Pearl Farmers to accompany them on a trip out to the Sunday Islands for a swim and an opportunity to experience the tides of Escape Passage at close hand. This was the pass we were planning to exit through the following day. Bruce and James generously shared their wealth of local knowledge of the area. The family has operated pearl farms in the area since the 1940's and were able to explain the history of the area including tales of Philip Parker King who charted the local coastline in the 1820's. Before we departed on Monday, Bruce, Alison and James paid us a visit for morning coffee and we were able to share some information about our boat how she was built, an area of interest to Bruce who is investigating the purchase of a catamaran. He previously owned a 70 foot Lock Crowther catamaran which was purpose built for the pearl farm as a dive boat and is keen to own and sail one again.

Monday afternoon we left our anchorage to exit King Sound via Escape Pass. We experienced the third largest spring tide of the year in the 10 metre range with currents over 10 knots. As we approached the pass a pod of whales cruised past on the last of the incoming tide. It was critical that we be at Escape Pass at slack water to catch the outgoing tide. At times we were going backwards as the tide moved at different speeds and direction in the pass however eventually we were cruising along at 8 knots heading for Cape Leveque. The seas as we left the Sound were very confused and the sail to our overnight anchorage just north of Cape Leveque was uncomfortable. The following day on our sail to Beagle Bay we experienced similar conditions however the anchorage at the head of the bay was secure. We left Beagle Bay at midnight in order to get to Broome by mid Wednesday afternoon. There are many pearl leases along the coast and not all are marked on our charts, so we spent the day on lookout for marker buoys and whales, who are now heading south.

Port Nelson to Samson Inlet

We shared the anchorage at Careening Bay with a large charter boat - there must have been 50 plus people on the beach, the most people we have seen since leaving Darwin. The Boab Tree with "Mermaid 1820" carved into its trunk was set back from the beach amongst spinifex grass. The number of tour boats that visit this bay ensure that a well beaten path to the tree and surrounding boab trees are easy to find. The following day we headed for Hanover Bay Inlet at the entrance to the Prince Regent River system. Whale spotting has now become a regular activity, and we continued to polish 2 fishing lures - where are those Mackerel? Hanover Bay Inlet is a deep gorge with tall sandstone cliffs bordering the inlet. There are also a two smaller inlets off to the southern side where this fishing was reported to be very good - no luck for our fishermen, they returned with the same bait on their lines from their first cast. Cran and Peter met up with another boat that came into the anchorage later in the day - The Opal Shell, whose owners Barbara and Ron run wilderness cruises on their 60 foot ketch. They are currently cruising by themselves and joined us the following evening in Sampson Inlet for drinks. They have been cruising this area for 20 plus years and shared some of their extensive knowledge of the area with us, which we greatly appreciated.
Yesterday, Monday 17 August we motored from Hanover Bay Inlet through Rogers Strait south of Augustus Island. There are many pearling leases in the passage and inlets, taking advantage of the clean, clear blue waters. Just as we were entering the strait Cran pulled in a lovely Mackerel on the hand line. Just as he and Peter were tying it up, the rod on the other side of the boat started to scream and Peter reeled in a spectacular 1.26 m Spanish Mackerel - just wait for the photos. Dinner last night was the smaller Mackerel expertly cooked on the BBQ by Cran. Our anchorage for the night was Sampson Inlet - a long L shaped deep gorge covered in gum trees, cycads and boab trees. After dinner while having a glass of red wine we heard a loud noise on the front deck. Spotlights on, we found a small Mackerel had jumped out of the water and landed in the trampoline netting at the front of the boat. I don't know who was more surprised. So there you have it, 3 Mackerel in one day, although the last fellow was given a reprieve.
This part of the Kimberley is greener and there are pockets of rainforest in some of the deeper gorges that have running water all year round. Today, Tuesday 18 August we are heading south west towards Raft Point. Passing close by Hall Point we were able to take the boat in close to rock face to photograph many fascinating weathered sandstone sculptures; then on to Langge Inlet where there is an Aboriginal site with more pillars of sandstone, looking like groups of people gathered together. We have been lucky to see many pods of whales today, gliding through the water ahead of us with the occasional tale splash.

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