Having left Airlie Beach, we headed up the coast to Townsville. Isn’t she darling.
When we first arrived we went literally “up the creek”. The names of the two river entrances were identical. This is the right one.
Sort of a traffic separation lane in the harbor. A first for me.
Townsville Yacht Club
Slips at Townsville Yacht Club
A local hotel referred to as the “Sugar Shaker” with Mount Stuart in the distance.
Magnetic Island from the boardwalk – Townsville, Australia.
Just like in Santa Barbara, California’s “Stern Wharf” – Townsville has a Longboards Bar and Grill too.
Dude!…..
Entrepreneurs along the Board Walk. Pet “hydrobaths” and various treats and goodies.
Nikki on the boardwalk.
They’re everywhere!…:-)
Though I cannot remember his name. This parade was in celebration of a man who lead non violent protests to secure Aboriginal rights.
He is considered the Martin Luther King of Australia.
Departing from Townsville Yacht Club for Breakwater Marina – a 3 mile trip.
Nikki being a photogenic photographer with Magnetic Island in the distance.
Mt. Stuart is the dominant feature in Townsville.
Fireboat practice.
Tourist flights in this Bi-Plane were a common occurrence.
Mt. Stuart with Bi-Plane Tour.
Moon over Mt. Stuart.
Departing Townsville for Hinchinbrook Island.
This is a 5km (3.2 mile) long pier. It guards the very shallow entrance to Hinchinbrook Channel where we skidded through the mud to enter for about 100 meters. It was not my finest navigational decision, but no harm, no foul.
Hinchinbrook Island has a narrow 20 mile long passage between it and the mainland.
Once in here, it was quiet and beautiful.
Nikki naviguesses up the Hinchinbrook.
Our anchorage
Our first CROCODILE!…
Really an idyllic setting and lots of Aussie wildlife.
Much of the island is a nature reserve and infrequently visited.
Transit of Venus…. For those of you who remember this event in June of 2012, we used the heavily shaded mirrors from the sextant to view this rare phenomenon. The weather was crystal clear and we got really good views of the event.
Town of Cardwell. We wanted to go into their small marina, but were told it was destroyed in last years Cyclone Yasi. There was too much debris in the harbor to even enter.
Landing between Cardwell and Innisfall, Yasi directly hit Dunk Island. This was a famous resort, completely destroyed by this Category 5 cyclone.
The central pressure fell to 930 mb which is incredibly strong. Note the hotel rooms damaged.
A palm fell through the roof.
All the vertical structure was blown out.
Swimming pool filled with the beach.
Restaurant damage.
Hotel activities….the week of the cyclone still posted.
This was the day it hit and with a vengeance.
Amidst the destruction….beauty.
Nikki on tour of Dunk Island.
This beach used to be entirely covered in white sand.
Pier at low tide, now mostly destroyed.
Pier at higher tide. All of this used to be thick white sand beach according to someone we met who worked here in the past.
Beach House at Dunk Island, Australia.
Outer reef sunset, Dunk Island.
Approaching Cairns, we saw this anchored fishing vessel with nets out.
Lovely fast “mono-maran” flying toward Cairns.
After we got settled in the Marina, I started to do some splicing work in the saloon for our mooring lines.
