Long Island

After we said farewell to our guests we stayed at Long Island for a few days. We moved to Palm Bay, south of Happy Bay on the western side of the island. This has a small lagoon with a couple of moorings available for a small fee. For a higher fee yachties can use facilities onshore too. To really indulge you can stay in one of the luxurious huts, but it's BYO food. This beautiful spot is maintained by a manager and a few backpackers who work for four hours a day and stay free of charge. Surprisingly, they seemed to outnumber guests so we almost had the place to ourselves. 
Following an afternoon of cleaning up the beach at Pandanus Bay on the eastern side, where we collected three big bags of plastic and other human detritus, we relaxed for sunset drinks and even a spot of yoga (a stable and flat surface was too tempting). 
Enough words, sometimes pictures say more ...

Lagoon at low water

Still hard at it

Stable ground - always welcome

We felt virtuous after this effort

The largest arachnid we've seen

Fungus in fallen log

Zoomed

Stingers and friends

Not a great combination but fortunately we managed to keep them apart!

Iza and Peter visited and we had three days of perfect weather. They bravely clambered aboard at Long Island, where they had booked a few days’ accommodation. Captain and Matey hadn’t visited Long before so this was an exciting new experience for all.

We headed for Nara Inlet on Hook Island, and had a snorkel on the way at False Nara. Snorkelling was better than it at first appeared. The Nara fjord was as beautiful as ever but it offered one surprise we hadn’t yet encountered. Captain washed the potatoes for dinner and kept some salt water in the pot for cooking, as is our usual water-saving practice. Matey pulled the potatoes out of the pot to chop them and eagle-eyed Iza peered into the pot and said: 'What’s that?'

'Oooh — looks like an Irukandji', said the Matey after poking it with a breadknife — fortunately — rather than her fingers. It was the right size, shape, had four tentacles and was virtually transparent. It was nearing the end of the season but there had been northerly winds — Irukandji conditions, we’re told. After much consideration we agreed it had to be an Irukandji. We’d never actually seen one before but now we knew why — it was almost invisible. We pondered what Irukandji potatoes would taste like: quite flavoursome perhaps? 

There were a few anxious moments as we considered whether Captain or Matey might have actually touched said jellyfish. No pain in fingers but we would know in half an hour if panicking was required — fortunately it wasn't. 'Irukandji Iza' saved the day! (and the dinner!)

Next day we motor-sailed to Cid Harbour as there wasn’t much wind but that meant almost mill-pond conditions — can’t really complain about that. The walk to Whitsunday Peak is strenuous but the view is worth the effort and it didn’t disappoint.

Our new crew took to boat life well and didn’t even panic after close encounters with stingers, snakes and other wildlife! Iza made an exceptionally good galley slave. Captain and Matey were very impressed.

Leaving Long Island

Captain Iza

At Nara

Matey's yoga partner salutes the sun

Always sensible

The boys 

View from Whitsunday Peak

Irukandji anyone?

Rainforest mermaid

Still sensible

The following photos were taken by Iza, using a 'real' camera. Enjoy.

Their accommodation on Long Island 

The taxi

View while snorkelling at False Nara

Nara view

Salute to Rainbow Warrior

We were happy to have the opportunity to board the new Rainbow Warrior today as it campaigns against the building of new coal terminals at Abbot Point and other sites beside the Great Barrier Reef. 

55 metre mast

Control room

Helipad

Captain approves

'Minister for the Environment' Tony Burke has already approved one of these terminals and several more are proposed, so that we can export more coal/pollution/greenhouse gases to India and China, increase average temperatures across the globe (and at the reef - thereby destroying it further through warming and acidification) and endanger the reef in other ways such as via dumped ballast water, ships running aground, oil spills etc. Dredging that will occur to enable these terminals to be built will also cause considerable damage to the reef and nearby ecosystems. More info.

(NB: things will get a lot worse when Tony Abbott gets in - see his recent address to the IPA, paragraph 12 in particular. Don't say you weren't warned!)

The third Rainbow Warrior is an impressive boat of almost 58 metres in length and is as environmentally friendly as current technology permits. The hull was built in Poland, the rest in Germany and it's registered in Amsterdam. Its building was funded purely by donations, which is a heart-warming thought.