Friends with benefits

For our last few days at Cooktown Klaas, Jetty and their four-wheel drive visited, so we showed them some special places near Cooktown. Captain the tour guide wore them out, but they seemed to enjoy it as much as we did. The view from Grassy Hill is a must for any visitor to Cooktown, with the walk across to Cherry Tree Bay and Finch Bay also mandatory.

The many-coloured sands at Cape Bedford were as striking as the first time we saw them. Just before the dunes you pass through a glade enchanted by innumerable butterflies fluttering all around you. Next you drive (at low tide) across the wet sand and to your left a row of paperbarks announce the fresh water flowing out from beneath the dunes. To your right the sea water reminds you that soon it will return. Next you drive past the multicoloured dunes. We discovered a path up into a ‘canyon’ with a fresh water spring half way up. With the wind blowing we watched the dunes slowly moving via ‘sandfalls’ at the edges. 

Cape Bedford

Weeping paperbark

The benefit

Captivating as sandfalls are, a waterfall fix is always essential, so we returned to one of the prettiest waterfalls we’ve seen, Trevethan Falls.

Black Mountain

A very large groper, almost 2 metres long, anticipating a free feed at Cooktown

The Cooktown job

Hauling your boat out of the water for some tender (loving) care—fiberglass touch-ups and application of antifoul—is one of the many delights of boat life. On this occasion the floorboards and table also received some love from the sander and a new matt varnish. Exterior and interior now look much happier, particularly once they emerged from beneath the layer of red dust applied by each 4WD that drove past.

Hauling out has become a job we prefer to do in Cooktown, where the cost is reasonable and the view from the slipway quite acceptable. Positioning the boat on the trolley is a little anxiety-inducing though as it requires getting into the water and arranging sand bags between trolley and hulls. While nothing compares to the awe and elation of living in nature, with so much beauty to be found, and though sometimes we have to hide from her fury, there’s also nothing quite like being reminded of your place in nature’s hierarchy. Getting into croc-infested water provides such a reminder. Nervous jokes precede the haul-out and sighs of relief can be heard once the boat is safely on the trolley and all limbs can be accounted for.

Nature has also reminded us of her power since Ebb Tide has been back in the water by blasting us with volleys of wind bullets. Like micro-cyclones, the sound whistles towards you and you see them travelling across the surface of the water before they hit at up to 40 knots. Hmmm. A wee bit frightening one night when the genoa (headsail) partially unravelled. Weird unseasonal rain has also filled the dinghy on several nights.

We enjoy catching up with our Cooktown friends. One such friend was kind enough to drive us to Laura to see some Aboriginal rock art at a spectacular gallery. He entertained us with tales of exploring this site when he was just 16. Then there were no tourists and there was no road in, so the artwork was much clearer. The road has recently been sealed, but it’s too late for these paintings, which sadly are partially obscured by years of dust from thousands of vehicles. Despite this, when we had a few quiet moments with the paintings between busloads of tourists it was moving to be there.

As Cooktown is the most northerly town on the east coast with a supermarket, long-term provisioning via the 'grandma trolley' has been in process. North of Cooktown expensive barge deliveries are the only source of food beyond what we can catch, collect or grow (some recently potted herbs have survived so far and sprouts will be on the menu too). Thankfully coconuts keep well and there is a good source across the inlet at Cooktown. Hello potatoes, onions, pumpkins, garlic, cabbage and dried, frozen and canned food. Luckily Matey likes rice and dahl but the likely lack of fresh fruit is a source of angst already. Captain may have to discover new favourite foods ...

Before we embark northward we have more socialising to do with friends new and old. Then it will be time to set sail. Matey can’t wait!

View from the slipway

At the gallery

Admiring the gallery setting

Matey breaks out from old Laura jail 

Neighbour at the slipway

Cooktown sunset

Our tour guide

Capt plays with new phone

A tale of two Trevors

The wet season arrived late and in June it rained almost every day. Finally the skies cleared and our voyage north began. Once we had arrived at Port Douglas Kathryn arrived too, and thanks to our friend Dan lending us his car some day trips were possible. We visited Spring Creek and its waterfall, roughly between Port Douglas and Mossman, and also had a day in the Daintree. Another day was spent at the Low Isles and thanks to good connections (Hello Craig!) we were treated to lunch on Wavedancer after an enjoyable snorkel. 

Kathryn departed and Trevor ‘Treasure’ and Ricky arrived. We headed north via the Low Isles again with Dan as a passenger to the Daintree. (Hello again Craig and thank you for lunch! ☺) There we met up with our friends Trevor and Mary for a few days’ indulgence and feasting on mudcrabs in a superb location with an unsurpassed view of Cape Tribulation and Thornton’s Peak.

Our passengers were entertained by: stories of the resident crocs including our old friend Goliath; mudcrabs, one of which attached itself to Ricky, to his horror, inflicting a nasty wound; and a snake looking for a warm bed or maybe just a melomys. Thanks to local knowledge and good connections Daintree Trevor took us to the ‘big swimming hole’ at Noah’s Creek, accessible only via a private property. We also visited the black basalt ‘bouncing stones’, which he informed us was an indigenous women’s spiritual place and birthing site, and where the shiny, dark stones do actually bounce. It’s no longer signposted for tourists as the stones were disappearing at an alarming rate. Allegedly, a nasty curse was placed on those whose pockets filled with stones to be spirited away, and many a stone was returned via post by the defeated and cowed thief. This area was not greatly frequented by Aboriginal people as it’s in the realm of the Evil Sisters of the dreaming who reside in one of the mountains nearby. Visits were purposeful and short.

A confused looking cassowary was also spotted, trying to hide in the bush from all the onlookers, it seemed. So much beauty is to be found in the magnificent Daintree rainforest, it’s definitely one of our special places. Matey is invariably compelled to pay homage to fan palms and freshwater springs.

It’s always good to catch up with old friends, and make new ones. Now, back in Cooktown, we’re on the slipway attending to Ebb Tide’s nether regions. Poor old Captain is below covering himself in filth as I write …

Blue Hole

The climb up to Spring Creek falls is worth it

Matey must contend with strange and fascinating creatures on a daily basis.

Elves' staircase

'Big swimming hole' at Noah's Creek

Full moon rises

View at our favourite anchorage in the Daintree

A sea of bodies

Bouncing stones

Delicious Daintree ice-cream

View of the mouth of the Daintree River

Contemplating

Birthday celebrations at the Cooktown Hotel

ET for short?

Hmmm … maybe not.

It is bad luck, allegedly, to change the name of a boat. Arcane rituals must be performed to appease the sea spirits. But, when you are retrieving the boat’s original name, we are hoping said spirits will be gratified, and smile kindly upon us.

Total Care (though we avoided saying it and fondly used initials) was the name given by previous owners to reflect their business name, but it always seemed inappropriate for a boat. The shadow of her true name, Ebb Tide, continued to be visible in certain lights. ‘Ebb Tide’ has now been liberated and can be seen once again adorning her sides. 

The process of changing the name is a relatively simple one: remove old name from boat, inform the registration agency, insurance company and AMSA (re EPIRB), arrange new stickers, carefully place them on beloved boat and celebrate. What better initiation ritual for the reinvented Ebb Tide than a sunset sail with fun friends and Mohitos?

We’re feeling fortunate, having managed to avoid cyclones for another ‘wet’ season, during which numerous boat jobs were attended to, e.g., the addition of an extra, flexible, solar panel, which we hope will mean unlimited fridge/freezer power. Some boat tasks require a pontoon so this meant the luxury of some marina time and the ability to step ashore as often as desired, without the need to plan the day and fill the dinghy. This made it easier to be involved in things going on around Cairns, which was enjoyable.

The most exciting job (!) of hauling out and antifouling is yet to occur, but we look forward to returning to Cooktown for this one, where there is a better view and fewer sandflies than at the slipways in Cairns. It's also a lot cheaper, but our friends, the crocs, come much closer … 
Then we hope to begin the journey northward up the east coast of Cape York — how exciting!