2018 Travels

Date: 16/5/18

Location: North White Cliffs

25 23'.34 S

153 01'.50 E

Weather: Cool, windy but sunny

Author: Kylie

After a cool start to Mothers Day morning the weather turned into the most magic we have experienced so far. We spent the morning taking a walk into Tin Can Bay. We were looking for a cafe however by the time we had reached the town centre the kids were happy to have an icecream down by the park.

We upped anchor at lunch time and motored with the outgoing tide back towards Fraser Island. The sun came out, the wind dropped off and we all sat out on the foredeck watching for dolphins, turtles and sea eagles. Joel was his usual monkey self and I think this photo perfectly captures his confidence on the boat.

We spent the afternoon playing ashore at Elbow Point towards the southern edge of Fraser Island. Peter and the kids made scones for dinner, yum. It was a beautiful anchorage for the evening and when we would get the kids to shush for a few minutes we could hear the birds singing ashore. Unfortunately we were joined after sunset by a "stink boat" which ran his generator all night :(

The kids couldn't get enough of the beach weather and we spent the following morning playing at the waters edge. Mia and Joel are both very excited to learn to drive the rubber duck. Joel does pretty good at steering in the right direction and Mia is the rev head, constantly trying to go faster and always in the wrong direction!!

From there we have now made our way further North. Although at one point we were both questioning if we were going to make it through the aptly named "Sandy Straits". Our charts are all a little old now, although we are unsure if there are even updated ones and I imagine the sands shift around quite frequently.

We cleaned the bottom of the keel a few times as we scraped over the shallow sand banks, trying to navigate the tricky river. At one point we came up rather hard on the sand and spent about an hour stuck hard aground in 1.4 meters of water- our boat needs around 1.7 meters of water to float!!!

We lowered the anchor and the tide was rising so it was just a matter of waiting it out and watching the water slowly fill in over the very nearby sand flats. The boat floated off just after a catamaran had motored past us so we used that boat as a bit of a guide to the deep water line and followed along in her wake. It was a nail biting experience and hopefully one we wont repeat any time soon.

We tucked ourselves up nice and close to the South White Cliffs on the west side of Fraser Island between Ceratodus Creek and Deep Creek. This anchorage was a great position to explore the couple of shipwrecks and camp ground at Ungowa. Joel rolled out of the bed the following morning and the first thing he did was head up on deck to check out the shipwreck, he was so excited. On the high tide we motored the rubber duck up "Deep Creek" to check out the vessel "Palmer" and had a walk ashore.

Here is a little history on the area that I found on another blog (http://nancyjean-alanarose.blogspot.com.au/2012/05/30-th-april-2012-i-have-new-friend-at.html)

The cliffs are mostly made up of dark coffee rock with wind-blown white sand cascading over their edges in many places. The strong currents that hug the Fraser Is shoreline have made erosion faces where you can see that the trees being undermined. Over the years as there is a build up of these fallen trees, they form an entanglement of underwater features in various stages of decay thus undermining of the soft coffee rocks of the cliffs which causes large pieces to fall into the sea, enhancing the features of this coastline.

The kids are still both enjoying painting and hiding rocks and hope that some day someone will find the rocks and put a photo on Instagram #svjurarocks

For many years Ungowa was the jumping-off point for Fraser Island residents and tourists. As recently as the 1970s, before regular barge services, the motor vessel Philanderer made regular runs from Urangan to Ungowa. From there, tourists would be taken by 4WD buses to the island's lakes and to the ocean beach. The jetty at Ungowa still stands but is now condemned. Ungowa was also an important forestry station while the timber industry was still in operation. Next to the jetty, a boatshed and ramp are other reminders of this era. Forestry residences and other buildings are now used by the National Parks & Wildlife Service (NPWS).

Just south of the Ungowa jetty (where we are anchored), the hulk of the Ceratodus protrudes from the shoreline at the mouth of the Ceratodus creek. During the 1940s the Ceratodus carried fine white sand from Deep Creek and Bun Bun Creek to Maryborough where it was used as an excellent moulding sand in iron casting.

The Ceratodus once was a steel Dredge, (406 tons, Lbd 145 x 30.1 x 12.1 ft) that was built at Paisley, Scotland in 1898.. She saw her final days as a sand bargein the Great Sandy Straits.

Another hulk, the Palmer, can be seen a few hundred metres up Deep Creek. In its heyday, the Palmer was a coastal sugar steamer.

Deep Creek may have lived up to its name a long time ago, but today it is a shallow mangrove-lined estuary that soon becomes a small freshwater creek. This was one of the island's important points for shipping logs to the mainland, and just inside the mouth the timber ramps and pylons remain standing in good condition.

Mia spent a little time doing some school work out in the cockpit and had her weekly call with the distance education teacher too. We have realised that the best time to do school work is whilst we are moving anchorages. So Peter sails the boat to the new destination, and Mia and I try and "knock off" some of her work. It is hard work trying to keep her mind on the job when there is fun to be had elsewhere.

Mias school work has been focused around the past and this week she spoke with her teacher about toys from the past so we made "telephones".

We are now anchored off Kingfisher Bay Resort at North White Cliffs and have been ashore to do a walk however the weather is a little too cool for swimming.

I have forgotten to include a few quotes from the children. Not wanting to forget them and because I think they will give you a little giggle too I'll pop them at the end of this update.

Whilst preparing the boat for departure we spent a lot of time cleaning and when I needed to wash all the plates, cups, cutlery and saucepans I asked the kids to please dry up. Whilst "helping" Joel came out with this one...

J: mum, did you and dad have children because you wanted help?

K: no honey you are a lot more work than help!

K: Joel get undressed ready for a shower

J: but mum I had a shower yesterday and I haven't even been to the beach or anything today