Friday 31 October
Left Mourilyan Harbour after checking the crab pots. No crabs and a bit blowy when I got outside . Had a smooth run up to the Johnson River and then a toey crossing of the bar but in the end it all went well . Nice run up to Innisfail , saw the left over damage of the cyclone last year. moored in the centre of town.The town is really beautifull with all the roofs quite new after cyclone . the old buildings have been done up and looked really good.

One of the walkways had this really neat set of tiles that was about crocs .

and something I,ve never seen before , a stature to cane cutters .

Thursday 30 October

Left early and had a long run up past Kurrimine Beach Past the Barnard Islands where the patrol Boats were hard at work filming again. The I found a little Beach called Robinsons Beach , well I had to stop and investigate . First up I picked up a lure that had been washed up ,it must be my beach. I counted about 10 single thongs and one new sneaker shoe wrapped in plastic. I walked along until I came across some large trackes .I freaked out and scurried back to the boat , then I realised that they went croc tracks but a large turtle had been up and laid eggs . Continued around the corner to Mourilyan Harbour , the entrance is between two hills and is quite narrow . Big ships come into the sugar terminal and load sugar where is the largest sugar storage shed in the world now that's some record .

Moved up the river a bit and put the crab pots out and started fishing ,hooked a monster and after about 20 minutes up he came a whopper of a shovelnove ray although they are good eating I let the big fellow go .
I ended getting stuck into the grunter bream,with 3 keepers and a suspected burrumundi which got away.

Wednesday 29 October
Did'nt feel like doing much today so spent the day updating the blog site . Left a rod out last night and it hooked something , line everywhere , so on with the face mask and over the side to check that it wasn't hooked around the prop . Everything was OK but lesson learnt that's something that I would'nt like to do in croc infested waters . Went ashore and had a shower and a couple of nice cool draft ales to finish a good day.

Tuesday 28 October

A good run up to Dunk although a bit sloppy at first then the sea settled down a bit . Anchored off the resort and very nice it is too .

Had a cold beer or ten

and watched them filming Patrol Boat in the bay , that's Holly in the forground.

Monday 27 October

Awoke to the most magnificent sunrise ,tried to do a panorama nearly worked out but I liked the result.

That Tex on his boat , I think you get the idea.

Dropped Tex off at Cardwell at the new marina there with warm farwells to catch up on the return trip but spend more time .Tried to get to dunk Island but the wind blew up so headed to Garden Island and stayed the night their .

Sunday 26 October

Ran over to Lucunda to meet Norm Coopers mate Tex who's going to join me for a nights fishing. Tex lives at Cardwell at the other end of the Hinchinbrook Channel and will run down in his tinnie to met me.

Met up with Tex and we moved up to Deluge Inlet to fish. Hinchinbrook Island is the most spectular backdrop just awsome .Caught a mud crab and a cod so we had crab and fresh fish for dinner.

Saturday 25 October
Had a good run up to Palm Island ,decided not to call in and say hallo in view of the trial of Wotton for causing roits . Went around to Orpheus Island and moored for night . Should have gone for snorkel but too buggered.

Friday 24 October
Left Townsville for Magnetic Island










On the way I saw a small cat not making any headway so I went to rescue them , just then a gust of wind came up so they were allright . They invited me ashore for a drink since I was such a good chap . Ron owened a shed on a block at West Point on the island and every Friday Ron and his mate Steve sail across from the mainland for a night at the shed .










Ron feeds the birds ,possums and small rock wallabies and their is heaps of them.









Then as the sun sets they go and sit on the beach on the point with drinks and a treat tray.

They are joined by backpackers and tourist buses , all doing the same thing.

Even some more locals come out to enjoy the view.











Then its back to the hut and the locals emerage from the bushes bearing gifts of food , drink and treats.









More neighbours arrive and they bring nothing but want everything .


















The fire is finally lit .












And I stagger off to the boat at 0130 hrs and its all hands to help me pull Polly the 100 mtrs to the water as the tides has gone out.
And so we say farwell to the fair community of West Point ,I will return one day and it will be on a friday nite.

Thursday 23 October
Travelled from Cape Cleveland to Townsville.

When I arrived I'd never seen so many planes , as I travelled across the bay Fighters were going over Magnetic Island and bombing Rattlesnake Island , Caribou practicing landings and then a Chinooks flys over with a slung load . I make my way to the marina and while fueling up a seaplane passes me, it bis the Red Baron and was used in the Phantom movie. things certanily come in rushers.

Thats my fishing rod in the picture. Caught up with Sam's [son] mate Jessie whos working on the new apartments that they are building at the marina. He invited me home and we had a BBQ overlooking the marina at his apartment .
Had a funny incident in the afternoon as I was walking past a pub this bloke rushers out and accosts me saying that there's someone inside the pub that wants to see me and he carnt come out . Well the old hairs go up on the back of the neck and not willingly I enter the pub and blow me down if its not Gary Mckay sitting there in a wheelchair with his leg in plaster . He was just in Townsville for a couple of days on business and was having a long lunch with a couple of ex army mates ,oh and his leg well it seems he's just had an operation on his ankle.

Wednesday 22 October
Big run from Cape Upstart to Cape Cleveland

Tuesday 21 October
Bowen to Cape Upstart

Had a good run up to Cape Upstart on the way passed the coal loading jetty at Abbot Point its one long jetty .

At Cape Upstart there is all these houses built amongst the rocks . There seemed to be no road to each cove so it would appear that everything came by sea.

Had a loverly sunset that night.

Monday 20 October
Passage Inlet to Bowen

Sunday 19 October
Bona Bay to Passage Inlet

There are a couple of top resorts here .The first is Montys which has been there for ages ,it has a restrant and bar that is open to the public its right on the beach.

Thats me on the beach having a beer.There was this amazing table that had a centrepiece done in shells set in concrete very effective.

The other resort is the Eco Lodge and is bnewer and about 200mtrs down the beach .

Once again another sunset.

Saturday 18 October
A bit seedy this morning, wonder why. Went for a fish in Polly but no luck . Winds still quite strong and now there is regular showers with it. Had spam with tomatoes on crackers for lunch, very nice, it was the lite spam. Dinner on CJ

Friday 17 October
Winds starting to blow, I dropped a line over the back and ended up catching 3 big trevally, one I let go as he was only lip hooked and I filleted the other two .
Darren called over from-----and invited me over for a BBQ , I had fresh fish to take . He had invited all the people in the bay ,there is 5 boats here. What a fun night , Bev his wife , played the organ after dinner and we all sang along , next thing there’s a stick with bottle tops nailed to it ,a harmonica , a tambourine and some shakers , we had a real good band going . the boat is a huge sailing catamaran worth about 2 million, They bought the hull and fitted it out themselves .

Thursday 16 October
Thought I’d have a treat and go to the toilet ashore , they looked very nice , but unfortunately they were covered in green ants , not something that you want biting you as you try to do the business.

Wednesday 15 October
Left Woodwark Bay and headed up to Gloucester Passage with the tide. Made good time and arrived at Bono bay after lunch. Lovely anchorage with a nice white sandy beach, tables, and toilets, apparently its very popular spot for the people from Bowen.

The place where we had drinks at Woodwark Bay was in front of the resort that was built to film tales of the South Pacific . It appears its owned by some multi millionarie now .

Tuesday 14 October
Engine Hours 1093
Total Fuel 543 Litres
Total Hours 425 hours
Caught up with Mac and Edwina who I was moored beside at Gladstone . We travelled up to Woodwark Bay

We did a bit of shopping but when we got back to Polly she was high and dry.
Then on the way to Woodwark Bay I had to rescue some more people , as you do when your such a famous seafarer as myself.

Met up with some other boats from Gladstone and we had sundowners. This is the first time its happened on the trip.

Then the full moon arrived and the occasion took on a totally different atmosphere.