Southern Cross: Whitsundays

Sailing a reach before a followin' sea, she was makin' for the trades on the outside and a down hill run to Papeete Bay. Off the wind on this heading, lie the Marquesas. We got eighty feet of waterline, nicely making way.

Leah, Kathy and I set sail, figuratively, for the Whitsundays, in spite of warnings of bad weather, last minute changes, and trepidation about becoming seasick.

The week before we were to sail and snorkel on the Great Barrier Reef, the mariner's adage "beware the lee shore" proved as true today as in the days of olde. Gale force winds 60 knots instead of the 25 knots forecasted blew and the seas whipped high, wrenching boats from their moorings and onto the rocks of the lee shore. The day we were to fly to Proserpidine, the single asphalt paved runway airport in this 73 island National Park, the company for the "Old Pearl" called to say that others in the group to sail with us canceled and it was no longer economically worth their while to go out for our 3 days and 3 nights. Quick calls by Leah to Trevor, her booking agent, and we got 3 days and 2 nights on "Waltzing Matilda", announced as we were boarding our plane to the Whitsundays. The sudden change in plans was not unexpected since Leah was told that many areas of Queensland were disaster areas. Roads were awash with swollen rivers.

Captain Cook named the various capes, coves, islands and rivers according to the days of the week and a selected crew member: Whit and Sunday. The Whitsundays National Park is located between the Tropic of Capricorn and the Equator; similar in the Southern latitudes as the Caribbean Islands are in the Northern latitudes. 

This region of Queensland's economy is tourist, sugar cane and Brahma bulls dominating the agribusiness. A narrow gauge railroad courses through the country side: the "cane train." The major "National Road 1" north from Brisbane is of a two lane, no shoulder,  country variety. As we were riding from the airport to our nearly deserted sea side hotel in Airlie Beach, we crossed many bridges with upright graduated meter sticks on either side, giving drivers an idea how deep was the water before making a decision to cross the water flowing over the bridge. We saw snorkel equipped SUV's and trucks throughout our Queensland travels. Disaster for some, a common occurrence to all, flooding with sudden and heavy rain fall was to be coped with, endured, eventually, overcome. This of course is not without peril. The week before, a Range Rover was swept off the bridge and the driver drowned. The day before we arrived, the roads and bridges we were traveling had been flooded.

We brought five days of sunshine with us; one day of 20 knot winds to drive our 40 ton sailing craft at seven knots/hour; cloudy particle laden waters from the land run off  made reef and coral viewing poor; the dazzling white pure quartz beach of Whitehaven Beach was littered with forest, and cane field debris. 

We boarded Waltzing Matilda, hoisting main sail and mizzen, unfurling the jib,  and headed for the gap between Hook Island and Whitsunday Island. Our ship's company was energetic and fun, hailing from the UK, Netherlands, France, North and South Ireland, USA. Two sets of honeymooners were aboard. The cook, deck hand, entertainment cruise director was named Paul. Wayne the skipper had been at this trade for several decades. When in the water, whether from the beach or boat, we all wore Lycra "stinger suits". Jellyfish, the kind most dangerous, in coastal waters year around, the ones causing heart attacks, terrible food poisoning symptoms, are only 2 inches in diameter, are a clear blueish hue, and you could only spot them when they were less than 4 inches away from your face mask. We traveled to many locations where fringe coral grew in the sunlight; coral that had attached itself to the sunny side of the rocks and formed their colonies. The variety of coral in the fringe reefs was the same variety as on the Great Barrier Reef.

As one of the goals for this excursion to "down under" was viewing the Southern Cross constellation. Trying to identify it in a sky scape with which I am unfamiliar, took some time. The Southern Cross is completely visible in the Southern Hemisphere after 34 degrees South, low in the Southern sky and to the East. The stars that make up the constellation, three are bright blue white, one brilliant being a double star, the top of the cross is a red giant star, and there are several faint stars. So, when you are viewing the Southern Cross for the first time, what you many be seeing, you may not recognize. The ship's lights and city lights tend to obscure the faint stars and, if the cross is cockeyed in the sky, it is really hard to imagine a cross from what you are seeing. On our first night aboard Waltzing Matilda, anchored at full tide and therefore no rocking or rolling of the boat before the flood tide switched to ebb tide, a still night, a full moon rising, I asked our skipper to point out the Southern Cross. I saw it, kind of. With my binoculars, I saw the giant red star, and then the faint ones. Finally, I could concentrate on which stars to see, and then, I could see the Southern Cross for the first time. Two goals met: Leah on deck and the Southern Cross.

The ship's company spent most of the daylight hours topsides since below deck, there was little ventilation, and the heat of day and cook stove permeated below decks. At night, sleeping on deck was next to impossible since the night "dew" soaked the decks, anything and anyone not under the Bimini top. Sleeping on the cabin top subjected you to the starboard to port roll from the tides change from flood to ebb, threatening to pitch one off the boat, or at least crashing you down onto the side decks and against the steel stanchions holding the lifelines. So, below decks we sweltered, fitfully, and nearly naked, we slept, 16 of us.

The water temperature was warm and refreshing. Relief from baking in the sun was instant.  The water color was a greenish blue, sharp demarcations between the tidal currents and ocean.  More flying fish and dolphins. The vistas were spectacular: extinct volcanoes with steep walls and scraggly shrub coverings jutted from the sea. These volcanoes reflected an earlier earth's time when the seas were lower during an ice age. Global warming, begun 5,000 years ago, melted glaciers that flooded the plains that once connected islands, they appearing as if irregularly plucked down upon the seascape. We are on the Western side of the Rim of Fire, New Zealand represents the Eastern side. Tectonic plate movement below the earth's crust, dictates what we see on the surface. 

The Whitsunday tourist destinations are the beaches of the mainland and islands, a launch point for snorkeling and scuba diving the Great Barrier Reef plus the sailing in relatively protected waters. (Hence, quite a shock when the Beaufort scale 11 storm came through causing so much destruction to boaters). The most Northern portion of the Whitsundays is Queens Beach in Bowden Queensland. Leah had left for Sydney the previous day. Kathy and I rented a car to drive to the Northern tip of the Whitsundays. The picture is of Kathy standing on the most Northern portion of Queens Beach near the outlet of a tidal river. A look South, there is 5 kilometers of deserted beach, a small portion of which is developed close to the town. The road along the beach has park on the sea side and individual houses on the other.  Jutting out into the sea, are large rock outcropping makes little bays, picturesque, photogenic, all with the now common vinegar bottle hung in a prominent beach side location to be used as emergency jellyfish stinger first aide. We drove into Bowden and onto Flagstaff point, another elevated rock outcropping, with its 360 degree view of the harbors, shores, wharfs and sea islands. The lookout had a restaurant where our Seafood lunch for $29 for one person was tasty although Kathy could have done without the Prawns coming with head and tail, eyes looking at her. The presentation was otherwise excellent as were most meals in Australia, accompanied by a mixed greens salad and simple dressing.

From Bowden we retraced our route along National Highway 1, turning again for the coast towards Dingo Beach, an even narrower windier road, major portions of which were gravel, no bridges but "water ways", meaning concrete dips in the road where the creek water flowed over the road instead of under it, and this time two meter graduated markers. I wondered what kind of vehicle would try crossing a raging torrent 6 feet deep. I hadn't seen any such vehicle so far. We were told by the Budget Car rental lady that there was nothing at Dingo Beach. She was not really correct. There is nothing worth while driving the 27 kilometers one way to Dingo Beach for is more accurate. Once there though, we took in the sights: a long sandy deserted beach; a single outrigger sailing canoe; scattered dwellings all in various states of disrepair; a bar restaurant variety store "pokies" combination, but no fuel.

Our return to Airlie Beach and hotel was uneventful, fortunately, as I didn't relish trying to ford a creek  after a flash flood. After a day's driving, beach walking, rock hiking, Kathy and I were ready for  a convenient meal, something from across the street from our hotel. We sat outside at BV's Seafood and Grill, what appeared as a fast food style place. The special was red snapper, asparagus, chips and salad. What was delivered was a perfectly scrumptious meal, relaxed atmosphere, and a nice selection of Australian wines. What a great experience. We went to bed, awaken late the next morning and hung out at the "Lagoon", a multi-depth pool with adjoining "kiddies" section, a bridge, plus being life guarded. Very attractive in layout, warm water, and not crowded. A good place to while away the day. The following day, Wednesday, was spent in preparation for our departure from the Whitsundays to rejoin Leah in Sydney.