To Tongue Bay

Beez Neez now Chy Whella
Big Bear and Pepe Millard
Mon 30 May 2016 22:37
To Tongue Bay, Whitsunday Island
 
 
 
IMG_7302
 
We woke this morning to the uninterrupted beauty and pure white sand of Whitehaven Bay.
 
 
IMG_7303
 
At nine o’clock the first ferry of the day arrived. It was Orca, the ferry who took the injured turtle yesterday. I tried them on 16 - no answer, Bear suggested 07 - no answer. Mmm, will try when they get going, we would so love to find out if she made it safely to the sanctuary.
 
 
IMG_7304
 
Nearly four miles of sand, the visitors soon spread out.
 
 
IMG_7305
 
We were preparing to leave so by the time I saw the ferry heading back to the mainland I had left it too late to find out about the turtle. I did hail them and they did answer but then they turned the corner and disappeared behind the hill, putting them out of range. Oh well, next time we get the internet we’ll look up the sanctuary and telephone for an update.
 
 
IMG_7307  IMG_7309
 
Todays journey was literally around the corner, all four point eight miles, all in deep water, with just one well marked, cheeky rock.
 
 
IMG_7312
 
It is still hard to believe that no turtles can lay their eggs along the whitest sand.
 
 
IMG_7313
 
To our right, Esk Island which is rumoured to have the most death adders per square foot than anywhere else in Australia. Not a place I need rush to visit and very pleased you put it in black and white..........
 
 
Death adder
 

You can camp on the island for the princely sum of five dollars seventy and just for your information Big Bear: Unlike most snakes, death adders produce litters of live young. In the late summer, a female death adder will produce a litter of live babies, approximately 3–20, however over 30 young have been recorded in a single litter. The common death adder venom contains highly toxic neurotoxin which can cause paralysis or even death. It can deliver the fastest strike among all venomous snakes recorded in Australia. Human death can occur within six hours after the bite.

With these and all the biteys are people complete lunatics……………...

 
 
IMG_7314
 
Esk Island with Border Island to the left under a sky full of clouds.
 
 
IMG_7323
 
Beez final look back at Whitehaven Bay.
 
 
IMG_7327
 
As we started around the corner we had a good laugh. A very over-populated dinghy had clearly been too low in the water to wiggle through the reef that fringes the beach in Tongue Bay. They had chosen the alternative, which is to motor to the Whitehaven side and use the track up to the Lookout from this side. The squealing and giggling coming from the very wet occupants was very comical.
 
 
IMG_7320
 
Some tourists come via helicopter or seaplane for an aerial view at low tide.
 
 
IMG_7329
 
The corner.
 
 
IMG_7330
 
Tongue Bay with about a dozen visitor’s buoys.
 
 
IMG_7333
 
Spank Me – what a name to give a boat....
 
 
IMG_7332
 
We settled on a visitor’s buoy at ten o’clock. Low tide for the spectacular views was not for a couple of hours so we sat in the cockpit with a cappuccino (Coles spelling for a change) and got stuck in to a game of backgammon. Yeeha, my winning form was back with a five one win and I’m up to four hundred and ninety dollars. Disgraceful. No it’s really good. Huh. Time to go ashore methinks.
 
 
 
ALL IN ALL A CUTE HOP
                     SHORT AND SWEET