To Fitzroy Island

Beez Neez now Chy Whella
Big Bear and Pepe Millard
Sun 19 Jun 2016 22:57
To Fitzroy Island – Our Final Stop Before Cairns
 
 
 
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We got up this morning to fine rain alternating with heavy, we waited half an hour to see, but no, no let up. Yesterday, as I always do, I delete the waypoints of the journey just done and plot the next course, even if it looks as though I have had a canary fit and taken us overland – same way in, same way out. Well, at half six I switched on my trusty chartplotter to find Beez parked in the right place. Mmmm.
 
 
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I moved the waypoints to new positions and things looked quite normal.
 
 
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Passing our busy-looking fishing friend the rain was clear to see.
 
 
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Another monochrome day, the sky thick with wet stuff. How day to day things change and so quickly.
 
 
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Not long after we had left, another yacht at anchor called Maloo popped up on the AIS (we would later anchor beside them by Fitzroy). The morning carried on alternating between fine little raindrops and heavy rain with the odd squall thrown in to break the monotony. Visibility ranged from a few hundred metres to a few miles.
 
 
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Shades of blue, after yesterdays glorious sunshine. South Passage was the only pretty thing to be seen.
 
 
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By half past two we had what looked like two islands to our left, that is Cape Grafton (on the mainland) that we have to go round on the morrow to Cairns – Yeeha. To our right Fitzroy Island.
 
The island separated from the mainland about 8000 years ago, at the end of the last ice age. There were Aboriginal visits, mainly for visiting hunting trips and recreation. Lieutenant James Cook named the island in 1770. The island was used for a considerable time as a significant Chinese quarantine station for the Queensland goldfields. Subsequently it was used as a mission school and during World War Two, as a coast watch station.

The island has also been important as a significant lighthouse base, with the last permanent lighthouse structures on the main island still being an important community attraction. Since its closure the marine community has been serviced with an automatic lighthouse based on the adjacent Little Fitzroy Island. There has been both a giant clam farm at Welcome Bay and now a tourist resort sleeping one hundred and day visitor centre.

 

 

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Settled at anchor next to the resort, still pouring hard, we toasted being in our final spot before many jobs and rally preparations. For once the Millards are where they said they would be according to the calendar.......Amazing. The Ovni in front of us had a familiar name.

 

 

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Reskebil, on the rally. 

 

 

 

 

ALL IN ALL SAD BRODIE ISN’T HERE BUT VERY PLEASED TO BE HERE

                    WET, SQUALLY BUT GOOD WINDS AND NOT UNPLEASANT