🇦🇺⛵️ Finally, we’ve successfully gained entry to our first coconut of the trip. I’m fairly certain I used much more energy throwing rocks at a coconut tree for half an hour and sawing into the nut than we gained from the juice and flesh, but nonetheless, it tasted of sweet success!
It was a pretty slow start to the week on board Tidal Volume, lots of time spent bobbing along with very light winds, and waves rocking us from side to side. At times Margot and I felt slightly frustrated by the limited progress, but that’s not the point, the wind blows when the wind blows!
We’ve been anchoring in some magnificent spots, including in a bay of Orpheous Island, where we snorkelled amongst the magnificent coloured corals of the Great Barrier Reef, and at Dunk Island, where the signs of civilisation were limited to an abandoned resort wrecked by a cyclone, and a shower block with piping hot water!
Finally the winds picked up and on our biggest day so far we covered 70 nautical miles, about 130km. We started with a brisk wind an hour before sunrise, the full moon spreading silver across the sea. Consistent winds 10-15 knots all day helped us skim along the jurassic looking coast of Hinchinbrook Island.
We’ve been blown away by how much of the coast is wild, seemingly in a non disturbed state. Most islands, capes and bays are national parks or aboriginal lands. The numerous sugar and mineral export ports suggest the perspective would be very different if travelling by land!
Margot and I are increasing our sailing knowledge and confidence by the day, and are progressively moving on from sailing for dummies to youtube videos and forums, so much still to learn! It’s been a thrill surfing this 11 metre long board in some of the big swells we’ve had over the last couple of days!
We’re now in Cairns for a couple of nights, stocking up for the next leg and battling hordes of mozzies in the tropical humidity of the mangroves.
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