Catrin and Marcella

Sun 12 Apr 2009
Despite the weather, I headed out with couch surfers Catrin and Marcella. We made for Stonehaven, playing the catch up game with Jo onboard Oceania. He a couple more couch surfers on board, Stonehaven was a little windy and suffers from the local wind gusts call "Bullets". They are essential a wind "wave" formed by the turbulence of the wind come over a high peak creating especially windy moments. You can see them coming on the water and when they arrive they thump the boat, shaking the rigging and straining the anchor line tight.  Depite all the noise they are harmless.

We ripped off a later afternoon snorkel, but the vis was not good. The lasses enjoyed it though.

There was dinner to be had and the opportunity to all make friends in good couch surfing style.

Next day, I was up early and tried to take Dot Com around to the northern bays, but turned back as the waves were a pain... Jo braved the conditions though and his CS'ers were rewarded with a small amongst the large Bat fish that frequent the northern bays.

Both vessels then made for Nara Inlet. Anchoring right at the back we were rewarded with a place adjacent the waterfall which presently had plenty of reason to run. Such a spectacle it was that Fantasea "Two", a huge ferry came down and idled for a while, giving us the opporunity to wave madly at the Japanese tourists.

We got more opportunity than them by going the beach, and walking to the cave paintings and beyond... to the waterhole, located a further 10 minutes along the track. The water was flowing quite hard, but being quite safe, most took a dip in the rock pools.

The night rewarded us with a joint dinner, divv'ing up the last alcohol and playing Poker. No one was sure of the rules, but we were learning fast!

Having a lunch to attend I returned to Airlie. It was a short stop and soon after we rounded up Macona, Whitehaven and May's bay over a couple more nights before sending the girls on there way for more adventure in North Queensland.