106. Australia Bound
28 June 2014
Our log-book for the first seven of the nine day leg to Australia contains entries such as: "main with 2 reefs and staysail set", "uncomfortable sea, light rain", "position of Sabine Shoal marked 'uncertain' on chart, so give it a wide berth", "gybe and take in 3rd reef", "still have big seas with occasional combers", "take in 3rd reef, cross-seas knocking the boat around, some breaking", "still cloudy and unsettled plus a few squalls", "wind 25-30 knots, gusts to 40, 3m short cross-sea", "after the last 34 knot squall, the wind dies to 8 knots, start engine" and "a blooming booby is perched on top of the mast!". There were compensations: "sea conditions ease during the afternoon", "favourable current of 1 knot", "let out 3rd reef, very pleasant sailing into the night", "bread in the oven, fishing line cast", "catch a mahi-mahi - 125cm nose to tail", "lower staysail and set full genoa, now sunny" and "full moon rises at 1830 plus stars, so feel much better!".
We were aiming for "Hydrographer's Passage", a well marked but tortuous shipping channel through the Great Barrier Reef, timing our arrival for the start of the flood tide. Early in the morning, when about 20 miles away, we heard VHF traffic between an aircraft pilot and three ships, and it became apparent that sea pilots would be transferred by a helicopter which would land on the deck of each ship in turn. We'd never come across this procedure before, but, with the pass being 100 miles from the mainland, it made a lot of sense. With time to spare, we headed closer to the waiting ships to watch two pilots being picked up and one dropped off. An hour later we were buzzed by a low flying plane marked "Australian Customs", soon to be followed by a voice on VHF channel 16 calling up "the white hulled sloop". They requested details of our vessel and our previous port, and no doubt checked it against the "advance notice of arrival" that we had submitted before leaving Vanuatu and the regular updates that we had e-mailed during the passage. We arrived at the waypoint 50 minutes early and were surprised how strongly the ebb was still running. With swirls and overfalls, we were glad that the wind and sea conditions had quietened down to a pleasant force 3. The tide turned in our favour at 1430 as we passed through the Bond Entrance, marked by two steel tall towers on a coral outcrop to starboard and one tower on a sandbank to port. The tide soon built to a peak of 2.5 knots, and, after turning southwards to follow the channel, we were motor-sailing, pinching and pitching over a wind-against-tide chop. At 2100 we were able to alter course onto a close fetch and cut the engine. The tide had now turned against us but wasn't as strong as before since we were in open water. As we sailed through the night towards the mainland, the sea gradually got smoother. There was a fair amount of shipping around, and we had to alter course a couple of times to keep clear.
The morning found us sailing to windward in a gentle breeze past the Cumberland Islands, with names like Keswick, Scawfell, Cockermouth and Carlisle. We used the time to spruce ourselves up and clean the boat in preparation for our arrival. We had called the marina at Mackay by VHF as soon as we were within range, and when we arrived at the Customs pontoon at 1430 the officers were waiting to take our lines. There had been much talk in New Zealand about how strict the Customs and Quarantine regulations were in Australia, and that most of one's provisions would be confiscated, so much so that some cruisers were planning to avoid Australia completely. However, we found that the officers at Mackay couldn't have been more friendly and reasonable. Customs and Immigration clearances are free, but the Ministry of Agriculture charged a hefty $330 (about £175) for carrying out a very close inspection of the boat, souvenirs and stores. They took our remaining few bananas and onions with our rubbish as expected, but they seemed more interested in seeking out a particular kind of wood termite. Suspect boats, particularly from certain countries and manufacturers, may be impounded for fumigation or even removal of joinery work. Luckily, we were clear.
The large marina is relatively new and built as part of a development of flats, restaurants, a hotel and light industrial units, but no shops. It is an extension of the Mackay Outer Harbour, the world's largest sugar exporting port. The town of Mackay is located 3 miles to the south on the far side of the wide but shallow Pioneer River, across the Forgan Bridge. The Queensland coastline is in the cyclone belt and also prone to serious flash flooding, one severe flood in 1959 washing away the original bridge. Wharves were built in the 1870s and 1880s, but the river became restricted by silting and the formation of a bar, hence the reason for the new harbour being built in 1939. The centre of town is attractively laid out with wide, palm-tree-lined streets and some nicely preserved Edwardian and art deco buildings. We shared a taxi in with fellow cruisers the first day and after that planned our visits around the limited bus service. It is good to get back to European style living standards occasionally, and we spent time at the ultra-modern "Caneland Mall" equipping ourselves with sim cards, a few items of clothing and fresh provisions. Elsewhere, we obtained a new electric bilge pump to replace the latest piece of recently installed equipment to fail on the boat. Finally, we bought Alan Lucas' book "Cruising the Coral Coast", which was to prove an invaluable pilot for the forthcoming month. We noticed an immediate difference in the climate from Vanuatu - it was chillier. We still were still wearing shorts but needed a sweater after the sun went down. But then, as we were reminded several times as we tried to buy summer clothing, it was mid winter! Huh - they've no idea what a real winter is!
The expanse of water inside the Great Barrier Reef doesn't seem to have a name, rather surprisingly, apart from being referred to as the "Inner Route". It is around 100 nautical miles wide where it begins in the south and gradually narrows to just a few miles wide where it meets the Torres Straits, 1,250 miles to the north-west. It effectively covers the continental shelf, flooded when sea levels rose at the end of the last ice age, 9,000 years ago. It is scattered with about 900 islands, either high ones that are geologically the peaks of old hills, or low-lying cays built up over some of the 2,900 individual coral reefs. The clear areas of water are typically between 20 and 40m deep, with a well marked, though crooked, shipping channel along the entire length. There are surprisingly few safely navigable passes through the outer reef connecting with the Coral Sea, as Captain Cook discovered the hard way during his first circumnavigation in 1770.
After four nights at Mackay Marina, we departed at 10 o'clock to start our long journey up the Inner Route, planning to take advantage of the tides which flow favourably to the north-west during the ebb. It was cloudy with some light rain and cold enough to need a jacket as well as a sweater. We were surprised how steep and rolly the waves were as we ran before a force 4 to 5 breeze. After 30 miles of dodging various shoals and reefs, we reached a group of islands with names such as Tinsmith, Silversmith, Coppersmith, Locksmith, Blacksmith and Hammer. We decided to 'Go for Gold'-smith Island, and anchored in a bay on the west side. It wasn't possible to get close in to the lee of the land due to a coral shelf and, with a blustery wind blowing over the hills, the boat pitched gently all night long. Next morning we set off eagerly as we were bound for the Whitsundays.