We arrived in Bundaberg a couple of days ago after a few days of snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef. We had mixed fortunes there, visiting three of the southern Swain Reefs where the coral was severely damaged, presumably due to excess heat and coral-bleaching. It was very depressing. At one reef, we changed our mind about snorkeling after I was approached by a shark that was behaving very strangely. We did survey another reef to find some small patches of soft corals and a reasonably diverse community of fish. But after two days of disappointment and increasing depression concerning the outlook for the GBR, we made sure that we could stop at Lady Musgrave lagoon for one night and two long snorkels.

With turtles and birds galore, our spirits were quickly restored by the healthy corals and teeming fish. These may have been our last snorkeling opportunities for the year so it was good to be exposed to such beauty at Lady Musgrave Reef.

We will probably stay at the marina in Bundaberg Port for about 10 days so that we can celebrate the US Thanksgiving holiday with fellow Americans, Sue and Larry on SV Serengeti, and new friends Laura and Dick on SV Maia. We are inviting anyone else at the marina to join us for a potluck, so exactly how much people will get of Randall’s roast turkey is hard to tell. Afterwards, we will continue to Fraser Island where we hope to catch-up again with Anita and Mike (SV Curried Oats). Much of the northern half of the Island has been burned over the last four weeks in a bushfire caused by an illegal campfire that was improperly extinguished. Just like the Swain Reefs, it will be sad to see this beautiful place so damaged by human actions. Then we will continue southward towards Mooloolaba and Moreton Bay, but we will not be taking Tregoning out of Queensland. That will probably have to wait until we can get doses of Covid-19 vaccine.

Note: I have added blog posts for 12th October (Cairns) to 12th November (about to leave Island Head Creek for the Swain Reefs). If you are short of time, I hope that you can spin through and enjoy the pictures. I will be working on the Swain Reef entries next.