Days 31 - 50

---

Currently, I sitting in Mackay (staying in a cozy motel, licking my wounds), waiting for the (current) cyclone (Wati) to go away.

Day 31 - 32 Urangan (weather delay)
The 'cold water' cyclone (as opposed to the normal - 'tropical cyclone') has me pinned down in Hervey Bay. (see previous blog update)
BTW, as I'm writing this (Day 52), I notice that the wounds that I got on my hands when arriving in Gladstone (I slipped on the 'ramp' on arriving in the heavy rain - hands landed on rocks by the ramp) have just about fully recovered - it takes a while in this environment.

Day 33 - Scarness (Hervey Bay)
Not much progress from previous day, but, my kayak was in storage, and I couldn't get things set up for a full days paddle.

Day 34 - Elliot Heads
Saw lots of sea turtles today, a dugong (for those in US: like a manatee), many dolphins.
Had very calm seas for paddling (only reason I mention this, is because it's such a change from the previous several days (weeks).
The cuts I got on the palms of my hands limit my ability to open (actually shut) the day-hatch - that I access all day long. I had to 'learn' a new way of closing it.

Day 35 - Moore Park
heavy rain

Day 36 - Baffle Creek (just south of)
Rain, hot, humid
This is the first day I've spotted the 'wild' cattle on shore.

Day 37 - Agnes Water

Day 38 - Richards Point (Rodds Peninsula)
I paddled into kind of a 'surreal' moment today:
Paddling along, then, hundreds (thousands?) of flying fish started jumping all around (and over) me. Then, a 'swarm' (I don't know how many, but a lot) of terns started swooping around me, going after the fish. Along with the flying fish (small), there would be the occasional - I think tuna - jump out of the water (much larger).

Days 39 - 41 Gladstone
Interesting paddling through the shipping lanes at night. Very grateful for the accurate GPS and chart (software) - that helped me stay out of the shipping lanes. It was still quite uncomfortable.
Rest in Gladstone, getting ready for next piece of trip - the Shoalwater Bay area. I checked in with the authorities, and the only Military Practice going on in the area is well away from the areas I'll be travelling in.

Day 42 - Sea Hill Point
SANDFLIES during the day and
MOSSIES at dusk and night (and in the woods - I stayed out of)
I set up the tent as soon as I could after landing, and suffered the heat in the tent rather that the 'insect' life outside. (I don't like to put on the deet (RID) if I don't have to - I did put it on prior to packing the following morning when departing)
Todays paddle was through the 'Narrows' - the area between the 'mainland' and Curtis Island.
Planning for proper tides:
If done right, the flood will bring you up half-way, and the ebb will carry you out.
I'm usually over cautious, and under-estimate my speed. On my 2 previous trips through here, I got to the 1/2 way point, and still had to battle the current (I arrive too early) for another 2 hours or so.
This time, I planned it just about perfectly, just a little bit of battling an opposing current at the halfway point.

Day 43 - Yeppoon
Wouldn't you know it, just after leaving a town where I was resting for a few days, I noticed a 'crack' on my heal - that I could have attended to while there. Now I'll have to put up with it for the next several days. (My heals normally get sore anyway, and I was attributing the 'extra' pain to that - instead, as it turns out, it was the 'crack' developing) [Sidenote: I'm treating it now with some stuff I got at a pharmacy - I hope it works]

Day 44 - Freshwater Bay
In 'high tide' area now - eg: today, I started at 10:45PM (actually last night), and arrived at 10:15AM.
I am now in a 'Military Practice' area (as I mentioned previously).
When I woke up to depart (pre-dawn), I smelled a campfire (I don't light fires (I don't even cook)). Looking around, I saw a campfire in the woods. I don't know if they saw me, but I left kind of quietly, in any case. (I'm sure there wouldn't have been any problem - last time I was here, there was a group of military that had come down for a swim. I walked over to them - asked if it was OK that I was there, they said it was.) [I did call in to say I would be camping in area - but I'm sure they don't relay the message]

Day 45 - Mumford Island
There was a beautifull, full shade tree that the tent - just fit underneath - out of the heat of the sun.

During the paddle today, I got a good sting from a bluebottle. I've been 'brushed' many times on this trip - but this one really got me. It got wrapped around my left wrist, and got both hands. (welts developed, and it stung pretty bad for the next 2 or 3 hours). Wouldn't you know it - in Gladstone I had done some repacking, and figured I was out of bluebottle area, so put the 'Stingose' in the rear bulkhead (not accessable from water).

Day 46 - Gannet Rock
(a very small island - just west of Long Island)
I had planned to stay on Long Island - but, 1) I hadn't informed the Military I planned to stay there; and 2) the only beach I saw was encrusted by a reef (though, on the west side of the island there looked like some good beaches).
As it turns out, when the tide went out, Gannet Rock was surrounded by a drying reef as well.
I had wanted to leave at low to take advantage of the tide current, and, even with the reef had intended to do so (realizing the 'tricky' departure carrying 3 loads of gear and kayak across the reef to water), but, I woke up at 2AM (around high) to the sound of 'pattering' rain on the tent.
Well, that did it, with all of the other 'negatives' about leaving through the reef, I didn't want to add to that a driving rain. So, realizing that I would be making little if any progress againg the current, I packed and was off at high tide.
It wasn't ZERO progress, it was NEGATIVE progress. The current was way too much for me.
I managed to ferry to a nearby small island, and 'hung' out there for a couple of hours for the proper tide (the sea turtles kept me company).

Days 47-48 Carmila Beach
On arriving (finished with Shoalwater Bay area), I turned on the radio and got a spotty forcast of the cyclone: the only words I heard were 'cyclone' and 'Mackay' (about 60 miles north of me). I brought the kayak and all gear up, well above the beach (there is 'sort of' a 'caravan park' (no one there), where I put up the tent and put all gear and kayak. (The 'town' of Carmila is a 5 mile walk inland (there is a road), which I did the following morning - to get a nice breakfast.

Day 49 - Sarina Beach
Strong winds (SE - in my favor - but, too strong)
The beach was windblown - sandblasted.

Day 50-??? - Mackay
The paddle from Sarina to Mackay is a short one (about 20 miles), and with the strong NE wind I made it rather quickly - but it was a 'bouncy' ride.

While here, I picked up my 1st (and probably last) food shipment from Megan (thanks Megan).
So - repacking food, going over all gear, glueing my shoes back together, letting my 'sores' heal, and waiting out Wati (the cyclone that is 'hovering' out in the Coral sea at the moment) will keep me here for a few days.


Andy

---