Hinchinbrook Creek

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After leaving behind Magnetic Island we sailed towards Palm Island with a stop at Havannah Island as we were told there is good snorkelling, but the weather lately has been cold and raining so its no good for water sports.
Rex’s son Andrew has been with us, and as a young person keen on being on the move we headed to Palm Island for the night. This island is inhabited by an aboriginal community, its not recommended to visitors but we had no problems going ashore to shop at the supermarket and watch on the main plaza a display of their local dance, very interesting.
From there sailed to Orpheus Island, Orpheus is a national park were a very exclusive resort who is strictly out of bounds to non guests and the James Cook university research station exists.
We anchored at Little Pioneer Bay for 2 nights, it has a nice beach were the boys could go for a run, and up the hill are the ruins of past attempts to settle this bay and after investigating it found a huge amount of ticks, unfortunately that night one got me and spend that night in agony with a bad reaction to the poison, three days later the left side of my face still feels swollen.
The good thing apart from the scenery and calm waters was the big amount of enormous manta rays in the bay, we say at least 10 of them just frolicking around, I have never seen them so big, it would have made a good snorkelling experience.
Now we are in the Hinchinbrook Channel, is the most scenic, calm waterways on the east coast. The sugar port town of Lucinda is located at the south entrance, there are many creeks to anchor with the guarantee of mosquito attacks, but as well good fishing and many crabs.
We will not stay here for very long as we will come back with our friends Peter and Sherry from Shifting Sands later in the month.

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