Sailed up from Brampton, intending to go to Lindeman Island for a bit of a look around their resort and for Gill to have a swim in their pool, however when we got close the anchorage didn't look too inviting especially with the south easterly wind, so we decided to stay at Shaw Island. Anchored off the beach with a bit of a flotilla of 10 or so other boats. Beach looked good and island also promised interesting walks. Woke up the following morning, could hardly walk with gout - it's shit getting older!
So we spent a week or so there whilst the gout slowly cleared up - no pills, no local doctor and no chemist! So had to make do and just look at the local scenery and wildlife - which was pretty good. We saw a whale about 500 metres away, which seemed right out of place, being as we were pretty close to the beach. Gill saw our first turtle and much of the next week was spent with Gill spotting a turtle and telling me about it, me hobbling over ( which took 5 minutes or so and lots of pain) and Gill telling me " no it's gone now".
I did spot this little beauty. Gill opened a can of beansprouts - which had totally gone off (didn't think can went off, but anyway). I decided to throw the mush overboard (what else can you do with it)
Instantly this batfish appeared and hoovered up all of the rotton beansproats (was going to say Dysoned it up, but decided not to be a knobhead) . I broke up a slice of bread and fed it to him, and he just pottered around eating it till it was all gone. He was about a foot long and high and was totally unhurried with everthing he did. He stayed with us for a couple of days and the dissappeared.
We sailed over to Nara inlet, which is a lovely peaceful place, high sided and with no real obvious places to get off the boat. Fetting pretty fed up with not getting off the boat, last time we got off was at Brampton, a fortnight ago. Anywaywe arrived at the anchorage about one o'clock, pottered about doing the usual things listening to the racket of passing cockatoos and watching them in their roost trees which were about half a mile away (for anyone who doesn't know cockatoos make a godawful screeching racket). About 5 o'clock, put the barbie on to cook tea, within five minutes one of the cockatoos flew over and sat near to the barbie, almost asking for his tea. Gill talked to him for 5 minutes or so, and he must have decided that we were friendly enough, but that we weren't going to fee him. He flew off directly to another boat that was a half a mile or so away to try his luck there. Maybe when we go back, we will feed him, because he certainly seems tame enough to eat out of your hand.
This is the view out of Nara Inlet, next stop Arlie Beach and a doctor / chemist Yippee.
The brochure for this island describes it as a breeding ground for hammerhead sharks - so no swimming for Gill. Think we're going to have to find a swimming pool for her soon.
