Townsville

Something seriously wrong with this picture?



So there we were sat at anchor minding our own business and we heard this racket like a power boat, turned to see what it was and the Red Baron came out of the marina, missed the little yacht by a few metres and then accelerated to take off just 30 metres or so from us.

Just next to the marina is the memorial park. It has this fountain which has a hand shaped button next to it. If you press it, you get a load of blurb about the armed forces - disappointing starting with details of the mayor who opened the park - who gives a shit about him! Anyway at night the fountain lights up and changes through several colours - looks real good.

Noticed this waterfall as we walked along the Strand. The stream seems to come out of a house at the top (hope it's not their toilet).

Townsville seems very child / family friendly. It has got these two water parks along the Strand (which is the sea front). They are free, brilliantly maintained and well used. The kids will love it.

Similarly a bit further on their is this pool:

• It's got a nice sunbaking area over the far side. It's as big as any pool I've ever seen
• It borders on to the ocean on one side
• It's got a flying fox on the far side.
• It's got wonderful weather (at least whie I was there)

and best of all - it's free as well.

Top marks to Townsville!

Gloucester Island

This is our view of Gloucester Island in the morning from Nellie Bay. It seems like the island is being bashful and hiding her charms behind a veil (maybe I've been on a boat to long and really it's just a morning mist). Anyway Gloucester Island is a pretty impressive sight especially if you include the passage between it and the mainland.

We spent the following night anchored ourside a small resort on the mainland. We went for a walk around it the following morning. Gill was pretty keen to go for a swim in their pool, but we would have been the only people in it and there was signs saying that only residents were allowed (which we would have ignored - obviously) so we gave it a miss. Moved on after lunch to Bowen which is about a three hour sail away. We would have liked to go for a walk on Gloucester Island, but apparently Death Adders are common there. One is too common for me - especially with a name like that!
This is Gloucester Passage as we left. Would have taken more photos of the island, but she seemed determined to keep her veil in place until after we left.

Being so close to Gloucester Island got us thinking about all the people back home in Gloucester UK.

Apparently the streets of England are no longer paved with gold - however the post boxes are.

Actually the post office have decided to paint to local postbox of all Olympic Gold Medal winners gold. What a brilliant idea!

In one city where a resident had won a bronze medal, someone painted their local postbox bronze. The post office were up in arms about it and said that they will send somebody round to paint it red again. What a load of arseholes! If they don't want to paint bronze postboxes for the bronze winners, fine but if somebody else paints it - leave it alone. In one second they lost all kudos for the brilliant gold painting idea!

For those of you who don't know Gill's mum was called Lillian smurthwaite. Before the Smurf's were created/born my dad always shortened the family name to Smurf. (Should have patented the name dad - we'd be millionaires now).

Anyway Jenny spotted this car driving around Western Australia - didn't use to believe in reincarnation before, but................

Just in case any of the pommie Furleys or Smurthwaites believe that we've become Australian. Here are the eldest two grandchildren showing who they support (Gloucester RFC). Their England shirt was in the wash at the time.

Nara Inlet

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.

Brampton Island

Brampton is a short 10 mile or so trip from Mackay. We anchored in about 3 metres of water close to the wharf. The following day we went for a walk to the resort - which like Keppel is also closed down. How can the money men not make a profit running this island resorts?

Its a short one mile or so walk from the wharf to the resort, which is absolutely inundated with millions of beaufiful butterflies. Got to the resort which as usual is surrounded by the fences and the keep out signs, which we obviously ignored.

The resort looked pretty run down, but it was easy to see what a wonderful place it had once been. I couldn't help but think of all the people who'd spent their holidays there and the fun that they must have had. All of that now stopped by the faceless money men. If they can't make a profit out of it - give it to me - I bloody well will.

Returned to the boat, saddened by the waste of it all.

The Kids

Joe, just in case you start to get nostalgic for your bike.

Now how are you going to wake up on a Sunday morning and tell some poor unsuspecting young lady that your name is Smith or Jones.

Dean looking totally thrilled that he has been picked up by some carney chick.