Chocolate milk...

I do like chocolate milk.  I remember when my kids were younger buying chocolate milk as a treat for the family! Unfortunately, the best description I have for the river waters right now is that they are darker than chocolate milk!  Of course it doesn't help that there is all sorts of debris floating downstream in it too!  

The day before Marcia started beautifully... and we waited!  Well... Wayne did boat chores!!!

 

Marcia came ashore north of us 150 miles or so as a category 5 on Friday morning! She began by giving us her fringes of rain, rain, and more rain! It took her until Saturday morning to finally bring her winds here as a tropical low!  I read in the local news that there was even a water spout spotted here around Mooloolaba...I'm sure glad we didn't see it! 

So I put this little video together of the two day impact on us... you'll see that these Australians are a hearty bunch... paddling past us right before the winds increased!  You'll also see that the river waters become very fast moving and are filthy with mud and debris.

 These two boats turn out to be derelict boats... of course we didn't know that when we anchored... but a couple of gentlemen came over right before the blow to let us know to keep watch as they were known to break free during storms.

 The bird up in the spreaders is a Sea Eagle according to the couple I spoke with...

 And, here is another hearty gentleman... paddling through the brown river.

 So after two days on the boat... we finally went to town!  I had been hearing the waves at the mouth of the river crashing from up the river and wanted to go see the power of the waves closer up. 

 I was surprised by two things... all of the surfers out enjoying the muddy waters...

 And, while the waves were crashing loudly...I guess I expected them to be larger!

 Capt Paul and Wayne walked ahead back to a bench near the dingy while I chatted with an Australian couple near the Wharf.  They helped me identify some of the birds that I had photographed.

Back to chocolate milk... the boat draws water to cool the engine, generator and flush the toilets from the water that it floats on. So without getting too graphic... the toilet water is... well, let's just say...we all will be so glad when we will be out of this chocolate running river and back into clear water!