Searching and exploring!

I was off to Heron Island for a week... yes, I know...I said only five days on the last blog.  I stayed a week... that says something in and of itself?  It is a story to be shared another way! 

It was a weekend for searching and exploring!  Saturday morning I walked over the bridge (Whoooohoooo... it has been fixed) into downtown Gladstone to pick up a car I had rented online.  It ended up being a bit more of a walk than I anticipated... but at least I didn't have to go to the airport to pick it up!  I drove back to the marina picked up Capt Paul and off we went to explore Agnes Water Town of 1770! 

One of the office gals at the Marina had mentioned that there was a hike with great views that was not to be missed!  Oh, and did I mention that I was driving on the wrong side of the road?  I will admit one of the most difficult issues for me was that I was always turning on the windshield wipers when I was trying to put the turn signal on!  Turn signals are on the RIGHT side of the steering wheel here!  Years of driving on the right hand side of the road and turn signals on the LEFT make some habits of driving a bit difficult to overcome!  I will also admit (now that the car has been safely returned with no issues) that ONCE I did try driving on the right side of the road!  With a car coming...I realized what I had done... as well as Capt Paul saying something...I just don't remember what... and I quickly got over as far to the right as I could until the young couple (quite upset young couple I might add) passed me in their car... then I quickly got back to the LEFT side of the road!! 

Through the town of Agnes Water Town of 1770 we drove... rather quickly...

not that I was driving quickly... just that there wasn't much to the town! 

Then to one park with the Capt Cook monument! 

Have I mentioned how many parks are here in Australia?

The monument states "Under the lee of this point Lieutenant James Cook , R.N., landed May 24th 1770". 

Back into the car and to another park.  Then up another hill to an exclusive area of homes. 

On our way back I turned down a street and ran across two MORE parks! 

Both of these had quite a bit of hiking involved...

  Capt Paul stayed in the car.  

  
It had to be the area that Tess had been talking about! 

Beautiful rocky hike and beautiful views! 

I was exhausted after the second hike and THIRSTY! 

We both were hungry... so off to the Agnes Water area for lunch at a small café.  I also had gotten a ticket online for the Agnes Water/Town of 1770 Blues Festival.  I was searching for some good new music and wanted to check out Australian blues music!!  So after lunch Capt Paul dropped me off at the festival and I went in to listen and enjoy!  I did enjoy and chatted with some wonderful people!  However, Australian Blues music is really more like rock... and one band even threw in some Australian politics... to many's displeasure!   It was a fun afternoon... but the music I was searching for was not there!

Sunday morning I asked Dave, one of the marina workers, where I might be able to search out some "ru's" within 50 kilometers one way.  100 kilometers was the mileage that was left to be used on the car and I didn't want to pay for overages.  He mentioned that we could for sure see some smaller types of "ru's" near the Awoonga Dam.  I believe they are Wallabies!  After Capt Paul FIXED the electrical issue that the boat has been having when plugged in (Whoops...I might have spoken too soon!!!)... off we went in search of "ru's"!  

It was a short drive through the country side and Capt Paul noticed two little ru's by the side of the road as we were driving past!  Yep... didn't get the big Kangaroo... but I did get some pictures of the little ru's!! 

This next week there will be all sort of activities here near the Marina!  It is the Gladstone Harbour Festival!  Yes, I spelled it with a "U"!  There will be music daily... all day long, vendors, food, fireworks and all sorts of festival activities, including sailboat races!   Our weekend of searching and exploring the great views of Agnes Waters The Town of 1770 and finding some "ru's" was successful.... but there is still good Australian music that needs to be found! 

Short Diving Video...Lady Musgrave

"While the Captain's away the crew will play"!  Isn't that a quote from somewhere?  If not it should be!!! 

I have booked 5 nights at Herron Island with diving every day!!  So excited!  Getting this camera underwater more often will give me the opportunity for more and hopefully better shots!!!

In the meantime...I thought I'd share a short video from my diving at Lady Musgrave!  Remember only one click on the screen to watch it small or it becomes very distorted!  Enjoy!

Gladstone...Gladstun

Tomato... tomato.  Clearly the spelling is Gladstone.  Australians however pronounce the name of this cute Port City...Gladstun.

We left the Lady Musgrave lagoon as soon as Wayne picked me up from diving.

We maneuvered through the cut during the last of the good daylight with the tide changing. 

We anchored around the back side of the island and left in the middle of the night so we could enter into the mouth of the river near Gladstone with the tide.  Then came the forecasted high winds. 

We are on the end of the pier on the Gladstone Harbor Marina and have had GREAT wind flow through the "house".  No need for air conditioning even for Capt Paul. 

The marina provides a bus daily into town.  A delightfully air conditioned bus and we have gone in for two days in a row. 

Jo and I felt energetic yesterday morning and took an early morning walk over to the park across the way...Spinnaker Park. 

Beautiful little park with a small beach swimming area. 

Not where I would swim... but I guess some do/would!  The net is suppose to stop critters and box jellyfish from entering! The walk was LONG for a hot morning... and, it was nice to have to keep up with Jo!! 

 I really am impressed with the well kept parks that I have seen/used in Australia.

 This IS a port city.  Sugar Cane, coal, gypsum, aluminum boxite, and some salt all exported in bulk carriers.  Every morning is an early start for the Mariners and I'm usually awake to hear them motor by!  

And, if I wasn't already awake, there is a flock of birds that swing by each morning for their morning ritual.  They are very happy birds and very loud... they must be telling us they are happy?

Jo, by the way is English... and I am so happy she is aboard!  It brings me back to tomato... tomato!  Capt Paul and Wayne sometimes cannot understand her and I get to translate!  She says bumf...curtain twitching...knackered...crusty bits.... crisps...chips,  birds, "orts and sorts", mossies, "to be fair" (one of MY favorites... especially the WAY she says it), and tomato OR tomato! 

Lady Musgrave diving

Diving...there is something to be said about breathing underwater...

It was still windy Saturday...and the VHF wasn't working. I had been asked to have the Captain call the 'Spirit of 1770' on the VHF at 9:45am to get instructions on where to go. They got power to the VHF in time...but no answer when Wayne called. I "kitted up" anyway sat in the cockpit and waited! A little after 10:00 the cat powered through the cut. I waved as it passed us by. I waited until I saw it was against the dock and then said to Wayne that I was "ready to go". He was up, into the dingy and helping me get there in a flash!
The first dive was a drift dive...macro lens and drift dives aren't normally to be paired up...but that is what I had! I was buddied with a (new) divemaster. Splashdown! There was a lot of organic material in the water so the vis was not the best and where we started out the coral had been damaged...but I was finally breathing underwater again! I did battle the current a few times for a few pictures...but overall needed to stay with the group...and I did.

 Pink Skunk Anemonefish...

 Clown Anemonefish...

 Pink Skunk Anemonefish...

 Butterflyfish...

 Butterflyfish...

As with any dive group...I could have/would have liked to have stayed down longer. With 1400 psi left in my tank...I was told to surface...and I did. The second dive was in the lagoon with the promise (well as much as one can make promises about fish and reptile sightings) of turtles.
Once again, vis was poor at best and the new divemaster didn't really know where he was going...ended up takeing us in circles (did he think I wouldn't notice?).

Juvenile Butterflyfish...

I did get a small video of a very large green turtle...albeit with poor vis...but I'll share it anyway!

  When all was said and done, I was happy and I had gone and I signed up for Tuesday's dives!

I waited again (ever so patiently...ha ha ha) for Tuesday...the next dive day. Arrived to a new dive leader...and this guy loves it here! Vis was better...but as sometimes happens...my learning curve got in the way as I had NOT charged the batteries to my strobes, so I only got a few photos.

 Not sure my strobes would have helped this photo...

 Looking into the eye of an octopus...

Notice the upper photo with good working strobes and then this one... not so much!!!
 
That being said, I did then concentrate on taking some video! Yes, there is still a learning curve on it too...and will try to share some on another day! It was so fun to dive with a dive leader who seemed to have the same love of being underwater! I was ready to sign up again...but knew that with a blow coming we would be leaving Lady Musgrave soon.

When I started out writing this blog I was thinking that I could put into words...share with you the reason...give words to the feeling...describe the draw of the ocean down under, of breathing underwater...I sit here now dumbfounded. So you see, I will just have to go again and see if I can bring to the surface the feelings...and put those feeling into words I'll keep trying... again...and again...and again!!!

Waiting...

Yes, the old addage "hurry up and wait" can even be used when cruising!

We arrived at Bundaberg late afternoon and anchored off the Marina in the river. The wind arrived in grand fashion to bless us all with a rolly sleepless (or sleep little) night! Early the next morning we were in the Marina with a host of chores to accomplish in one day! The weather looked good to sail the next day out to Lady Musgrave. Jo and I started laundry together...then she took over and I went to wash my self AND my hair...I almost felt human again! Capt Paul wanted to go shopping again so he and Wayne were planning that when I took off for the bus stop to connect with the dive shop in town. While I was waiting at the bus, a gentleman rolled his window down and asked where I was going...I told him into town...he said he was too and asked if I wanted a ride. I hopped in. Max gave me a grand (brief) tour of the area with all the history that he knew. Sugar Cane agricultural area! Much longer story short, he dropped me off right at the dive shop! I found Julian out back and we chatted about what arrangements could be made for diving at Lady Musgrave while I was out there. The 'Spirit of 1770' arrives every day (wind permitting) but only takes divers on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturdays.  Knowing that our plans can change quickly (the current plan was to sail out Wednesday), I made my plans for diving on Saturday. Not having taken the bus into town, then it was time to find out how to return back to the Port! With guidance from a clerk where I bought a water...I found the bus stop after a long walk through the very cute little town. I chatted with another gentleman and he took me under his wing to be sure the bus driver knew where I needed to go! With dinner came the discussion of weather and if leaving Wednesday was a good idea (I was so glad that I made diving plans for Saturday). Decision was made to head out in the morning (7:00am ish) to enter the cut into the lagoon as close to low tide as we could as tidal current flow was reported to be intense into and out of the cut with the tides (low tide was 1:30pm....slack until 2:30pm or so...we were hoping to arrive no later than 3:00pm).

It was a motor sail...but we made it "on time" with eventually a non-eventful entry through the red and greens!

Once inside the cut Capt Paul took "point" on the bow as we dodged coral heads to the sandy anchorage. There was only one other large motor yacht, one sailboat and the Lady Musgrave Catamaran Cruise boat at the pontoon area. Once the anchor was down it was time to relax. 

Sunrise inside the lagoon

and the island from our anchor spot.

I watched the dive/cruise catamaran arrive as we readied Leaps with Lizzards for an island walk.

Wayne went walking along the beach for trash pick-up and Jo and I followed the trail through the island where the island birds were nesting.

We passed Wayne around the back end of the island and continued on along the beach back.

On the sandiest end of the island Jo started cutting across a sandy/grassy plateau when a sea bird (in the Northwest we call them Seagulls) scolded us loudly and began to approach us!

I stopped walking and looked around at what we were walking through...it was a turtle nesting area!! It also was a sea bird nesting area! I'm sure they were waiting for the baby turtles to hatch to have their fill! I mentioned it to Jo and we turned around, cautiously walking around the nests and continued to walk along the beach instead! One of the little birds followed behind us making sure we were leaving! 

Along the beach we saw the tracks of three mama turtles that had made their way up to the nesting area!

 We met back up with Wayne near the dingy and headed back to the "mother ship", Dances with Dragons.

These small critters were floating by the boat every low tide.  I finally found out (only by explanation not by the picture) that they are baby Portuguese Man O War Jellyfish.  If anyone reading this can verify from this picture that is correct it would be wonderful! 

This video compiles our first views of Lady Musgrave and our first visit to the beach.

And, this video compiles our second visit to the island, Capt Paul's first walk inside the island.  Both these videos are best viewed with one click... as they have been downsized to be able to post easily!

  

Friday was VERY windy and became an electrical boat chore day for the guys (yes, all day and they got so much accomplished) while Jo read and I worked on pictures and video.

 

Really I was just waiting for Saturday...did anyone catch that? Hurry up and wait.....