Sat, 24 May 2003
We feel like we're really cruising again, not just traveling. For the last four days we've been at Great Keppel Island, off Australia's Queensland coast. We arrived Tuesday at 7:30 and anchored off the south coast. The island was beautiful and the bay uncrowded and calm. In the afternoon we shifted around to Wreck Bay, on the east side, which would offer better protection to the expected SW winds, although they are forecast to be light anyhow.
We anchored next to Cooee, Jill Knight's beautiful 1894 gaff cutter and invited her to Wings for a glass of wine later. Jill has sailed in China and the Philippines and we wanted to pick her brain a little.
Then we went ashore we walked the beach and played in the sand dunes, and enjoyed the solitude.
Last night we shared a bottle of wine with Jill who has been living on and sailing Cooee since 1983, and although she has circumnavigated, and sailed much of the globe, this is the first time she has sailed in this part of Australia, her own country. She is enjoying it, and has been at Great Keppel for a while. She told us that the Philippines are wonderfull and China's beaucracy was daunting.
This morning, after a deep sleep which we needed after our three day passage up the coast, we awoke to another wonderful day, the sound of the surf on the beach and the gentle rocking of the boat reminding us that the sea is still near.
Other than Cooee, we have this bay to ourselves, maybe the whole island, and we felt like exploring. Again we moved Wings, across the empty bay to a beach we liked the look of, and anchored offshore. All day we played on that beach, sunning, swimming, hiking, even collecting a few oysters which went well with white wine and salad later.
The next day we moved again, to another beach on Great Keppel, by Sevensen's house. Sevensens have lived here since the 40's, raised a family, and we met Carl and Lindy. Carl is one of the sons, grown now, and he met Lindy when she sailed in on her boat. Now they are married and make their home here on Great Keppel Island, and it is truely a paradise.
It a the birthday of one cruiser, Jim, who lives on his boat here near Sevendsen's house and Carl brought some goat legs which Jim and Lance cooked for a barbeque and the other cruisers in the bay brought pot luck and we had a great afternoon, but the sand fleas got us a little.
Finally, after the fourth day, we moved on. We are sending this from the town of Yepoon, also in Australia's state of Queensland.
The weather is great, wish yoiu were here.
Fred & Judy
PS. Today there is a photo attached, it is Judy and the sand dune at Great Keppel Island.
