Swift Sailing to Southport

Sunset over Tin Can Bay

As much as we love Tin Can Bay, we had spent time here in 2014 and we are getting impatient over our slow progress. 

We have let our comprehensive boat insurance lapse and downgraded to third party, as insurance costs skyrocket and risk is small.

Unfortunately, marinas which usually were happy to accept boats on third party insurance are now requiring comprehensive. We enjoyed our last two days of remaining comprehensive insurance at Tin Can Bay marina, and now it's all anchorages, unless the more southerly marinas aren't as strict. (For my non-yachting savvy friends - marinas are the nautical equivalent of caravan parks whereas an anchorage is the equivalent of a sheltered bush camp.)

So we edged out from the convenience of the marina with it's fancy flushing toilets, hot showers and coin laundry to the other side of the bay, which was sheltered and secluded and from which we could watch spectacular sunsets over Tin Can Bay.

From there we edged out further to Inskip Point from which a ferry takes 4WD vehicles the short distance to Fraser Is.

As you can see, it's all unsealed roads and fun, fun, fun. 

Inskip Point is a popular camping area where hundreds of campers get away to relax about 6 inches away from the next camper!

The sandy spit at the end was what interested us the most. From aboard Winkali, we had been watching hundreds of birds roosting on the spit and a spectacular sandbar at low tide.

We went ashore armed with cameras which had been gathering dust.

Thousands of Soldier Crabs disappeared into the wet sand as we approached. After many photos of wet sand and vanishing crabs, I managed to sneak up without scaring them away for a few shots.

Some amazing choreography went into the coordinated patterning on the sand flats of Inskip Point.








Tearing ourselves away from the distraction of the Soldier Crabs, we went after larger quarry - birds.

Thousands of migratory birds fly from the Arctic region each summer to fatten up on abundant food supplies in various areas of Australia. The Great Sandy Straits between Fraser Is and mainland, is one of these important areas. Unfortunately, migratory birds are in decline as strategic feeding areas along their migratory route are being destroyed by human activity.
Click here for further reading on migratory birds.

Lucky for us, there were many still to be seen and we feel privileged to be able to see them still. I worry that generations to come will have to rely on photos to see them.

Most of the waders were out on the sand bar but I managed to get close up to a few locals.

From L - R
Red-capped Plover
Crested Terns
Bar-tailed Godwit and
Common Sandpipers
Mistletoe Bird





Although we had resigned ourselves to waitings for several days at Inskip Point, we found ourselves off and sailing after only one night as the northerlies kicked in early.

It was about 150 nautical miles (or 277.8k) to Southport which meant an overnight sail. When there is a crew of only 2 on board, no-one gets much sleep so we were quite exhausted when we arrived at 1pm the following day.

Although we were prepared to drop anchor and get some much needed sleep, we had arrived in an area totally different to any other we had ever visited. Sleep was some hours away.

The Gold Coast is well known for its Theme Park attractions, fantastic surf beaches and wild night-life.

However, we were unprepared for the wild abandon on the Broadwater waterways. Every conceivable watercraft was to be found going flat out, every which way. Jet skis, boats, aeroplanes, paragliders and even a crazy guy in a futuristic jet pressure water suit sorted out the hopefuls who were sedately weaving their way through this mayhem while sitting for their boat license. 

This is best described through this short movie of our travels from Inskip Point to Southport. It ends with a special guest appearance from Boston, our grand-dog who stayed with us for the weekend with Jess (Ian's daughter who wouldn't let me take her photo).

Well, we are now at Coffs Harbour after another fantastic sail and another overnighter. Southerlies are forcing us to rest here a couple of days till a northerly change which will hopefully arrive by Saturday.

Then it's off to Port Macquarie :)