Billabong: Pancake Creek to Great Keppel Island 20thJune 72nm

Another early morning departure! This time the tides lined up for us as you can only enter and depart the creek on the high tide. We were able to come into the creek on the high tide when we sailed from Lady Musgrave and now we are exiting on the high tide at first light. It is a bit tricky entering and departing this anchorage.

We had reasonable winds to push us along but also had to use the motor to maintain a critical 7 knots to get to Great Keppel Island before sun down. The further we went north the more the wind died until eventually at around 3 o’clock we pulled all sails down and the sea became glassy. We towed the lines as far as we could before hitting the green zone marine parks and had to pull the lines in. We managed one tuna for sashimi for dinner.

We arrived at 4.30pm just in time to shoot up a little creek off Leakes beach and put a crab trap out with a tuna that Bogart caught and decided they had no use for it.

Drinks were on Boomeroo and it was another dinner of fish and salad and an early night. The anchorage was a little rollie but when the tide turned it was more bearable. It was surprising to find the swell here when the wind has been coming from the south for at least a week now.

21^st June

Had a nice sleep in but it is a cold and grey day with a hint of rain. After a cup of tea and breakfast I ducked into the creek and pulled the crab trap. Yes a nice big mud crab that will be nice for lunch.

Mudcrab are very nice eating fresh

The rest of the day will be spent resting and perhaps an afternoon walk on the island.

We did go for a walk. The skies were very grey and the temperature was lucky to be 18 degrees. No rain which made walking conditions very good. We walked along the beach to the only shop on the island to have a coffee, which was not great. While there a couple of Kookaburras flew into the bar to demand some food. They looked like they were wanting a Bundaberg Rum.

"I'll have a Bundy and coke please"

We had a coffee at the shop and bought a walking map for $2 and set off up to the lookout and back down the beach. All up it was 2 hours which was better than staying on the yacht for the whole day. Lets hope tomorrow the sun shines.
We had drinks and dinner on Boomeroo.

22^nd June
It was a calm night and at first light all the clouds had disappeared and the sun rose. I had breakfast and raced into the creek in the dinghy to find that someone had raided my crab trap yet again. Not happy. It was upside down with the trap opened. Cannot believe the rotten scoundrels would do it. But it is the weekend and the locals have come for the weekend.

It was a wonderful sunny day and so good after yesterday. Had breakfast a swim and lunch and then set off for a big walk around the island. We walked to Mt Wyndham which is the highest peak at 174 meters above sea level. The track was not easy to follow and at times we were wondering if we went the right way. Often referring to the map which is very basic but in the end we were on the right track. The island had sheep grazing from the early 1920’s to around 1945 with the original homestead still standing. It is heritage listed but not maintained.

Great Kepple Homestead built in 1922-24

The Leake family ran the sheep hence Leakes beach was named after them. There are no sign of sheep now but many wild goats. Not sure if the goats are farmed although some appeared in paddocks where the fences were falling down. We made it to the top along a track that was not greatly visible at times and made it to the top. The view was amazing and without a cloud in the sky it was great picture taking weather.