5th August Airlie to South Mole Island 10nm

Peter woke me at 6am in a flutter to get the washing done early before all the other cruisers got up there. He said there are people already up there. I don’t like to do anything before a cup of tea but was forced to strip the bed and head up to do the washing. There was nobody in the laundry so my protest against getting up so early to do the washing just got a little louder!!! In the end it was worth getting up earlier and getting the job done so we could head to South Mole Island and climb the hill to Mount Jeffries for a 360 degree view of the Whitsundays. While the height of Mount Jeffries is half the height of Whitsunday Peak it does give a very good perspective of the geography.

Bacon and eggs were cooked on the way to the island and after anchoring and launching the dinghy we were on our way to shore. Again we were presented with another defunct Island Resort that was once a popular Australian Family holiday destination. But with a high dollar and cheaper overseas destinations there are so many resorts here scattered through the Whitsundays that are in caretaker mode and falling apart.

The climb was not an arduous one with a well maintained track it was a very manageable walk up a slight incline. The view was sensational in brilliant sunny conditions without a cloud in the sky. We ate a salad lunch on the peak and took fantastic photos all around. We spotted at least 6 whales heading in all directions around the islands. It was so calm and with very little wind you could hear their blows, flipper slapping and tail slapping from high up on the hill.

 View from Mount Jeffries looking North East

We headed back to the boat after a long wait for the tide to come back in to rescue the stranded dinghy. The rocks were exposed and we would have torn the bottom of the dinghy had we attempted to leave. Sundowners were far more enjoyable after a big walk and fish and salad topped the night off.
Today was a significant day for Tamara too. She caught the bus back to our home in Port Stephens. It is the first time she has been in home in 3 weeks since before the operation. A couple of days there and she will collect the mail and in just over a week she will fly to Townsville to meet Billabong. At that time we will feel everything has been put behind us and life will be back to normal.