19th Sep. Macona Inlet to Little Beach on Hooks Passage to Nara Inlet

Today we wanted a quiet day with a bit of relaxation and a walk on the beach. It was high tide in the morning which makes beach landing far easier than trying to avoid the reef and rocks at low tide. Also the beaches are nicer to swim with sand under your feet than reef.

We had been observing two Sea Eagles building a nest on the navigation marker at the entrance to Macona Inlet. They were carrying one stick at a time. It is a slow way to build a home but they persevere. Just hopde that Queensland Maritime Services allow it to stay.

 

We headed past the Sea Eagles only a short distance to a little beach in Hooks Passage. It has no name so we will call it “little beach”. It was the first time we had set foot on land since we were at Double Cone Island. It was a very pleasant morning with swimming and snorkelling and beach discussion with Echo Beach crew. We were standing on the beach and we could see fish coming into the beach. After much discussion Graham and I decided to return to the yachts to get the fishing rods to try a bit of lure casting from the beach. We tried that for 20 minutes with out luck. I decided to return to take the dinghy out and troll along the edge of the reef. This proved effective immediately with a nice Spanish  Mackerel. We returned to the yachts for a lunch and then had another go at trolling after lunch. Graham and Wayne went one way and I went the other along Hooks Passage. Graham and Wayne were rewarded with a Spanish Mackerel and a Stripey Perch and as I was about to call it a day I caught a Coral Trout.

 Echo Beach in Hook Passage. Leanne and Kris swimming. The boys had gone fishing.

A swim off the back of the boat after cleaning the fish and it was time to find an anchorage for the night. We had been bitten by sand flies in Macona Inlet so we decided to go to Nara and try there.  We anchored closer to the mouth of the inlet hoping no sand flies but they were there.

We invited Echo Beach over for dinner and we cooked the days catch which consisted of Spanish Mackerel fillets coated with a bush pepper mix and grilled on the BBQ. It was delightful.

We had loads of laughs and after dinner we said our farewells to Kris and Wayne and Graham and Leanne as tomorrow Echo Beach is heading to Hamilton Island for 3 day. Wayne and Kris are returning to Sydney and  Leanne’s mother  is arriving on Sunday for 6 days.  We all had a great time with Kris and Wayne in the Whitsundays and no doubt it will be talked about for many years to come when we get together at Cottage Rock where Graham is Vice Commodore of the Shag Islet Cruising Yacht Club.