 An Australian tropical lifestyle. Townsville street art. |  A cosy spot to hide from cyclones. I do like being in Townsville and had been looking forward to parking there and getting comfortable....... |
....but as much as I have enjoyed the Townsville Yacht Club, unfortunately their space for big cats is limited....the marina was planned and built before the explosion of catamaran numbers along the Queensland coast, and double-sized pens are in short supply.
So, it's off on the ferry to Magnetic Island, to check out our options for berthing there for the season instead. Bingo! Friendly managers, a great spot available, safe and secure, and a bit of a cost saving as well, more than enough to cover a lot of twenty minute ferry trips across the channel.
Magnetic Island is a few miles off the coast of Townsville, and while it's officially a suburb of the city, it's a world apart. The marina is adjacent to the ferry terminal, and fronts a luxury "Peppers" resort, complete with a giant swimming pool and a bar that serves an excellent Caipirinha. I'm not really allowed to swim in the pool because I'm not a resort guest, but I figure if I order enough Caipirinhas I should qualify. There's a small supermarket close nearby, a smattering of shops, and a bus stop that serves the island's other settlements.
"El Gato" is at home for the cyclone season!
So, it's off on the ferry to Magnetic Island, to check out our options for berthing there for the season instead. Bingo! Friendly managers, a great spot available, safe and secure, and a bit of a cost saving as well, more than enough to cover a lot of twenty minute ferry trips across the channel.
Magnetic Island is a few miles off the coast of Townsville, and while it's officially a suburb of the city, it's a world apart. The marina is adjacent to the ferry terminal, and fronts a luxury "Peppers" resort, complete with a giant swimming pool and a bar that serves an excellent Caipirinha. I'm not really allowed to swim in the pool because I'm not a resort guest, but I figure if I order enough Caipirinhas I should qualify. There's a small supermarket close nearby, a smattering of shops, and a bus stop that serves the island's other settlements.
"El Gato" is at home for the cyclone season!
The busy anchorage at Horseshoe Bay on Maggie Island, from the Sunday Market on the beach. A 20-minute bus ride, or one-hour sailfrom the Marina. The anchorage empties out once the summer Northerly wind kicks in.
With the boat happily docked, Mary packed up and headed for home while I stayed on, meeting another old friend for a few more days sailing. When Graham Symonds flew in, (also from Perth) the wind was gale-force howling from the SouthEast, and if we'd headed north to the Palm group of islands, I wasn't too sure about when we'd be able to make it back home. Sailing into gale force headwinds isn't my cup of tea.
So we had to hang out for a couple of days waiting for the weather window, lazing around on the boat, and then we were away.
So we had to hang out for a couple of days waiting for the weather window, lazing around on the boat, and then we were away.
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