Tackling Tangalooma

Moreton Bay, QLD, is a great place to wait out the cyclone season, which is just what Alchemy 1 did this summer. From her pen at the MBTBC, she ventured out to places like Peel Island, The Lazarette, North Stradbroke, and the sand dunes and wrecks of Tangalooma. We had numerous visitors, including our friends, Julie and Robert, down from Cairns, and my sister, Kelly and her partner, Colin. One of the major highlights was a week with Kate and Martyn, who managed to sneak away from their busy practice for some long-awaited R&R and contributed some photos to this post. We stocked the fridge and the bar, cast off the lines, and set sail for ports unknown. Well, for Tangalooma and Peel Island, anyway!

This map shows our trek around Moreton Bay; starting at Manly, sailing to Tangalooma on Moreton Island, then overnighting at Peel Island in the south.

Kate and Martyn quickly acclimatised to the relaxed lifestyle aboard Alchemy 1.

And the "sunset lounge" was put to good use, as we reviewed the day's adventures.

The fishing was not overly productive, but it wasn't for want of trying.

In the end, it seemed a more direct approach might be required.

We did inadvertently catch one bottom feeder when trying to get rid of an old piece of squid.

We still don't know exactly what it was (other than some form of shark), but it was released unharmed. 

We were visited that same night by a sinister bird with a very long beak (I saw it sitting on the rail next to the chart table and closed my cabin door, leaving it to my dear sister to evict from the saloon). We identified it a day or so later, when we encountered its close relative on the breakwater at Manly.

A Striated Heron. Not previously known for sneaking onto boats at night, but Alchemy 1 has a strange attraction for seabirds, as we have already discovered.

As always, George did very well gathering oysters, and had them all to himself as nobody else would eat them.

 

After so much fine wining and dining we felt in need of exercise, so tackled the sand-dunes of Moreton Island.

It was a hard slog to the top, but worth it for the view.

And the way down was much easier.

So romantic!

We had a David Attenborough moment watching soldier crabs scuttle through the mangroves.

We found a perfect anchorage opposite the artificial reef at Tangalooma; a very convenient jumping off point for an afternoon of snorkelling.

"Le Barbi" was triumphant.

A little more fun on the water was in order.

Before the sun set on another wonderful day, and Happy Hour began ...