Climbing into Adventure

Crayfish Beach - Curlew Beach


Rolling over and waking up to the beautiful sunrise from the comfort of my tent, I didn't want to go anywhere. A great sleep in a gorgeous location, we decided that next time we came here, we would stay for two nights.

Breakfast on the beach and again, we had a secluded bay to ourselves (those other kayakers were still asleep). As the morning tide came in, it was perfect conditions for snorkeling so the mask and snorkels came out before we set off for the day. It was weird to swim over the coral we had seen so exposed the day before.

Retracing our path, heading south back to the Whitsunday/Hook Island Channel, the conditions were perfect. The morning sun, minimal wind, calm seas.............and the sighting of a whale! It was so amazing - first the tail flick, then the water spurt from its blow hole. I couldn't believe it.

We hugged the coastline and soon arrived at Hook Island Resort where we stopped for a tropical cocktail. After lazing on the oversized hammock, we set of again for a short paddle past the Underwater Observatory and across Marcona Inlet to our campground on Curlew Beach.

We set up camp right on the beach again and were greeted by two nesting Curlew's (the birds the beach is named after). As the sun was setting, it disappeared behind the hill quite early in the day which made for a bit of a colder evening. Sitting down for dinner after the boys tried their luck at fishing again, we were fed the best dehydrated spaghetti bolognaise I have ever tasted. Our chocolate rations for desert were depleting fast, but we only had one more nights camp so we might just be ok.


Total Paddle Distance Today = 12 km /3 hrs

Tips on climbing into this adventure:
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• we prearranged a water drop at Crayfish beach as Scamper regularly does trips here. This saved us carrying an extra 60 litres of water on our kayaks for the first three days

• if you have the time, I recommend staying two nights at Crayfish Beach to take in all its beauty. Apparently there is a walk you can do up the hill too

• although it does add extra weight, we brought along 6 litres of cask wine (1/2 a glass per night) to help us wind down at the end of each day
  

Peter Bay - Curlew Beach


A more peaceful sleep on softer ground last night and we were in no rush to pack up this morning - we couldn't leave until the water came back up the beach, high enough for us to paddle over the rocks.

After about 1.5 hours of paddling north we reached the channel between Whitsunday and Hook Islands. The flow of the tide was quite slow at this time, but there was still quite a strong current washing through the channel. Picking the best line, we went up and over the swell like a roller coaster ride and were soon on the south-east coast of Hook Island.

Paddling past a few small bays, we soon saw Saba Bay with its three gorgeous little beaches which we couldn't paddle past without stopping for a bite to eat. Pulling out the good old salami, tuna, flatbread and left over salad we enjoyed lunch on a deserted beach.

Only a half hour paddle and we arrived at the beautiful Crayfish Beach, where we only had just enough water to paddle in over the the soon to be exposed coral. Setting up our tent on the sandy shelf, complete with bay views, was picture perfect. As we went out to the rocky point for a spot of rock fishing at low tide, we saw two kayakers arrive who unfortunately became stuck out on the water for two hours as they had to wait for the tide to come in. Not a good way to end a day.

Chris and I were on dinner duty that night and made friends with the thousand or so sand flies whilst we cooked our vege rice dish. Tonight was New Moon and during the night, I heard the gentle lapping of the waves only one meter from the front of the tent - now that's what I call waterside accommodation!


Total Paddle Distance Today = 17 km /4.5 hrs



Tips for climbing into this adventure:
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• to see all the detail that the coastlines offer, stick close to shore whilst paddling

• to determine where the tide will be on the night you arrive, have a look on the beach for the highest line of shells/seaweed. Take a look at your tide chart and compare the numbers from the previous night to the current night. This will tell you how much higher or lower the tide will be

• sand makes a really good pillow - make a bit of a mound, perfect for your head