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:--------------------------------------
- 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
Whitehaven Beach - Peter Bay
We woke up to an overcast morning, but it didn't stop Fe jumping in for a 6.30am swim. After a bit of yoga and breakfast on the beach, we packed up camp, apprehensive to see if all our gear would actually fit in the kayaks. Ensuring most of the weight was central to the boat, with the water bladders in the cockpits with us, we were glad that we didn't have to leave anything behind.
After the 1.5 hour paddle up the 8km stretch of Whitehaven Beach, we arrived at the famous Hill Inlet exactly at high tide. This is the perfect time to discover Hill Inlet as it fills with water and you can paddle quite a way up. As we slowly kayaked pasted the mangroves, we were surrounded by schools of up to 15 sting rays gliding in front of the boat.
The now outgoing tide quickly began exposing the shallow sand banks. We landed the kayaks and did the 20 minute walk up to Tongue Point for the amazing view over the area. We couldn't stay here too long as we saw our kayaks becoming surround by more and more sand and we needed to use the water to get the kayaks out of the inlet (rather than carrying loaded boats).
Stopping around the corner for lunch at Betty's Beach, unfortunately we didn't realise the tide was going out so fast and found ourselves in very shallow waters on a coral beach. Not a good experience.
As we continued to use the outgoing tide to push us north, we saw some more flatback turtles and took in views of the amazing coast line. It was highly recommended that we arrive at Peter Bay at mid-high tide due to the 100m rocky 'beach' that surrounds the area, but there was no real way we could experience Hill Inlet like we wanted to and arrive here at the right time. We were expecting it to be bad.......and it was. Landing the kayaks all the way down the beach, we did many trips up and down with all our gear and food. As the tide started coming back in on a very flat beach, we had to closely monitor the boats to ensure they didn't float away.
This was a lovely small campground, complete with a 3-walled drop toilet which gave you a view of the hillside whilst doing your business. Tonight, we were all on our own which made us feel like we were on a secluded island. We all learnt something important that night - dehydrated tofu doesn't really work.
Total Paddle Distance Today = 15 km /4 hrs
Tips on climbing into this adventure:--------------------------------------
- you can only camp at designated campsites on Whitsunday Island which need to be prebooked. Contact EPA Queensland for more details
- during the new or full moon, tides are very large (can be a difference of 4 vertical meters). Whilst enjoying the stress-free kayaking life, make sure one of your group is always watching the time
- when unpacking your gear, especially things for your tent, get in the habit of putting things in the same place so you aren't wasting time looking for them in the morning
- oysters open pretty easy when you just smash them with a rock. All you need is a squirt of water and maybe a bit of lemon and bon apetite
Shute Harbour - Haselwood Island - Whitehaven Beach
An early morning check out of the hostel and this time we booked a taxi to take us to Shute Harbour. Loading up the boot with all our pre-packed dry bags took almost just as long as the actual drive to Shute Harbour. We met up with Scamper - the barge that would take us and our kayaks to our starting point of Whitehaven Beach - and set off at the 7am high tide into the sunrise.
Dropping off other travellers at Hook Island and Crayfish Beaches, we had a glimpse of the coastline we would be kayaking by in the next few days. Arriving at Whitehaven Beach and stepping onto the white silica sand, I knew this was the beginning of an amazing week. We walked only 10 meters from the beach and found what looked like a great camp spot and set up our tents. On closer inspection, we saw random little bits of white paper scattered around the area and soon realised that it had recently been used as a weeing ground (the actual drop toilets were a 200m walk up the beach). Nevertheless, we found some long sticks and cleaned up the area.
With the whole day free, we decided to get familiar with the kayaks and paddle over to Haslewood Island. Although only about 30mins from camp, we soon realised the importance of being familiar with the tides as we experienced the strong water flow through the small channel between the islands.
Pulling the boats into the beach on an outgoing tide, we all jumped in the water for a quick snorkel and were amazed at how beautiful it was. Large, colourful coral surrounded us and we found the best bits right on the drop off only 20 meters from shore. As we ate our packed lunch we were surprised to see the coral become so exposed.
As there was no way out for 3 hours until the tide came back in, unfortunately we had to laze around on the beach and do absolutely nothing - oh it was such a tough start to a holiday!
On our return to camp the first group meal was cooked (stir fry with fresh veges) as we watched the amazing sunset over the beach - a highlight on any trip to Whitehaven.
Tips on climbing into this adventure:
--------------------------------------
- we had a cooking/cleaning roster where each couple were responsible for cooking and cleaning for the group on one night, then had a couple of nights off. This worked really well as you didn't feel guilty not helping and had time to relax at dusk
- don't leave ANY food out over night (especially in your tent). There are little mice that roam around and are known to chew their way through the lining of your tents
- familiarise yourself with tides and how water flows north/south at various times - you can use this to make paddling easier
- always take food with you in your kayak, you never know where you might find an amazing little beach and how long you might stop there
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.
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.
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!
