We left Yeppoon around 9am Sunday (August 10th), heading west to pick up the Bruce Hwy, then North to Stanage. The trip was only 200 km or thereabouts, but 100 km of it was on an unmade road. I had phoned the Plumtree Store at Stanage a few days prior to find out the current road conditions and network availability. The road was in good nic except for a ten kilometer section and Telstra network was available at the store only. They had put in an aerial for the convenience of customers and we were welcome to use it if we were having drinks at the bar (the store is also the pub), or we made a donation. We also found out there was camping on the left side of the boat ramp as well as the main area to the right.
The Capricorn Coast had turned on another stunning day and the drive from Yeppoon along a backroad to pick up the Bruce was really picturesque - through lush farmland with mini mountains rising sharply out of the ground. We would have missed the turnoff to Stanage if it weren't for the GPS. There was no signage on the highway, just an information board at the start of the Stanage road. There was heaps of wood on the sides of the road so we loaded up the Beast with enough for two or three nights. The information I had been given by the lady at the Plumtree store was spot on. The road was really good. The bad section wasn't too rough, though we did hit a big bump that jolted both extension mirrors completely off, smashing them as they hit the road behind us. Bugger!
We arrived at Stanage just after midday and drove past the store to the camping area on the right. There were maybe 20 camps set up in a relatively small area fronting on to the ocean. There weren't any beachfront spots - they were taken up with what appeared to be fairly long-term residents. There was plenty of space closer to the road, so we parked the Beast and hoofed it 100 meters to the boat ramp and went for a walk down the narrow, well-hidden track to the left. Most travellers would not know there was camping in that area.It certainly wasn't noted in any of our free camp books. Thanks to the lady at the store we found a perfect spot, fronting onto an absolutely beautiful beach, flat, with plenty of shade and no-one else in sight. Excellent!
It was a pretty tight getting the van in, but with a bit of maneuvering (accompanied by a significant increase in stress level) Brian managed it. Just as we were leveling I heard a hiss. The rear tyre of the Beast was deflating at a rapid rate. Bugger! We had travelled 18,776 km without a puncture until this point, which I thought was bloody good. Brian, on the other hand, was really, REALLY unimpressed - you could say grumpy even. Oh dear! Not only that, but when he tried to get the compressor running it wouldn't work. I got him a big, cold drink (dehydration makes one grumpy), did all the setting up of the van and made him a yummy sandwich and cuppa while he changed the tyre then fixed the compressor.
Not a happy traveler
Once settled in and nerves soothed by a rest and a read we went for a walk on the beach in front of the van. What a fantastic place! James was in seventh heaven with his own slice of beach to play on. We drove back to the store and once again our lady was right - four bars on Brian's mobile (none for my Optus phone) and a lovely bar to relax at. We continued along the road to Alligator Point, one of the three residential pockets that make up Stanage - and the location of the local tyre repairer. Excellent! We did a bit of a tour of the point which consists of a couple of bluffs that jut out into the sea. Stunning scenery! We were back at camp by 5 pm so I lit a fire and had a great night.
The Bush Turkeys were around the van during the early hours. It sounded like someone walking under the windows, which were wide open, as were the curtains. Our camp site was very private so no need for blinds day or night. Aside from bird noises the only other sounds were those of the sea. Willy Weather had the temperature range for the week ahead at 13 - 26 degrees daily - so fairly mild nights and beautiful days. It really was an idyllic spot - the sort of space we could stay for weeks. The limiting factor is water. The nearest point to top up is over 100 km back along the dirt to Kunwarrara, the closest town on the Bruce Hwy. We had 190 litres total when we arrived - maybe a couple of week's worth with measured use.
Stanage sits at the tip of a peninsula that juts out into the Coral Sea, pretty much half way (as the crow flies), between Mackay and Rockhampton. Broad Sound to the West sits between it and the mainland, while Shoalwater Bay lies to the East. Quail Island is only a kilometer or two off-shore to the North-west, so the Western side of the point, which is where we were camped, was quite sheltered.
Monday was spent walking on the beach, fishing from the rocks out in front of our camp, exploring the tracks through the bush behind the van, reading and a couple of visits to the Plumtree Store. The store was only a ten minute walk back past the boat ramp and with a bit of work action happening for Brian we propped there in the morning and again late in the afternoon. We were pleasantly surprised to be charged only $7.80 for a large glass of chardonnay and a stubbie of VB, which we sipped on in the alfresco bar area as we fired up our laptops and Brian made calls. Maybe it was Happy Hour. It was certainly cheap.
Bar area is left under the purple awning
Another delightful night in front of a roaring fire looking out over the water illuminated by the moonlight completed a very relaxing day.
Brian needed to make contact with Piper in the USA so we drove up to the Plumtree Store just after 9am. Tuesday. When we got there we realised the network was not activated until 10, so we headed on to Alligator Point to drop the tyre off. There was a bloke in a house there that did puncture repairs. He wandered out and told Brian to pick it up before dinner. (Did that mean lunch time or tea time....we weren't sure). He did add that he would be fishing for the rest of the week so it had to be collected today.
We continued on to the bluff and walked the steep climb to the top. What a magnificent view! With the tide way out the rocky reefs extended out from the multiple headlands. The golden sandy bays curved between them lapped by the shimmering blue ocean. Spectacular rock formations jutted out against a backdrop of islands. It's quite possibly the most beautiful place I have ever seen.
Network coverage on the bluff was enough to get messages but not enough to call out. We went back to the store but the signal there was also weak. Brian ended up using the public phone to make his call.
On the turn of the high tide mid-afternoon we went fishing on the reef out in front of our camp. It was a great day to don togs and soak up the sun with a line dangling. As I cast my first line a seal surfaced only a few meters away. I was disappointed that it then disappeared totally. We fished from a few different spots on the rocks and while we had lots of nibbles we didn't pull anything in. James got quite bored and fell asleep on the rocky conglomerate which looked like part of an ancient lava flow.
Before fire time we went back to the store and got full reception, so we both did computer time while sipping on drinks. The lady who runs the store is a bit of a grouch. She never smiles and is really abrupt when chooses to communicate - which is not often. I asked if we could plug our computers into the power supply at the bar and pay for usage. I got a blunt "No - then everyone will expect it". That may be the case if anyone else was there, but clearly Mrs. Grumblebum has scared everyone off. Given it was a lovely day, a great bar with water views, cheap bar prices, plenty of people living or camping within walking distance and 5.30 in the afternoon you would think there would be more customers than just us. Silly old cow!
Wednesday, August 14 - Five months on the road and it couldn't be better. The lifestyle is totally addictive. I wonder at what point one or the other of us will have had enough. It won't happen while we spend time at places like Stanage.
James and I walked along the beach to the boat ramp, then up the road to the store around 11am. Brian drove there to get online to work. There is a Memorial Park adjacent to the main camping area that commemorates the landing of Captain Cook at Stanage in 1770. He named the bay Thirsty Sound as he couldn't find fresh water in the area. There are several large rocks set in a garden in the park that have plaques engraved with the names of some of the notable locals who have died. Across the road at the front of Stanage Bay Marine (the only business in town other than Plumtree Store) there is another memorial stone. That one has two plaques: Merv Ireland, born 1950, died 2003 and Trinity James Ireland, born 1990, died 2004, aged 14 years and 11 months. I thought it must have been father and son who both died young, only months apart. I later found out Trinity was a dog. It was still sad.
Brian had a few aircraft deals on the go which was great for business but a bit of an interruption to our day. After he'd tended to umpteen calls and emails we headed off to the tip to dump our rubbish, then on to Alligator Point to climb the bluff and soak in the magnificent view yet again. We figure if we walk up it every day our flagging fitness will improve. The next thing on our to-do list for the day was 'wood'. We had burned all that we'd collected on the way into Stanage on Sunday, so needed to fill the back of the Beast with another load. We only had to drive about 8 km back along the dirt road before we found heaps of lovely dry stuff. We filled the Beast with as much as we could get in - hopefully enough for 3 or 4 fires.
After lunch we walked up the beach to a channel that runs between a sandy beach and a line of mangroves to throw a couple of lines in. It was about 60 meters wide and appeared quite deep in the middle. We knew there were some decent fish in it because one frightened the heck out of me. I was standing in calf deep water when this 60 cm fish came racing toward me. I thought it was a small shark and jumped backward with a shriek. Brian said it was chasing another fish, but I reckon it had it's eye on my leg! We both had heaps of strikes and some really big bites, but the only thing we caught was a toad fish.
We made our usual late afternoon pilgrimage back to the store, firing up phone and computers over a couple of drinks. By 6 we were back at camp, sitting in front of a roaring fire and watching the tide come in. Bliss!
Thursday, Brian decided it was time to take the tinnie off the Beast. Our land-based fishing was not delivering results and the barman at the pub the afternoon before had convinced him it would be worthwhile. Everyone was apparently catching plenty. There were certainly heaps of boats going out each day - though most of them MUCH bigger than ours. Stanage is all about fishing. There are several commercial fishing enterprises based in the town and most of the 50 or so houses in the area have a big boat shed beside them.
While Brian was playing boats James and I went for a walk on the beach. We were a few days away from a full moon and the low tides were getting lower and lower. The sand bars extended way out into the bay exposing all sorts of interesting things including a strange object which at first I couldn't identify. On close examination I discovered it was the back shell of a turtle. It was quite pretty, so I picked it up to take back to camp. As we continued out over the sandbars the lady from the next camp walked toward us. She had been fishing a little further up the beach. We stopped to introduce ourselves and have a chat. Her name was Noelene. Most people called her Noel. "Funny about that, I'm called Noel too". She and her husband David were also traveling Oz and had just come from Yeppoon where they stayed at Coolwaters. David was back at camp taking his tinnie off the car. Coincidences hey! We agreed we would catch up for a drink one evening.
Before we could go out fishing Brian had to get up to the store and do some work. That was not a particularly successful exercise. The coverage was patchy to say the least and it took ages to get even a bit of work done. He gave up and we went into Stanage Marine to look at crab pots. They were $60 each, which was more than we were prepared to pay. The very helpful lady pretty much talked us out of it anyway by saying it would be a better option to spend $20 kg on mud crabs caught by the local fishos. By the time we got back to camp the wind had come up and we decided against putting the boat in. The tide had just started to turn so we went up to the channel instead and threw our lines in. The number of bites was amazing, but all we did was feed the fish. The little blighters took bait, after bait, after bait. In the end we ran out, so went back to the van for a late lunch.
Brian still had calls to make so we pulled the bikes off the back of the van, dusted off the thick layers of red dirt and went for a ride back up to Plumtree. The reception was a little better than the morning so after a ride around town we dropped the bikes at camp and drove back with laptops and Ipads. Once again connection was patchy. It will be a shame if it doesn't improve as we'll have to leave. Brian has stuff that has to be tended to. Bugger!
James had an early walk on the beach Friday morning. He was going to be left in the van while we went out in the tinnie. Half way through the walk he started hobbling. Burrs - bugger! They were everywhere he had long hair - his chin, eyes, ears, feet and legs were a total matted clump. It took ages to untangle the hair strands from each burr. I must have sat on the beach with him for close to an hour getting them out, one by one.
We had the boat in the water by 9. The tide was on it's way out and Thirsty Sound looked relatively calm. We headed across to Quail Island to check out a big, two story house that sits atop a hill overlooking the Sound to Stanage. Apparently the house belongs to the owners of the island. The water once away from shore was surprisingly lumpy and when we moved beyond the protection afforded by the point, the wind was quite strong. The tinnie in rivers is good, but we're both big chickens when it comes to open water and waves. We motored slowly back to the shelter of the point and fished for a couple of hours, catching two undersized Bream.
Stanage started to get busy Friday afternoon. I guess locals from Rockhampton and Marlborough come for a weekend of fishing. The sites throughout both camping areas filled up with vans and tents, but fortunately no-one tried to squeeze in beside us, so we retained our privacy. When we went up to the store to do emails and calls (unsuccessfully) there were cars arriving with boats - presumably owners of holiday houses.
Brian had a couple of emails he really HAD to send, but just couldn't get on line at the store. In desperation he made a long pole using the broomstick and his fire poker, attached his Iphone to it, stood on the front tub of the van and stretched his arm up to get maximum height. You wouldn't believe it but they actually sent. Excellent!
Before bed we went for a walk up to Plumtree to check out the nightlife and there actually was some. At least 20 people were in the Crab Pot Bar.
The tide was high when we got up Saturday, so I threw a line in right in front of our camp before breakfast. It wasn't long before I had a couple of nibbles and then a big hit which left me baitless and fishless. I raced back to the van to re-bait, at which point in time Brian suggested I remove two of the three sinkers (the line was rigged for deep water fishing from the boat). He said if I got a snag we'd lose all of them. I assured him I wouldn't get a snag. When I arrived back a few minutes later with no line I explained I hadn't lost the sinkers. I knew exactly where they were and would retrieve them at low tide. My explanation was met with some skepticism until an hour or two later when I plucked them from between some rocks. That was lucky 'cos I'm not good at eating humble pie.
Later in the morning we went up to the store, got great coverage, made phone calls, did emails, got gas and fueled up for generator, boat and Beast. We were out of wood so picked up a load from the side of the road 8 km south of town before heading down to Alligator Point. The low tide meant we could walk along the beach, around one of the points to the next bay. It was lucky we had our walking boots on - it was really rugged. The variation in the rock colors and formations was amazing, set off by the fine, white sand between outcrops. James had a ball clambering from rock to rock, wading through the warm rockpools and bounding along the sand. He loves the freedom he has at Stanage. There are no rules, no leads, no crocodiles. Excellent!
On the way back to camp we dropped into the house where the local mud crab man lives. He was a lovely bloke and we chatted for ages about traveling Australia. He had a dozen or so muddies of various sizes. He apologized for the price of $25 kg, explaining that supply is short and city restaurants are paying $65 kg. In season he sells to locals for $10 per kg. Bugger! We chose a big one from the boxes they were stored in, claws tied and kept moist and cool with sea water soaked hessian. He weighed just over 2 kg. We then got stepped through the cooking process:
Step 1: Using fresh, clean sea water make an ice slurry and pop the crab in to slow down his metabolism, or alternatively, put him in the freezer till there's no movement. Be careful of the nippers, he might still have a go!
Step 2: Boil fresh, clean sea water and pop him in. It is important to get the water back up to boiling as quickly as possible.
Step 3: Boil for 16 - 18 minutes.
Step 4: Remove and chill him in a sea water ice slurry. You need to chill him as quickly as possible to stop the cooking process.
Step 5: Peel the central triangular flap on his belly back toward his rear and, if carefully done, it will remove the entire top shell as well.
Step 6: Roll up your sleeves and prepare to get get dirty. Knives and forks don't work - only fingers do!
Back at camp we wrapped him in a sea water soaked towel and put his box under the van. Then we realised we had a problem. He was too wide for our biggest pot - the camp oven. We mulled over options and decided our portable fire pit would work. Brian took it down to the water and gave it a big scrub out, then lit a roaring fire. I made bread. Around 5ish our neighbours, David and Noel came over to enjoy a chat and drinks by the fire. They come from Tocumwal and both work at the golf club, so we shared golf, Murray and travel stories. When they left the bread went into the camp oven and into a pit of coals by the fire. Then Brian nestled the round metal fire pit on top of the big bed of hot coals that the fire had burned down to, and filled it with sea water. It worked a treat.
Our dinner of mud crab accompanied by fresh, camp oven bread and a garlic butter dipping sauce was delicious!
The Capricorn Coast had turned on another stunning day and the drive from Yeppoon along a backroad to pick up the Bruce was really picturesque - through lush farmland with mini mountains rising sharply out of the ground. We would have missed the turnoff to Stanage if it weren't for the GPS. There was no signage on the highway, just an information board at the start of the Stanage road. There was heaps of wood on the sides of the road so we loaded up the Beast with enough for two or three nights. The information I had been given by the lady at the Plumtree store was spot on. The road was really good. The bad section wasn't too rough, though we did hit a big bump that jolted both extension mirrors completely off, smashing them as they hit the road behind us. Bugger!
We arrived at Stanage just after midday and drove past the store to the camping area on the right. There were maybe 20 camps set up in a relatively small area fronting on to the ocean. There weren't any beachfront spots - they were taken up with what appeared to be fairly long-term residents. There was plenty of space closer to the road, so we parked the Beast and hoofed it 100 meters to the boat ramp and went for a walk down the narrow, well-hidden track to the left. Most travellers would not know there was camping in that area.It certainly wasn't noted in any of our free camp books. Thanks to the lady at the store we found a perfect spot, fronting onto an absolutely beautiful beach, flat, with plenty of shade and no-one else in sight. Excellent!
It was a pretty tight getting the van in, but with a bit of maneuvering (accompanied by a significant increase in stress level) Brian managed it. Just as we were leveling I heard a hiss. The rear tyre of the Beast was deflating at a rapid rate. Bugger! We had travelled 18,776 km without a puncture until this point, which I thought was bloody good. Brian, on the other hand, was really, REALLY unimpressed - you could say grumpy even. Oh dear! Not only that, but when he tried to get the compressor running it wouldn't work. I got him a big, cold drink (dehydration makes one grumpy), did all the setting up of the van and made him a yummy sandwich and cuppa while he changed the tyre then fixed the compressor.
Not a happy traveler
Once settled in and nerves soothed by a rest and a read we went for a walk on the beach in front of the van. What a fantastic place! James was in seventh heaven with his own slice of beach to play on. We drove back to the store and once again our lady was right - four bars on Brian's mobile (none for my Optus phone) and a lovely bar to relax at. We continued along the road to Alligator Point, one of the three residential pockets that make up Stanage - and the location of the local tyre repairer. Excellent! We did a bit of a tour of the point which consists of a couple of bluffs that jut out into the sea. Stunning scenery! We were back at camp by 5 pm so I lit a fire and had a great night.
The Bush Turkeys were around the van during the early hours. It sounded like someone walking under the windows, which were wide open, as were the curtains. Our camp site was very private so no need for blinds day or night. Aside from bird noises the only other sounds were those of the sea. Willy Weather had the temperature range for the week ahead at 13 - 26 degrees daily - so fairly mild nights and beautiful days. It really was an idyllic spot - the sort of space we could stay for weeks. The limiting factor is water. The nearest point to top up is over 100 km back along the dirt to Kunwarrara, the closest town on the Bruce Hwy. We had 190 litres total when we arrived - maybe a couple of week's worth with measured use.
Stanage sits at the tip of a peninsula that juts out into the Coral Sea, pretty much half way (as the crow flies), between Mackay and Rockhampton. Broad Sound to the West sits between it and the mainland, while Shoalwater Bay lies to the East. Quail Island is only a kilometer or two off-shore to the North-west, so the Western side of the point, which is where we were camped, was quite sheltered.
Monday was spent walking on the beach, fishing from the rocks out in front of our camp, exploring the tracks through the bush behind the van, reading and a couple of visits to the Plumtree Store. The store was only a ten minute walk back past the boat ramp and with a bit of work action happening for Brian we propped there in the morning and again late in the afternoon. We were pleasantly surprised to be charged only $7.80 for a large glass of chardonnay and a stubbie of VB, which we sipped on in the alfresco bar area as we fired up our laptops and Brian made calls. Maybe it was Happy Hour. It was certainly cheap.
Bar area is left under the purple awning
Another delightful night in front of a roaring fire looking out over the water illuminated by the moonlight completed a very relaxing day.
Brian needed to make contact with Piper in the USA so we drove up to the Plumtree Store just after 9am. Tuesday. When we got there we realised the network was not activated until 10, so we headed on to Alligator Point to drop the tyre off. There was a bloke in a house there that did puncture repairs. He wandered out and told Brian to pick it up before dinner. (Did that mean lunch time or tea time....we weren't sure). He did add that he would be fishing for the rest of the week so it had to be collected today.
We continued on to the bluff and walked the steep climb to the top. What a magnificent view! With the tide way out the rocky reefs extended out from the multiple headlands. The golden sandy bays curved between them lapped by the shimmering blue ocean. Spectacular rock formations jutted out against a backdrop of islands. It's quite possibly the most beautiful place I have ever seen.
Network coverage on the bluff was enough to get messages but not enough to call out. We went back to the store but the signal there was also weak. Brian ended up using the public phone to make his call.
On the turn of the high tide mid-afternoon we went fishing on the reef out in front of our camp. It was a great day to don togs and soak up the sun with a line dangling. As I cast my first line a seal surfaced only a few meters away. I was disappointed that it then disappeared totally. We fished from a few different spots on the rocks and while we had lots of nibbles we didn't pull anything in. James got quite bored and fell asleep on the rocky conglomerate which looked like part of an ancient lava flow.
Before fire time we went back to the store and got full reception, so we both did computer time while sipping on drinks. The lady who runs the store is a bit of a grouch. She never smiles and is really abrupt when chooses to communicate - which is not often. I asked if we could plug our computers into the power supply at the bar and pay for usage. I got a blunt "No - then everyone will expect it". That may be the case if anyone else was there, but clearly Mrs. Grumblebum has scared everyone off. Given it was a lovely day, a great bar with water views, cheap bar prices, plenty of people living or camping within walking distance and 5.30 in the afternoon you would think there would be more customers than just us. Silly old cow!
Wednesday, August 14 - Five months on the road and it couldn't be better. The lifestyle is totally addictive. I wonder at what point one or the other of us will have had enough. It won't happen while we spend time at places like Stanage.
James and I walked along the beach to the boat ramp, then up the road to the store around 11am. Brian drove there to get online to work. There is a Memorial Park adjacent to the main camping area that commemorates the landing of Captain Cook at Stanage in 1770. He named the bay Thirsty Sound as he couldn't find fresh water in the area. There are several large rocks set in a garden in the park that have plaques engraved with the names of some of the notable locals who have died. Across the road at the front of Stanage Bay Marine (the only business in town other than Plumtree Store) there is another memorial stone. That one has two plaques: Merv Ireland, born 1950, died 2003 and Trinity James Ireland, born 1990, died 2004, aged 14 years and 11 months. I thought it must have been father and son who both died young, only months apart. I later found out Trinity was a dog. It was still sad.
Brian had a few aircraft deals on the go which was great for business but a bit of an interruption to our day. After he'd tended to umpteen calls and emails we headed off to the tip to dump our rubbish, then on to Alligator Point to climb the bluff and soak in the magnificent view yet again. We figure if we walk up it every day our flagging fitness will improve. The next thing on our to-do list for the day was 'wood'. We had burned all that we'd collected on the way into Stanage on Sunday, so needed to fill the back of the Beast with another load. We only had to drive about 8 km back along the dirt road before we found heaps of lovely dry stuff. We filled the Beast with as much as we could get in - hopefully enough for 3 or 4 fires.
After lunch we walked up the beach to a channel that runs between a sandy beach and a line of mangroves to throw a couple of lines in. It was about 60 meters wide and appeared quite deep in the middle. We knew there were some decent fish in it because one frightened the heck out of me. I was standing in calf deep water when this 60 cm fish came racing toward me. I thought it was a small shark and jumped backward with a shriek. Brian said it was chasing another fish, but I reckon it had it's eye on my leg! We both had heaps of strikes and some really big bites, but the only thing we caught was a toad fish.
We made our usual late afternoon pilgrimage back to the store, firing up phone and computers over a couple of drinks. By 6 we were back at camp, sitting in front of a roaring fire and watching the tide come in. Bliss!
Thursday, Brian decided it was time to take the tinnie off the Beast. Our land-based fishing was not delivering results and the barman at the pub the afternoon before had convinced him it would be worthwhile. Everyone was apparently catching plenty. There were certainly heaps of boats going out each day - though most of them MUCH bigger than ours. Stanage is all about fishing. There are several commercial fishing enterprises based in the town and most of the 50 or so houses in the area have a big boat shed beside them.
While Brian was playing boats James and I went for a walk on the beach. We were a few days away from a full moon and the low tides were getting lower and lower. The sand bars extended way out into the bay exposing all sorts of interesting things including a strange object which at first I couldn't identify. On close examination I discovered it was the back shell of a turtle. It was quite pretty, so I picked it up to take back to camp. As we continued out over the sandbars the lady from the next camp walked toward us. She had been fishing a little further up the beach. We stopped to introduce ourselves and have a chat. Her name was Noelene. Most people called her Noel. "Funny about that, I'm called Noel too". She and her husband David were also traveling Oz and had just come from Yeppoon where they stayed at Coolwaters. David was back at camp taking his tinnie off the car. Coincidences hey! We agreed we would catch up for a drink one evening.
Before we could go out fishing Brian had to get up to the store and do some work. That was not a particularly successful exercise. The coverage was patchy to say the least and it took ages to get even a bit of work done. He gave up and we went into Stanage Marine to look at crab pots. They were $60 each, which was more than we were prepared to pay. The very helpful lady pretty much talked us out of it anyway by saying it would be a better option to spend $20 kg on mud crabs caught by the local fishos. By the time we got back to camp the wind had come up and we decided against putting the boat in. The tide had just started to turn so we went up to the channel instead and threw our lines in. The number of bites was amazing, but all we did was feed the fish. The little blighters took bait, after bait, after bait. In the end we ran out, so went back to the van for a late lunch.
Brian still had calls to make so we pulled the bikes off the back of the van, dusted off the thick layers of red dirt and went for a ride back up to Plumtree. The reception was a little better than the morning so after a ride around town we dropped the bikes at camp and drove back with laptops and Ipads. Once again connection was patchy. It will be a shame if it doesn't improve as we'll have to leave. Brian has stuff that has to be tended to. Bugger!
James had an early walk on the beach Friday morning. He was going to be left in the van while we went out in the tinnie. Half way through the walk he started hobbling. Burrs - bugger! They were everywhere he had long hair - his chin, eyes, ears, feet and legs were a total matted clump. It took ages to untangle the hair strands from each burr. I must have sat on the beach with him for close to an hour getting them out, one by one.
We had the boat in the water by 9. The tide was on it's way out and Thirsty Sound looked relatively calm. We headed across to Quail Island to check out a big, two story house that sits atop a hill overlooking the Sound to Stanage. Apparently the house belongs to the owners of the island. The water once away from shore was surprisingly lumpy and when we moved beyond the protection afforded by the point, the wind was quite strong. The tinnie in rivers is good, but we're both big chickens when it comes to open water and waves. We motored slowly back to the shelter of the point and fished for a couple of hours, catching two undersized Bream.
Stanage started to get busy Friday afternoon. I guess locals from Rockhampton and Marlborough come for a weekend of fishing. The sites throughout both camping areas filled up with vans and tents, but fortunately no-one tried to squeeze in beside us, so we retained our privacy. When we went up to the store to do emails and calls (unsuccessfully) there were cars arriving with boats - presumably owners of holiday houses.
Brian had a couple of emails he really HAD to send, but just couldn't get on line at the store. In desperation he made a long pole using the broomstick and his fire poker, attached his Iphone to it, stood on the front tub of the van and stretched his arm up to get maximum height. You wouldn't believe it but they actually sent. Excellent!
Before bed we went for a walk up to Plumtree to check out the nightlife and there actually was some. At least 20 people were in the Crab Pot Bar.
The tide was high when we got up Saturday, so I threw a line in right in front of our camp before breakfast. It wasn't long before I had a couple of nibbles and then a big hit which left me baitless and fishless. I raced back to the van to re-bait, at which point in time Brian suggested I remove two of the three sinkers (the line was rigged for deep water fishing from the boat). He said if I got a snag we'd lose all of them. I assured him I wouldn't get a snag. When I arrived back a few minutes later with no line I explained I hadn't lost the sinkers. I knew exactly where they were and would retrieve them at low tide. My explanation was met with some skepticism until an hour or two later when I plucked them from between some rocks. That was lucky 'cos I'm not good at eating humble pie.
Later in the morning we went up to the store, got great coverage, made phone calls, did emails, got gas and fueled up for generator, boat and Beast. We were out of wood so picked up a load from the side of the road 8 km south of town before heading down to Alligator Point. The low tide meant we could walk along the beach, around one of the points to the next bay. It was lucky we had our walking boots on - it was really rugged. The variation in the rock colors and formations was amazing, set off by the fine, white sand between outcrops. James had a ball clambering from rock to rock, wading through the warm rockpools and bounding along the sand. He loves the freedom he has at Stanage. There are no rules, no leads, no crocodiles. Excellent!
On the way back to camp we dropped into the house where the local mud crab man lives. He was a lovely bloke and we chatted for ages about traveling Australia. He had a dozen or so muddies of various sizes. He apologized for the price of $25 kg, explaining that supply is short and city restaurants are paying $65 kg. In season he sells to locals for $10 per kg. Bugger! We chose a big one from the boxes they were stored in, claws tied and kept moist and cool with sea water soaked hessian. He weighed just over 2 kg. We then got stepped through the cooking process:
Step 1: Using fresh, clean sea water make an ice slurry and pop the crab in to slow down his metabolism, or alternatively, put him in the freezer till there's no movement. Be careful of the nippers, he might still have a go!
Step 2: Boil fresh, clean sea water and pop him in. It is important to get the water back up to boiling as quickly as possible.
Step 3: Boil for 16 - 18 minutes.
Step 4: Remove and chill him in a sea water ice slurry. You need to chill him as quickly as possible to stop the cooking process.
Step 5: Peel the central triangular flap on his belly back toward his rear and, if carefully done, it will remove the entire top shell as well.
Step 6: Roll up your sleeves and prepare to get get dirty. Knives and forks don't work - only fingers do!
Back at camp we wrapped him in a sea water soaked towel and put his box under the van. Then we realised we had a problem. He was too wide for our biggest pot - the camp oven. We mulled over options and decided our portable fire pit would work. Brian took it down to the water and gave it a big scrub out, then lit a roaring fire. I made bread. Around 5ish our neighbours, David and Noel came over to enjoy a chat and drinks by the fire. They come from Tocumwal and both work at the golf club, so we shared golf, Murray and travel stories. When they left the bread went into the camp oven and into a pit of coals by the fire. Then Brian nestled the round metal fire pit on top of the big bed of hot coals that the fire had burned down to, and filled it with sea water. It worked a treat.
Our dinner of mud crab accompanied by fresh, camp oven bread and a garlic butter dipping sauce was delicious!
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