October 2021
After our weekend at Michaelmas reef we had two days to get Allagai ship shape before our next set of visiting family was to arrive. During this time Allagai received a thorough cleaning and the day the first flight arrived with Hugo’s dad and brother we were no less busy. The day they arrived it was action stations. To make life more comfortable on board we visited an outdoor shop that morning to buy extra fans to help keep the boat cool and finally, after much procrastination, bought ourselves a paddle board. With all this gear in tow we then met the boys at a local supermarket, walking two kilometres with a paddle board strapped to Hugo’s back, to buy a weeks worth of food before retreating back to Allagai. That night we stayed anchored in the river enjoying a peaceful night as everyone caught up after nearly a year apart.
However the following morning we were up bright and early to weigh anchor to head out to Michaelmas Reef once again. That morning we had the tide in our favour but as usual not enough wind to sail. Although that didn’t stop Hugo from hoisting every sail on Allagai to show off to his family and display our new main sail. Allagai was looking amazing under full sail as we motored our way out to the reef. By the time we arrived at Michaelmas Reef we had a gentle 10kt breeze and were sharing the reef with about three other boats. Like last time the water was crystal clear and no sooner had we picked up a mooring everyone, including our new guests, were diving into the water to marvel at the clarity, coral and big fish. The mooring we had chosen this time had several large GT’s (Giant Trevally) and Batfish circling it, whom even with four people in the water, were happy to stay and swim with us. That day we seemed to have spent more time in the water then out as we enjoyed the warm ocean temperature and amazing visibility. While out at the reef our new paddle board was also a constant companion in our snorkelling adventures as we found this a much easier swim platform then the inflatable.
The following day after a quick morning snorkel we decided to head over to Vlasoff Reef. Once again for our last swim on Michaelmas Reef we had a truly amazing snorkel, surrounded by some huge fish which seemed as docile as puppies. The GT’s and Batfish were still hanging around Allagai, swimming so close that you could almost pat them as they swam passed. However if we wanted to move to the next reef with enough time to explore it we had to drag ourselves from the water eventually and move on. That day we were a little rushed because we wanted to make the move with the high tide and by moving to Vlasoff reef we were also closer to our final destination of Fitzroy Island. This was because we still had one more member of Hugo’s family to pick up, his mum, and she was due to meet us in a couple of days time on Fitzroy Island.
When we arrived at Vlasoff Reef a little over an hour later all the moorings were taken so we carefully navigated our way through the coral bommies to a clear patch of sand where we dropped the anchor. As usual as soon as the anchor was dropped we all dived in for a swim to cool off after our sail, enjoying more crystal clear water and coral. Vlasoff Reef also boasted a tidal sand cay, which unlike the cay at Michaelmas Reef all but disappeared at high tide . Since we arrived at high tide we had to wait a few hours before visiting to let the tide go out which we wiled away with more swimming and snorkelling. With the boys in the dingy Hugo and I decided to paddle across the gap to the island on the paddle board. By now the tide was almost all the way out meaning a large portion of the cay was exposed. We spent about and hour on the cay marvelling at the sand and combing the beach for cool shells through huge piles of coral rubble. However eventually the direct sun on the exposed cay became unbearably hot as we started to dry out from our last swim so the unanimous decision was that it must be time to go for yet another snorkel.
The following morning we woke not long after sunrise and decided that we would have one more final dip into the clear waters of the reef before moving on. We could have spent days drifting around the reef but with Hugo’s mum due to arrive on Fitzroy the very next day we didn’t want to risk missing the rendezvous. The sail to Fitzroy was long and a little frustrating as the wind was once again straight on the nose. This left us to a day of tacking, however with clear skies and sunny weather nobody really minded that the sail was a bit longer then expected. That day we had the fishing lines out trawling whenever we were outside the protected “Green zones” hoping to catch a tasty mackeral for dinner that night. It was just as we were about to give up that the line finally went off with a few very strong tugs. Hugo’s brother, Hamish, was straight on to the line and little did he realise that he was in for quite a battle. Whatever was on the line wasn’t giving in and although it didn’t take much line it was heavy and not keen to be reeled in. Eventually though we saw colour flash on the surface as the fish was pulled up to the boat and all of us were surprised by what we saw. The fish wasn’t the tasty Spanish Mackeral that everyone was hoping for but a huge Barracuda, which is known to be poisonous due to the Ciguatera toxin. However this didn’t deduct from the thrill of the catch and with Hugo on the gaff the fish was brought on board with no damage to the fish. The teeth on the barracuda were huge and once the hook was free we measured the fish to be a whopping 1.2m. It was the biggest fish to date ever caught by us on Allagai and so after a few obligatory photos of the the monstrous fish we released it as there was no point in keeping or killing something that we couldn’t eat.
Following our fish capture we continued on to Fitzroy, only the excitement didn’t end with our fish. About 200m off the bow we could see something in the water and made a beeline for it as it was large and splashing. We thought someone or something needed rescuing, especially as earlier that day we had been in the midst of a rescue planes search pattern which at the time we’d thought must have been a drill. However seeing the splashing in the water we were having second thoughts. So with a few extra revs on the engine we headed to the object, although as we got closer we quickly realised that it was in fact a turtle, which we assumed with all the splashing meant it was in distress. So knowing it wasn’t human we slowed down and approached at a much gentler speed not wanting to scare the animal, still at this point thinking it may need help. However we soon realised the one turtle was actually two and they weren’t in distress at all but actually in the process of a really awkward looking mating ritual which they clearly didn’t want observers at. When we were within 50m we realised what was going on and as soon as the turtles saw us they quickly stopped their activity and dived below the surface.
This had been the most exciting sail we had ever had, circling planes, giant fish and mating turtles, we had seen everything. By the time we arrived in Welcome Bay on Fitzroy Island everyone was ready for a swim and snack. So while the boys headed over to the islands general store to get supplies Hugo and I inflated the paddle board, which was becoming our favourite snorkel excursion vehicle. Once we had re-energised with some food we headed over to the rocks between Nudey Beach and Welcome Beach for a sunset snorkel. Although after coming from the clear waters of the reef everyone was a little disappointed in the visibility and worried about sharks so our swim was rather short.
Once again it seemed that no one could sleep beyond sunrise as everyone was up early the following morning. We had decided that day that before our final guest arrived we would squeeze in a walk to the top of the island highest peak. This walk was only about 5.5km but it went up to a summit of 269m, through rainforest, dry forest and returned via a lighthouse. The walk to the peak was lovely through a beautiful rainforest but quite steep, with steps that seemed to lead on forever. However walking through the rainforest was amazing as we were surrounded by many different shades of green and the calls of countless different birds. Although about half way to the peak we exited out of the rainforest and entered into a much drier forest with a rocky landscape. It was at this point we got some amazing views of the bay below with Allagai anchored in the mooring field and also views of the peak we were striving for.
By the time we reached the peak Lindy had landed in Cairns and was on her way to the ferry so we didn’t dawdle long at the top. However the view from the peak was stunning as we looked out to the reef and could see Sudsbury cay on the horizon. On the way down the mountain we decided to complete the circuit and walked out passed the old lighthouse, which for some unknown reason to us was covered in tiles. The walk down the mountain was quite steep but with no slips we eventually made it to the bottom, grateful that we had come up the side with the steps instead of the the steep slope. Once back at the resort we headed back out to Allagai to get the boat ready for our last guest. It wasn’t long after arriving back on board that the ferry arrived and following a quick pickup run we had everyone but Hugos sister onboard and so spent the next part of the afternoon catching up.
Although with such a beautiful island behind us it wasn’t long before the descion was made to go for a swim before the sun got too low. This time we decided to swim off the northern end of the beach. This was an amazing swim, we had terrible visibility and little coral compared to where we’d been but we what made it amazing was the experience we had with two of the local turtles. The turtles seemed to be quite used to people and allowed us to follow them for a good 10-15minutes. We were astounded and awed as we followed one turtle and then another both which just kept on doing what they were doing while we watched, eating coral and swimming the currents. However eventually they went too deep for us to easily follow and so we decided to head in. That night we had dinner at the island local pub where we enjoyed good food, live music and each others company.
The following day was set to be our last day all together so we decided to make the most of it by spending it enjoying Fitzroy followed by a late sail to Cairns. That morning was spent eating a leisurely breakfast aboard Allagai followed by a snorkel off Nudey Beach. However for the swim we decided to split into two parties, the boys took the dingy to the beach while Hugo, Lindy and I walked. We wanted to complete a small walking trail to visit the “Secret Garden” which was en-route to Nudey Beach. This was a lovely walking trail through a luscious green rainforest which was thriving with lizard and bird life. The skinks along this trail were huge, the size of small lizards actually but even with their large size were hard to spot as they ran away as soon as we approached. Following our little rainforest detour we headed over to Nudey beach to meet up with the others. This time we had amazing visibility in the water and were able to properly enjoy our swim and marvel at the coral and fish. Following our swim we decided to head back to Welcome Bay for a lounge on the beach and a picnic lunch. By this point everyone was enjoying their holidays and the thought of sailing off was hard. However eventually we dragged ourselves off the beach and returned to Allagai.
The sail that evening was very enjoyable. When we left we had a 10-15kt breeze which stuck with us right up until we entered the Cairns River. Along the way we caught a small reef shark on one of our lures which we released. Following this we enjoyed sunset nibbles as the sun set over Cairns, bringing the rods in to avoid catching any more sharks in the fading light. This was the perfect way to finish what had become nearly two weeks of hosting Hugo’s family.
