Whitsundays for Summer

[FraidNot]

wow - great advice guys - thanks - I'll look into these ideas.
What is it with the Abel Point berth fees !!!
Is there supermarket food near Laguna Keys ?

[Reefmagnet]

Originally Posted by FraidNot

wow - great advice guys - thanks - I'll look into these ideas.
What is it with the Abel Point berth fees !!!
Is there supermarket food near Laguna Keys ?

No it's miles from anywhere. Laguna Keys is a golfing resort that never quite took off. Proserpine would be the nearest town I think.

[FraidNot]

also head south to Goldsmith, Carlysle / Brampton, St Bees / Keswick and definitely Scawfell.

Is the coral around that area as good as up in the main Whitsundays group ?

[downunder]

Originally Posted by FraidNot

Is the coral around that area as good as up in the main Whitsundays group ?

Yes. Visability possibly not as good as Whitsunday/Hayman depends on tides and winds. Don't hesitate to get out to the reef proper if you are a diver/snorkler/fisherman.

Yust spend some time looking /surveying/preparing for a mangrove spot if there is likehood of a major blow as a fallback.

[bodgy]

Nothing really beats the outer reef for coral, but you are exposed a bit to weather.

Wherever you end up I suggest you buy your provisions from a Coles or Woolies in a major centre, ie Proserpine, Townsville etc.

When I was based at Airlie Beach it was more economic to hire a car and shop in Proserpine than the local small supermarket. Plus the day out in the canefields and the nightlife!

[44'cruisingcat]

There are Coles and Woolies supermarkets at Cannonvale. One of them is a comfortable walk from the VMR ramp near Abel Point marina.

re coral. The water clarity is better around Great Keppel. Some very good coral too. Inside the lagoons, like Hardy reef, Fitzroy reef and Lady Musgrave offer really nice dive/snorkelling.

[Reefmagnet]

Originally Posted by bodgy

Nothing really beats the outer reef for coral, but you are exposed a bit to weather.

Wherever you end up I suggest you buy your provisions from a Coles or Woolies in a major centre, ie Proserpine, Townsville etc.

When I was based at Airlie Beach it was more economic to hire a car and shop in Proserpine than the local small supermarket. Plus the day out in the canefields and the nightlife!

These days, the shops around Cannonvale, which is near Abel Point marina should be reasonably priced as there has been a fair bit of expansion and a bit of competition as a result.

On the subject of reefs, Refuge Bay @ Scawfell has some nice coral reef along the western shore.

One other thing worth mentioning. Make sure you get your fishing zone maps which are free from fishing stores, BCF etc as there are numerous fishing restricted zones throughout the region. There is also an information kit the inspectors hand out to boaties that has heaps of good info in it. You might want to enquire at the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority to see if they will post out a copy.

[Mate]

Since we are thinking of cruising down the the Whitsundays at xmas , to get away from the heat here up near Cairns , can I ask a question about pets.
My partner has a small dog she wish,s to take everywhere.Grrrr
Is it possible to cruise the Whitsundays with a small dog .
Where could your anchor near Airlie.
Is there a cruisers guide for people with pets, hmm, now theres an idea.
Better keep that one quiet!

[44'cruisingcat]

Most of the whitsuday islands are national park. Having said that, people do cruise there with dogs.

Anchorages near Airlie - you can anchor just inside all the moored boats right in front of Airlie beach - just don't let out too much scope. It's shallow there anyway. The WHitsunday sailing club has a dinghy dock. Cheap bus ride to Cannonvale shops. Or you could anchor outside the moored boats, and have a longer dinghy ride. (Watch out for the sunken ketch)

I like anchoring round near the VMR, closer to Abel point marina too. you can walk to a supermarket from there. It's all pretty shallow though.

[Reefmagnet]

Originally Posted by Mate

Since we are thinking of cruising down the the Whitsundays at xmas , to get away from the heat here up near Cairns , can I ask a question about pets.
My partner has a small dog she wish,s to take everywhere.Grrrr
Is it possible to cruise the Whitsundays with a small dog .
Where could your anchor near Airlie.
Is there a cruisers guide for people with pets, hmm, now theres an idea.
Better keep that one quiet!

Pioneer Bay is directly off Airlie Beach and is a good anchorage. Just need to watch out for northerly winds which it is exposed to. In the event of strong northerlies there are plenty of other anchorages in the vicinity. A dog could be a little bit of a problem, as many of the islands are national parks where pets are strictly not allowed. Having said that, a lot of people do cruise with dogs and I've even seen 'em sneak 'em for walks on the beaches

[downunder]

Originally Posted by 44'cruisingcat

There are Coles and Woolies supermarkets at Cannonvale. One of them is a comfortable walk from the VMR ramp near Abel Point marina.

re coral. The water clarity is better around Great Keppel. Some very good coral too. Inside the lagoons, like Hardy reef, Fitzroy reef and Lady Musgrave offer really nice dive/snorkelling.

Agreed on water clarity although is some fantastic corals around Scawfell and its nearby islands with a bit of exploration.

The Capricorn/Bunker group has fantastic diving (don't forget Heron Island) and there are many protected anchorages (get Charts of areas).



bodgyRe: Whitsundays for Summer
Nothing really beats the outer reef for coral, but you are exposed a bit to weather.

Reefs off the Whitsundays are not far and you can find sheltered anchorages there. don't be afraid of reef with latest charts.

Cheers

[SimonV]

Hardys reef is nice, but can be a bit open. Bait reef and the stepping stones are very good for snorkle and deep dives being at the same morring but no anchoring allowed area not a bad overnight if you can get a mooring bouy. My choise is Blue Pearl Bay, close to every thing and truly amazing.

[noelex 77]

Originally Posted by SimonV

Hardys reef is nice, but can be a bit open. Bait reef and the stepping stones are very good for snorkle and deep dives being at the same morring but no anchoring allowed area not a bad overnight if you can get a mooring bouy. My choise is Blue Pearl Bay, close to every thing and truly amazing.

If you want to go into the lagoon at Hardy reef do not trust the tide advice given in 100 magic miles. The "waterfall" entrance is scary at the best of times. More protected than Bait reef once inside though.

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by Reefmagnet

........ A dog could be a little bit of a problem, as many of the islands are national parks where pets are strictly not allowed. Having said that, a lot of people do cruise with dogs and I've even seen 'em sneak 'em for walks on the beaches

Technically the national parks start at the high tide mark so your dog IS allowed on the beach in the intertidal zone. The rangers will pretend this is not the case and will tell you to remove the dog.

An acquaintance of mine cruised the area for a few years with a large dog on board. This dog went ashore every 12 to 18 hours and was well trained to stay on the damp sand especially if other people were on the beach. In the end, the rangers conceded that this man knew the facts and provided the dog didn't go above the mean high tide line, they left him alone.

This was in the the late 80's, perhaps they are more zealous now but I doubt the high tide boundary has changed.

[Reefmagnet]

Originally Posted by Wotname

Technically the national parks start at the high tide mark so your dog IS allowed on the beach in the intertidal zone. The rangers will pretend this is not the case and will tell you to remove the dog.

An acquaintance of mine cruised the area for a few years with a large dog on board. This dog went ashore every 12 to 18 hours and was well trained to stay on the damp sand especially if other people were on the beach. In the end, the rangers conceded that this man knew the facts and provided the dog didn't go above the mean high tide line, they left him alone.

This was in the the late 80's, perhaps they are more zealous now but I doubt the high tide boundary has changed.

Yes they are more zealous these days. A quote from the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority website...

No pets are allowed on national park islands. In addition, in the Whitsunday Islands National Park, dogs are not permitted on any beach, even intertidal areas.

Note sure what the extent of the "Whitsunday Islands National Park" is, but I'm sure it is defined on the site somewhere.