Above: The Thumb towers over the beach at Little Ramsay Bay. Unlike the first sunrise, the second was completely cloudless. It produced a totally different lighting effect and pure colour set, without the cloud patterns so dominant the day before.

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HEAVENLY HINCHINBROOK...continued

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Finally we tore ourselves away and sailed to sheltered Macushla Cove, at the northern end of Hinchinbrook Island.  Here we had a more distant view of the ranges.

Plans to walk across the peninsula and up to the resort at Cape Richards were sunk – the track was completely obliterated by Cyclone Yasi. Progress off the beach was thwarted by an impenetrable tangle of tree branches that had been torn off and tossed into the bay, only to be thrown up onto the beach by a massive storm surge.

Above: The Thumb & Mt Bowen, the highest peak on Hinchinbrook Island, from delightfully sheltered Macushla Cove

Right: Cyclone Yasi damage, Macushla Cove

We had some idea that this might be the case as we sailed around Cape Richards. The resort was heavily damaged and totally deserted. Through the binoculars we could see household items part buried in the sand, and white window curtains draped in the tree-tops like ghostly shrouds.

 

At anchor, our peace was shattered by one of the more bizarre events we have experienced. A small fishing tinny arrived and proceeded to anchor on top of our clearly visible anchor chain about 5 metres in front of us, and despite about 3 square miles of anchorage. I gave them the glare without effect, then asked them to move. I guess I must have been invisible for all the response I got. They sat there for an hour, caught nothing, all the