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FITZROY ISLAND...continued |
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Next day we continued to Fitzroy Island in perfect conditions, again using goosewinged sails to advantage. We sat on a steady, smooth 6–7 knots all the way, the experience best described as a magic carpet ride. Fitzroy Island was as gorgeous as ever. |
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Above: Nudey Beach, Fitzroy Island |
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Unfortunately we encountered a two-day deep sea fishing tournament in progress. From 4 p.m. onwards an endless stream of huge power boats would come boring into the anchorage and drop willy nilly all around us. At 8 a.m. they blasted off again. We had noticed dinghies occupying all the National Parks moorings during the day – now we were astounded to see returning fishing boats, which had been out all day, come and pick up these moorings and retrieve their dinghies – what a bunch of mongrels.
Arriving at Fitzroy Island was an occasion of great significance for me. My first ever ocean sailing trip, as crew on someone else’s yacht going from Cairns to Darwin, began from here. It had taken me 8 years, 4 months and 24 days to return in my own yacht. The occasion also marked the completion of my half-circumnavigation of Australia, from Melbourne to Darwin via the east coast, over the same period. |
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I was astounded at the changes on Fitzroy Island over those 8 years. There had been mass development along the shoreline with a flash new resort and shops, and too many boats and moorings filled the bay. The place looked over-run. It had lost its quaint, simple charm but despite the changes the island still rates as one of the loveliest on the east coast.
We retraced my steps from 2003 to the summit of the island, a hot, sticky 268m ascent. |
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Right: the anchorage and the mainland from the 268m summit of Fitzroy Island |