All Good Things Come To An End.

It is Monday 1st October 2012. We started organising this trip in March 2012 and cant believe that 7 months later we have travelled the following distances in boat and car.  Its been the most amazing experience for us both, we have learnt many a thing, met some lovely people, seen some of the most brilliant sceneries, sunsets, wildlife and really lived a dream we are sure so many people wish for.

Mingo rearing to go.

There have been ups and downs during the trip and a few scary moments but they make the good times that bit more special and definatley make you a stronger person.   How do you explain in words the things that we have seen, the experiences that we have been through together?  Only we really know how great and tough it has been.  There have been a few tears shed, a few drops of blood along the way, a few bruises had, too many bites to scratch and even a doubt or too at times on what the hell we are doing.    We together will share these memories for a lifetime and are glad to be able to share it along the way through Mingosoasis with you.  There are no words and no emotions or feelings that I can write that can show what an adventurous time we have had from the early days of selling the house to the day we arrived in Townsville. 

Loving life and each other

So many people said to us before we started this trip and all along the way, how will you guys survive together just the two of you on a boat that is only 30 foot long with a space of 30 square meters. We knew we could do it because we believe we have an exceptional relationship.  Yes we wont deny there were trying times and there were words spoken but not many, when you live in a space this size and you only have each other to rely on you actually begin to appreciate each other so much more and learn to tolerate the things that would probably annoy you in normal life.  I say normal life because this life we have been living for the past 7 months is not the norm.   It’s a very different life living on the water than it is on land.  Things are harder.  You have to ration everything more, you have to keep watch all the time on the things on land that you would take for granted such as weather, water, food, fuel, battery life and even the motor problems.  If there is a problem with the motor at sea, its not like you can call a mechanic to come get you out of trouble in an hour or so.    When you live in such close proximity to another person you share everything, every good, bad and ugly moment there may be.  There is nothing that is sacred anymore and we believe after this and the trials and tribulations that were there at the start back in March we can now handle just about anything together.

Andrew jumping with joy at being free

Chris jumping with joy at being free

The weather rules your life at sea, it dictates where and when you go, where you can stay and how much fuel you will get through.  If the winds blow up the swell is bigger meaning your boat eats more fuel.  If the winds are blowing in certain directions it dictates the bay or inlet you are able to stay in.  If you get it wrong the night will be very rocky and the chance of loosing anchor a lot greater.  When you look out at sea next and see a yacht or motorboat cruising around, just think of all the things that they have to think about before going to bed that night and what the weather is doing to them. 

Having fun 

We had hoped to start this trip in April 2012, but because of the motor problems we delayed it until July.  The reasons we chose April is because when you are heading north, the winds between April and September are Trade winds, meaning south south easterlies, which means the winds are blowing behind you.  The other times of year the winds are mainly northerlies, which are fine if you are heading south but not heading north.  Like I said, there are reasons for everything whilst on the water.

The books we used for our navigation were so useful and told us so much about where and where not to go.  We bought charts but did not use them, all the areas we covered we followed by the four books we had and also the gps navigation system, they were our bibles on the water.

A few things we have learnt and mistakes made – which cause a few laughs now…

·      Make sure you tie the anchor down so it does not let go and anchor you unexpectedly in 20 meters of water with 3 meters of swell.

·      Make sure the hatch is closed and locked at all times so that you don’t have to sleep on a wet bed.

·      Make sure you are always aware of your surroundings and don’t come into a marina or bar the wrong way and nearly end up on the rocks in a capsized boat.

·      Listen to the weatherman, even though they can be wrong, really they DO KNOW BEST.

·      Take lots of toilet paper.

·      Make sure you have lots of beer and wine for after those white knuckle rides.

·      When venturing up mangroves, make sure you have plenty of bug spray on.

·      Make sure the batteries are on ALL before going to bed, or you end up with a flat battery in the morning and cant start the motor.

·      Always bring your fishing rods in at night; otherwise unknown fish steal them after dark.

·      Know the route you are going in case the swell picks up unexpectedly and you are lost at sea.

·      Always take snorkeling and fishing gear in tinny when venturing in new areas, so you don’t miss out.

·      If you cant tie a knot properly, ties lots of improper knots just to be on the safe side.

·      Make sure you anchor or tie the tinny up so it does not end up as someone else’s salvage rights.

·      Make sure your batteries and solar panels can keep up with your electricity usage.

·      Make sure you have enough fuel in your tinny so you don’t have to paddle back to Mingo.

A really burning sunset

·      When calling into ports and shopping, discard all packaging’s before heading to sea, as there are no rubbish bins out at sea. – And rubbish smells.

·      Last but not least – LESS is MORE!!!!!!!

·      Oh and there is no need for high heels at sea…………

Leaving Scarborough by boat on July 2012 and heading to Townsville in September 2012.  The route we took and fuel we used and hours we clocked up and kilometres we travelled by boat are as follows.

25.07.12 – Scarborough – Mooloolaba - 51km – 4hrs

27.07.12 – Mooloolaba – Inskip Point (Pelican Bay) – 121.7km – 8hrs

28.07.12 – Inskip Point – Tin Can Bay – 22km – 1.5 hours

28.07.12 – Tin Can Bay – Fraser  - Dream Island – 48.3km  - 3 hrs.

29.07.12 – Dream Island - King Fisher Bay – 31.3km – 3hrs

31.07.12 – King Fisher Bay – Hervey Bay – 27.9km – 3hrs

01.08.12 – Hervey Bay – Bundaberg –Burnett River – 85.3km – 5.5hrs

02.08.12 – Bundaberg –Town of Seventeen Seventy – 110km – 7hrs

03.08.12 – Town of 1770 –Pancake Creek – 38.1 km – 2hrs

04.08.12 – Pancake Creek – Gladstone – 55km – 3hrs

04.08.12 – Gladstone – Start of Narrows – 21.2km – 2hrs

05.08.12 - Start of Narrows to The Keppel south Island – 64.8km – 3.5hrs

06.08.12 – South Keppel Island – Keppel Bay – 10km – 3hrs

07.08.12 – Keppel Bay – Pumpkin Island (XXXX Island)- 10km – 1hr

07.08.12 – Pumpkin Island – North Keppel – 4.1km – 30 mins

08.08.12 – North Keppel – Rosslyn Bay (Yeppoon) – 16.2km – 1.5hrs

09.08.12 – Rosslyn Bay – return to Rosslyn Bay – 74km – 4hrs

12.08.12 – Rosslyn Bay – Port Clinton – 91.7km – 4hrs

14.08.12 – Port Clinton – Pearl Bay – 27.5km – 3hrs

15.08.12 – Pearl Bay – Island Head Creek – 19.8km – 1hr

16.08.12 – Island Head Creek – Thirsty Sound (Plum Tree) – 82km – 3hrs

17.08.12 –Thirsty Sound – The Dukes – 24.5km – 1.5hrs

17.08.12 – The Dukes –Middle Percy Island (Whites Bay) – 50km – 3.5hrs

19.08.12 – Whites Bay – Curlew Island – 61km – 2.5 hours

21.08.12 – Curlew Island –Mackay – 85 km – 3hrs

23.08.12 – Mackay – Brampton Islands (Start Whitsundays) – 41.8km – 3hrs

24.08.12 – Brampton Island – Goldsmith Island - 25.4km – 2hrs

25.08.12 – Goldsmith Island – Thomas Island – 17.3km – 1.5hrs

25.08.12 – Thomas Island –Lindeman Island - 23km – 40mins

26.08.12 – Lindeman Island – Whitehaven Beach – 20.5km – 2hr 20 mins

27.08.12 – Whitehaven Beach – Gulnare Inlet – 26.2km – 1hr 30 mins

30.08.12 – Gulnare Inlet – South Molle Island – 26.9km – 2 hours

31.08.12 – South Molle Island – Funnel Bay - 18km – 1.5hrs

01.09.12 – Funnel Bay – Airlie Beach (Abell Point)- 3km – 30 mins

02.09.12 –Airlie Beach – Hook Island (Nara Inlet) – 31.7km – 2hrs

04.09.12 – Nara Inlet – Macona Inlet – 9.3km – 1hr

06.09.12 – Macona Inlet – Butterfly Bay – 27km – 2hrs

07.09.12 – Butterfly Bay – Tongue Point – 3.5km – 2hrs

08.09.12 – Tongue Point –Cid Harbour (Dugong Inlet) – 27.9km – 1.5hrs

09.09.12 – Cid Harbour back to Cid Harbour -10km – 2.5hrs

10.09.12 – Cid Harbour – Airlie Beach – 31.2km – 2hrs

11.09.12 – Airlie Beach – Gloucester Passage – 51km – 3 hrs.

13.09.12 – Gloucester Passage – Bowen – 22km – 2 hrs.

13.09.12 – Bowen – Cape Upstart – 96.5km – 2 hrs.

14.09.12 – Cape Upstart – Cape Bowling Green – 72.6km – 2.5 hrs.

14.09.12 – Cape Bowling Green –Townsville – 66.1km – 2hrs

Fuel Stops

25.07.12 – Scarbourgh - $840

28.07.12 – Tin Can Bay - $594

31.07.12 – Hervey Bay - $200

01.08.12 – Bundaberg - $250

04.08.12 – Gladstone - $650

08.08.12 – Rosslyn Bay – $550

09.08.12 – Rosslyn Bay - $250

16.08.12 – Thirsty Sound - $735

21.08.12 – Mackay - $750

01.09.12 – Airlie Beach - $709

10.09.12 – Airlie Beach - $279

13.09.12 – Bowen - $524

Total Kilometres – 1883.3 kilometres

Total Hours – 115.4

Cost of Fuel - $6331

Cost of running boat is $3.36 per kilometre

Leaving Mooloolaba by car on September 23rd and arriving in Townsville on 28th September 2012.  The route we took and fuel we used and hours we clocked up and kilometres we travelled by car are as follows.

23.09.12 – Mooloobala – Tin Can Bay – 133 kms  - 1hr 40mins

23.09.12 – Tin Can Bay – Rainbow Beach – 39.4km -  35 mins

23.09.12 – Rainbow Beach –Maryborough (Mary River) – 125.8km – 2hrs

24.09.12 – Maryborough – Childers – 59.7km – 45mins

24.09.12 – Childers –Woodgate – 30km – 45 mins

24.09.12 –Woodgate –Bundaberg (Moore Park Beach) – 145km – 2hrs

25.09.12 – Bundaberg – Miriam Vale – 157km – 2 hrs. 45mins

25.09.12 – Miriam Vale – Rockhampton – 166.1km – 3hrs

25.09.12 – Rockhampton – The Caves – 34km – 30mins

26.09.12 – The Caves – Claireview – 178km – 2hrs

26.09.12 – Claireview –Mackay -122km – 1hr 40 mins

26.09.12 – Mackay – One Mile Creek – 98km – 1hr 30 mins

27.09.12 – One Mile Creek  - Airlie Beach – 100km – 1hr 15 mins

27.09.12 – Airlie Beach – Cedar Creek Falls – 28km – 45 mins

27.09.12 – Cedar Creek Falls – Dingo beach  - Cape Gloucester – 65km – 1hr 30

28.09.12 – Cape Gloucester – Bowen – 95km – 1hr 20 mins

28.09.12 –Bowen  - Townsville – 215km – 2hrs 30 min

Total Kilometres – 1791 kilometres

Total Hours – 23hrs 30 mins

Cost of Fuel - $422.37

Cost of running the car is 23c per km

Cost of running boat is $3.36 per kilometre against 23c per kilometre to run the car.

We are now based in Townsville to see some of the sights that Far North Queensland has to offer before we start our next chapter of adventures.

October 2012.

A favourite spot at Hill End

The adventure carries on

Chris at Cedar Creek Falls

27^th September we head out of One Mile Creek cane fields and into Airlie Beach.  This is now the third visit here in less than three weeks.   We walk around the town again, and around the Lagoon that is on the water front and very nice on a hot day.  We have a shower in the caravan park before heading out to Cedar Creek Falls. 

Andrew at Airlie Lagoon

Unfortunately because there has been no rain for a while the falls are not flowing but there is a nice swimming water hole under the falls. 

 We stand and watch into the water and see a number of snapper turtles swimming around.  

Little snapper turtle

Andrew at top of cliffs at Cedar Creek

We then clamber up onto the rocks and have a hike up the cliff face to look down the water hole below.  A nice view from up here and another water hole up the top.  Would look pretty spectacular if the water was actually flowing.

Lizard around Cedar Creek

  On our walk down the rocks we notice a large lizard in front of us scurrying around.

4wding with the tinny and trailer - not a good idea

View Dingo Beach

After Airlie we head towards Dingo Beach and have a walk onto the beach.  The tide is low so we walk quite away out in the sand and notice a number of starfish lying amongst the pools of water and a few sea slugs amongst them.  After our walk we decide to venture up a hill we notice to see if we can get a good view of Dingo Beach below.  It looks lovely from up there but the road is very uneven and narrow with holes along the way and is a real good 4wd track.  The trouble is we are pulling the tinny and trailer so not a good time to be 4wding and harder to turn the 4wd around as the road is so narrow.  Christie is now out of the car and directing Andrew so he manoeuvres the trailer back and forth until we manage to turn it all around, a bit of a scratch down the side of the car and we are out and heading back down to Dingo Beach.

A short distance from Dingo Beach we head towards a place called Hideaway Bay, which is lovely and come across unexpectedly into Gloucester Passage.  We are thrilled to be here again as this was one of our favourite spots when we were boating around. 

Our camp spot at Gloucester on the beach we love

Chris sorting out the car

We drive down onto the beach and hide the car amongst some trees and bushes and set up camp for the night right on the waters front to where we were in the boat not long ago.  We have Gloucester Island and passage in front of us and love it here, its so relaxing and peaceful here and the view is breathtaking.

The view from our house on wheels

Sunsetting over Cape Gloucester

We walk along the beach for about half an hour down to Monte's bar and restaurant and sit on the outside deck again watching the sun setting and enjoy a few sun downer drinks. 


We both feel really content and happy sitting here, it is such a delightful spot and we will come back from time to time.  We feel lucky to be camping in our house on wheels free for the night when we see that the cheapest accommodation along the beach is $250 a night.

Andrew at Cape Gloucester

Friday 28^th September 2012.  Woke up this morning to see the sun rising across the horizon over towards Bowen and it really looked beautiful with the orange pinky colour skies.   We lay in bed and listened to the waves crashing against the shore for a while whilst looking at the boats anchored in the harbour that we were in with Mingo less than two weeks ago.  Oh how time flies. 

Sunsetting over Cape Gloucester

  It’s such a great spot here at Cape Gloucester and we wish we had more time to spend a few more nights camping on the beach.  After breakfast of tea and toast we packed the car up and headed out.  Driving down the main road of Hideaway Bay we notice that there is a lot of land for sale so googled the prices and they ranged from $450,000 for beachfront land to $260,000 for beach views.  We would love to be able to buy land here and we both believe that this is a real up and coming area even though it is 70km north from Airlie Beach and about 100km south from Bowen.  It really is tranquil here will be interesting to see what the land and houses are worth in a few more years.

Arriving in Bowen at the Big Mango

Heading towards Bowen now for a drive along another stretch of long road, with not a lot of scenery apart from more sugar cane.  The drive took just over an hour and as we drove into Bowen we stopped at the information centre to get our usual sticker for the 4wd and patch for the blanket.  Our history of travels!!! 

Our first impressions of Bowen by road are pretty much the same as they were by sea, not much of a town, old and run down and of course dry.  As we drive through the main street we head to what are apparently award-winning beaches, we are sceptical considering the rest of Bowen is “not much”. 

As we head around the corner and arrive at a little inlet called Horseshoe Bay, we now realise what all the fuss is about. What a perfect little spot, so beautiful with a nice beach and large rocks to clamber on around the inlet.  There are a number of people swimming as the day is warm and the water a nice temperature.

Us at the Bowen lookout

Horseshoe Bay, Bowen

Andrew walking down from the Bowen lookout

We buy a coffee and paper at the local beachfront café and sit on the beach relaxing for half an hour before we head the 170 meters to the Bowen lookout. 

Not a long walk and pretty easy as there are steps made of rocks amongst the shrub up to the most amazing view over to Gloucester Island and passage to the south and Cape Upstart to the north.  It was a very sunny clear day and we could see for miles, the view was spectacular.   

 It 
Its funny seeing these sights by land now and you do get a pang in your stomach of wanting to be back on the ocean again. 

Back in the car and we are now heading quickly into Townsville for the 200km drive from Bowen, we now need to be there by 1430 hours to view the apartment that Andrews work has organised for us.  We were hoping to stay around Bowen or Ayr / Homehill tonight but instead drive the 2.5 hours to Townsville to view this apartment, as we do need accommodation for the weekend. 

Townsville city

We arrive in Townsville to a clear afternoon on 28th Sept and just made it with five minutes to spare to meet the real estate agent.  All good with the unit, except that we can’t move in until Tuesday that is a bit of a pain,  as we just want to get things settled and unpacked.  Also four nights in this heat on the boat makes it a sweltering time.  Oh well the boat it is.  The afternoon is spent doing washing, sorting through a few things in the car and then driving around to find us a second car as the other one we found on last stop in Townsville has now fallen through.  We spend the weekend pottering around Townsville, going for a few drives and finding our bearings. 

Townsville River

Townsville Lagoon pool by River

We head down to the dam for a walk along the river there and to the Riverway swimming lagoon area which is in a lovely location and packed with people.  We head to the markets and a few second hand shops later in the afternoon as we are wanting to buy a couple of things for the unit.  We feel as though these few days are being wasted just filling in time as we could be getting everything ready in the unit.  Also with the car and tinny and big boat all now full of stuff scattered all over, it’s a bit hard to take off anywhere as we cant unload any of it. 

Andrew at top of Castle Hill looking over to Magnetic Island

Chris at top of Castle Hill with Townville in the background

We have a drive up the top of Castle Hill on a clear day and see the amazing views of Townsville and Magnetic Island below and go for a long walk to the end of the Townsville port and jetty and around to the entertainment centre and casino to have a look.  We manage quite well to fill in the long weekend and are now already to start work tomorrow 2nd October.