Another update. It’s been a while as we had run low on data and had limited internet connectivity. We’ve both settled into the relaxed lifestyle and wonder where the weeks have gone! Whilst there are chores that need to be done, these don’t consume much time. Every week or so we head off to Pardoo Roadhouse to do the washing as they have machines that we can use. Whilst there we also top up with water and usually have lunch and a drink as we wait for the washing to dry. Other than collecting firewood, moving the solar panels to maximise their output and eat and drink there isn’t much work to do! Living simply has its benefits!
We have been out in the kayaks a fair bit. Steve has heaps of videos on his GoPro that he will edit and upload when we get home. Paula has been catching her share as well! We don’t keep many fish, only a few that we plan to eat, the rest are set free to swim another day. We mainly catch Trevally (mostly Golden Trevally this year), Queenies (heaps of these – they are becoming pests), Malabar Cod (see Steve’s video below), Doggy Mackerel and one solitary Mangrove Jack. There have been a few other minor species but these are usually rare.
The Queenies hit and fight hard, but we never keep these as, whilst they are edible, there are far better tasting fish around that we prefer to keep if want a feed.
We have also managed to snag a couple of feeds of Mud Crab and Steve also found a solitary Blue Manna at low tide when he was exploring one day. They were all cooked and eaten with relish. Paula joined Steve on one excursion and seemed more interested in the turtles that we found down the creeks than in crabbing! Steve became very interested in turtles too when he stood on one in very murky water. We are not sure who got the greatest shock! Crabbing this way is hard work, but the rewards make it worth it all. (Thanks to Terry and Wayne Stephens for some of these photos!)
The tides up here are facinating. The bay is continually changing with the water moving in and out and this combined with the light as the sun and the moon move overhead makes it a spectacle that is impossible to describe. The volume of the water moving in and out each day is absolutely huge. Some tides have nearly a 7 metre rise and fall. Steve has tried to capture this using his GoPro. The timelapse video below is his first attempt and he is confident he can do even better next time.
We have also spent a lot of time with the long-term campers here. There is quite a community atmosphere and it has been wonderful to be part of it. Many of the group have been coming here for years and have shown us lots of their “secret spots” so we now have the benefit of decades of information. The ladies often cook up something sweet or a damper to enjoy over a coffee that is shared around the camp. We feel like we have made many new friends and intend to keep in touch after we leave. (Some of the photos below were taken by Terry and Wayne Stephens as well.)
We have loved our time up here this year; the only thing that would have made it better would have been the company of our good friends Glenn and Tricia. We need to leave for home in about two weeks and whilst we are looking forward to catching up with family and friends, we will miss “The Cape”.
