September
24-25, 2015
Pancake
Creek has no bar to cross and the channel is well marked permitting entry day
or night. Once inside it is also a very protected anchorage and simply a
magnificent place to stay for a few days or longer. It is accessible only by
boat or via a very serious trek on foot through the national park. There is no
vehicular access to any point close, not even a macho man attracting 4WD track.
|
Our anchorage in Pancake Creek with Clew Point at top, Bustard Head at right and Aircraft Beach between them. |
We
had entered in the late afternoon near high tide with the creek appearing as a
very, very wide river mouth. When we awoke next morning the tide was closer to
low with the massive sand banks shining in the sunlight. Pelicans swam on the
glassy water around Our Dreamtime and
sea turtles regularly surfaced to take deep breath near us. It was magical
sitting on the stern eating our breakfast of mackerel fillets caught the
previous afternoon and soaking in our surroundings.
|
There's nothing better than a breakfast of fresh caught fish. |
|
Huge sandbanks appearing as the tide runs out. |
We
had heard very promising stories about Pancake being well populated with mud
crab so after breakfast we lowered the dinghy and prepared to see if we could
entice a few into our crab pots. We were soon making our way past anchored
neighbours upstream towards some very promising areas of mangroves. There were
about ten boats spread around the spacious anchorage, enough for company but
far from a crowd. Still, we decided to put our pots down way over the far side
of the estuary, well away from everyone where we figured Mr and Mrs Mudcrab
would be enjoying an undisturbed life.
|
Karen preparing the first two crab pots. |
|
When the tide goes out it goes waaaayyyy out. |
We
put two pots down in water filled holes on the sand banks then discovered a small
hidden creek lined with overhanging mangroves that held about a metre of water even
at low tide. It had all the earmarks of being mud crab heaven so we were very
confident of gaining a good catch overnight with the pair of pots we set in
there.
|
From out at the dinghy the very shallow creek didn't look all that promising. |
|
We quickly changed our minds once we took a walk to have a better look. It had all the trademarks of crab heaven. |
The
rest of the afternoon was spent doing what we do so well, a fair load of not
much. With small bait fish surrounding the boat, we did decide we should drop a
line in the water in case any larger fish wanted to donate its body for
breakfast. It is safe to say it was a fairly casual form of fishing with lines
dangling and paperback novels in hand. That was until there was a splash, from
behind the boat followed by a thud and flap, flap, flap. Forget the fishing
line. A good sized mackerel had just jumped out of the water and landed in our
dinghy floating off the stern. Thank you very much! Next morning’s breakfast
was now in hand. The people on the two boats nearest to us couldn’t believe our
luck. If we didn’t have the fish in hand we would not have believed it
ourselves. By next day it was the talk of the anchorage.
|
Exhibit A: The kamikaze mackerel. |
|
Exhibit B: One innocent looking dinghy. |
Karen
just had time to fillet our kamikaze fish before sundowners time when the
nibbles and wine came out and we sat in the cockpit doing a fair load of not
much again except eat, drink and enjoy another remarkable sunset. This cruising
life can be so strenuous.
|
The anchorage was far from crowded. |
We
were up early the next morning to retrieve our huge haul of crabs. Except there
weren’t any.Zip. Zilch. Not even a
single undersized one to throw back. We were stunned. It was the very first
time on Our Dreamtime that we have come
up totally empty handed with our pots. To have it happen in what looked like
and was reported to be perfect crab territory was more than disappointing. We
later spoke to two other boaties in the anchorage who had put pots out with the
same result. Either the place has been over fished by professional crabbers or
the local muddies are very elusive.
|
Our Dreamtime swinging peacefully on her anchor |
With
the pots all packed away back on the boat, we headed ashore to walk up to the
Bustard Head Lighthouse for a look. It’s a 2.8 kilometre walk through the bush
up to the lighthouse. The trail is fairly easy walking and pleasantly lined
with native grass trees and assorted wildflowers. As you climb towards the
lighthouse reserve itself you get a fantastic view of Aircraft Beach which
stretches from Clews Point at the mouth of Pancake Creek back to Bustard Head.
|
Aircraft Beach is magnificent and not a soul on it. |
|
Except pelicans. There's always pelicans. |
The
lighthouse is now fully automated but an enthusiastic group of volunteers each
spend a month at a time living onsite as caretakers of the restored keepers
cottages and grounds. For a modest $10 fee they also conduct guided tours up
the spiral stairs to the light. The views from the circular balcony are
spectacular.
|
This prism has now been replaced by a more powerful light the size of a beer bottle |
|
Looking back over Pancake Creek. Our Dreamtime is the yacht furthest to the right. |
|
The view south to Round Hill Head and the Town of 1770. |
|
North |
|
The Inner, Middles and Outer Rocks off Bustard Head |
The
tour also includes a small museum established in one of the cottages and a very
comprehensive rundown of the history of the place. It was established in 1868
and was in fact the very first lighthouse commissioned by the then fledgling
colony of Queensland. (Cape Moreton lighthouse does predate it but was built
when the whole colony was New South Wales). The lighthouse itself was constructed in
England of heavy steel sections. It was test assembled at the factory then all
the numbered pieces unbolted and shipped over for reassembly. It was far from
happy days for the early lighthouse keepers and their families with murders, drownings
and disease claiming a number of lives. Most of the victims now rest in a small
graveyard on site.
|
A nice model of HMS Endeavour that Cpt James Cook sailed past here in 1770 naming the Headland in the process. |
We
certainly enjoyed the tour and the walk back through the bush. We stopped along
the way for Karen to do some sketching of some of the sights including an area
where rising sea levels has seen what was previously an area of bush become a
salt pan full of spectacularly shaped dead gum trees.
|
Karen sketching on the walk back from the lighthouse |
We
were invited by cruisers we met on the walk, Elaine and Andy for sundowners
that afternoon on their catamaran Twoflower.
It was a very pleasant way to cap off what had been a very enjoyable day far
from normal civilisation.
Pancake
Creek was really so quiet, peaceful and naturally beautiful that we would have
loved to have stayed a few more days. However, we really wanted to push on into
the tropics. With a favourable weather forecast
for the next day it was time to go. Pancake Creek is definitely in our plans
for the return trip south though.
We’ve
said all along that this was to be our shakedown cruise although we never
expected to get shaken down this much. Here’s the report card.
What
worked.
Our
cunning dinghy fish trap.
What
didn’t work.
Our
crab pots
What
we did right.
Stayed
a couple of days in Pancake Creek. It’s beautiful.
How
we screwed up.
Didn’t
stay long enough.
|
Good night from Pancake Creek! |
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