Day 0
Another big trip over to Lady Musgrave planning starts early with Nelly doing /all/ the leg work with park permits, barge booking, tide schedules and 'herding cats' (my fellow divers and I.) It all pays off though and we eventually made it to the Wednesday before the trip.
Loading and consolidation of gear into bigger 4wds or Trailers for the drive up to Gladstone. We were towing the compressor trailer this time so plenty of room for the three of our team to pack gear. Semi-final pack on Sunday before a final pack and departure on the Wed.
A few spots of traffic near Brisbane and plenty of road works but we got on our way. There was a truck roll over just south of Childers, luckmostly off the road. So we could slip by. A quick lunch in Gin Gin before pushing onto Gladstone for a 430pm arrival.
Few rain showers were on us loading into the big barge crates but nothing to extreme. It's always a bit of an interesting jigsaw puzzel loading the crates. Especially when sharing. We're meant to fit 4-5 people per crate. We had the three of us, and then a little bit of extra gear for Mitch+Chi and some extras, like the compressor toolbox and hose. We managed to fit it all in pretty neatly and had just a little bit left over.
After we were all packed we slipped away early than planned. It was then time to head up top and claim a 'sleep' spot. For some of us it's more a 'place to lay down and try not to feel too sea sick' spot. Some rough seas ahead so the earlier departure meant we could take it a little slower. Still going to be bumpy. . . .
 |
| Last but certainly not least, Diver 1! |
Day 1
The ride was a lot smoother than we thought but even still I have difficulty sleeping on a rocking barge. The occasional large smack into a tall wave was usually enough to jolt a lot of others awake. 530 am we launched Diver 1 off the barge ramp and as SNR and I got it moored up the barge had landed and people were starting to unload.
We've had a bit of an interesting pack this time a few people only on for a half trip (some by choice, others because Covid), but more than half of their gear with us.......... It's generally a big task with everyone there, but an extra 50% of gear, with no owner, made even more work for those remaining. Then the Extra water, tanks etc etc. It made a noticable difference
Still, with all the amazing efforts of our group all the gear was off and we waved goodbye to the Barge for the next 16 days... slowly setting up gear over the morning. Fridges and solar hooked up first, then shade and chairs, then tent, then kitchen, then.... you get the picture.
Just before lunch we said goodbye to the camp hosts and hello to 4 more from our group that made it over on the day boat Camp hosts were meant to leave a few days ago, and our members arrive yesterday to be here to help, but due to weather delays it got pushed back.
After a midday break, lunch, some snoozing and a few dips in the ocean to cool off, most was done. Just the fun stuff remaining... 200lt barrels of water and fuel to be moved off the beach. Again massive effort by those that stepped up to get it done. Chris and Nick put in extra effort with the water as tribute for not making it in time for the barge unload.
Everyone was pretty wiped out from the lack of sleep and the large hauling of gear so no dive today. Down for sunset drinks and a few keen divers for tomorrow, but none keen enough for 645am... everyone wants to sleep in I guess. Not a bad idea that sleep business, so I turned in pretty early...
Day 2
It rained through the night, apparently. I was out to the world and didn't hear a drop.
I was the only one on the list for a 645am dive, with a lot of people still recovering from the previous days unload and setup. That was ok though as I bumped to the 845 and was able to have a sleep in. Got to the boat a little early to help SNR get it ready for everyone. High tide, so a bit floaty getting out to it... nothing like neck deep water to wake you up! We made it though and despite not very optimal conditions dropped on Manta Ray Bommies.
I had forgotten my camera (even had it out and setup ready to go!) But I like having a camera free dive occasionally so it was ok. We saw 3 huge Manta Ray along with a few Nudi, Turtle and other usual suspects.
Second dive was around in the Lagoon. Lucky we had a quick turn around because there wasn't much reef leaving camp. We found a nice Bommie with a very decent wall (for the Lagoon) and hundreds (thousands?) Of hermit crabs running about on the sandy floor.
3rd dive I was skipper. Dropped the crew just outside the entrance wall and they had a pleasant enough dive. We still had 1hr before we had enough water over the reef and after the shallow dive I still had ~150 bar so Nick grabbed an unused tank and we both jumped back in.
Even with the extra dive time we still hung outside of the reef to wait for more water. Just barely made it over around 3:50pm and walked it down the channel. Looks like there might have been some bad fuel in the compressor causing issues and clogging lines. James to the rescue though, putting in the work to get it running again. Thanks James and all who assisted!
Another beautiful sunset before dinner and another early night.
Day 3
Sleep in this morning, dive spots certainly aren't filling up as fast as previous trips. It also meant we could have a bacon cook up for breakfast! For the 1030am dive I decided to jump in with my Buddy for a long Snorkel instead. Pretty calm inside the lagoon and around a nice reef edge with divers below.
Saw a Reef Shark and the coral seemed really healthy. Duck diving to photo bomb the divers is always fun too. Back to shore for lunch and then I had to walk all my dive gear across the island (~500m ) in a wheel barrow to get picked up for a dive.
There is a large reef flat at the front of camp which leaves the boat high and dry. Meaning that a full day of diving requires launching from the lagoon side. Much longer than the ~30m from my camp to the beach...
Still worth it though as we dropped on the Manta Bommies and immediately saw 4 huge Mauri Wrasse. Then a pipe fish and a few Nudi before a huge Manta Ray cruised right over SNR's head and past us all. Another shark or two with a pleasant drift made for an easy dive.
More compressor issues were reported when we got back, a split intake hose near the compresso connection. This meant that some exaughst from the compressor could get sucked into the intake. We analyse every single tank now and some air was testing high for CO, so we drained all the air from them and started refilling. Compounding the backlog from yesterdays tanks leftover from the Carby/fuel issue.
Back for sunset drinks we saw a Gull with a baby turtle in its mouth. Lots of people rushed one way, where birds seemed to be circling, only to have Alan R spot a hatching (about 30 baby turtles) the opposite direction. By the time the group that left in the other direction had seen us waving and made their way over they were too late, as the tutrles had already reached the water. Where at least 4 sharks, knowing what's up, were cruising the beach looking for a snack.
Day 4
Again no-one was super keen for the early dive so it was scrapped with just a single dive out to Manta in the morning. Some of us went for a snorkel out the front of camp which was nice, but a lot more hard work than diving!
I then hopped on the boat for a double over at Fairfax Island. I love the caverns over here. We also saw sharks, turtles, a half eaten hermit crabs, nudies and an octopus!
Second dive just around the corner at Jacksons Bommie. Guitar Shark, more turtles, a half dozen pipe fish and Kristie found a giant green Moray (which I almost bumped my head into, which is a little intimidating... because it's head is about the same size as mine!)
Smoother ride back than expected which was nice, arriving just in time for sunset drinks. By all accounts the compressor went well today.
Day 5
Tide times are a little early at the moment so I was up at 6am so I could be ready to skipper the first dive, plus have my gear ready to be on the second. There was only 2 divers the night before but Judy and JK were up, ready and willing so they came too.
Weather hasn't been the best, but a SE wind with a rolling swell meant that Plate City wasn't too much effort. It was just the 'on and off' rain that made it hard for me on the surface. Thankfully Coralie was able to use her SMB which made things a lot easier to track them. Even with the SMB there was a spot in heavy showers I lost sight of them for a little while.
While on the boat the VMR weather report came though. As it was raining on me I was told there was a 50% chance of showers... they continued throughout the day... A few people were adjusting tarps and setups to sheet the rain water (full of bird poop) off, to prevent ponding.
Near lunch there was a really heavy down pour which even left ponding on the ground, but as soon as it stopped things seeped away into the (mostly) sand very quickly.
My partner was convinced to jump in for a shore dive. I helped Sherpa gear out to the reef edge (about 150m at low tide) but left her in the capable hands of SNR. 30min later they were back, reports of plenty of fish but unfortunately some hair stuck in the mask which makes it leak, and is fairly unpleasant.
Mid-arvo a few others went out for a shore dive and a few of us took the opportunity to do some boat work. Refil oil, tap one of the 200lt drums of fuel, drain the bungs etc.
After a cold rainy day interest in the night dive evaporated quickly so we got in a few rounds of 500 (cards) instead. Yummy steak for dinner and a good chat with Ash and Cheryl before bed. Apparently I hit my stretcher like a sack and was asleep in seconds, still holding a head torch.
Day 6
Sleep in today as I wasn't skipper or diver on the first dive. Still out and about just after 7am as the suns heat and birds chatter makes it hard to snooze. After yesterdays cloud cover and rain the solar/batteries/fridges are a little behind but should catch up.
I went out for the 930am dive. Conditions aren't fantastic again with choppy surface and large swell. By the time everyone was geared up u was starting to feel queezy and glad when we could finally splash into the water.
Under I still felt a little off. Kristie and I went straight for the edge of the reef and by the time we made it couldn't see the rest of the group. We had a pretty good dive together with another Giant Green Moray, Nudis and plenty of fish for company. Kristie also found a cool little swim through. Which I happily traversed.
Back for lunch and time for the twice daily ritual of shifting solar panels and then cleaning bird poop off them. Went for a walk around the island without much to write home about but I did climb the lighthouse for a good view and a smidge of phone service.
On the last turn it was bottom of the tide so we went out onto the reef to see what we could find. There was a Numb Ray, few sea hares, lots of crabs and small fish and loads upon loads of sea cucumbers.
After a bit of a sit down we started getting ready for the "Loud Shirt" night, with acompanying pot luck dinner. Always interesting to see how creative people get with their get ups. A great spread of meals and a few yummy desserts.
Another night walk with beautiful stars but no luck with any baby turtles.
Day 7
Slightly better weather so we got out to Fairfax for a single. I was expecting more current mid incoming tide so got Al R to drop us on the extent of the reef... but it was barely moving at all, which meant that it wasn't until the very end of the dive we reached the more interesting structure. Still a good dive though.
We had a bit of interest in an easier Lagoon dive so I skippered for the second and anchored off at a bommie. Reports were a nice, easy, pleasant dive. Though nothing spectacular. A shore dive group went out at 2 and then I took another Reek walk with a few others. 5 Epelept Dharks, a Sea Hare, Christmas Tree Worms, loads of crabs and plenty of small fish to see.
Back from the walk and did some time on the compressor. Got to the point of a filter change and it seems the filter O-Ring has stretched, bugger. It means it can't fit back in properly but Alan D tried his best, under almost impossible circumstances, but ultimately the o-ring failed and split.
We got onto the mob that serviced it (just 2 months prior...) and they are going to try express post an o-ring to the Lady Musgrave Experience, who have said they can bring it out on their day boat. Fingers crossed. We still have many full tanks, so diving is still a go for tomorrow.
Day 8
Another more relaxed morning for us so we could have a cooked breakfast. Bacon, eggs, hashbrown and fried tomato makes for a great meal. Not too long before gearing up for a dive though. Mitch hooked up his 'full' tank (tape and all) to discover just over 50 bar... so I gave him my second with a full 200 bar so he could at least get 1 dive in.
First group of divers had ripping current so we prepared for the worst when we dropped in for the second only to find a nice slow drift along the Musgrave Caves wall. Kristie and I found the big cave, with a shallow entrance. Its a little bit of a squeeze to get in, but then opens up to a huge vast space.
No huge stand-outs animal wise but a nice turtle, few sharks out in the blue and nudis over the wall. Back on land for lunch before heading over the reef flat (mid tide) for a stand up paddle board. I'm not bad (but far from good) on the board yet still found the short sharp waves over the reef a challenge. As we were out the back though we had a pod of 3 Dolphins cruise by which was a nice surprise.
Cards dominated the afternoon and then Chi cooked up a great Green Curry to share for dinner. People counted what little air they had left is whatever tanks and we discovered there was enough for a full boat dive in the morning.
Day 9
There was still a few divers with mostly full tanks so we fitted in another dive at Fairfax. Kristie took the boat out for some practice driving, we went via Pete's boat to drop him off for the fishing trip and then went for a smooth rise to Fairfax.
I was surface watch and surface conditions were much better today. Easy to follow bubbles in calm seas and minimal wind. Can't say the same about the rain though. Shifting between spitting and pouring for my 60min watch...
When we got back a few of us headed back to the lagoon for another snorkel. Good spot but it doesn't seem as vibrant with an overcast sky.
Just as we got back a few of our crew, who were leaving early, had their gear ready on the beach to transport to Lady Musgrave Experience for the trip home. I took them around on Diver 1 (saving the long carry across the island) and loaded directly onto their big boat.
Back at shore and the fishing trip returned with a bountiful supply of fish. Despite some equipment trouble (Mitchs' Rod :( ) and an apparent glut of hungry sharks.
I had a pretty lazy afternoon but took another reef walk. Also turned off the fridge and shifted all the food into the freezer, which we now will set as a fridge. Solar and batteries are good but a few overcast days can make power supply management a touch difficult. I also heard a spark when chasing the sun with the panels, the wires from the controller to the battery had shorted. SNR to the rescue though with a speedy fix.
While I was juggling batteries (but mostly relaxing) SNR took to the compressor to fish out the broken bits of oring left in the filter. Making sure it was ready for the arrival of the new O-Rings. I crashed pretty hard at night asleep as soon as my head met the pillow.
Day 10
With the compressor still put of action we all started with a lazy morning. Pancakes for us today which are always yummy and easy.
When we saw the LME boat pull past we got a little excited. Kristie and Alan D went, with baited breath, to wait on shore for our O-ring package delivery. The first crew member they spoke too had no-idea about it but luckily the other crew member was all over it.
8 brand spaking new replacements. So we now have 7 spare for the future... Alan wacked it in and we were good to go! Have to give a big shoutout to Daryl at Dive Teck and Lady Musgrave Experience for helping us out.
There was a line up of operators so I took the chance for another lap of the island and a chance to check the weather. Ok next few days, not great after that... Can never rely on predictions that far out anyway....
A few other people had the same idea, finding a nice place to get service...
When I got back there was more power management. Turns out that spark from yesterday blew a fuse... no wonder my battery wasn't getting much charge. Luckily I had a spare. We also discovered Mitchs' controller had shorted and was kaput :( We've (collectivly) had a few troubles with batteries/solar/controllers this trip... His panels were fine though so we took them off to Nelly and were able to zombie a few cables to lead to her (larger) controller and super charge some batteries.
While we were doing that the boat also managed to get out for a double snorkel run which is great. In the arvo there was a crew that went out on the Stand Up Paddle boards chasing turtles, and yet another Dolphin pod that floated past.... or maybe the same one that just does a daily fly by...
More cards when we heard the compressor stop, then start, then stop, then start, then stop... by that time in the day it was too late to investigate fully but we suspect clogged fuel line/Dirty carborator again. At least we got quite a few tanks filled for tomorrow's dives...
Day 11
Wit all the tank fills from yesterday there was enough air for a few dives. Having missed a day and the tides being very shallow the time I set for the first dive was a bit optimistic. Geared up and waiting for the tide to come in... for almost 2 hours...
We eventually got floating though and headed for Fairfax Island again. It looked lumpy on the surface but was actually a pleasant ride out. Geared up and dropped in for a current check before descending to our dive. Caves again, which are always cool.
Kristie found 3 flat worms hanging out and we also saw a few turtles, 1 shark and various other critters. Just as we reached a safe height for our safety stop (4-6m) we looked down to the ocean floor (~22m) and saw a huge Ray, hard to tell from the distance but looked like a Bull Ray to me.
The ride back (into the waves) was a lot slower going. They weren't that tall but the wind was making them stand up and steep. SNR got us all back safely though. When back we got an update kn the compressor. The carby had a little in it, but not enough to be a problem. So the amazing mechanics/12v Engineers did some diagnostic work and discovered the hour meter was tripping the earth.
With that fixed it was running again... for a bit... until they noticed the pressure release safety valve on the filter was spitting air... it might be a filter oring issue, but it was getting late in the day and it was relegated to a tomorrow job.
There was a sizable group up for cards tonight. We've been using the (vacant) camp hosts tarp for cards as its been on/off rain for a few days. It comes in really handy! Big tarp with a clear space (not someone's kitchen) and a central location.
Day 12
Sleep in today. While we managed to end up with a few unused tanks again for diving there isn't too many and with the tide its almost midday before we can get out anyway.
Just after 12 the boat started to float and we were off for a dive. Back into the lagoon for a nice calm one. I opted to snorkel again over the bommie. There's a good ~0.7m cover which is a great height to be able to clear without risk of bumping but still be close enough to see everything.
Back to shore for a quick change over to head back out. I didn't have any air left but Kristie was able to let me use her full tank and had a mostly full one for herself. This meant that (because it had a different valve) I had to use her reg set too. Which would normally be fine.
I say normally because after I had geared up I was doing my routine checks, including surface breathes on the boat, to make sure everything was ok.
Everything was not ok.
The moment I breathed in something shot back into the depths of my throat and lodged itself there. Some intense coughing later and something about the size of my pinky nail came out. I continued to cough (with a tiny bit of blood) and had laboured breathing.
Everyone on the boat was really quick to help and stripped my gear so I could lean over the boat. The pressure/coughing and seas made me vomit a little and Marg was quite happy, maybe a little too happy, to slap my back and clear anything else that may have still been stuck.
We also got to put the recent 'Administer O2' training to use. As a precaution because of my semi-restricted breathing I was on pure O2 for most of the ride back. Throat was fairly sore immediately after but by the end of the 25 ish min boat ride, and half a tank of O2, there wasn't any pain just irritation and I was breathing fine. Voice was slightly better too.
To make the day a little more exciting one of our crew was out snorkelling, which is fine, but they happened to be right in the shimmer of the late afternoon sun. Which means they were almost impossible to spot. A dozen people on the beach looking, still unable to spot them, so Gary, Mitch and Kristie launched the boat.
They were found almost immediately when the sun wasn't an issue (they manevoured the boat so the sun was behind them.) The snorkeller assumed all the people on the beach were just trying to point out Dolphins, which we had seen several days in a row about that time. Though they decided it was a good time to end their snorkel anyway...
It was already a big day but there's always room for more on Musgrave. Even something as innocuous as a trip to the toilet can turn nasty... as Kristie found out. Musgrave "sand" is littered with huge chunks of Coral. Over time some bits, even on paths where 1000s of steps have been taken, work their way to the surface.
Kristie found one of these pieces. With her big toe. Luckily again Marg was on the ball and over to clean, sterilised and bandage. Kristie noted that it's the cleanest her foot has been the whole trip. We did have a good sunset that night though... which was nice...
Day 13
Another lazy morning and another pancake breakfast. Yum. Feeling fine after yesterdays excitement. I'm not too sure what else we did with the morning but it flew by. After lunch, with yet more residual air, divers were keen so I went skipper and we took the boat out. We poked our nose around the island, trying to reach manta Bommie, but got hit by harsh seas and high winds.
Tucked back in behind Musgrave we dropped the divers near some other structure that appeard on the Sounder. By all accounts they had an amazing dive. Except Marg who was having some ear trouble and decided to keep me company on surface watch instead.
Another island loop for an afternoon stroll. When we popped out on the eastern side of the island you almost got knocked over by the wind. No wonder surface conditions have deteriorated. Still saw 6 turtles in the shallows and 1 very silly blue spotted Ray that was trying to bury itself in a patch of broken coral. Back at camp there was also a young bird that looks like it may have been blown out of it's nest :(
Tonight was our 2nd Dress up/Group dinner night. The 'M' party. Always great to see how creative some people are with limited pack space. Mac and James brought a Butter Chicken which I think was the pick of the meals for the night.
Some people kicked on but my throat was a bit tired and strained from the day so I said goodnight around 830 and feel asleep soon after.
Day 14
Throat was feeling a lot better in the morning again, by the end of the day my voice was getting a bit strained. There was a distinct lack of action around the camp this morning. Everyone taking the opportunity to sleep in. Some needing that extra sleep after being up 1/2 the night sorting tarps in the heavy rain and strong winds.
Diver 1 had quite a bit of water in it due to the rain so we went down at low tide and let the scuppers down to drain some out. With bad weather and no compressor a few of us chose to spend the day playing games. 'Logo' the Dodds brought along proved to be highly entertaining taking us through most of the day.
The wind had picked up, along with the swell. It also swing around and was battering Diver 1 a bit. To the point where a few of us repositioned anchors so it took the waves better.
The wind continued to increase and a lot of tarps were re-rigged and pegged down. Alan R bent a pole and one of my sand pegs, luckily an older one, snapped in two under the strain. A big branch, ~100mm diameter, also fell from a tree and landed about 1m away from the tent... might be a restless night.
Day 15
Despite the wind I slept really well. I did stir at a few points with heavy rain and bellowing winds but everything was holding solid. Nelly had some left over Bacon (who knew there was such a thing!?) So we cooked it up with some fried tomato and Mitch and Chi's baked beans for a hearty breakfast.
Poor weather, no tanks, not much to do beside tinker. Some people took note of what they will improve for their camp setups for next time. Despite all the troubles and current weather there is still a lot of chatter about 'the next time' which is good.
We decanted fuel drums into jerry cans for easier transport. Boat tanks (~170lt) are full, as are the jerry cans (240lt) and probably close to 200lt left split across 3 drums. So a bit in excess of needs, but 200lt was for Peter's boat which sadly went unused.
With all the spare time we also went for a reef walk seeing lots of stuff including sea hares, abalone, a cute Moray, some Nudibranch and even a few octopus!
Mid afternoon some people had begun to take gear to the loading zone. Gear they won't need anymore like tanks, dive gear etc and sorted/consolidated food boxes. We also have all day tomorrow so while we packed things away if it was the last use for them, we didn't really worry about much else.
Day 16
Waking to the sound of heavy rain I thought that I would just wait a bit until it passed before I got out of bed. That only lasted about 20min and it was still heavy and didn't sound like it was getting any lighter. Packed all my bedding gear before getting out of the tent and then was greeted by dark grey clouds as far as you could see (which, through the rain wasn't actually that far...) Maybe it would have been easier to pack some stuff in the light shower yesterday instead of the rain today...
Slowly over the morning things were packed away and stacked in a pile. Some was taking closer to the barge landing while other bits were left somewhere to stay dry. Throughout the morning we all kept delaying and thinking "just waiting for that gap in the rain" which never came... We kept the kitchen out for a cooked lunch. It was nice to eat something warm at least, before headding back to the rain. We also had a few people listening to the news on their AM radios about rain on the mainland too, with some roads being impacted... great.
We eventually saw the sun for the first time that day about about 4pm. When everyone was mostly finished and gear was almost ready to load. It was a good time to have a beer and a brief sit down before the bull rush that is "loading the barge." It wasn't too long until we saw a speck on the horizon headding our way. It's hard to tell at first but as it gets closer and closer you can identify the outline of the barge and know it's time to drop the excess water in the barrels.
When it finally was able to cross the reef and land it's a monumental task to carry 2.5 weeks worth of gear back across the beach and onto the barge. So many boxes, bags, tarps, fridges, tanks, gas bottles, fuel jerry cans, etc etc. Even the empty water barrels, though now much lighter, are awkward to carry. Not to mention the large pile of rubbish bags... Loading gear back into the crates is definitely a skill. You could tell which loaders grew up playing tetris... Fitting odly shapped boxes in, spinning and slidding into place. Gaps for chairs and tables, heavy boxes loaded first into the bottom. There were moments where some people took very short reprieves to check out the Sun set. Probably one of the most scenic we've had all trip.
We try to organise our gear a little on the beach so the order it comes onto the Barge is already a good packing order. Makes it a lot quicker and smoother not having to leave gear in front of the crate (in the way of everyone carrying gear up) while you're waiting for 1 particular large/awkward box to load first. It's also a time to reflect on everything you brought... and if it's really worth bringing as much next time... (If anyone wants to gift me a LiPo battery..... hint hint!!)
Eventually most of the gear was loaded and it was time to retrieve Diver 1. SNR grabbed me and we went only to discover that just moments before we decided to get Diver 1 the stern rope had snapped in the heavy waves and wind (I mentioned we had 20+ kt winds the last few days and 2-4m swell?) SNR was a bit closer and managed to get in and get it started before it swung into the Barge, potentially damaging the engine in the process, while I tried to untie the leftover rope from the tree. Getting smashed by waves and unable to release it I had to abandon it and swim out about 50m to get to SNR and the boat. Mitch then went to work on the rope and with the waves pummeliing it had buried the branch it was tied off too and wound so tight it needed to be cut to release it.
When all was settled and I was aboard Diver 1 we set off around a corner of the island to 'calmer' waters (still large swell and pretty decent wind.) It was absolutely terrible conditions to be loading Diver 1 back onto the barge. To make matters worse the deck lights suddenly went dark and we heard chatter on the Barge radio that the breaker switch had tripped, likely caused by the microwave being used... The crew were quick to reset the breaker and also ensure the Microwave was unplugged and out of commision for a while. With the lights back on it was time to pick us up. While there was a little trouble at first, due to the very poor conditions, SNR managed to hit the sweet spot of the trailer which had been lowered on the barge ramp and we were finally aboard. Soaking wet, but aboard.
The Barge started the long journey back to Gladstone. They have showers on board, it's a bit of a skill to use them in these conditions. Soaping up while rocking side to side and not falling/slipping... but after 2.5 weeks on the island I think most people appreciated it anyway. Beds on the second deck I scoffed a muslie bar for dinner (unable to eat anything more substantial or I would likely be sick) and sat staring at the horizon for a while before lying down to try sleep. Despite going down at about 8:30 it was closer to 11:30pm before I finally managed to doze off.
Day 17
3am. Lights on. "Hey everyone, we're only 30min out of port so it's time to get ready." Coffee, a few lollies for breakfast... should have saved some of mums Anzac buiscuits. As we were near the port it was a lot calmer so packing up bedding wasn't too bad (despite being groggy from ~3.5 hours of sleep.) We landed and they started taking crates off the Barge. They use a forklift (thank god! much easier than carrying it up a beach...) and it takes a while to unload 10 crates of gear, 2 crates of dive tanks, 1 for fuel and another for the compressor but eventually we were all loading our cars/trailers. Luckily it wasn't actually raining!
With the excess Fuel from the trip in addition to all of our own gear (and the compressor we took up) we had to make room for 2x 200lt fuel drums (Half full) and 6 Jerry Cans. Luckily we were able to fit 40lt in the Cruiser so at least we could empty 2 of them. Nelly and Alan R took some fuel for their cars too, Bruce managed to fit in the last drum and a few jerry cans and SNR (towing Diver 1) thankfully could take some full jerry cans as well. We were still tieing up loose ends/rops when we had some help with the compressor and most people were saying their good byes and starting their drives home.
We peeled out of the Barge compound second last and made our way to a bakery for a quick breakfast and a coffee before starting the drive home around 6am. Missed a turn on the road out from the bakery, getting back to the main road, but were eventually back on the main road and left Gladstone in the rear view.
We didn't make another stop until we reached Gin Gin and just had a quick toilet break and another cheaky snack from yet another bakery. Saussage Roll for me (Classic road trip meal!) and a Custard Tart for Kristie. Swapped to a fresh driver (well, Krsitie got at least a little bit of sleep after leaving Gladstone) and back on the road again. We were about mid pack now having seen a few stopped off for breakfast and readding messages on the group chat. Roads ahead to Gympie were open (after being cut yesterday) and we made pretty good time getting there.
Messages comming through the group chat, Bruce Highway in Gympie was already cut... but luckily a detout was in place but the water looked to be rising. We followed the detour signs and were directed to turn by a SES worker, with 1 Telstra ute and a Truck, to a little side street. We pulled up and talked and it seemed the SES worker had lead us astray! A 'quick' U-Turn, which involved Kristie learning how to reverse with a trailer..., and we were back where we turned off but luckily allowed to continue on the detour. Flood waters now lapping on the bottom of the detour bridge but we were through.
13 min after we got through Coralie and Alan messaged the group that it had been cut off and they were stuck. A few others were behind them as well so they started arranging accomidation for the night. We stopped at the Puma roadstop just south of Gympie for another break and driver change and listened to a few stories from NOBO (North Bound) travellers and the attendants giving advice about flood waters and when they would likely be able to get through. South from here looked clear though so we pushed on.
We eventually made it to Kristie's and then strated unloaded wet gear and cleaning what could be cleaned, once again back in the rain. Tent setup in the garage to dry and sandy hosed, as best as possible, from everything that could be hosed. Then it was time to head home and start unpacking my personal gear. Including dive gear. It's amazing how pungent Dive Gear becomes after just 2 days in a bag while still wet... The fridge was fairly ripe too...
Didn't have time to sort it all before running out of steam, Managed to get a load of washing done and hung on a cloths horse though. Take Out Pizza for dinner a nice, long, hot (and NOT ROCKING IN HEAVY SEAS) shower before an early bed.
Day 18
Plenty of cleaning still to go... but it could wait until after a sleep in. Detol bath for wetsuits and a slow start washing sand and salty water off everything else. We got word that the crew stuck at Gympie were able to make it through which was releaving to hear... though I wouldn't want to smell their gear with an extra day to marinate in their trailers!!
It might not sound like it from those last 3 days but I really can't wait for the next Musgrave trip! :D
Big THANK YOU!! too all those who made it possible. Nelly for organising, skippers for driving and everyone else that put in their massive efforts to make it happen. Special thanks to K.Ford for letting me use some of her photos.
Big THANK YOU!! too all those who made it possible. Nelly for organising, skippers for driving and everyone else that put in their massive efforts to make it happen. Special thanks to K.Ford for letting me use some of her photos.
