The Great Sandy Straits - Fraser Island

Between the mainland and Fraser Island lies the Great Sandy Straits. It's a smooth, relatively shallow waterway that's a popular spot for fishing, house boats and yachts heading north (or south). It's very pretty but requires a little navigation through the channels especially for deep keeled yachts like us. So using the high tide becomes important for crossing the shallowest part of the Straits and exiting Wide Bay Bar.

Heading south, the Straits are entered from Hervey Bay and the first night's anchorage is usually off Kingfisher Resort, as it was for us.

Anchorage north of Kingfisher Resort

The second nights anchorage is at the popular, snug and shallow Garry's Anchorage.  Choosing the right spot so we had water under the keel at low tide was important - we ended up have 25cm! At least we were floating - happy days. Getting out through the channel "bar" the next morning was interesting - some minor keel dredging was required.

Garry's Anchorage

We were delayed heading out of Wide Bay Bar (the "Mad Mile") due to a high wind warning, that gave us a chance to visit Tin Can Inlet and also hand feed the dolphins at Tin Can Bay (more about that later).

Tin Can Inlet near Snapper Creek

Hand feeding the IndoPacific Humpback Dolphins

Pictorial Update - Sunset Wide Bay Harbour near Tin Can Bay

Tin Can Bay through the Great Sandy Strait

We decided to forgo another ocean passage and go through the Great Sandy Strait behind Fraser Island? It's a challenging passage for a keeled boat (especially with our 2m draft) because of he shallow nature of the channel and having to pay close attention to the port and starboard markers.

It was a great day, loads of varied scenery with the highlights being towards Hervey Bay. Only a small bottom touch through a shallow but generally we timed it pretty well with the tide. Turtles were also sighted in the channel.

Another spectacular sunset near Moon Point(Fraser island).A few hours sleep before heading off at midnight to make the distance to the next anchorage at Pancake Creek Bay.

Mooloolaba to Tin Can Bay (south Fraser Island)

A bit behind in my blog posts already mainly because I wanted to upload photos at the same time with each post. This has proved challenging because of Internet connection and computer time. So I've decided pics will have to follow on separate posts from time to time so I can stay up to date.

We left Mooloolaba early to head to southern end of Fraser Island. A peaceful and uneventful cruise up towards Wide Bay Bar,passing the picturesque coast around Noosa and Double Island Point. The bar was lively with a reasonable amount of water and understandably called "the Mad Mile." The lead lines for entry were very difficult to see in the afternoon light - almost impossible in fact until you we on top of them. While crossing we could see dozens of 4WDs screaming up and down the beaches. The car ferry from the mainland crosses to and from Fraser Island at Wide Harbour as we entered.

We anchored just south of Wide Bay Harbour on the way to Tin Can Bay. Skipper and crew fished unsuccessfully. The day ended with drinks and roast beef fillet. This is the life!