26th June 2017 - Hamilton Island - Thomas family on board - Nara Inlet - hawser horrors

Monday 26^th June 2017

On land (Hook Island)

The Thomases are here!

On board

We took them out for their first Whitsunday jaunt yesterday morning.  A bright and sunny day, perfect weather, neither hot nor cold.

It took a few hours to get to Nara Inlet.

Everyone relaxed.

Or were they bored…

Or seasick?

Leo through the hatch

As soon as we dropped anchor we all plunged into the beautiful blue sea and the general energy level rose.

Katy and Rose under the boat

I hadn’t ever walked up to the Aboriginal cave, which is now curated to a high degree, with interpretation signs, steps, fences.

Rose pausing

Pete says back in the day you could just wander around and clamber into the cave…

We left around four, expecting to be back in the marina before dark.

Boat names etched into the rocks in nada Inlet - nowadays this is GRAFFITI and not allowed

But…this was not to be…

We had a slight altercation with some unexpected coral outcrops and had to sit there for many hours until the tide came up and released us.

Pete and Rose

The Thomases are very resourceful and always make the best of things.  Coral?? they cried, Bring out the snorkelling gear!

Leo and Jeff

I had VERY fortunately made a large lasagne, which kept the wolves from the door.  And Katy had VERY providently packed a USB with a few movies on it.

Still light...

We fed the children and then pacified them with Disney and Pixar.

Very dark 

Today is once again bright sunny and warm and…we are not going out on the boat until tomorrow.  Poor Pete is a bit crushed by the fact that the brand new anchor chain hasn’t solved the anchor problem.  The chain itself is gorgeous and shiny but…the hawser is old and shabby and maybe a bit askew so it takes a very very long time to get the anchor up from the sea floor.  

This is not fun…I have to hang into the anchor locker ready to knock it down so it doesn’t jam.  My role, while not particularly fun, is OK, but Pete’s is hideous.  He has to wrestle and wrangle the chain and encourage it to go down the hawser.  So I think that today I will be having a nice time chatting and playing with family while Pete tries to patch the problem until the new hawser arrives from Muirs in Tasmania…

Our Disney Princess #1