Hiding out in Macona

Our stay in Cid Harbour was tranquil, despite the weather forecast of a freshening south-easterly.
Royden and Rob climbed to the Whitsunday Peak while Leigh and I decided the walk to Dugong Bay was our preferred option.
A number of little trailer sailers were beached at Dugong and their owners were enjoying a laid-back afternoon in the shade of the foreshore trees. A further explore beyond the boats unearthed a couple of very big goannas devouring a fish.
Unfortunately I'd left my camera behind so missed the opportunity to take a photo of these two, or the boats or the beautiful pitta bird we disturbed along the track.
A chat to one of the trailer-sailer owners revealed that he and his twin brother (both incidentally hailing from Beaumaris where Leigh and I grew up) had got lost on their way down from the Whitsunday Peak about nine years ago before the track was marked or well-tramped. They'd watched the Hamilton Island yacht races from their mountain view then couldn't find the path down and ended up (separately) in Gulnare Inlet on the south side of the peak. The brother was rescued when he managed to hail an anchored boat but the fellow we spoke to ended up sleeping on a rock then climbing back to the peak in the morning, where he was rescued by emergency crews alerted the previous night by his wife.
What a story!
Subsequently, Marine Parks marked the track and warning signs greet would-be climbers.
Unfortunately the boys return from their climb included Rob's ankle giving out as he reached the sand and he's been somewhat immobilised ever since, so these enforced rest days are probably well-timed.

Macona Inlet at low tide - time for some hunter-gathering.

Plenty of oysters for pre-dinners

With Cid Harbour filling up as the winds increased on Thursday morning, we decided to make the shift to Macona Inlet, at the southern end of Hook Island. This inlet is off-limits to  some charter boats because of its extensive reef at the entry and in the bay however it's well protected from the worst of the wind and swell so it wasn't surprising to catch up with some fellow yachties already anchored here.

Macona Inlet

With winds gusting from 20 to 30 knots we look like being here for another day or two yet! The only boats that seem to be moving around are the charterers making the most of their  days in the Whitsundays.
Just on dusk last night a big cabin cruiser came roaring in and ground to a halt when it hit the reef. Unbelievable assuming that this new-looking multi-million dollar boat would have the latest navigation systems and warnings. The skipper managed to back it off the reef before heading out to deeper waters to anchor.

There are many caves and eroded rock formations along the beach in Macona. Leigh looks like she's in the jaws of a giant hippo!