The Patmobile enters the tropics
The Brisbane Broncos beat the Sydney Roosters in the Rugby League Grand Final and all of Queensland seems thrilled with this outcome.
The boys look happy as we go for lift off
The boys get dunked in the brine
We have no sooner recovered our breath from parasailing than we are let loose on a jet ski. This is like a motorbike on the water with a 900cc engine. It is thrilling to jump the waves and skim along at 50 mile per hour. Alan even gets to try his driving skills, and gets an unexpected swim for his troubles while I barely manage to cling on. Still, there was no harm done and we both got back to shore safe and sound.
There is a bizarre story on the news about a 1.8 metre cod at the Cairns fish market which was found to have a human head in its stomach when it was cut open for cleaning. This transpires to be the only remains of a trawlerman who fell overboard last week and is assumed to have been eaten by sharks, with the ambitious cod attempting to devour the leftovers. It is a scary reminder of the hazards of the deep and certainly puts cod in a new light.
In the evening we board the Solway Lass tall ship which is to be our home for the next three days along with 22 other wannabe sailors. This is a dramatic looking vessel which was built in 1902 and has worked all over the world under a variety of names since then (including a period as the "Adolf" for the German navy in WWI !!). It has reasonably comfortable cabins and a rigging that would have fitted in well on The Onedin Line. Most of our fellow sailors are a fantastic bunch, who are too numerous to mention in detail. We anchor in a quiet and dark island inlet for the night, which is excellent for stargazing when the light are quenched late at night. The Southern Cross, Milky Way and many shooting stars are clearly visible out here.
After motoring around the Whitsunday Islands we are dropped for the afternoon on the stunningly picturesque Whitehaven Beach which has the finest whitest sand I have ever seen. Swimming, sunbaking and frisbee throwing make for a pleasant interlude. In many ways we can count ourselves lucky to have been able to swim at this beach; in one of natures cruel tricks, most of the beautiful tropical beaches of Queensland are un-swimmable during the summer months due to the swarms of deadly Box Jellyfish which infest the water. Thankfully, this is not a problem in August.
Our sumptuous dinner onboard is followed by drinking, cards and jokes (eg. Liam the 60-something from Victoria contributes "Everybody in my family is a singer, even the sewing machine") late into the night. There is a large contingent of young Swedes on board who provide a steady stream of Swedish dance music and accompanying dance moves. The current favourite would appear to be "Sore Klop" which is accompanied by pressing ones hands to the imaginary ceiling.
The happy sailors as seen from on high,I am the one falling overboard.
In the afternoon the wind picks up so we finally get to sail the beautiful ship without the infernal rumbling of the engines. It is pretty hard work getting all 8 (or 9 ?) sails up but is lovely to see the sails full as we cruise along at a stately 5 knots to the sound of the bow cutting the waves.
Cap'n Pat imperils all aboard the Solway Lass
- Costume or lack thereof
- Swinging action and entry
- Screaming or verbal utterances
However, the clear winner on all counts has to the lovely Els from Holland. Not being a very strong swimmer, she gets her boyfriend Goerk (?) to swing first and wait fro her in the water with a flotation device. Then while flying through the air she screams "Goerk, will you marry me ?" to the amazement of boyfriend and the 30 onlookers. Goerk says YES and they are welcomed back onboard to thunderous applause.
After the high adrenalin of three days at sea, it is vaguely disappointing to be back on dry land, but most of us sea puppies meet up in mainland bars that light to relive the enjoyment of it all.
Solway Lass survivors live it up on dry land. Clockwise from right; Louise, Chris, Sam(antha), Swedish guy 1, Swedish guy 2, Kim, Pat, Liam. (photo courtesy of Louise Beard)
It is with heavy hearts that Alan and myself must leave this happy event and press north along the shore, but we do have a deadline of getting Alan on an airplane from Cairns back to Ireland in a few days, so we must press on.
Kim from the Solway Lass had joked that she would probably pass our broken down car on the road to Cairns and her prediction is almost fulfilled within a few kilometres of leaving Airlie Beach when the Patmobile loses power and adopts and unhealthy engine note. A diversion to the local RACQ office rectifies the fault (a broken spark lead) and we proceed north to the city of Townsville where we stop for the night.