Gove to Maningirida

Gove /Nhulunbuy has been our spot until Tuesday 18th May when we up anchored at 0625. Monday evening we hopped into our hired Ute and picked up Taz and Reef from the airport. We spoke to him on the 13th of May, indicating that there was an airport in Gove and if he wanted to come up, the next minute Taz had booked tickets for himself and Reef. The little airport was surprisingly busy waiting the second of only two flights that enter the airport. Two well endowed ‘entertainers’ for the local miners were also on the flight – which caused many heads to turn as they picked up their zebra patterned luggage from the carrousel.
Our time in Gove was one of chilling out and enjoying the yacht club for meals, drinks, [especially happy hour] catching up with the washing and refueling. We had read that it was the most expensive place to purchase diesel, but to our surprise it has a long way to go to match Sydney.
Gove had no expectations for us except it would be hot. The spot for us to anchor was near the bauxite processing plant and in front of the yacht club. There were other vessels there as lots lived on their boats while working for RIO while many we saw, no one was around them and shame to say they looked like it.
Meeting some of the locals and listening to their stories plus their passion for the area as why they have elected to stay after traveling here and then securing employment in teaching, administration or the mining industry. An interesting fact regarding the mine and how they get the bauxite from the mine to the plant at the port; is the use of a conveyer belt which is over 23 km long. They even have their own seasons e.g. Granny season, when the weather cools sufficient that allows the relatives to come for a visit, cute.

Our passage from Gove was through the famous hole in the wall, in the Wessel group of Islands. This passage, called Gugari Rip is approx 60 meters wide and just over 2 km long. The tides play a very important part as it can run over 10kts. With all available reading material, tide book and advice from a local fishing tour operator we chose 1140 as the start time for entering, this meant a early start and with the forecast 15 to 20 and a beam sea, not the most comfortable passage for the family. They both did surprisingly well (playing Pirate’s to stop the sea sickness!) and after 3 hours we turned more north and the count down started for the approach into the ‘hole in the wall’. Ian took Kiella through and while Taz handled the camera and Reef and I sat outside and looked at the amazing vista (and the unfortunate rocks that people had graffitied on.)

Our anchorage for the evening was just south in an unnamed bay and in a non surveyed area .The next morning while trying to lower the dingy our crane decided to have a hissy fit and gave way, the dingy lightly bounced off the side of Kiella turning it on its side therefore spilling the anchor and dislodging the outboard which hung there for a second before sliding into the water, Well it was back on board within minutes after Ian grabbed his snorkeling gear and jumped in with a rope, while Taz bailed out the water. The rest of what happened with in those moments I will leave to your imagination; needless to say after some attention and spraying it goes, but will have a check up when we get to Darwin. We spent time playing on the beach and checking out the maize of animal tracks across the sand and even spotted a 40 cm high animal (miniature wallaby?). A sea eagle took off as we climbed a sand dune a large feather fell out which we came across; later that evening we saw it catch a fish.
The next day we headed north as Coastal Watch who had again radioed us; had passed on the co-ordinates of FA with their permission .We met them latter that day and we all enjoyed a display of large manta rays fishing.[ The next day one leaped out between our boats and gave all a display of the power and size of this magnificent fish.]Around 1600 when some of the heat from the day had gone we all enjoyed another walk, Frisbee throwing, making letters and numbers in the sand for Reef to read and looking at soldier crabs checking out one an others shells .Being aware of the environment and its possible inhabitants we are always on the look out; when Ian suddenly popped his hand up to stop, in front was large fresh tracks of a crocodile. We took a quick photo and headed back to our dingy.
Early the next morning, with help from Bill we secured the dingy to the duck board and headed WSW to Maningirida in the Liverpool River as we have a meeting with a fuel barge. From there we have 9 days to get to Darwin and so many more interesting places to visit and explore.