Oz Circumnavigation
Silvergull
Silvergull Creek
By now we have had already a big taste of the sheer diversity of what lay in store for us over the next few weeks as we head N/NE to Darwin. Not only the incredible scenery, but the tides, currents, out of the way places to go, different fish to catch, and of course the much maligned saltwater crocodile.
We were very early able to try out our Jarrah Nulla Nulla (hardwood club) on one too over friendly chap who came straight to our mouth size inflatable dinghy with a fascination with Tony’s popper lure, so Tony had the privilege of administering the persuader. We think the saltie got a serious headache, but naturally didn’t stick around to enquire.
The only time you ever hear about when someone is taken by a croc it has always been always death by human misadventure.
Up at Kings Cascade falls on the Prince Regent river in the late 80’s an American model, Ginger Meadows, was caught stranded on a rock ledge as the tide rapidly rose and had to swim back to the dinghy, and ran into a hungry crocodile that had been patiently waiting for the main course.
The rules we should follow up here are:
Just because you can’t see them doesn’t mean they are not here.
No fish cleaning off the swim step.
Never go ashore arriving at the same spot as previously done.
Don’t invade their territory particularly when eggs are hatching, and of course
“You should never smile at a crocodile”.
This is all so simple to learn, just like not passing a car on a bend.
Our first stop from “The Pool” at Sunday Island was Silvergull Creek some 50 nm (100 km’s which was adjacent to the well known areas of Crocodile and Dog Leg Creeks.
The trip had us going through places called Whirlpool Pass and dodging many reefs and sandbars, with tidal currents pushing you along, or holding you back on the nose, and reported to sometimes run up to 6 knots.
This section has been an interesting test of navigation and the most testing so far, but were relieved to find our charts very accurate.
We had 4 different electronic charts on board. Nobeltec, C-Map, the new MaxSea, and Garmin, as well as paper charts, so we were pretty well catered for.
Crocodile Creek
Crocodile Creek was fascinating, as like most of the inlets you can go into are usually big and named after the creeks or rivers that flow into them.
Crocodile Creek dries out on LWS (low water springs), but a pond exists up at the falls where you can tie up your big boat to some mooring lines on the rock face if you go in on HW springs, and become completely landlocked in an area of about 200 sq m.
There is a SS ladder put in by mining company BHP that allows you to climb up to the pool under the waterfall and visit a famous hut with a BBQ area.
This hut is adorned with all sorts of objects where passing boaties have left a memento of their visit, and similar to the A frame hut on Middle Percy Is on the east coast, adjacent to Mackay.
We were surprised to find the pool and hut full of fit young men, who were enjoying some R&R off the Navy patrol boat HMAS Maryborough anchored around in Silvergull Creek. They had been dropped off from a boarding boat that had gone fishing.
Navy patrol boat HMAS Maryborough
Glad to see our taxes at work close up, but after 3 months at sea guarding our coastline from illegal immigrants, and fishing, we believe they deserved their break.
I asked whether Lisa McCune was on board, but was told it was an all male crew. (Lisa McCune is an actress who play the XO in the TV series “Sea Patrol”.)
Sailors at Silvergull Creek at ladder to hut
We left a contribution by writing our names and what we were doing on our 10,000 nm Nordhavn pennant given to owners by PAE, and displayed it with the hundreds of other articles that varied from items of clothing to mooring buoys. These pennants are sent to you when you reach milestones of every 5,000 nm.(see pic)
Hanging the 10,000 nm Nordhavn pennant in the hut at Crocodile Creek
I thought about saving this pennant but knew it was to become redundant as my 15,000 nm pennant should be sent soon.