VISITING SAILERS, UTV BEACH PATROLS and DOLPHINS

Hi again

In the last post I mentioned an 86 year old yachtie who dropped into Croker Island with engine trouble. 

Last weekend I invited him ashore for a meal (and a chat). What an interesting person! 

As a 15 year old he left Norway and went to sea. He jumped ship in Melbourne as a young man. With a cheeky smile he said, ' you could do that in those days without getting locked up'. He headed off to inland Australia with a dream of being a ringer, which included working at Panda Pandi station near Birdsville. After some years of working in dry and dusty places he realise the he 'had the sea in his blood' so he moved back to the coast. After building a yacht in a back yard in Fremantle, WA,  he worked at many remote mining sites around the coast. Somewhere in there he circumnavigated the globe in his yacht which included wintering in northern Norway, crossing the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Before Covid came upon us he was planning another circumnavigation which was to include passing Cape Horn, which can be a particularly dangerous stretch of water. This plan is still to be ticked off.

Below he is in his tender in Mission Bay.

  Below he returns to his yacht with a tropical storm in the background. After months of largely cloudless skies during the dry season, the skies recently are much more interesting. 

Below I have included four short videos taken while involved in our ranger work. The first two are taken from one of our UTV buggies. Firstly, travelling down to, and along a remote beach at low tide.


Secondly, this video shows some dead casuarina trees - the result of very high tides this year. We have been observing quite a lot of this sort of thing recently.

The next two videos were taken off the ranger boat. Firstly, another special interaction with dolphins. 

And lastly, coming back into Mission Bay, Croker Island after a boat patrol. This one shows one of the yachts mentioned in the last blog and then towards the end of this video the community of Minjilang can be seen in the background. 

Bless ya all

Bryan






Comments

Keith Buchanan said…
Hi Bryan,
As usual, your blog is very interesting. Makes me somewhat jealous of your lifestyle out of suburbia .I’m sure that the temperatures and humidity would probably scare me. God’s richest blessings on you as you toil away in paradise.
Unknown said…
Always love to hear and see your life around Croker. Can I see some photos or video of your house and yard and the community you live in?
Kent
Janeen said…
The old sailor sounded like a man you need to write a book about. I'd love to hear more about his life and the things he has seen. Retirement villages need a few yachts.

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