Sailing Around Australia; Middle Percy Island; Another Tick on the List

Airlie Beach, Queensland

West Bay, Middle Percy Island

7/9/2015 Another Tick on the List

When I first came up with the desire to go cruising sailing, I started buying sailing magazines, both for information about types of boats and information about destinations to aim for.

Since leaving Mandurah WA in November 2013, we have stayed at least 1 night in 73 different locations. From out of the way deserted bays, to magnificent marina and resort developments. Each of these places has had some sort of appeal, but none have really matched the dream destination.

My dream was crystal clear turquoise waters lapping lazily onto white sandy beaches fringed with coconut and palm trees. Pretty much the quintessential deserted tropical island was what I had in mind as my ideal destination.

One of the first articles I read in a sailing magazine was about a destination in Queensland called Middle Percy Island. The article described with pictures of beautiful clear water, white sandy beaches and you guessed it… palm trees fringing the beach.

I also read about a curious tradition where passing boats leave an item with their boat name and date they visited the island in a hut on the beach.

The article really got my attention and fueled the spark of my cruising sailing dream. I tore the article out and it was the first of a dozen or so that I put into my destination file.

Yesterday, there was a feeling of elation combined with an air of surreal. After nearly two years on our sailing adventures, after visiting 73 destinations and approaching 3500 nautical miles, we arrived at Middle Percy Island.

As described in that first article, Middle Percy Island is a very beautiful place. With a wide sandy beach punctuated by a small creek leading off one end, a triangular roofed hut in the middle and a rocky outcrop on the other end it is postcard perfect.

The water we anchored in was bright blue and clear enough to watch a group of garfish follow our anchor down to the bottom. After settling our anchor, we dropped the dinghy and headed for shore to explore this paradise as quickly as possible.

On first view the hut looks like a junk yard of which Steptoe and sons would be proud. But once you are close enough to see all the boat names written on various items hanging, nailed or just written straight on to the building it seems to make sense.

My guess is that there are more than 500 boat names written on at least 100 different items. There are old life rings, the odd fender, many floats, flags, old oars and the face of a guitar all proudly displaying the name of the boat and the crew, then the date that they visited the island. For an hour or so we just sat taking in all the memorabilia. The earliest boat and date I saw was form 1977, but I am sure there were earlier ones there.

From the information in the hut, we found that Middle Percy Island is occupied by 5 people. The main deed holder is a descendant form the first ever lease holder, who had tried to establish sheep farming.

While we were at the hut, we met Roy and Elizabeth, fellow boaties who were on their sixth or seventh visit to Middle Percy. Roy was going to hike up to the homestead, so not knowing what to expect we tagged along with them.

It was indeed quite a hike. It was up hill all the way and we walked mostly in soft beach sand.

On arrival at the homestead, we met John who invited us up for a chat. We were also glad to find internet cover was available here for a weather report.

John and Cate are the official occupiers of Middle Percy under a deed of use from the government. They are waging an uphill battle to be self sufficient. They grow their own vegies and have a small goat herd to compliment the many feral goats that occupy the unused parts of the Island. They also have bee hives that produce honey for sale to passing yachties. John said that they cannot sustain themselves on the Island and they have to venture to Mackay for supplies on a regular basis.

It used to sound so appealing, living on a tropical Island being self sufficient. But after talking to John about how much money they have had to put in just to the homestead, the difficulty of getting anything to and from the Island (the nearest services are a hundred mile boat trip) the huge battle against mother nature (cyclones, drought and feral goats) and the fact that it all reverts back to the government in 20 years, any appeal we had quickly disappeared.

We also met Ernst, another of the 5 inhabitants of the Island. Ernst has built himself what can be best described as a two story shelter. It is basically three tin walls on a steel frame sitting on top of a flat rock. He urged us go to his place, go up to the second story and take photo’s of the amazing view. We did and weren’t disappointed. The view out over the hills and down to West Bay was indeed spectacular.

The hike back down to the bay took us along a different path. This path went down into a valley. Once we were in the lower part of the valley we were swarmed with butterflies.

Bright blue spots made the butterflies stand out in the green foliage, but swarming onto a single branch made them look like leaves. The slightest movement or sound sent flapping wings in every direction until they all settled together again.

Back on board Easy Tiger for a sundowner (5 o’clockers) with Roy and Elizabeth, we met another semi permanent resident of Middle Percy Island. Bob came out in his dinghy and came aboard with notebook and camera in hand. Bob and his partner KK, are the producers of a sailing magazine called The Coastal Passage. First I’ve heard of it, but seeing as we will be mentioned in it, will be avid readers of the next few issues at least.

Bob and KK are living aboard their catamaran in the creek at Middle Percy Island. When the tide goes out their boat is left high and dry on the mud. Not an ideal way to spend time on a tropical island. Their catamaran was de-masted at the Whitsundays and they are waiting at Middle Percy for new rigging, repairs and sails etc… to be ready for installation in Mackay.

In order to follow the tradition, we used our old, broken dinghy oar and applied the name Easy Tiger. We then took it to the hut and hung it up under the upstairs balcony. Easy Tiger was here.

This morning we hoisted our anchor and set off for Scawfell Island and the Whitsundays beyond that. As we ticked off another “must do destination” we were both commenting that after all the articles and information we had read and the anticipation of getting to Middle Percy island, it exceeded our expectations by a long way.