WA island life-two extremes (edited with more photos etc)
Travelling with my 5 kids-
Last week 5 days at the Abrolhos-totally alone other than the pearl farm camp lights in the distance.
Pulled the boat down to the Metropolis and launched at Nedlands, now moored outside the Quokka Arms with a band playing.
Enjoying both greatly but suprised somewhat at how many great rigs that dont go further than Thompson Bay and maybe Garden Island?
Feel free to pop past and say hello if you see us over the next few days around Rotto/river, i wont accuse you of pinging
note-I realise most of you already know this place inside out-but I see posts from people also who dont have the confidence to head out there plus I cant recall seeing much if any photos on here of the place?
First time theyve seen a quokka. I told them they live in the trees, and it was about an hour before one scratched their head and asked how they climb trees cos kangaroos cant...
Squeezing into the cabin to watch a movie at night
EVERY boat has a toilet...
Did the circumnavigation of the island and stopped into Parker Point together with the 50 odd boats already anchored there. Spotted the rays swimming around so jumped over with the snorkels and the two young fellas plus one of the girls and had a swim with them-looked great but realized Id left the gopro SD card at home
However young bloke said as we were swimming to the shore "Dad my neck is stinging-REALLY stinging"
Last morning at 5am.
The cat next to us had a couple of young (!!) blokes on it, great guys, very friendly and having a great time just chillin, fishing and having a beer listening to a few tunes
Family photo-
That decends into farce as usual
Cant do this at the Abrolhos
Well you can but its a bit quieter...
All in all a great trip, especially considering it was at I think the busiest time of the year?
Everyone (except maybe the boaty who nearly ran us down while we were sorting an outboard problem-see my post below) was helpful, friendly and just havin a good time.
Got home tonite.
Give a man a mask, and he'll show you his true face...
The older you get the more you realize that no one has a f++king clue what they're doing.
Everyone's just winging it.
jng
Posts: 488
Date Joined: 03/08/07
Living life!! Hope my little
Living life!! Hope my little one grows up enjoying the water as much as yours!
justin
scotto
Posts: 2470
Date Joined: 21/04/08
Yep,
Many $100-$200+k boats that barely make it out of the river rob, and nearly all would've popped more champagne corks than had fishing rods on board.
More people own cruiser boats, just to say they own a cruiser boat. You are part of minority that not only knows how to use your boat, but actually does.
Rob H
Posts: 5745
Date Joined: 18/01/12
So far only met friendly and
So far only met friendly and very helpful boaties-cheers to the guys on both sides who jumped straight in the water and grabbed our stern lines and pulled us in-made it easy!
Give a man a mask, and he'll show you his true face...
The older you get the more you realize that no one has a f++king clue what they're doing.
Everyone's just winging it.
Fishobrad80
Posts: 61
Date Joined: 24/03/13
Now that's living Rob!
Now that's living Rob! What's the deal with staying at the abrolhos? Is there somewhere to stay or camp? Went there couple years back on charter, and would love to do a a trip with my mate and his Southwind!
Rob H
Posts: 5745
Date Joined: 18/01/12
If you know someone with a
If you know someone with a jetty you can get a signed authorization to use it but otherwise just anchor or better still use a star picket into the island coral for a stern line.
Give a man a mask, and he'll show you his true face...
The older you get the more you realize that no one has a f++king clue what they're doing.
Everyone's just winging it.
Vinesh87
Posts: 2751
Date Joined: 02/04/11
Yeh nice, pretty sad a lot of
Yeh nice, pretty sad a lot of boats that never get used!!!
My cuz's get to grow up with the same lifestyle your talking about, except even more remote. Hope the same for my kids one day.
Would come over and say hello but have to go to work as some stage. Will be joining you in abrohlos very sooon !!
Rob H
Posts: 5745
Date Joined: 18/01/12
Hey vin, boat hasnt moved
Hey vin, boat hasnt moved from front of pub yet:-)
gonna take a run round the north side tomorrow, maybe a circumnavigation to say we've done it
Give a man a mask, and he'll show you his true face...
The older you get the more you realize that no one has a f++king clue what they're doing.
Everyone's just winging it.
jarrid
Posts: 363
Date Joined: 20/08/10
Pretty sure I passed you in
Pretty sure I passed you in jurien the other day when I was coming back. Blue landcruiser?
rotto is a cool place for the kids. Will be nice and warm tomorrow. Enjoy it.
Rob H
Posts: 5745
Date Joined: 18/01/12
Yep thats us, about
Yep thats us, about lunchtime?
Give a man a mask, and he'll show you his true face...
The older you get the more you realize that no one has a f++king clue what they're doing.
Everyone's just winging it.
jarrid
Posts: 363
Date Joined: 20/08/10
Yep. We had cracked it after
Yep. We had cracked it after having two days of crap weather so were heading back home.
Rob H
Posts: 5745
Date Joined: 18/01/12
Did the full circumnav
Did the full circumnav today
Got to the Westend and just carried on-Parker Point was a highlight, kids swimming with the Eagle and sting rays.
Til Mac got a stinger round the neck.
Pretty impressive welt but forgotten 10 min later.
Give a man a mask, and he'll show you his true face...
The older you get the more you realize that no one has a f++king clue what they're doing.
Everyone's just winging it.
scubafish
Posts: 949
Date Joined: 15/08/12
THE ROCK
Nothing beats the Rock,
Have a beer for me on the wall.
Enjoy.
http://img.gg/BQ91Sys
Rob H
Posts: 5745
Date Joined: 18/01/12
Headed back to Freo today,
Headed back to Freo today, earlier than i would have preferred but work beckons.
Bit of drama on the way in, got halfway and an alarm from port outboard overtemp.
Stopped and lifted it and didnt see anything though there was some rubbish in the water beside it. I thought the impellor was probably cooked so continued on using one at 7 knots.
Thanks muchly to the bloke in the 35 footer whose GPS appeared to be stuck and passed us 20 meters away at 20 knots without even acknowledging us-we didnt require any assistance however a boat drifting in a strong southerly with an outboard up and a bloke hanging over the back certainly would have caught my eye?
Decided to skip plodding all the way up the river due to time so rang FSC harbour master who displayed a little more of the seafarers ethos and simply could not have done more.
A spot to park, use of the ramp and a gate key while i collected the trailer.
Slipped it and i dropped the leg, nothing wrong with impellor so put it back together and relaunched then gave her a good hard run into the southerly with no probs.
All in all an enjoyable trip and you guys are lucky having Rottnest on your doorstep.
Met one FW'er over there (Steve) and spotted by several others on the road (trainspotters
!)
Will chuck up some more pics when we get home tonite as there is something odd with loading pics from my iphone, keeps loading same pic no matter which i select.
Give a man a mask, and he'll show you his true face...
The older you get the more you realize that no one has a f++king clue what they're doing.
Everyone's just winging it.
Rob H
Posts: 5745
Date Joined: 18/01/12
updated-more pics etc
updated-more pics etc
Give a man a mask, and he'll show you his true face...
The older you get the more you realize that no one has a f++king clue what they're doing.
Everyone's just winging it.
Cruise Control
Posts: 972
Date Joined: 03/11/10
Hey RobDidn't make the
Hey Rob
Didn't make the Abrohlos, I see. Nevermind looks like you guys had a good time down here anyway. You might have to upgrade the boat size when those kids grow a bit, 5 would be real cosy in there. Dad obviously bunks down on deck !
cheers
Rob H
Posts: 5745
Date Joined: 18/01/12
yeah we went on Boxing Day
yeah we went on Boxing Day for 4 nights to Southern Group, home for a night then down to Rotto!
Used to be 5 in the cabin and me on deck, now the oldest swags outside beside me and with a cabin infill theres heaps of room for the 4 in there.
Give a man a mask, and he'll show you his true face...
The older you get the more you realize that no one has a f++king clue what they're doing.
Everyone's just winging it.
MandurahMatt
Posts: 613
Date Joined: 18/09/13
That's living Barry :-)
That's living Barry :-)
Bewdey Fellaz
Faulkner Family
Posts: 17872
Date Joined: 11/03/08
sounds like a great trip.
sounds like a great trip. what a way to spend a few days of summer
RUSS and SANDY. A family that fishes together stays together
JohnF
Posts: 2836
Date Joined: 07/07/10
Awesome stuff Rob!!!! I am
Awesome stuff Rob!!!!
I am off to rotto tomorrow with the whole family for an overnighter, first one on my Whaler.
FW guys, feel free to say gday.
Boston Whaler 235 Conquest......getting the flogging it was built for.
Rob H
Posts: 5745
Date Joined: 18/01/12
wish Id stayed a couple of
wish Id stayed a couple of extra days now! Take plenty of rope so you can pull away from the beach and back in for the morning.
When I texted you John Id just passed a Conquest/Verado near the end of the river with a family aboard and thought it may have been you?
Give a man a mask, and he'll show you his true face...
The older you get the more you realize that no one has a f++king clue what they're doing.
Everyone's just winging it.