Pancake Creek and the Hermit

by | May 22, 2019 | Australia, Queensland Coast | 0 comments

Good sail up the coast from Bundeberg to Pancake Creek. Wind was behind us the whole way and blowing 15 – 20 knots. Only had a little bit of headsail out and managing 6 knots. Made it here in plenty of daylight to anchor. Stayed on the outside of the inner anchorage for one night so that we didn’t have to negotiate the channel at low tide. They, whoever they are, say that you can still get in at low tide but why chance it.

Pancake Creek anchorage is just north of the town of 1770 where Cook first set foot in Queensland. The Bustard Heads Lighthouse was erected in the mid 1800’s and manned until 1986. There is a story about man getting marooned here in 1951, after his 18meter fishing boat capsized. He spent the next 21 years making pancake creek his home and became the Hermit of Pancake Creek.

We took the dinghy over to the beach and found the walk to the Bustard Heads lighthouse to see if we could find where his ashes were laid. Maybe a memorial…. no such luck. His ashes were buried beside his shack at the time, which eventually burned down and no trace of them now.

The lighthouse itself was interesting, being manned by volunteers after they took it over when it was virtually destroyed by vandals after being automated.

Took the crab pots out and checked them the next morning …. nothing. Bait still intact.

After we had put the pots down we discovered a  problem with the dinghy outboard. The propeller was slipping and not turning the prop. Lots of revs but no power. We had the help of a couple of the local yachties here at Pancake who let us know what that problem was. So … now we have to head out to Yeppoon to get a new propeller. Fun continues ….

 

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