Edeline Island

Wednesday- 10/07/2013

We weighed anchor (manually) at first light to catch the last of the outgoing tide and hopefully get to Buccaneer Archipelago  at the change of the tide to turn south towards Hidden Island and then onto Edeline Island.

What beautiful islands around this area when you think you have seen the best you find more surprises. I wonder what Tasman and Dampier thought when they saw these places, we have sailed half way around the world and seen some beautiful places but I think we have the best in Australia. It is the different rock formations that stand out. One thing I found interesting that all the early visitors to this country no matter where they approached land they were scared off by Aborigines, our early governments have a lot to answer for by rounding them up and putting them in missions and alike.

(Dorothy Island near Coppermine Creek)

(Dampier's Monument)

 

(Island or rock, one chart plotter indicates and island the other a rock)

 (Islands of the Buccaneer Archipelago)

  (Passage through the islands)

 

(Many places have water turbulence)

When you think of it the Europeans killed off a lot of natives in the southern hemisphere when visiting islands just in spreading diseases like the common cold that natives had never experienced and had no immune system against it, literally thousands we killed this way in the Pacific.

Most of the islands here are rocky but that is what makes them attractive is the different rugged shapes and colours of the rocks. Today the seas made it more attractive as there were no wind waves and the seas were flat and shining, the tides around the islands cause eddies which makes it hard for George (the auto pilot0 to steer a straight course so I had to hand steer in some places the eddies would send us screaming to port and next to starboard which is not good in narrow waterways when there are hidden rocks below the surface.

Entering the bay to anchor at Edeline Island is quite straight forward but stay in the centre with plenty depth of water, on the chart plotters it shows a darker blue area of 5m depth don't try to anchor there as it is a rock bottom, we found out the hard way especially when I had to bring the anchor up manually for the second time today. Where we anchored finally is very good holding.

 

(Chart showing anchorage)

Care should also be taken if passing the island as the reef extends a way out and sometimes only shows at low tides.

 

(Days end)

 

Thursday - 11/07/2013

 

(Natures sculptures, this one above has a piece of rock fallen and looks like it is supporting the isolated rock)

(Nancy walking by one of the sculptures indicates the size)

Edeline Island has some graves from the early days of Mother of Pearl divers many lost their lives whilst diving as the early days they skin dived with no equipment just holding their breathes as they went metres to the seabed. The first diver were Aborigines many lugger skippers forced Aborigines men, women and young children to dive for payment of little to eat, they said they would not know what to do with money at times if they fell sick they would be dropped off at the nearest shore and left to fend for themselves. The Japanese and Koreans that came to dive who were paid also lost lives and buried ashore. I n the 1890's the pearling attracted boats from  Thursday Island, Torres Strait and further places like Japanese, Chinese, Malays, Koepangers, and Filipinos, the Japanese becoming the dominant divers and crews on luggers their heavy suits and helmets improved the industry.

(Nancy putting flowers on the graves as a sign of respect, I believe if we visit such sites we should show some respect. When you think these graves may never have been seen by their families and the families may not know they exist)

This morning we went ashore to visit the graves, there were five or six it was hard to tell as over the years they have been affected with the weather and the slate stone that was used has broken up with age. One grave had some engraving  on the headstone A....a Julio 1889 we placed a couple of wild flowers on each grave as a sign of respect.

 

(Julio's grave, the flowers right we put on each grave)

The slate type sandstone along the beach has been made a work of art by the weather and seas as though some have been sculptured. The area is very attractive looking out from the island across the waters there is plenty of beauty especially today as the seas is flat and like glass.

There are many other small islands around but they are rather rocky but it adds to the picturesque views of the archipelago.

As we sat down for dinner one of the tourist catamarans pulled in an anchored a short distance away. It was one we had not seen before, it is quite surprising how many charter boats operate in the Kimberley's today.

Cheers