Quindalup, Geographe Bay, Western Australia.
This is hardly an anchorage that is exclusive to this journey, it is in fact one we have visited multiple times over the last 7 summers but it still sits right up there as a favourite. It is hardly a bay, it's in a corner of Geographe Bay, Western Australia, but what a fabulous and sheltered place it is with the headlands of Cape Naturaliste visible and shielding it from swells coming from the Southern Ocean.
The water is crystal clear over a sandy bottom. There are times you can watch blue swimmer crabs walking along. It glasses off sometimes and diving off the boat you have to persuade yourself that there really IS water between you and the sand!
The prevailing SW winds are an off-shore wind here due to Geographe Bay being north facing. A northerly here will put you on a lee shore so you do want to be on a strong mooring or safely away at the Port Geographe Marina. Easterlies aren't much fun as fetch can really build up by the time it gets to Quindalup. The rest of the time, it's a peach.
It is at Quindalup that we waited patiently to really launch this journey to firstly round Cape Naturaliste and then the mighty Cape Leeuwin in a single day.
John Cove, Bremer Bay, Western Australia.
The Farmers were on holidays with all their big boys toys.
The headland creating the cove is red but the sand of the whole crescent of Bremer Bay is eye blindingly white. The water reflects such a clear turquoise that the undersides of sea birds appear blue as they fly overhead. We'd never seen this before.
The beach sand is fine, hard, white and it squeaks. Cars drive along the beaches and anchoring in it is solid. The outlook is lovely.
It's no place to be in anything East or in a well developed swell. It transforms into a surf break off the point. At the right time though, it's nothing short of perfect.
Cape Blanche, Sceale Bay, Eyre Peninsula, South Australia.
We were tipped off about this location by Geoff Georgieu who used to own Killas Garage in Streaky Bay.
So here's a place were you tuck up behind a Cape skirted by a reef underneath 80m limestone cliffs. The headland and reef take care of wind and swell and there are enough sandy patches to avoid anchoring in the dreaded south coast scourge - ribbon weed.
This is technically still in the Great Australian Bight so the water is as clear as can be and the soil and rock of the Eyre Peninsula is so porous there are no rivers. Any water making it off land into the ocean has been filtered by the limestone first!
The cliffs change colour throughout the day depending on the light - a bit like Uluru. To be parked-up right under these imposing rock faces is splendid indeed.
This anchorage does not appear in the cruising guides. It should. It's a cracker!
Coffin Bay, Eyre Peninsula, South Australia.
Well this is almost not an anchorage because we took a mooring here but makes our list because of it's unique entry through a zig-zag run of some 17 channel markers outlining a journey through shallow oyster leases and narrow rocky overhangs. Visually, it's a magical 1.5 hour trip with the tide.
Once in the Coffin Bay basin, the water in not crystal clear at all but fecund with sea life - fish, molluscs etc.. Inside 10 days, our dinghy, ropes and Zofia's under-bits were already growing a crop!
It's a very safe haven from all weathers if you can get in without grounding. You can be rewarded with Coffin Bay oysters (bought from the garage or the processing sheds), mussels (conveniently growing from your mooring ropes), cockles (collect them from the shallow ledges, nobody is much interested when oysters are the prize) and King George whiting (need to get in the dinghy and away from the anchorage to the shallower areas).
Many people miss this either because of depth issues or because they don't want to wait for the tide or navigate the channel. They are the poorer for it.
Walkers at Fortescue Bay, Tasman Peninsula, Tasmania.
When we decided to include Tassie on our trip, this is exactly what we signed up for!
The entrance into Fortescue Bay is very grand indeed. The cliffs are made of tall red/brown pipes and the land on top tilted at 45 degree angles. It is guarded out to sea by the Hippolyte Rocks and on the south by The Lanterns. Anchoring areas are deep, deep in, and far away from marauding swells and malevolent winds. Tree grow to the waters edge and even if they are 'regrowth' and not the original forest, 60 years makes a big difference to a sapling.
The cove we fell instantly in love with, is sometimes known as Canoe Bay but locals call it 'Walkers'. Walkers Creek runs into it and there is also a walking trail along the shore. This is deep in the Tasman National Park.
The water is clear and avoiding kelp, there is lots of fine, fine silty sand to literally swallow the anchor under 3m of water, almost to the shoreline. Recommendations are for anchoring behind the wreck of the William Pitt to cut swell. We wonder though, what kind of a hellish swell would reach in so deep? We sat through some decent SW offerings that made the horizon a sawtooth but delivered, not even a ripple in this tree embraced pond.
Our enjoyment here was amplified by the sound of wind in tree tops, bird song in the forest, schools of Trevally flipping out of the water at night while being chased by a snorting seal in the darkness.
Watching Orion rising above the silhouetted ocean horizon, bracketed by the far off 'Lanterns' and the headlands on a still and clear night will be etched to the back of my eyeballs for years to come.
Beyond already high expectations, this anchorage is secure, still and velvety.
Love this blog - what an inspiring summary of top spots! Pics are all amazing....
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