Boating at Mourilyan Harbour (aka social distancing)

We are living in strange and uncertain times at the moment. With COVID-19 measures in place cancelling the girls’ sport and other activities, we have found ourselves with free weekends, but avoiding crowded areas and tourist hubs. Still wanting to get out of the house, but mindful of trying to maintain social distancing , we decided that taking the boat out and having a go at bucket list item number 10 (Go fishing and catch a big fish) was the way to go.

Mourilyan Harbour is a short drive from home, and is primarily used as a sugar export port facility, with a boat ramp and jetty for recreational fishing in the harbour, or for heading out to some nearby reefs. It is not uncommon to spot cassowaries near the few houses en route to the harbour, and we were lucky enough to see some the way out, and back, including a large chick! (Bucket list item number 1: Check out a wild cassowary; we’ve put a photo in the collage at the end).

We were on the outgoing tide and the water was a bit choppy, with plenty of wind about. We anchored at a few spots in the mouth of the harbour, but the fishing was pretty poor. Despite trying a variety of baits and lures we only got two bites, and landed one fish – an Oxeye Herring – which made for some good sport on the light line, but was returned to the water. A reasonable size, but not really ‘The Big One’ that the bucket list is aiming for.

Despite this, we enjoyed our day of isolation. A picnic on the boat (ham and cheese sandwiches) for lunch, and mooring over in the mangroves for a little exploring. Mr M took a further chance to try his hand at fishing from the rocky point. The girls and I enjoyed the different colours of the rocks, the varieties of snails and little crabs we spotted, the birds and butterflies, and were intrigued by the discarded man-made items we happened upon.