Island Time
It’s a well known fact that time moves differently when living on
an island.
Life’s slower, more
relaxed.
“ Woops, I missed the
boat! Oh well,
not to worry… another one will come along sooner or
later.”
This event is a casual affair in the spirit of Island
Time. There are 7
published caches on the Southern Moreton Bay Islands of Russell, Lamb,
Macleay and Karragarra.
The aim of this event is to encourage those geocachers (new and old) who have
put a trip to the Islands in the ‘too hard basket’, because
(a)
you
haven’t actually heard of them,
(b)
you might have to find out where they are
(c)
you’d have to find out about the ferry timetable
(d)
where the hell does the ferry leave from?
(e)
where do I park?
(f)
do they speak English over there?
(g)
are there any shops?
(h)
can I take the bicycle and the
geohound?
(i)
how much does it cost?
And
(
j
) is it true they’re known as the Half-Wit Sundays??
Well I’m going to take care of all that boring stuff for you, so
that you can cruise down here to the Bayside, park, buy a ticket,
then spring onto the Waterbus and
Go Caching
.
Too
easy! I’m also
working on hiding a few extra caches to tempt those
cachers that have already been
here to come back, which I plan to have published the day
before the Event.
Then at lunchtime we can all meet up on
Karragarra
Island
to have lunch and a bit of a chat, between 11.30 & 2.30
ish. Depending on what time you start,
whether you walk or cycle, it’s possible to visit all the caches in
the morning, stop for lunch, then maybe even find a few of the many
caches in the Redlands on the way home. What value! Or you might like to take
your
time, have a swim, do a bit of exploring, maybe even buy a block of land if you feel the
urge.
Essential supplies:
Mosquito repellent and
sunscreen (hopefully it won’t be raining). Oh and bring some mosquito
repellent – 2 bottles to be safe!
This section of the
listing has been edited since the Event, to provide
ongoing information for
cachers who want to come to
the Islands
in
the future. I
will keep this page up to date as information
changes.
Parking
and Transportation:
The Waterbus (not to be
confused with the car barge) leaves from Redland
Bay
.
For a map and
timetable look
here
The Waterbus terminal
is off Banana
Street. There is parking available here,
however it is very difficult to find a park on the
weekends. It may
be necessary to park on the street or beside the Car Barge, which
you can see ahead of you as you turn into Banana
St. Please be aware that both the
Council and the Police regularly give out tickets, so it’s worth
the extra effort to park legally.
An
Island
Hopper ticket can be bought at
the Ticket Office, which entitles you to a return trip to
the Islands
and 3
inter-island trips, which allows you to hop between the
islands. You may
visit the islands in any order you choose. $14.50 for adults, $7.50 for
children 5-14, and free for children under 5. Concessions available.
Bikes
and Dogs:
Both are
allowed. Dogs must be
on a lead, and if you bring your bicycle it is important to bring a
stretchy strap to secure the bike when on the
boat. If there
are a lot of bikes on the boat they may be tied to the front
deck.
Shops:
There are shops within
walking distance of the jetty on 3 of the
islands. There is
no shop on Karragarra
Island
. There is a small shop
on Lamb
Island
where
you can buy hot food at lunchtime, a Foodworks on the main road on
Russell
Island
, and a shop up the hill past the Pub on Macleay
Island
. You can get a counter
meal at the Pub at lunchtime on the weekends.
Swimming:
There is a swimming
enclosure with a sandy beach on Karragarra
Island
, and also on Russell
Island
, both close to the jetty. Karragarra is the nicer place for a picnic, with
tables and a playground. There are Public Toilets close to
all of the jettys.
Swimming is only
possible at mid to high tide, so it’s best to check the tides
before you come. Check
the tide here – type Brisbane Bar in the search field and add about
30 mins to the time.
If you are coming over
for the day, I’d welcome an email. I’m a shift worker so I can
be home during the week or on the weekends – if I’m
able to I’d love to meet up with you, to provide some local
knowledge or just a cold drink.
Whatever you do, don’t
forget the mossie repellent, as you
won’t survive without it!