I can’t remember anything special on that day’s paddle, way offshore again, crossing directly over from Galiwinku to Yabooma Island..

The only “special” was that due to strong spring tides I couldn’t make it in daylight – daylight is here from 6.30 am to 6.30 pm only. So there was no other chance than to give it a night landing. Usually no problem – if you know where you want to go…

One hour before the landing I couldn’t even make out a beach on the eastern tip of Yabooma island. But I assumed there will be one, I saw it on Google Earth already. So not too many worries. But landing on an island at night which belongs toi the “Crocodile Island” group is still even a bit more scary…

Thanks to the GPS, which tells me exactly where I am and where reefs and rocks are. The moon decided to hide still a bit behind clouds, so it was pretty dark. I was approaching the stretch of coast where i assumed a beach just with listening, flashing my torch around for glooming eyes in the water. But it didn’t got through to the beach. Eventually it sounded like “beach” with easy landing – luckily no surf or such, and the last meters I could make out the beach with assumimgly a good campsite.

Landing was easy then, still flashing the light for any animal’s eyes, but besides a bunch of birds there was nobody there. I quickly made camp, and fell sound asleep into my birthday’s night.

Text message from Freya via satellite phone:

12.02 134.59 60km. 7:00 am  to 7:30pm. Nice night landing on Yabooma Island in the Crocodile Island group.