Sherrard Island. 60km, 7 am  to 3:30 pm. On light sea I passed the Night(mare) island with the lovely territorial resident. Pure nature here on low tide!

Sherrard Island West and East

Sherrard Island was reached fast on that calm day via two lighthouse marks – Bow Reef and Waterwitch Reef. Again, it’s nice to have something sticking out eventually on the horizon to head for!

Three prawn trawlers headed almost in a line towards me from the night’s shift, probably for the lee of Morris island I just left.

I waved shortly and friendly to all of them, assuming they will see me, but no one showed up on deck to wave back. Just the last trawler pulled in towards me and stopped – I stopped as well, sure my friendly waving wasn’t mistaken as a distress signal – but obviously the asian looking fisherman and his young boy deckhand were thinking exactly that! Sorry, but nice to check on me anyway…the first prawn trawler who took actually notice beside the one I was disturbing at lunchtime.

I left Night Island way to the left, as I read about two scary croc encounters on that island…no place to be!

Sherrard Island was marked on the map as two islands east and west, and I was sure I’ll head for the western one, as this was on the reef’s edge and the eastern one almost in the middle – not to be reached at low tide at all.

Southern side through the reef

I had to paddle around to the northern side to find a lovely natural harbour, just in between some rocks, no sharks, crocs, stingers…just crystal clear, warm water…I took a quick bath, still not 100% sure about what may pull up to my legs…what a pity, actually! But first to be safe, then the pleasure…

It showed that the western island was a low sandy island with some grass, connected on low tide to the eastern one via a reef I could walk on. It had some trees on it, but the beach from the distance proved to be very coarse corals and nothing to camp on at all.

But the reef at low tide was an experience to explore! I pulled my boat up only high enough for an early walk arriving at 3.30pm already, stripped all my clothes besides Tevas and neoprene socks to protect my feet, and went beachcombing…I took heaps of beautiful nature pictures and did my Easter Egg collection of thongs – from baby size to adult’s!

This island was my favourite, and again – at low tide quite a nature experience!

Some seagulls felt obviously disturbed by my presence and flew Kamikaze around my tent at dusk!