Wednesday 24 October Eagles and the Blue River

early morning stillness

car ford on the blue river

Another still morning in the Carenage after overnight rain which washed the salt off the decks). The sun came out later and we were able to enjoy our mid morning tea watching an eagle flying above the trees. Here in our inland anchorage the sounds of bird song dominate, piercing the otherwise absolute silence. No cars, no planes, no wind in the rigging, silence apart from the birds.
Taking advantage of the rising tide we took the dinghy exploring the western arm of the bay. There are two rivers, each with waterfalls, which feed into this valley and each is shallow with submerged rocks to negotiate. Last year we visited the eastern river so today we trying a new area. I make a copy of the chartlet in our cruising guide and shove it in my pocket to save the 'is it this way or that way?' when we're on route. We find the hot spring in the middle of the mouth of the stream. On a patch of rock which is uncovered below high water there's a bath size, brick built pool fed with a trickle of hot water from a length if black pipe. Who built it? Where does the pipe connect to to feed the hot water and does anyone come to sit in a bath in mid stream? It's a mystery we leave behind as we navigate our way up the slow flowing stream avoiding the submerged rocks which are just waiting to dink the blades of the outboard motor. There are mangroves, ferns, palm trees, deciduous trees lining the steep, orange rock banks and ahead of us a staircase of boulders with the blue tumbling over them. We tied the dinghy to a big rock and continued on foot, clambering over rocks until we reached a road and a ford across the river. The water's clear, fresh and very blue. Hence being known as the Blue River. We explored the paths leading from the river and a walker's cabin by the ford.

enal colony ruins and David

Carenage anchorage

On our way back down river we crossed over to the other bank where the chartlet showed we'd find ruins of the earlier French penal colony and another waterfall. Dinghy was tied to the last remaining post of an old wharf and we scrambled up the rocks onto the track. As we followed the path along the banks of the tributary stream we found the ruins – two stone built houses, their roofs gone and now overgrown by trees - and then up to the waterfall, more 'stream flowing over / around big rocks'.
What the photos can't show is the intense colour and cling factor of the soil. It's raw umber / orange, rich in minerals which are being mined nearby, and it sticks like chewing gum in your shoe treads. We had to scrub our shoes with a brush and bucket of seawater before they could come on board or we'd have stained the decks.
Late afternoon and the wind's filling in to the forecasted SW 15 – 20 knots. No chance of taking any photos of a beautiful sunset tonight. It was cold enough for us to eat dinner down below this evening and to appreciate the warmth of the duvet.