MAROOCHYDORE TO DICKY BEACH. Thursday, 7th June, 2019.

Yesterday we left Maroochydore in the cold wind to head down to Dicky Beach. You might have noticed I have spelt this Dickey Beach earlier which apparently it was always known as but it is one of these names for some reason got changed and down here it's definitely Dicky Beach. It was just a half hour trip today so as we  couldn't get into Dicky Beach Camp until 11.00am did a bit of side shoots on the way.

We are now out on the Alexandra Headlands looking back to the area we walked to last Monday for for coffee from Maroochydore with Anne and Graham.

Looking north from the end of the beach up to Maroochydore.

Took this picture for Dave and Jennie where we stayed all those years ago on one of our Aussie trips with the kids.

Now at Mooloolaba beach looking right up north to the Coolum hill. So thats looking north  from Mooloolaba, Alexandra Headlands, Maroochydore beach further north to Coolum Beach.

 Now we are at Mooloolaba ports out on the Spit. I will let PT explain these photos.

Yes these are all prawn trawler boats all about fifty feet long. They fish in water up to 100 fathoms (600 feet) and more often than not are two and three hundred kilometres off the Queensland coast. We were told by the captain of the boat below that the fisheries personnel will place markers on some of the prawns and he has caught several of these marked fish and has been told that some of the caught prawns have come north from far away as Victoria. The prawns are all spawned in rivers up and down the coast and when mature they swim out to sea living in always fairly deep waters. I must add that Jack has eaten a fair few of their product.

The chap below spent quite a bit if time talking with us while he was fixing up one of his nets. He may have looked at us about three times! Very friendly though and strangely his boat was named "David ........" and I always thought it traditional to have a boat named as if it was a she.

Now going up to the Lighthouse Peninsula which is parallel to the Spit with the waterways between them where the Marina Islands

All the ladies were doing their exercises right at the top just before the lighthouse. It was freezing as you can see what the girls are wearing.

Looking back over Mooloolaba from the point.

At the end this lighthouse. Not the most attractive lighthouse after all the old ones we have seen. Bit modern looking....

On the way back looking down the marina towards Mooloolaba between the Spit and the lighthouse point.



We have now arrived at Dicky Beach. Looking south along the beach. Where the life saving guards are, our camp is just in behind them.



Looking out from camp over the lagoon.

We counted five ships waiting out at sea today, we think that they are coming in and out of Brisbane.

Coming out on the beach from the Life Saving Club.

Now looking south over the lagoon.

Looking along Dicky Beach from the south end.

Moffat Beach just south of Dicky Beach. The Captain of SS Dicky beached his ship in 1893 at Dicky Beach to avoid getting shipwrecked on the rocks at Moffat Beach Point.  There were no lives lost. Hence this is where Dicky Beach got its name from and not often is a beach named after the wreck of a ship.

The above is a photo of the remains of the SS Dicky. At the moment it is covered with the wash of sand so unfortunately we can't see it. She was built in 1883 and was wrecked on Dicky beach in 1893 as the storey below. There was more of the wreck but they had to cut a lot of it away due to safety.

They need another storm to wash the sand away to expose her again. We were expecting to see it so a little disappointing.

SS Dickys propellers.

The story of SS Dicky.

Dicky Beach town. Nice area. The temperature has warmed up today and they are forecasting that the warm weather will be back on Monday. Next week all looking good back to normal temps. Just our luck...

One more blog tomorrow re countdown before we leave. Handing in the lorry (as my son keeps calling it) tomorrow. Staying in a Motel on Saturday night then home Sunday.