Pallaranda/Rowes bay

We drove out to Pallaranda on the way to the strand. Pallaranda was the place to launch boats and small sailing craft. Very soon after we were posted to Townsville we bought a catamaran. With lots of people transferring out, things such as this were often available from those who were moving, we thought it would be a good thing to do as a family and so we became the proud owners of a marie cat. Didnt matter that neither of us had sailed before or knew how to use it, no internet or youtube back then.

First day out Warren took the boys on board and when they were about eighty metres off shore a gust of wind came up and tipped them over, scary stuff at the time but we did get used to it and we used it quite a bit. Another time, we had been busy but mid afternoon we thought we would go out. Jason was visiting a mate so it was just the four of us. The plan was to go to Pallaranda, sail to Maggie Island (about 8 kilometres) buy an ice cream and then sail back. We were across to the island pretty quick and as the sun was dropping got back out on the water, about two hundred metres out from shore the wind dropped and we didnt move, had not experienced that before so just waited, then the sun set and we started paddling and paddling. We had no lights, no compass and no paddles so we each lay on the trampoline and paddled with our hands.

Maggie (Magnetic) Island

Doesnt look far and its not except when there is no wind.

We just hoped that we were heading in the right direction, finally we could see a lone light, it was the light on top of the boat ramp! Yay, we were nearly there. It had taken us about 20 minutes to sail across and four hours to get back.

Many weekends we spent out at Pallaranda, until we wanted to buy a house and the catamaran was sold to become part of our deposit.

Like all places Pallaranda has been built out with houses all along the road out to the boat ramp, on the sea side is parks and shady trees to have picnic and looks to be a very popular place.

Townsville city in the distance, it was a grey day with storms and rain due later in the evening.