Captured by Coonarr Charisma

One of the best walking beaches around Bundaberg is about 24km south at the  most exclusive locality that is Coonarr Beach. I say exclusive as it is surrounded by nature reserves, and there are but 6 houses there and probably 6 vacant blocks of land. It physically cannot expand.

Nature's symmetry - 20 Nov 2011                                           ©2011 WoJo12

Walk to the beach and look in either direction - to the north in the distance one can see the township of Elliott Heads some 4km away, on the other side of the Elliott River. To the south, all one can see is 14 km of sandy beach, beyond firstly Coonarr Creek which is fordable at low tide. Then one can walk all the way to Theodolite Creek near Woodgate, after crossing One Mile Creek which is approx 12km from Coonarr Creek.

If you are contemplating walking here, take a large hat, sunblock and water - with our perfect unpolluted skies that sun can really burn, and there is little shade along the way.

Undaunted, I sauntered south into the wind,

Unthwarted by thongs or thrifty tourists,

 I sallied through the shallows in the sand and shells and shingles.

The only souls around were the soles of my feet.

 Twisted tossed trees trimmed the beach, stranded without soil or strength.

 Eroded sandy cliffs remain after the scouring by the recent tides.

The sea eagle soars, searching for a single scrap of scaley seafood.

Small birds swiftly dart into the scrub on my approach.

Crabs speedily scamper for seclusion.

Shellfish draw delightful designs in the damp sand,

 only to have them washed away in the waves of the incoming tide.                                                   

©2010 WoJo12

Deep-rooted survivor under a Bundy sky - 20 Nov 2011              ©2011 WoJo12

  

That's it for this edition - I feel like going for a walk !!!!!!

Mystery Object at Dr May's Point

When I walk north from Coonarr Beach towards the mouth of the Elliott River, It is amazing how nature periodically buries and unburies the relics from the past. Those of you following this blog will remember my post about the bus from Dr May's property.

About 440 metres south of that site, I had previously discovered a metal cylindrical object but lately it had completely been covered by sand. It is now uncovered again. It is about 1 metre long and probably 500mm in diameter. The end that is still intact is rounded, and it has been constructed using at least one row of rivets. It has a "shaft hole of about 80 or 90mm at each end, but they are offset by 90 degrees.

Can anyone offer any suggestions as to what it was????

In the same vicinity, another concrete trough has revealed itself. I have no idea what they were used for. Does anyone have any ideas???

Finally, on my return walk to Coonarr Beach, I found this poor turtle washed up on the beach.

About Dr May's Island

At the mouth of the Elliott River lies Dr May's Island (sometimes erroneously referred to as “Rock Island”). Once part of the mainland, it was the site of the May's house and farm. One part of the property was an old bus which was used for casual accommodation for their visitors.

In the fifties, the land joining the “island” to the mainland started to get washed away. This was accelerated by some fishermen carving a channel for them to get access to some fishing spot or other. Then cyclonic seas and stormy weather eventually saw the island become permanently separated and the bus and other farm infrastructure became victims to the sandy seas.

Recently, while walking on the beach, south of the Elliott Heads river mouth, I discovered that nature had given us back that bus - the chassis and tyres are clearly visible above the receding sands. Some 400m further south, the chassis of a smaller motor vehicle can also be found. In this area are several large pieces of concrete and steel - identity as yet unknown.

I had walked the 3km to the site now only accessible by this walk or by boat. But unfortunately time and tide didn't wait for this man - I should have checked before I left home. Still it was a beautiful afternoon, the herds of hordes had left, leaving the beach to me and my lengthening shadows from the setting sun.  The real bus photos will have to wait for another day, however here is a phone camera of the site with Dr May's Island in the background.

 

Dr May's Island in the background, from the southern head of the Elliott River - 19th Nov 2011  ©2011 WoJo12

Earlier I made mention of a rusting wreck of a smaller vehicle - it is currently disappearing again beneath the ever-changing sands of time. Well, for what it is worth, here it is!!!! Unfortunately for record purposes, there is a large immovable log lying diagonally across the chassis. The cross-bracing, normally behind the front seats, is clearly seen. The front is in the foreground and I recall that it had drum brakes at the rear.

  

Rusting vehicle chassis on Coonarr Beach - 20/11/2011                                           ©2011 WoJo12



Here is another piece of Dr May's Island history, barely above the sands of Coonarr Beach. I only took one photo of the concrete pit which has been totalled exposed in the past, but currently it is all but buried.

 

Concrete pit semi-submerged under the sands of Coonarr Beach - 20 Nov 2011                                                                                                                                              ©2011WoJo12



Earlier, I have referred to my discovery of various objects currently emerging out of the sand at Dr May's Point. Well, now the low tide has been at a better time to again walk the 6km round trip from Coonarr Beach.

With an easterly wind blowing, it was amazing what was on the normally quite clean beach - among the leaves littering the shoreline, were quite a few jellyfish, commonly known as bluebottles (or Portuguese man-o'-war, Pacific man-o'-war). This species is a partially beautiful blue, but that is where the beauty finishes - contact with them can be quite dangerous. Just for variety, there were also half a dozen or so dead fish, believed to have been rejects from a trawler operating off the coast this week.

As I arrived at Dr May's Point, I could see that this time I had timed the tides correctly and the bus chassis was clearly visible. I removed various sticks that had been caught in the wreck. I did not attempt to move the 100mm diameter steel pipe lying diagonally across the chassis. The front tyre as well as the two rear tyres are now quite visible.

The bus chassis at low tide - 25 Nov 2011

Now on further exploration of the area I found several concrete objects as well as a very vertical post. In one of Neville Rackemann's several good books on Bundaberg, I found reference to a sighting of the steps to Dr May's house as well as part of the septic tank. The book, "A Century of Progress", published by the then Woongarra Shire Council, talks about an inspection in 1985 of the erosion around the mouth of the Elliott River where the two relics of the former house were then found.

Believed to be the upside-down steps from Dr May's house - 25 Nov 2011

A very vertical post, possibly stump from Dr May's home - 25 Nov 2011

Another concrete relic in the sands - 25 Nov 2011

Here endeth the story, but who knows what history remains under the sands at Dr May's Point. Thanks to Barry B from Elliott Heads for the history of the bus.

One last note - for more on Coonarr Beach, look for a another post