The year has well and truly begun.
Roy, Tasha and I returned with JoJo mid March. We had Gina on board (fourth time returning staff) and the four of us had a rough but uneventful trip up the coast from Cairns.
The silence of Haggerstone, after 18 hours of pounding diesel engines, rang in our ears for days. It is not until we arrive that the silence and the complete clarity of our water really affirm we are home.

Nick and Lauren have joined us as staff. They cut their teeth with island living down on Percy Island where they spent three years caretaking alongside their neighbours of goats, emus, bats and dogs. A good training for Haggerstone Island I reckon.

Many repeat guests this year which is like seeing old friends.
Good weather meant some trips out east to the Outer Barrier, chasing the elusive dog tooth tuna. It's always magic at the Outer, with fabulous snorkeling through cathedrals of coral, and excellent fishing.
Barramundi have been plenty and seared tuna was on the table the other night dripping with Roy's Matsuhisu sauce (Tetsuya's).
Speaking of cooking, a few new dishes, I thought it time to do some experimenting on old and trusted guests. So far the criticism has been in the right direction. I knew I could rely on them!

School holidays flashed past in a blur of teenage madness. With the island full of guests and school friends we had hunting gathering trips aplenty. Sam and team kept us abundantly supplied with crabs and crays. They would then follow a long day in the water with a few hours wake boarding off the jetty, and if that wasn't enough there was always table tennis.
The new crab eating venue is on the beach at sunset, washed down with a couple of bottles of champagne and the sea as your finger bowl. It works well.
Sometimes we have dinner on the jetty: steamed fish balls, beer batter, salt fried… and the best sausages (kindly donated from a Victorian guest who obviously has an extremely good relationship with her butcher). JoJo alongside makes a good squid catching platform, and floating bar, amongst other things.

So all in all the year has just begun, but we are nearly half way through and how did that happen.
Nat is returning. You know, Nat as in Nat Bromhead, fly fisherman, Mackerel beach… he has pledged six months with us and will be starting as of early June. That puts fly fishing back on our activities list… Nat is bringing his 20 foot boat from Weipa, around the Cape and down to Haggerstone.
With Nat around we will be open until the end of January. We have always been interested in being open during January. The glass–out water is just too tempting; with the freedom it offers to explore further afield.

On the family side of things all is well. Sam is still happy at Geelong, although his house master tells us he is probably happier swinging through trees or diving for crays… than actually studying… what's that? Tasha thoroughly enjoyed day school in Cairns and is now back with Mum in the school room. She heads off for school camp soon along with all the other remote North Queenslanders. It’s quite an event and the airways are buzzing.

Roy and I are, as ever… well.

Anna