Gold Coast Beaches Closed From Strong Winds

If you are a surfer, kiteboarder or wind-surfer, these gusty conditions must be absolute paradise! For the rest of the beach goers, perhaps not so good.

 

For the second day in the row Gold Coast beaches have been closed due to 90km/hr winds whipping up a 2 metre swell with one wave off the Southport Seaway being measured at 6 metres. Whilst the conditions are still appealing to some, the Lifeguards are warning people to be cautious.

 

At least with the sun out, the beach is still good for sunbathing.

 

 

Migaloo Makes a Splash for the 2014 Whale Watching Season

What better way to open up the official whale watching season on the Gold Coast than with a visit from the world famous all white humpback whale, Migaloo. The magnificent whale was first sighted off Port Macquarie several days ago, then Byron Bay waters lit up with excitement as Migaloo swam through through Cape Byron before paying the Gold Coast  coastline a visit as he makes his way up to the Great Barrier Reef.

Migaloo was first sighted in 1991 off Byron Bay and was named ‘Migaloo’ through it’s translation into ‘White Fella’ from the Queensland Aboriginal Community and is part of the east Australian humpback population.

Migaloo has his own Facebook page and website and is one of the most photographed whales in the world and is protected under Australian law.

The team at Getaway Sailing have reported an amazing start to the Whale Watching Season with so many pods of whales travelling through the Gold Coast waters, they have lost count!

If you are wanting to see all of the spectacular Whale Watching action first hand, Getaway Sailing has Whale Watching Sailing Tours leaving from the Runaway Bay Marina, so call today!

 

 

The Re-Building of Pier A

Runaway Bay saw a lot of activity across the beginning of this year with Pier A being completely rebuilt from damage is sustained by ex-tropical cyclone Oswald on the last Australia Day long weekend.

 

Anyone who visited or worked at the Marina got front row seats of the process involved with the removal of the damaged pier and installation of the new pier, it was quite a sight to see!

 

In December last year we saw the pylons replaced with the remainder of the work being carried through February of 2014. The new pier is made from far superior product being foam encased by concrete for the floatation and a concrete deck all connected and held together by timber whalers. It will also have new services, pipes and cabling.

 

The new pier was the final stage of the rebuilding of the entire marina which commenced in 2006.

 

 

 

A Very Interesting Visitor

We’ve had a few interesting visitors over the past few weeks in the waterways of the Runaway Bay Marina.

One of our team spotted what we initially thought was a Box Jellyfish but was later confirmed by the Qld Fisheries Department as a ‘Morbakka Fenneri.’ Although not ‘dangerous’ they still give a nasty sting so best to give these guys a wide berth if you come across them.

If you spot something unusual in the waterways and need help identifying it, drop a line to the Fisheries department and they are more than happy to help. www.daff.qld.gov.au/fisheries.

 

 

 

 

 

The First Big Storm Front for 2014

Runaway Bay Marina had a front row seat to the first major storm cell crossing the Gold Coast for 2014.

The storm cell had been moving up the coast and came directly inland from the sea. We were hit with rain and hail and then just as quickly as started, it finished twenty minutes later and we were back to relatively clear skies.

One thing is for sure we definitely had the best seat in the house at the Marina!

The Dragonfly visits the Gold Coast

 

The Dragonfly, believed to be worth more than $100 million, is a 73m (240ft) vessel, custom built by Perth yacht builder HanseaticMarine. Sporting a Cayman Islands flag, it arrived on the Gold Coast earlier this week after visiting Fiji. 
It is understood the world’s fastest conventionally powered superyacht could not get into Brisbane’s Rivergate marina so made the journey south. Wonder if it would like to stop in at the Runaway Bay Marina? 

Water Taxi – the only way to travel

 We were recently asked by one of our Facebook followers details of Water Taxis that  service Runaway Bay Marina.

 We can recommend:

 – Zane’s Water Taxi   www.inzanewatertaxis.com.au  Ph: 0404 905 970

– Broadwater Taxi www.broadwatertaxi.com.au Ph: 0403 587 804

  These are reliable services and a much safer (and scenic!) option than drink driving –  either on water or on the roads.

 Happy Travels!

Fresh Prawns at Runaway Bay Marina

You can not get any better than ‘fresh’ when it comes to seafood and one of the best kept secrets amongst the locals is when Boe and his trawler dock at Pier A at the Runaway Bay Marina with his delicious  cargo of fresh prawns!

His supply can vary from medium king prawns, fresh and cooked green prawns, just depends what’s out in the ocean.

Runaway Bay Marina will post Boe’s scheduled trawler visits to the Marina on our Runaway Bay Marina Facebook page so make sure you follow us and you don’t miss out on some mouth-watering treats.

When you purchase your prawns, you can request to be on the SMS list to receive automatic notifications on when the trawler is  in town.

Now, where is that seafood sauce?

Flipper and Friends Visit the Marina

We have had quiet a few sightings from boaties, guests and staff at the Runaway Bay Marina of not just one or two, but sometimes up to a dozen dolphins cruising in and around the waterways of the Marina.
With calves in tow, our guess is they are more than likely feeding on the large number of mullet that regularly congregate around the marina piers.
A few of the locals informed us there was a large pod of dolphins – perhaps the same one – sighted last weekend traveling around the waterways just past the Bayview Towers Marina at Runaway Bay which is great to hear!
So for all of the boaties, please take extra care when moving your boats in and out of the Marina, just in case our surprise guests pay us another visit soon!

The Aftermath of Ex-Tropical Cyclone Oswald

It’s hard to believe that it was less than a month a go the coast line of the Gold Coast was hit hard with the winds and tides from a very angry ex-Tropical Cyclone Oswald on Australia Day weekend.

 
Mike Grundy, Operations Manager of Runaway Bay Marina, was on-site during the weather front. “The Marina was affected most by the un-relenting north east wind direction, the worst for the position of the Marina. The wind and waves impacted on the end of A and B piers causing damage, however the boats were not affected. Our live-a-boards at the Marina did have a few sleepless nights though!”

 
“We had a light pole come down and there was also damage to some signage, awnings and a few boat covers. Apart from that, lots of debris blown in and a few branches down, making for a decent clean up once the storm had passed.”

 

All things considered the Runaway Bay Marina fared quite well as compared to some areas to the north and south. We’re all preparing on the East Coast for another messy weekend with the weather, so please ensure you check the weather conditions before considering venturing out on the water. Happy and safe boating!