Roo stew!

HEXHAM ISLAND – MIDDLE PERCY ISLAND – CURLEW ISLAND

Middle Percy Island Roo Stew Recipe
1 wallaby
Jar of tomato paste
Red wine
Crushed garlic
Chopped onions
Cubed potatoes
Packet of magic peas
seasoning to taste

Marinate the roo in lime juice and soy sauce (all day).
Get a good fire going.
Put all ingredients into a big pot and cook for a while, periodically stirring.
Serve with freshly baked crusty bread and a nice shiraz!

A stopover at Middle Percy Island to visit the A-frame and leave a boat memento is just one of those things that yachties have to do as they sail past, and we ticked it off our bucket list as we island-hopped through the Northumberland Islands on our way to Mackay. But the biggest highlight of our stay at Middle Percy Island was the communal dinners we shared, and in particular the roo stew that Steve, the caretaker, knocked up on our last night.

But let me back up a bit. After several nice days anchored in SWBTA, we decided it was time for a bit of island-hopping. The Northumberland Islands, named by Captain Cook in 1770, “lay scatter’d up and down in the bay in great number, and extend out to Sea as far as we could see” (his words), so we had a fair few to choose from. After a recommendation from our new boating buddy Bob, we caught the trade winds out to Hexham Island (he promised paradise). It ended up being a fairly nondescript little island with hardly any beach due to scouring, but it had a bay that offered ok protection from the SE trade winds, and the fringing reef provided good fishing (a few of which ended up on the table) and the chance for a quick scuba dive.

This guy went back…

…but we ate these guys.

From there we headed to Middle Percy Island and had a very social few days. After the obligatory visit to the A-frame, we walked up to the Homestead and met island residents Steve and Don, and ended up christening their newly constructed BBQ, which led to more communal dinners, including the delicious roo stew.

Shout out to the Middle Percy Island Yacht Club. Membership helps to maintain the A-frame and facilities.

From there we broke up the 60 NM trip to Mackay with a stopover at Curlew Island, although it wasn’t that flash. A nasty swell wrapped around the point, while wind bullets flew overhead, making it possibly our worst anchorage so far. But it was still picturesque, and I did spot a few curlews.

Then it was onwards to Mackay.