Many of the boats departing the Urangan Marina in Hervey Bay head north into Platypus Bay. And who could blame them, there are endless fishing opportunities and gorgeous, isolated beaches to explore. However, not everyone has a vessel capable of such a trip. And for some newer boaties, they lack the confidence to attempt such a trip. Not to worry though. As the Great Sandy Strait offers plenty of spectacular hidden secrets to explore for boaties of any skill level. And they are all within protected waters. Making them a great starting point for newer boaties to test their vessel and to build their confidence.
Getting There
McKenzie’s Jetty is one such location, it lies only 1.4 nautical miles or 2.5 kilometres south of Kingfisher Bay resort. Ensuring help is never too far away nor the fabulous restaurants and refreshing bars of the award winning eco resort. In making your way to McKenzie’s Jetty you have a couple of options.
If you choose to depart the Urangan Marina. Perhaps the safest route to McKenzie’s Jetty would be to navigate around to the eastern side of Big Woody Island. Travel down the eastern side, cross the deep-water channels in vicinity of Picnic and Duck Islands. And, then head south to the jetty. This is the longest option in terms of distance, covering approximately 12.5 nautical miles or 23 kilometres.
Another Option
Another option if you time your run approximately 2 hours after low tide and have a good rising tide. Is to depart the Urangan Marina. Steer clear of the Go-Slow zone on the western side of Big Woody Island and make your way to vicinity of Picnic and Duck Island. By hugging the western side of Big Woody Island. I would only recommend taking this route if you have used it before. As the water is shallow at points and you need to be familiar with the lay of the land.
By far the quickest route would be to launch your vessel from the River Heads boat ramp. And, head east to McKenzies Jetty. This option is only a short 5 nautical miles or 9 kilometres. For newer boaties, you just need to be aware of some of the features of the River Heads boat ramp. It is a dual lane ramp; however, it is quite narrow. Parking can be limited in busy periods. The current runs past the ramp very quickly. This is important to note given the limited and quite rocky space available for launching and retrieving your vessel. I would suggest a practice run if you have never seen this ramp before.
Beach Landing at McKenzie’s Jetty
One of the great features of McKenzies Jetty is that landing your vessel on the beach and dropping off the family is super easy as the jetty is surrounding by clear, shallow water and provides a nice firm sandy bottom. Picking the direction of the current is very easy, if the tide is coming in, it is running north to south, and if it is going out it is running south to north.
Things to Do
McKenzie’s Jetty holds loads of history, probably the most fascinating of which centres around the Australian Z-Special-Unit who used the area around the jetty during World War Two for training. I don’t want to spoil it for you, but you can read about this epic piece of Australian history on the information boards located a short walk away, just behind the trees along with some solidly built picnic tables.
There is a scattering of items in the immediate area which make it a true adventure for the kids as they explore and discover different items ranging from Indigenous totem poles to old machinery wrecks. Of course, on a warm day the clear, shallow water makes for the perfect means to cool off while enjoying the view across the channel towards Hervey Bay and River Heads.
The old jetties pylons provide an enticing challenge for the budding photographer and of course there is the odd fish caught in the sunken remains of the jetty not far from the end of the jetty which provides structure for fish to hide within.
Trip Essentials
McKenzie’s Jetty has good mobile phone coverage, especially Telstra 4G coverage, however as with any trip it is vital to ensure you have another reliable form of communication. For us this takes the form of VHF radio and we always ensure that we log on with volunteer marine rescue Hervey Bay who monitor VHF channels 16, 73 (local area) and channel 22 (north of Fairway Beacon). Their radio room is manned daily from 0600 to 1800 hours, and after hours VTS Gladstone monitor channel 16 for emergencies only. They provide weather updates 3 times a day.
We always carry extra fuel and water, as a rule I always carry an extra 25% on top of what I calculate we will use. A great feature of where McKenzie’s Jetty is located is its proximity to Kingfisher Bay Resort. So if you don’t pack enough food or have a hankering for a refreshing beverage the restaurants and bars are never too far away.