The Fraser Island Mix - Part 2 (with photo gallery).

We made the trip up the Island on the Saturday and the first real chance for a good cigar was back at the lodge on the Sunday. A Trinidad Fundadore. Anyone hoping for detailed and considered reviews of these cigars will have surely realised that this is not the column for that, at least not this time. Over the afternoon, as I continued with ‘Lords of the Fly’ and also the latest in the Sam Wyndham series by Abir Mukherjee, ‘Death in the East’ – cracking series for those who enjoy a good detective read. This is the fourth, and perhaps his best. Set in India back in the '30s. But the drinks for the Fundie – Domaine Chandon Blanc des Blancs 2015, Grant Burge Rose and a Stonier Chardy but the exact one escapes me – these are holidays (late-breaking news – found the pic. Gainsborough Park Chardy 2016)!!! The Trini Fundie kicked off with lovely rich caramel notes, honey and spice, complex and balanced, roasted nuts, toasted notes. This was as good a Trini Fundie as I can ever remember. A stunner. 96. 

Next morning, a lovely Partagas Short and an Asahi beer. All very pleasant but more than that…

Later that day, back at the lodge, Punch RR Asia Pacific 8-9-8 from 2018, I believe. Terrific. Roasted and toasted notes. Nuts. It was well over medium, as one would expect. Creamy and with spices. A little harsh at the finish but overall, a lovely and enjoyable cigar. 92. With a Shaw & Smith M3 Chardonnay 2018.  

Lined up that latest Hiaasen and fired up a really good Cohiba Espléndido. Great construction, firm draw. Youthful. Very tight draw. More earth and tobacco than grass and honey. A long slow smoke. A very good smoke. With a Bundy Ginger Beer and that went well. A 93. 

About the fishing? This morning, headed back up the Cape for a second crack. Our first go was okay though I didn’t contribute much. One decent dart. We got one good tailor and one decent queenfish. A few other dart.

This time, a hit and run. We had packed for a long lunch, cigars, a sleep in the shade but in the end, had such a brilliant day and were able to make the dash back to beat the high tide. The problem is Ngala Rocks, both south and north. Sadly, one of our number thinks he is a brilliant 4WDer. He is not. Not a clue. Sure enough, bogged badly. Before long, a dozen cars all backed up behind – only one car at a time can do the Ngala crossing so if one bogs, everyone waits. Well, some wait and many give advice. Rarely helpful. But we got over. He bogged four times and the rest of us a couple of times because we were helping. 

This time, four of us made the trip and only two cars. And whacko. Three of us fishing and the good tailor were on. Really good fish (I missed the biggest one – all the ones I did catch, none were able to make much of a run. The one I missed made four or five good runs. Finally, got it into the edge of the small waves but monumental crap happens and it flicked the hooks). In the end, we have a couple of dozen good tailor, a good trevally (I thought it a baby GT originally but with time, it went golden, a good sign it was a golden trevally – there is a shock). For our American friends, which has been discussed before, tailor are what we call the fish you call bluefish. Ours rarely get to the size yours make but I understand yours can be infected by worms. That does not happen with us. We fish for them off the beach with a surf rod and a ganged four hook rig. 

Lots of argument about the eating qualities of the fish (it is called tailor because the jaws are like a tailor’s shears and slice through just about anything). For me, if cooked fresh – grilled with a slice of lemon is perfect – it is superb. As good as one can get. Some agree, some don’t. But I think we all agree that if not fresh – if frozen for example – then stews and curries should be its fate. Works well smoked. 

Wherever we have fished, have been plenty of dart – rats of the sea. Bigger ones provide very good sport but they take boats not meant for them and they are a slimy style of trevally. Got one that I took off the hooks and tossed into a pond behind me – about two inches deep and a few feet across but the surf would come into it, every wave so the fish would then flee the scene. Sadly, this poor dart never got the chance. Ten seconds after I dumped it, whoosh of wings and a sea eagle swooped down just a few feet behind me and snatched the dart before it could escape. Amazing birds. One year, we saw one dive into the surf just near where we’d been fishing and come away with a squirming sea snake. 

Coming back, we had to dig some travellers out of the Ngala sands – the sand gets incredibly soft and hard to drive in. if a driver is not experienced, trouble is guaranteed. That said, I do maintain that despite the best efforts of the boyfriend giving instructions and pushing hard, they’d have had more chance of success had the girlfriend, now at the wheel, had not been trying to extricate the car whilst driving with the selfie stick, to make sure a single second of her existence was missed by her no doubt, tens of followers. 

Tonight, we have some Brunello and more. Tomorrow, a few of us would like to use the last day on another early crack at the Cape and then the day-long trip home on Saturday. But a lot to happen between then and now. 

Catching up. We did the Cape dash and it was the most perfect morning. Sea was diamonds, air cool but not too cool. Beach bone white. We had to dig one lot ahead of us out at Ngala but were soon on our way. 

Highlight of the morning was watching a queenfish slice through the schools of baitfish on the edge of the water, and the huge rays patrolling up and down, plus a few turtles. Sadly, lightning does not strike twice and there were no fish to speak of. But they would have been a bonus. The trip back, we discovered that someone had tried to cross Ngala just after us that morning and bogged so badly that no one else had got through all day. Dozens of cars lined up each way. After an hour or so, the dam burst and cars flooded through.

The rest of today is preparing to clean and pack up. One last feast. A possible cigar? You’ll have to wait and see. and then Saturday we leave around 5 am and spend the day heading back to Brizzy. 

KBG