The Southern Passage: New Year in the Percy Isles

Board at Hamilton Island Marina and point south, past Lindeman and the Cumberland Islands, leaving the Whitsunday anchorages behind. Lunch under way, then an afternoon snorkel on Keswick's fringing reef, or St Bees across the channel if the wind suits it better, and a quiet first night at anchor.

• Out through the Cumberland Islands
• Fringing reef snorkel
• An easy first night at anchor

Middle Percy is a sailor's legend, a favourite of yachties, trawler skippers and fishermen for its fishing and its anchorages. Ashore at West Bay stands the A-frame hut, hung with decades of mementos left by passing yachts: leave your own mark among them. Then back on board for a long New Year's Eve dinner on deck. Forty-odd miles offshore there are no crowds and no city glow, just stars and the countdown.

• The Percy Hilton, the A-frame hut
• New Year's Eve dinner on deck
• A dark-sky anchorage for midnight

A slow New Year's morning, then the longest run south while you rest on deck. Arrive at Great Keppel in the afternoon: seventeen white beaches, clear water and the snorkelling at Monkey Beach, right off the sand. If anyone has energy left, the hinterland hike is rugged and worth it.

• A recovery day on deck
• Seventeen white beaches
• Snorkelling at Monkey Beach

Into the southern Great Barrier Reef and the Capricorn-Bunker group. Lady Musgrave is a 14-hectare coral cay ringed by 1,192 hectares of its own reef and lagoon, with some of the clearest water on the Reef, and the second southernmost island in the Great Barrier Reef chain. The yacht anchors off the reef edge and the tender takes you into the lagoon. Early January is peak turtle season: green and loggerhead turtles come ashore to nest at night, and the first hatchlings of the season can appear.

• A coral cay and its own lagoon
• Turtle nesting season
• Manta rays on the reef

The extra night is the point of the ten-night version. Snorkel the lagoon again with the turtles and the rays, walk the cay, and go back out after dark with the crew for the nesting turtles, with the briefing first so you watch without disturbing them.

• The lagoon by tender, all day
• A walk around the cay
• Nesting turtles after dark

A dawn swim in the lagoon, then south across Hervey Bay, often with dolphins on the bow. Anchor off Kingfisher Bay on K'gari's sheltered western shore in time for sunset over the Great Sandy Strait.

• Dawn snorkel in the lagoon
• The Hervey Bay crossing
• Sunset over the Great Sandy Strait

K'gari, formerly Fraser Island, is World Heritage-listed and the largest sand island on earth. Take a private guided 4WD day to Lake McKenzie's freshwater lagoon, the rainforest at Central Station, Eli Creek and the Maheno shipwreck on 75 Mile Beach. Or stay on the water and explore the mangroves and sand banks of the Great Sandy Strait by tender, looking for dugong and dolphins. Dinner ashore or on deck.

• Lake McKenzie and 75 Mile Beach
• The Maheno wreck and Eli Creek
• Dugong and dolphins in the Great Sandy Strait

North again, to the place where Queensland's recorded history begins. The yacht anchors in Bustard Bay while the tender takes you into Round Hill Creek. Explore the village, climb to the headland for sunset, and try the local mud crab.

• Round Hill Creek by tender
• Sunset from the headland
• Local mud crab

A different side of Keppel Bay this time. Anchor off Humpy, Halfway or North Keppel for reef snorkelling, paddleboarding and a beach to yourselves.

• Reef snorkelling
• Paddleboards out
• A beach to yourselves

Back to the Percys for a final remote night, this time in a different bay chosen for the breeze. A last sunset dinner a long way from anywhere.

• A different bay in the Percys
• The last sunset dinner
• Nobody else for miles

Breakfast at anchor, then the run home through the Cumberland Islands, arriving at Hamilton Island Marina in the afternoon to fly home from the island's own airport.

• Breakfast at anchor
• The Cumberland Islands
• Afternoon disembark at Hamilton Island