Finally managed to get our serviced Liferaft delivered back to us at Abell Point marina at Airlie Beach – it’s a long story. Restocked and set off again. The weather hasn’t been ideal, windy and rainy, but all the charter boats have to manage and so do we. It’s the trade winds season so you do expect the constant 15 to 20 knots from SE, but not the rain. We had a nice day at Blue Pearl Bay on Hayman Island where we tried out our new stinger suits with hoods and gloves attached while we went for a snorkel. Saw lots of big fish, no nasty jelly fish, but the water is quite cool and I have reverted to the wetsuit. There were huge Bat fish under the boat who come and take bread from the hand. In many of the bays Public moorings are provided which is great as it would be difficult to anchor. But they have a 2 hour time limit, which fortunately does not seem to be strictly observed just now as it’s not high season. But you can just imagine the game of musical boats as everybody moves on around the islands every couple of hours and tries not to be the ones left out when it gets to evening. Also the moorings have huge pick up ropes as thick as my arm and half the length of the boat, too big for any of our cleats, and if there is more tide than wind you end up sailing over the buoy. Some of you will be amused to note that one of the anchorages is called Stonehaven.

We are now heading north again.

We made it out to Lady Musgrave (this may be the equivalent of St Kilda for yachts on this bit of coast) leaving Bundeberg at 10pm and travelling overnight to arrive at slack tide and just before HW next morning. No problem to navigate out of Bundeberg in the dark, it’s lit up like Christmas lights – red, green, blue ( leading lines). A calm passage under engine. At first sight of the island all the boats look like they are moored out in the ocean as you can’t see the reef around the lagoon. The entrance was blasted through the reef so it’s quite deep but you have to beware of Bommies once in. Sunny day and beautiful clear water so managed to pick a sandy spot to drop the anchor, and a turtle swam past really close. Ashore in the dinghy being careful to anchor it off the coral beach, you can walk the whole way round in 30 mins. It’s all National Park and there is a camp site and a lighthouse. Anita went snorkelling, beautiful corals and masses of colourful fish, also more turtles and stingrays. But it was cold! Next day she put on her wetsuit! It was sunny, but a reasonable breeze kept the wind charger working and created quite a chop especially at HW. We were invited aboard a Swedish boat Randivag for sundowners, crew of Alexandra (Danish) we’d met briefly in Bundeberg and Janz from Tasmania also there. We left very early in the morning, before the good weather ran out, sailing in company with Janz to Pancake Creek on the mainland.

Sorry this post got left in drafts by mistake due to poor reception so it is out of order.

Today 22 June we are celebrating Steve’s birthday and the Winter Solstice – in this hemisphere! So the days will now get longer – strange having warm weather and less than 12 hours of light. We are now cruising around in the beautiful Whitsunday Islands, mostly we’ve had bright sunshine with cool breezes and colder nights but it did rain today. We’ve seen lots of dolphins but no whales yet this year. Pentecost Island was named by Captain Cook, mostly he didn’t have time to name individual ones. We walked over from Tongue Bay to get the glorious view over Hill inlet (Whitsunday Island).

After the coral at Lady Musgrave we had a stonking reach (this is Timshel’s best point of sail) across to Pancake Creek and moored among drying sandbanks. We spent a few days in this well sheltered anchorage then did an overnight passage north to the island of Middle Percy. Then it was across to Mackay, the port where we first entered Australia; coming from the south you have to skirt round the many tankers in the anchorage. It’s very friendly here and the staff even remembered us from last year.

And we are not getting north fast enough to avoid it. It was hot summer in Sydney in March but now quite cold nights and early mornings in Queensland. We have even had to get out the duvet (for the bed). But some lovely sunny days, beautiful sunsets and it is still possible to swim in the sea – so long as you keep moving that is (or wear a wetsuit). Called in Mooloobala, Fraser Is, Bundaberg.

Now underway at night hoping to stop at Lady Musgrave Island, the southern start of the barrier reef.

*have started eating porridge for breakfast.

I think I remember Bill Bryson’s book “Down Under” ( or maybe it was Clive James?) starts off saying that “Australians delight in telling you about all the the things in their country that can maim and kill you”. This is true, folk seem to enjoy warning you about sharks, crocodiles, spiders, snakes, killer jellyfish, dingos, even kangaroos. The male platypus apparently has highly poisonous barbs on his hind legs. But when a friend reported that someone told them that Koalas were dangerous – well that’s crazy. Anyhow we spent yesterday at the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary up the river from Brisbane. As well as lots of lovely Koalas (that are without exception impossibly cute) we saw dingos, kangaroos, platypus, Tasmanian devil, a very sleepy wombat, various lizards, various birds including a tame white bellied sea eagle and some owls, the only creatures that did not show themselves were the crocodiles. The Koalas were either sleeping or eating eucalyptus.

Hoping to carry on North tomorrow.

n

From Coffs we sailed overnight to Gold Coast Seaway still in company with Mischief. A reasonable amount of wind for the trip, but still a lot of current against us, Timshel rushing along at top speed but only making 4 or 5 knots over the ground. We had hoped to go direct to Runaway Bay Marina to get the new generator fitted, but there was a delay on the fitting so we anchored for a few days, in fact it was all very slow and the generator was not put in until the Monday and not running until the Tuesday. Luckily it did fit and seems to be running OK now. We left the marina to anchor at Tipplers Passage for the night and ran the generator and recommissioned the watermaker which is what we really need the 230 volt supply for. A pleasant place with kangaroos on the beach, also sea eagles, pelicans and saw a ray jump out of the water on the way over. Left very early the next morning to get the tide and wend our way through the narrow shallow channels between the mangrove covered islands of South Moreton Bay. I think we had 0.5m under the keel at the shallowest point, so best not done at low water. Now at anchor at Coochiemudlo island (another outlandish name), to run the watermaker again, going to Manly near Brisbane tomorrow.

Slow progress, it seems to be more difficult to go in this direction – the unfavourable current (EAC going south) is likely to kick up a big sea when you have a favourable wind (from the south) against it. Sailing in company with Lynne and Andrew on Mischief we went from Broken Bay briefly to Newcastle then to Port Stephens where we spent some lazy days moored in Fame Cove, beautiful, perfect shelter and difficult to leave. Also regularly visited by dolphins and Sea Eagles.

Then an overnight trip (rather slow due to the adverse current but with a beautiful full moon) up to Coffs Harbour where we moored in the marina – technically we are in Coffs Harbour Harbour as the town is actually called Coffs Harbour. A few days were spent here to wait for northerly winds to pass through. But lovely weather and the marina is a bit like an aquarium, clear water and so many fish, butterfly fish, rays, dense schools of sprats swirling around and hunted by cormorants and bigger fish. On Mutton Bird Island (now linked by the harbour wall causeway) saw a Fairy wren and Mutton bird chicks (shearwaters), that are about to set off to sea.

We went down to Sydney again for a few days. Managed to buy the paper charts for the rest of our trip; Sally at Boat Books Australia was very helpful in sorting our list. As a major chart agent they have a licence to print Admiralty Charts, so we could take away all the ones we needed. We also had an enjoyable day at the zoo; the animals are mostly in large natural enclosures – but sometimes this makes them hard to see. It was strange being at anchor at Blackwattle Bay looking at the skyscrapers and the traffic going past and all the bustle of the city. We then spent a night at Manly – more like being at the seaside, before heading back up to Broken Bay. We are now heading north up the NSW Coast in company with Mischief. So far the dreaded EAC (East Australian current), that sweeps south at up top 4 knots in places, has not made itself felt, but it can make for slow passages northwards.

Managed to tear ourselves away from Newcastle at last. We were very impressed with the work carried out by the MidCoast Boatyard and friendly help we received from everyone in the yard, including Brad the manager and Joe the owner who also looked after Timshel while we were away. We are also grateful for the generosity and help by the NCYC marina and also the Fisherman’s Co-op for giving us a berth for the 3 months we were home. E Coast Sails did a lot of work on the rig and sails so hopefully we are now set up for the next Ocean. They also generously let us borrow their big glue machine to stick up the forecabin headlining (again).

Saw lots of Dolphins on our way south and arrived at Broken Bay, which is the yachting Mecca just north of Sydney in time for Easter. We rendezvoused with Lynne and Andrew on Mischief (whom we met last year in Bundeberg), and spent some days in their company. We explored some of the remote and sheltered creeks that wind their way through the Ku-Ring-Gai Chase National Park. Following their lead we took the dinghies up towards the head of peaceful Smiths Creek to admire the birds and fish and beautiful scenery. They also invited us to a weekend ” Sailaway” meet of the Coastal Cruising Club of Australia held in a bay called Coasters Retreat where we met lots of friendly fellow sailors.

And the weather is hot and sunny.