Soldiers Point Marina 10th & 11th September

Fame Cove turned out to be a beautifully quiet, secure anchorage in the blustery north westerly winds of yesterday. The first thing we did in the morning was check the weather forecast. Not good! Later in the day a strong wind warning from the NW was forecast. We had booked ourselves into Soldiers Point Marina for two nights so we decided to go early as the wind was already picking up at 7.30am. Soldiers Point is just over 1nm from Fame Cove so after a short motor we were there. This impressive little marina is easy to get into, plenty of room to manoeuvre and we were tied up and settled in just after 8am.

At $75 per night this is the most expensive marina we have stayed in so far, but what luxury! The people working here are very friendly and helpful and have made us feel most welcome. Nothing is too much trouble. The first thing we did was have a shower in one of the en-suite bathrooms. Wow! I think this is probably the most luxurious bathroom I have ever had the pleasure of using. We even had Cat Stevens playing softly in the background while we had a shower.  There is a lounge for marina patrons complete with TV, computer, complimentary wine and a borrow/swap library with some great books where we traded our old ones for some new titles. Along with trolleys there are courtesy bikes and a courtesy car available. We borrowed the car in the afternoon to do some serious food shopping.

It wasn't long before the wind picked up and howled in from the NW. There is a huge Weather Station screen outside the restaurant which details weather forecasts and displays current weather recordings. The strongest gust for the day was 32.2kn and the temperature 31 degrees. Boats and pontoons began to bounce about in the chop and we were glad to be on the inside of the pontoon. Peter had to adjust Rene's lines so that she did not snatch and jerk at the ropes. Walking along the pontoons was interesting as they rose up and down on the waves. During the day thick smoke blew in from hazard reduction burns that were fanned by the hot gusty winds. It made for a very colourful sunset.

On Wednesday we decided to take one of the local ferries from Nelson Bay to Tea Gardens, which is in the lower Myall River. This area is in the Myall River delta and is shallow with shoals, oyster beds and rocky outcrops up a winding channel. The ferry looked like a good idea as it would have been a bit tricky on Rene. Tea Gardens is an attractive community and we strolled up the river and through the town. At the Tourist Information Centre we collected a map and found an interesting looking walk on the other side of the river. Off we went, over the Singing Bridge and through the community of Hawks Nest, around Spiky Rush Swamp, on to Winda Woppa and finally, dear reader, to plain old Jimmy's Beach. Who thought of that name? After all the lovely romantic names of places in this area surely they could have come up with a more imaginative one for this gorgeous beach - maybe Seahorse Sands or Sandpiper Beach! (Actually Spiny Rush Swamp was one I made up, for the sake of a good story!! It did have Spiny Rushes in it.)

Beautiful BBQs at Tea Gardens

More streetscape art in Tea Gardens

 





Walking through Hawks Nest we could hear mournful music playing. We thought there must have been a church nearby, but no, a brass band was playing in someone's driveway. They were playing 'How Great Thou Art' and I managed to completely amaze Peter by singing along. I have not sung that hymn for nearly 50 years, since Elleker Sunday School days. I amazed myself!

The ferry trip back to Nelson Bay was interesting as Peter began chatting with the ferry skipper and found that he had spent his life fishing and sailing and  many years of them in this area. We now have some useful information about bays and anchorages in Port Stephens.

Someone Else 

 

A new crew member has joined our ranks. I'm not sure if they're male or female, but Someone causes a lot of mischief on our little vessel. Peter will say, 'Someone has left the seacock on again,' or,

'Someone has flicked the nav lights on.' This in the middle of the day. Someone also hides various items of our clothing or notes down the weather forecast on my shopping list and uses up all the room and worst of all puts dirty footprints on a freshly washed deck. It's very irritating and if Someone is discovered at their little antics, they may be made to walk the plank!!!!! 

 

 



Port Stephens 7th to 9th September

The sail from Lake Macquarie to Port Stephens on Saturday was the best sail we have had for a long time. The wind was generally in the west at 10-15kn for most of the day and as the swell and seas were less than 1m we flew along at an average of 6 knots. Stockton Bight behaved and warnings from various people about how lumpy this patch of sea was did not eventuate, this time at least. We rounded Tomaree Head at 1.30pm and motored along the southern coast of Port Stephens. There are two main commercial operations here, tourism and oyster farming. As we motored along the white sandy beaches multi storey hotels and apartments dominated the waterfront. Shoal Bay, the first opportunity for anchoring, was rejected as there were many people, especially children, on the beach and there appeared to be no place to secure Lily when we went ashore. (Children cannot help themselves and play in the dinghy - sand everywhere, and potential loss of oars!)

The next bay, Nelson Bay, is the main tourist centre along with a very expensive marina. We later found out that this marina costs $90 per night. Alan Lucas, 'Cruising the NSW Coast', informed us that there were courtesy moorings to the east side of the marina. There wasn't any. They must have been removed for some reason. We motored on. This southern shore generally has water that is too deep to anchor in close to the beach so we kept going until we finally found an area just east of the Anchorage Resort Marina that had suitable depth and was reasonably protected close to the marina wall. There are several moored boats here and we spent a pleasant night there.

On Sunday we motored around Salamander Bay, where we did find a courtesy mooring in the south east corner, and on to Soldiers Point and into the western part of Port Stephens waterway. Tanilba Bay looked good so we anchored there in 3m of water a long way out from the shore. This bay is quite shallow so we set the anchor outside the moored boats. After lunch we took Lily ashore and walked several kms to Lemon Tree Passage. There is a small marina here, but we decided it didn't look like a good choice for an overnight stay. The water is muddy and shallow and the marina piles made of steel. We had a coffee then walked around the shore back to Tanilba Bay.

Interesting!! As we rounded the last stony point we realised the tide had gone out a seriously long way. By now the feet and legs were protesting, but when we looked at where we left Lily we thought a walk to the local shopping centre was a good option, while we waited for the tide to come in a little. Finally we gave up and staggered, hauling the dinghy over the sandy mud, weed and black snail shells to the waters edge. A lesson well learned!! Check the tide tables!!

'Oh s@#!! Where has the sea gone?'

This morning, Monday, we motored to the northern side of the waterway and had a quick look at the Northern Arm, which is an interesting bay - but not for a stay. Just around the corner is Fame Cove, a beautiful little secure anchorage with 6 courtesy moorings available to the public. We chose one and then took Lily up the creek as far as we could go, a couple of kms. Once the mangroves closed in we turned around and decided to row most of the way back to listen to the birdsong and creek noises. Lovely!

Tomorrow we will motor over to Soldiers Point Marina where we have booked two nights stay. It is also expensive at $75 per night, but we need ice, a shower, water, laundry etc. There are a few extras thrown is here, a complimentary bottle of wine, a courtesy car or drop off and pick up along with one or two other things I have forgotten. We plan to have them drop us off at Nelson Bay Jetty on Wednesday to take a ferry to Tea Gardens for the day. Tea Gardens and Hawks Nest townships are up the Myall River and it is too shallow to get Rene up there. It sounds like a great day out!

Culture in Cockle Bay 6th September

 

Tonight we are moored on the ocean side of Swansea Bridge in the Swansea Channel. We are off to Port Stephens tomorrow as the tide is favourable early in the morning. Rene is rocking gently in the current as the remainder of the ocean swells make their way up here. We should sleep well, so long as we don't bump the mooring too much. After a couple of weeks in Port Stephens we hope to get as far north as the Broughton Islands. These islands are about 8nm north east of Port Stephens. From here we will make our way back to Lake Macquarie to await the arrival of our first grandchild and make Rene ready for her rest at Toronto until next April.

This morning, after our lovely hot shower at RMYC Toronto, we motored around to Cockle Bay. Carol had told us about the Lake Macquarie City Art Gallery and the good coffee produced at the café there. They do a really nice Hazelnut Chocolate Slice too. The gallery is located next to the Marmong Marina overlooking the bay, with some interesting sculptures in the park surrounding it. We enjoyed viewing the contemporary exhibition and wandering around the grounds afterwards.

 

An artist at work in the grounds of the gallery

We had already decided to make a break from the lake on Saturday as the weather and tide combine to allow us to leave at about 7am. The plan was to motor down the channel to the Swansea Bridge and take up one of the courtesy moorings on the inland side for the night. We had already booked a bridge opening for 7am. We could clearly see the very shallow water along the edges of the channel so carefully followed the channel markers. Rene's draft is 1.8m, maybe slightly more loaded up as we are. Things were proceeding nicely when we suddenly felt a shudder and Rene's keel carved a little furrow in a sand ridge in the middle of the channel. It was over in a moment, thank goodness, and we continued on without incident. I guess the bottom of the keel is now shiny and clean.

On arrival at the bridge we set ourselves up to pick up the mooring rope on one of the buoys. The current was strong and we could feel the boat being pulled and pushed around. Unfortunately the mooring we chose had a rope that had been severed by a propeller so was useless. There is not much room on this side of the bridge and in the strong current we lined up for the second buoy. At that moment I heard the bridge alarm announcing that it was about to open and the operator called us through. We had jagged the 2pm opening. Now we are safely tied to one of the buoys on the ocean side for the night and hopefully will be off early in the morning. Peter cancelled our 7am bridge opening appointment.

Good Friends - Toronto and Gosford 4th & 5th September

Wednesday was a catch-up day at Toronto. We tied up at the yacht club jetty on Tuesday evening to re-charge the batteries, have showers and do some other housekeeping jobs. Roger and Carol came to a local Thai restaurant for an evening meal with us. We wanted to thank them for all the help they have given us since we have been in Lake Macquarie. The meal was excellent and we all had a great night - good food and good company.

For some time we have been thinking about catching a train to Gosford to see our friends Brian and Helen who are there for another month or so before starting their journey back to Tassie. The 8.31am train from Newcastle to Central, Sydney is an express, only stopping at half a dozen stations, so after an early start we were off  to Gosford for the day. We met Brian and Helen for morning coffee and then Helen and I went to find a bargain at the Red Cross Shop. I found a lovely little Royal Albert soap dish, but decided to be strong and resist temptation this time. Later at lunch Helen presented me with the dish. She had brought it for me while I wasn't looking. Thank you Helen. When I look at it in years to come I will remember the good times we had together on this trip.

Interesting sign on the Gosford Public Wharf

Pulbar Island & Murray Beach, Lake Macquarie 2nd & 3rd September

We have ventured into the southern part of Lake Macquarie at last. On arrival at Pulbar Island we noticed that the courtesy mooring on the northern side was vacant so we grabbed it and went ashore to circumnavigate the island on foot. After an hour of walking along the sandy/pebbly beach we came to a rocky platform area that was easy going. The island is bushy and too hard to penetrate very far into so staying by the shore is the best option. Not long after the platform area the rocks became larger and steeper until we finally couldn't go any further as the cliff plunged straight into the water. We were only a few hundred metres from Rene and had to turn and make our way back the way we had come. Oh well, we earned dinner that night.

A pair of beautiful little wild ducks swam up to the boat hoping for a feed, so of course we gave in and fed them some seedy bread. There didn't seem to be much bird life on the island and we could only hear a few bird calls in the evening. We did however see a huge Lace Monitor on our walk. It must have got a fright as we approached because it shot up the nearest tree and I nearly did too.

The next day we decided to motor over to Murray Beach, which is just south of Swansea on the eastern side of the lake. Again there are two courtesy moorings here and we took one and then went ashore to take a closer look at the delightful looking park we could see. Up on the hill is a relatively new subdivision, but a large area in front has been left as parkland with huge trees and lawn underneath. Nearby we discovered a coffee shop which had a view to die for, so of course we had to try it out and were suitably impressed. The bird life here was amazing. It was like being in a natural aviary complete with nests in the trees nearby. We will probably spend a bit more time here after our trip to Port Stephens and the Broughton Is.

 

 

   

Greg and Leisha Visit 31st August & 1st September

Greg and Leisha have bought a new car, a white Mazda 2. They decided to drive up to visit us for the weekend to see what we are up to and try out the new car. It is about 130kms from Sydney and took them an hour and a half to get to Toronto. There is a surprising amount of room in the Mazda and we all went for a drive around the northern part of the lake to Belmont. On the way we called into the Marmong Point Marina to enquire about the cost of pulling Rene out next year to do the antifouling etc. We were impressed with the facility and the prices of haul-out and storage on the hardstand were competitive, so this is probably where Peter will take Rene in April when we come back to start our next season.

We have decided to leave Rene in Lake Macquarie on a RMYC Toronto mooring for the summer, when we go home. We are hoping that Greg and Leisha will occasionally come up and use her to explore the lake, have a weekend break and keep an eye on Rene for us. Roger has also indicated that he will make sure she is OK. 

On Sunday the four of us motored over to Green Point on Rene. The weather was perfect and the lake beautiful, sparkling in the sunshine. We had a lovely day with Greg and Leisha showing them the bush walks, soaking up the sun and watching the other boats out on the water. Our two dolphins joined us again, swimming in the bow wave, but this time they behaved normally. They were impressed with this beautiful water-way, (who would not be?) and I think they will be happy to use Rene now and again over the summer. Thanks for coming up to see us Leisha and Greg - a Father's Day to remember!

Green Point and Toronto 27th to 30th August

 

Belmont

 

After spending a couple of pleasant days on the eastern shore of Lake Macquarie at Belmont, we moved a little further north to Green Point. There is a courtesy mooring here close to the shore and adjacent to the Green Point Foreshore Reserve. The reserve is criss-crossed with walking tracks and is well endowed with picnic and BBQ areas. No rain has fallen here for some weeks and the land is very dry. For us this warm weather is very pleasant and we have dragged out the shorts and tee-shirts. We discovered a colony of Bellbirds here, chiming away, and sitting out in the cockpit for lunch, evening drinks etc., with the birdsong from the forest and the warm setting sun, is bliss. Green Point must be a suitable habitat for birds as in the morning and evening the birdsong is incredible.

The weather was so perfect that we decided to motor around Croudace and Warners Bays. These bays are filled with the southern suburbs of Newcastle and plenty of moored craft. Parkland surrounds the shores of the lake and the whole area is quite scenic. We were joined by two of the biggest dolphins we have ever seen. We thought they may have been two males with testosterone problems, because they appeared to be in a very aggressive mood. They kept torpedoing towards us and diving at the last moment. Then they started slapping Rene's hull with their tails. At first we thought we had hit something and I raced downstairs to check the chart plotter. It was definitely the dolphins. They also kept bumping the rudder and the tiller was being pushed to and fro. The boat kept shuddering from the impact. As they surfaced to take a breath is was not the usual graceful movement we associate with dolphins. It was quite aggressive. Interesting experience and I'm glad I wasn't in the water with them.

We met up with the O'Dwyers again on Wednesday evening and planned a trip to Sydney on the train for Thursday. We also had another couple of nights at their house in the lovely soft bed. From Fassifern Station it took two hours to travel to Central Station. It is a scenic trip and one I would happily do again. From Central Station we caught the Light Rail to Darling Harbour and spent most of the day at the Maritime Museum. Roger and Carol are members of the museum so we got in free as their guests. Peter and I inspected HMAS Onslow an Oberon class submarine, then the destroyer HMAS Vampire and finally the HMB Endeavour replica. This was as much as we could manage and will probably go back again to see more exhibits in the future.

We met Roger at the museum and caught the ferry around to Circular Quay to meet Carol for afternoon tea before embarking on the journey back to Toronto. A train to Central then a swap to the very crowded Newcastle train and we were on the way. Luckily we managed to get on early and found seats before the last few minutes of the rush. It's still difficult to believe that the cost of public transport for us seniors for the day was $2.50 each including rail, light rail and ferry trips.

Royal Motor Yacht Club Toronto

Rene alongside at RMYC Toronto Marina

Lake Macquarie 22nd to 25th August

After breakfast at Roger and Carols we opted for a tour of Toronto town and morning coffee at one of their favourite haunts. We discussed options for staying out as the weather forecast was for two more westerly, strong wind warning days. Somewhere along the way we all decided it was a good idea for Peter and I to join the Royal Motor Yacht Club of Toronto. It is quick and simple to join and very reasonable at $80 for a full boating membership and $15 for an associate membership. This also means we can use the facilities (toilets, showers etc) and have one free night per week tied up to the yacht club jetty where power and water are available. We spent the day ambling around town, doing some unavoidable jobs. One was to sort out medications for the next few months until we got back to Albany. This was done at the friendly Priceline Pharmacy and now we have six months supply and won't need to worry about that until we arrive back home.

While we were looking for Woolies we came across the local council voting station. Peter went in and enquired about absentee voting and lo and behold that was fixed up too. While all this was happening we had the bright idea of finding out about the availability of mooring Rene at Toronto YC over the summer while we go home. There were moorings available and we booked one for six months at $224 per month. This is an inland waterway and we feel sure Rene will be OK while we are away. It is a reasonably straightforward and very cheap process to bus and train to Sydney to see Greg and Leisha's new baby and also to catch the plane home. Another advantage is that the mooring is $700 cheaper than the one in Sydney and we are a little closer to Townsville for next year.

Wangi Workers Club from our anchorage

On Friday we motored down the west side of the lake to Wangi Wangi. Of course there was another strong wind warning so we anchored up in the corner of Wangi Bay right in front of the Worker's Club in 4.0m of water. This position was directly under the shelter of some tall sheoks and although we could see the wind tossing the branches about we were very protected with just a small ruffle breezing across the water. We were able to sign in to the club for the day and use the facilities there. I discovered that a Quilt Show was being held and went for a look. There were some gorgeous quilts Bev and I am starting to get motivated in that direction again.

On Saturday we decided some serious exercise was in order so we set out early and walked the Wangi Peninsular. What a lovely walk, partly on parkland between the houses and the lake and partly in the Lake Macquarie State Conservation area. By the time we arrived back at the Wangi shopping area it was well past coffee time. There is a very lovely caravan park on the peninsular called The Wangi Holiday and Camping Area for those of you who are interested. Lots of beautiful tall gum trees and grass on a hill overlooking the western bays and side of Lake Macquarie. Some people had one of the open fires going, cooking breakfast and Peter and I nearly gate-crashed.

 

 

Now it is Sunday and we decided that as the weather is absolutely superb we would motor over to the eastern side of the lake to Belmont. Recently the strongest wind has been from the west so we thought we would take advantage of this quiet time to explore the other side. We are now anchored between the Belmont Public Jetty and the swimming baths in about 3m of water. It is only a short row ashore to all the usual shops including a Bias Marine chandlery where we will no doubt spend some $$. Peter is sitting out on the cockpit seat watching the 16' Skiffs race across the bay. Apparently the World Champions came from the club here so the racing is worth watching. It doesn't get much better than this!!!

 

Orchids on Wangi Peninsular



Off To Lake Macquarie 21st August

Wednesday was the only day this week with a reasonable forecast for us to undertake the journey to Lake Macquarie, 35 nm north of Broken Bay. In fact we ended up covering 53nm as we left from the Royal Motor Yacht Club in the southern end of Pittwater at 6.30am and docked at the Royal Motor Yacht Club Toronto in the northern end of Lake Macquarie at 6.15pm. Roger and Carol O'Dwyer, friends from WA now living at Toronto, were there to meet us and direct us to a berth on the yacht club marina for the night.

The wind at the RMYC marina in the early morning was gusty from the NW and I thought we might have been in for a blow again, but all day the winds eased and were variable from SW to NE and no more than 10 knots at the strongest. We sailed all morning and then after lunch motored for the rest of the day. Just south of Moon Islet at the entrance to Lake Macquarie we noticed  a massive fish feeding frenzy about 1nm out to sea. As we were set to arrive at the Swansea Bar too early we decided to detour and see what was happening. What an amazing sight! We motored right through the school of large fish and they didn't even bother to get out of the way. This was the first visual evidence we've had of huge schools of fish still remaining in the sea.

We arrived at the Swansea Bar not long after low tide and had to circle for an hour and a half before we were confident that there was enough water for Rene to get through. The bar is reasonably protected by the headland and off-lying Moon Islet from the south east swell, but as there was little swell and no wind the depth was our only concern. Two hours after low tide we crossed the bar and followed the channel markers up to the courtesy moorings where we waited for 3/4 hour for 5 o'clock when we had booked the bridge to open. The bridge is operated by Marine Rescue Lake Macquarie and they use a loudspeaker to let you know that the bridge is about to open and to get ready to go through. It was then a matter of following the channel markers across some quite shallow water, 2.3m at lowest, up to the drop over into the lake.

The sun set as we entered the lake and we made our way to Toronto under direction from Roger at the RMYC Toronto. Luckily it was easy to find our way in amongst the moored boats to the jetty where Roger, Carol and a friend helped us dock Rene. We had a wonderful meal at the O'Dwyers, caught up on all the news, discussed the must see places in the lake and were invited to stay the night. I quite like our bed on the boat, we call it The Cocoon. The bed at the O'Dwyers was like a soft, fluffy cloud - lovely! Thanks Roger and Carol. You have made us feel very welcome at Lake Macquarie.

Lake Macquarie - Here We Come! 19th to 21st August

Well not quite! Monday and Tuesday had strong wind warnings forecast so we decided to stay in Pittwater for a couple more days. On Monday we left Patonga early and motored to Coasters Retreat, a lovely, protected bay on the western shores of Pittwater. The NW/SW winds blew strongly as forecast, but we felt secure on our club mooring. Very few people are sailing in this area during the week so taking up a club mooring for the night is not an issue. Coasters Retreat is full of visitor moorings and it was a matter of which one? On Tuesday the wind was just as strong as Monday so Peter rang the Royal Motor Yacht Club of Broken Bay and organised a berth for the night.  Luxury!!

The wind was howling when we arrived, but luckily two men from the marina helped us secure Rene without much fuss. There is not a lot of room in some of these marinas for manoeuvring and the wind complicates things somewhat. We were surrounded by small ships and classy yachts, but I bet none of them had come across The Bight. I was looking forward to roast dinner at the club, however Peter made a mistake with the days and we ended up with fish and chips. Nice though! One advantage of the marina berth was that we could clean Lily and pack her away on the pontoon. Much easier than on the foredeck. We filled up with water, fuel, gas, did the washing and had a shower all ready for an early morning departure on Wednesday, the only decent weather forecast this week.

Tick Magnet 19th August

I'm not sure why, but my ability to attract bush ticks has my unsympathetic family rolling about laughing hysterically at my expense. Peter says he can hear them backstroking across the bay to find me. A portion of Peter and Greg's phone calls always contains quips about the problem. The last tick was picked up on a walk at Towlers Bay in Pittwater. I even sent Peter through the bush first, but they never get on him. Why me? Greg has even suggested I should be put in a bag and dusted!!! Ha, Ha, very funny guys! I have two frivolous tallies going on this trip. One is tick attachments to Liz - 5 at present. The other is how much money I find. Believe me it is not a realistic way to survive. The total since the start of the trip is $11.50. I'll still have to do some relief teaching when I get home.

Here they come!

 

 

It is Monday 19th August and because of a strong wind warning we are staying in this area today. We plan to make the trip to Lake Macquarie tomorrow, weather permitting.

Train Trip to Newcastle & Jobs 17th & 18th August

As we're still at Brooklyn we decided to take advantage of being near the Central Coast Line and take a journey to Newcastle for the day. At the huge cost of $2.50 return each, we set out. Strong winds were forecast so it seemed like a good idea. We must have taken the 'milk run' on the way north as the train stopped at every station and we had to change at Wyong. It took just over two hours to get to Newcastle, but the journey was scenic and having views of countryside instead of water was a change. On arrival we walked along the foreshore where huge amounts of money have been spent on beautifying the area. It was a pleasant walk around to the marina and yacht club, but the wind gradually built until it was almost uncomfortable to continue to walk here. An enquiry at the Yacht Club informed us that it would cost $50 per night to stay. Of course all amenities were on hand. Our trip back to Hawkesbury River was much quicker and took only 1 1/2 hours with a change at Gosford. The landscape around Newcastle was very flat and I realised how lucky I am to have spent so much time in the rivers and bays around Broken Bay.

Lily is left at the public pontoon for the day (locked)

 

Another windy day was forecast for Sunday so we decided to do a few jobs. Took advantage of the cheap laundry facility at Brooklyn Marina (1 load = $7.50 per wash and dry)and purchased ice which they sell in a huge block as this lasts much better than the small ice block variety. After this was done we decided to move back to Patonga Beach as the wind was still in the northern sector. A walk along the beach in the evening finished off a pleasant day.

Bonus Time in Pittwater, Cowan Creek and the Hawkesbury River 13th to 17th August

After the water pump was fixed we decided to stay in this area for a few more days. We studied the maps and found some places we had not yet seen. Tuesday night was spent in beautiful, calm, secluded Refuge Bay close to the waterfall. The trickling sound of water falling over the rocks sent us to sleep that night.

On Wednesday we motored back to Pittwater and into Towlers Bay. This bay is full of private and club moorings and as this is not a busy time of the year no one seems to mind visitors taking up one of the moorings. Most of them are empty. It was very sheltered here from the strong westerly winds blowing outside the bay. Towlers Bay has good walking tracks into the Ku-Ring-Gai Chase National Park

We had explored all of the tracks we could find in Towlers Bay, so on Thursday we motored back into Cowan Creek and took up a National Park mooring off Hallets Beach, which is just south and on the opposite side to the Hawkesbury River entrance. What a gorgeous little beach! The wind had disappeared, the sun was out and as the afternoon wore on Peter and I decided to have our first drinks and nibbles on the beach for this trip. It has been too cold up until this point.

By Friday our larder was becoming boringly bare so the mutual decision was to go back to Brooklyn and do the laundry, have hot showers and go to Woy Woy and do the shopping. It is an easy 15 minute train trip and a short walk each end to the shops and boat. Very convenient!

Wind and Water Pump 12th August

At some stage over the last few weeks we had noticed larger amounts of water appearing in the bilge. Peter investigated in the dark recesses behind the motor and discovered that the water pump was leaking indicating that the seal had gone. He ordered parts on line and had them posted to Greg and Leisha's address. One of the reasons they came up for the weekend was to deliver the parts. Monday was then set aside for repairing the pump. Firstly, this is a Volvo MD7B 3000 series diesel motor and Peter had extraordinary difficulty getting behind the motor and below the exhaust manifold to disconnect the pump for repairs and then replace it afterwards. I heard a few choice words strung together in ways I've not heard before. I don't usually stick around when these jobs are done. However soon you will discover why I had to remain on board on this day. It seemed to take ages to fix and several times nuts and spanners dropped into the bilge under the motor, which resulted in the air turning blue. Eventually everything was put back together and no more leaks.

Once this job was completed, we were just sitting back admiring Peter's handiwork when suddenly a huge gust of wind hit Rene. It had been obvious that the weather was taking a turn for the worse, but the wind was incredibly strong. Gusts whipped over the water flinging spray in the air across the river. We were in a sheltered spot on a mooring in the Hawkesbury River. Goodness knows what it would have been like at sea. The tide was going out, the current strong and we were held side on to the wind, which made things quite uncomfortable as the gusts came through and at one stage heeled Rene to about 20 degrees. During the afternoon the wind remained strong and gusty. Later we heard on the news that hundreds of people requested assistance from SES throughout the Sydney area as trees and power lines came down. Also a 40' catamaran was turned over while sailing on Sydney Harbour. It was reported that the winds were gusting to 100km per hour there.

We had originally thought we would sail to Lake Macquarie this week. It is 35nm north of Broken Bay entrance and an easy days sail. However the weather forecast was for strong winds or winds from the north east (that's where we want to go) so we decided to stay in this area for a few more days until the weather turned more favourable for us.

Adventures With Greg and Leisha 11th August

Greg and Leisha caught the train from Sydney up to Hawkesbury River yesterday. We decided to take them over to Dangar Island, as they had not been there, and we had enjoyed it so much. Again we put Lily on the small beach near the coffee shop and then did the circumnavigation. They were both as impressed as we had been. A cup of coffee and toasted banana bread completed a lovely morning.

As we were preparing ourselves and Lily to go back to Rene a lady from a house nearby started talking to us about this beautiful island. She mentioned that she and her friend were about to go over to the other side of the river to climb up to her favourite waterfall. She invited us along, so of course we took her up on the invitation and off we went. We both tied the dinghies to a rock at the edge and clambered up to a level area above. Helen actually said, 'It's not far, a bit steep at the beginning, but then flattens out.'

Off we went, following Helen and Adrian up an ill defined path, the steepest I have ever been on. It was OK at first, but as we climbed it got steeper and eventually we had to use an old knotted rope to pull ourselves up an almost insurmountable rock. By now I was feeling very uneasy, wishing I had suction pads on my hands and feet, such as those frogs have. Climbing required both hands and feet and looking down from these dizzying heights had me deciding to pull out. Leisha at six months pregnant was happy to go on. I kept wondering what would happen if she slipped. She wasn't at all fazed. I must say now that Helen is 70 years old and went up this ravine like an antelope. After a short break everyone talked me into going on and for a while I tried not to look down as I felt I might fall of the slope at any moment. We had to push through bush and Greg said, 'What about the ticks Mum?' At that point in time I had got past my phobia about ticks. They were the least of my problems. Eventually the path flattened out and soon we stepped down into the rocky creek bed.

The creek and waterfall were a delight. The views from the top amazing - so far up! I imagine in summer this would be a wonderful spot for a swim, but now the water was very cold. I'm glad I conquered my fears and climbed on. It must be said I am a West Aussie and have never climbed anything as scary, steep and high as this. On the way down I carried a stout stick and this was a great help in providing support as I went. I'm even considering buying some "Dork Sticks" much to Greg's horror.

We made our way back to Rene and eventually had a very late lunch.

 

Helen and Adrian

  

A Week in Cowan Creek 5th to 10th August

We have just spent the week in the various bays up Cowan Creek. In WA this would be a river, as even as far as Bobbin Head there was still 8m depth. Empire Marina (Halvorsen's) is at the navigable end of the creek just around the corner from Bobbin Head picnic area, and from here it shallows quickly, but continues on for a few more kilometres before petering out in mangroves. We walked as usual and discovered some interesting and energetic walks. The Sphinx walk was beautiful. It took us on a loop of 6.5km up the range to a 1/8th replica of the Egyptian Sphinx. It had been carved in sandstone by a soldier who had spent time in Egypt during the war, his purpose being as a memorial to his mates.

 

One of the outstanding Bays was Jerusalem Bay, which is quite long and narrow and we discovered a very tiny patch of sand where we could land Lily. The rocks are covered with oysters and as Lily is an inflatable dinghy oysters are bad news for her. This has been one of our enduring problems - finding a place to leave the dinghy safely to go ashore. From here we were able to climb a steep path up to Cowan and find a general store where we had lunch and a rest before retracing our steps back to Jerusalem Bay. On the way we met a couple of ladies (senior) and discovered that one was over from Geraldton. She practises as a vet, but Peter forgot her name so can't help you Judy. I didn't get introduced properly so missed it.

We tied up to a National Park courtesy mooring in a small bay off Jerusalem called Pinta Bay. Steep, forested hills surrounded our bay, and the other side of Jerusalem Bay, locking us into a dark green triangle. It is such a sheltered bay that no wind stirred here and the dark, oily water was completely glassed out. I couldn't help thinking that this would have been exactly how Cook would have seen this bay if he had come here. One thing he would not have heard was the sound of the road trains roaring along the distant Pacific Motorway. It was interesting because the deep valleys funnelled the sound down and somehow made it echo strangely into a really ominous growl.

As evening approached many different birds called as they prepared for the night, crickets chirped and fish splashed. After a while silence fell and I began to find it a little claustrophobic in this dark little bay with the distant growl of the motorway floating down to us. This feeling changed in a moment though when Peter decided to have a go at fishing. As he threw out the line it splashed into the water and we discovered the most amazing phosphorescence we have ever seen. It was so dark, no moon, just our small patch of stars above. We spent ages throwing water over the side and watching our own glittering fireworks show. Everywhere the droplets hit the water hundreds of rings of fluorescent light shimmered in the darkness. We could even see large fish chasing and catching smaller ones. In places where leaves and twigs disturbed the surface sparkles of light flashed like those on the overhead lines as the electric train goes by. All of a sudden our bay turned magic and I forgot the oppressive feeling I had earlier.

We spent three nights at Bobbin Head, an extra one because it rained for a whole day and we were confined to the boat. At Cottage Point we watched as the float plane brought people in for dinner at the local restaurant. Cowan Creek is a must for anyone contemplating this journey - an absolute treasure.