We are beginning to feel that Toronto is our second home. Peter visited the RMYC Toronto and secured our six month lease of a mooring for Rene while we are back in WA. It will cost $224 per month which is considerably cheaper than Sydney. We feel she will be secure here for that time with Roger and Carol keeping an eye out to see she is still tethered and afloat and Greg and Leisha visiting occasionally.
Peter helped Roger with his 'Man Pad' in the shed, putting down carpet and shifting a very heavy old desk in to place along with some other bits and pieces. We took a bus to Charleston Square Shopping Centre, a huge complex on the other side of the lake, where we wandered around, had lunch, but did not spend anything - Jeans West, Dusk and all the rest are the same where ever you go! A haircut was on the agenda and this has been accomplished. Having spent a few days at Toronto we then decided it was time to explore Kilaben Bay.
We motored around the corner and to the northern end of Kilaben Bay to find a sheltered anchorage as strong NW winds were forecast. We haven't sailed much because of the need for motoring to charge up the batteries. In the northern end of Kilaben Bay beyond Styles Point is a beautifully sheltered little bay. Ashore is Rathmines Park and Catalina Park and plenty of walking opportunities. Catalina Park was a former flying boat base during WW2 and some of the buildings and a huge ramp are still there. The strong wind warning did not eventuate this time.
We are now down in the very southern end of the lake in Chain Valley Bay. There is more bushland down here and the water is cloudy. On the western side of the bay is the Vales Point Power Station, a massive structure that is humming in the background. Today we will motor around to Crangan Bay and anchor off Gwandalan.
Monday, 30 September 2013
Monday, 23 September 2013
Back to Lake Macquarie 21st to 23rd September
Although the weather forecast said we should expect SW winds at 10-15kn and this was directly on the nose, we thought this was an opportunity to sail the 13nm back to Lake Macquarie. Motoring east down the harbour was much more pleasant than the way in and there were no ships to dodge. Once outside the channel we pulled up the main and set the jib and off we went. The light SW winds enabled us to glide past the surf beaches and see clearly some lovely views of Newcastle. It was an easy sail although we gradually found ourselves going further east than we liked. After tacking back towards the long Nine Mile Beach we began to point higher and finally, with a northerly change in the light breeze we made the Swansea Channel easily. The timing was perfect and the bar smooth with more than 3m depth. Peter rang the Marine Rescue and organised for the bridge to open for us in an hour. There was a small problem, a crash on the bridge, so we had to wait on the courtesy mooring while the authorities cleared the road and the resultant traffic jam also cleared.
The delay at the bridge made us an hour later than we wanted to negotiate the upper part of the Channel. We were anxious not to touch the bottom as we had on the way out. The tide was flowing strongly, but although the echo sounder once hit 1.9m and Peter thought he felt a brief slow down we made it back into this delightful lake. Where to go? After some thought we decided that Murray's Beach was a good idea and we'd treat ourselves to breakfast at the café on Sunday morning. What a treat! Gorgeous venue and yummy breakfast.
When Peter put the anchor light on the night before it would not work. He checked the wiring and came to the conclusion that a new globe was needed. Luckily we knew that there was a Bias Marine store at Belmont so we motored over there after breakfast to buy a new globe. LEDs do not necessarily last that long. With the new globe in hand it was my job to winch Peter up the mast. This is not an easy job and one that I never look forward to, partly because it is difficult and partly perched at the top of the mast in a canvas chair on the end of a rope is a vulnerable place to be. It seemed to take ages and I had instructions to flick various switches to test the job. Then swearing!!!! Lots of it!!! The nasty little Chinese globe fell apart in Peter's hands. Down he came and of course we had to repeat the whole exercise with a replacement. I will point out that this required a 200m row ashore and then a 2km walk to the shop and back. Not to mention the whole mast procedure all over again. This time it worked.
We are now anchored off Toronto for a day or two, relaxing and deciding what to do with the next couple of weeks. We have still not been down to the south end of the lake, Chain Valley Bay, Wyee Bay and others. Kilaben Bay is around the corner from Toronto Bay and we have not been there either. We're also looking forward to meeting up with Maureen and John and Judy and John at Hawkesbury River on the 3rd Oct. We are planning to take the ferry to Dangar Is for lunch - one of our favourite spots. The Tall Ships are coming to Sydney on the long weekend in October and we intend to take the train down for the weekend to check out the celebrations. Leisha will only have a couple of weeks to go by then. Exciting times!!
The delay at the bridge made us an hour later than we wanted to negotiate the upper part of the Channel. We were anxious not to touch the bottom as we had on the way out. The tide was flowing strongly, but although the echo sounder once hit 1.9m and Peter thought he felt a brief slow down we made it back into this delightful lake. Where to go? After some thought we decided that Murray's Beach was a good idea and we'd treat ourselves to breakfast at the café on Sunday morning. What a treat! Gorgeous venue and yummy breakfast.
When Peter put the anchor light on the night before it would not work. He checked the wiring and came to the conclusion that a new globe was needed. Luckily we knew that there was a Bias Marine store at Belmont so we motored over there after breakfast to buy a new globe. LEDs do not necessarily last that long. With the new globe in hand it was my job to winch Peter up the mast. This is not an easy job and one that I never look forward to, partly because it is difficult and partly perched at the top of the mast in a canvas chair on the end of a rope is a vulnerable place to be. It seemed to take ages and I had instructions to flick various switches to test the job. Then swearing!!!! Lots of it!!! The nasty little Chinese globe fell apart in Peter's hands. Down he came and of course we had to repeat the whole exercise with a replacement. I will point out that this required a 200m row ashore and then a 2km walk to the shop and back. Not to mention the whole mast procedure all over again. This time it worked.
We are now anchored off Toronto for a day or two, relaxing and deciding what to do with the next couple of weeks. We have still not been down to the south end of the lake, Chain Valley Bay, Wyee Bay and others. Kilaben Bay is around the corner from Toronto Bay and we have not been there either. We're also looking forward to meeting up with Maureen and John and Judy and John at Hawkesbury River on the 3rd Oct. We are planning to take the ferry to Dangar Is for lunch - one of our favourite spots. The Tall Ships are coming to Sydney on the long weekend in October and we intend to take the train down for the weekend to check out the celebrations. Leisha will only have a couple of weeks to go by then. Exciting times!!
Sunday, 22 September 2013
Newcastle 18th & 19th September
No coffees in bed this morning. We were up early and ready for the trip to Newcastle. Peter checked the weather forecast, which remained the same as the night before, at WNW winds, 10 to 15 kn. Sounded good! The day started well and we flew along with the sails full and Port Stephens disappeared quickly. Then the winds began to build.... and build..... At least we had a fuel free day! Peter says he loved it, was exciting in fact! I prefer things to be a little quieter and I am now putting in an order for Lazy Jacks. Folding the main off Newcastle in the strong winds, bouncing around on deck, dodging both ingoing and outward bound ships was a bit too exciting for me. Eventually we motored into the strong wind coming directly out of the harbour and finally into Throsby Basin and the Newcastle Marina.
We had already decided to spend two nights in the marina as we felt like pampering ourselves a bit. The facilities here are excellent. Two nights became three as the weather didn't improve. Newcastle turned out to be worth visiting and we were glad to have the extra time there. From the marina a path leads around the harbour and into the centre, past apartments, shops, cafes etc., and on out to the Nobbys Head breakwater, where we found some interesting concrete sculptured pictures. More ships came and went.
Another walk worth doing was through the city and over the hill to the surf beaches on the southern side of the harbour entrance. The beach was lined with surfers cars with surf music, boards and all the surfing paraphernalia and we spent some time watching them catching the waves curling and breaking over the reef. This area reminded me of some of the beaches in southern England - very scenic.
Leading up to the weekend huge yachts began arriving at the marina. Eventually Peter asked what was happening and found out that there was a regatta at Port Stephens which they were participating in. Peter and I ogled these beautiful yachts, Hanse 41, 49, various Moodys and others. Rene sitting in her berth at the end of the pontoon looked like a dinghy in comparison. I bet they had not done the Bight tho'. We were not sure about calling in at Newcastle, but are very glad we did.
Here comes another one!
We had already decided to spend two nights in the marina as we felt like pampering ourselves a bit. The facilities here are excellent. Two nights became three as the weather didn't improve. Newcastle turned out to be worth visiting and we were glad to have the extra time there. From the marina a path leads around the harbour and into the centre, past apartments, shops, cafes etc., and on out to the Nobbys Head breakwater, where we found some interesting concrete sculptured pictures. More ships came and went.
Another walk worth doing was through the city and over the hill to the surf beaches on the southern side of the harbour entrance. The beach was lined with surfers cars with surf music, boards and all the surfing paraphernalia and we spent some time watching them catching the waves curling and breaking over the reef. This area reminded me of some of the beaches in southern England - very scenic.
Leading up to the weekend huge yachts began arriving at the marina. Eventually Peter asked what was happening and found out that there was a regatta at Port Stephens which they were participating in. Peter and I ogled these beautiful yachts, Hanse 41, 49, various Moodys and others. Rene sitting in her berth at the end of the pontoon looked like a dinghy in comparison. I bet they had not done the Bight tho'. We were not sure about calling in at Newcastle, but are very glad we did.
Thursday, 19 September 2013
Back to Port Stephens 15th to 17th September
Adverse weather reports sent us scurrying back to Port Stephens. (Peter said it wasn't scurrying, we just sailed.) We had a good sail in a moderate NE breeze and decided to stop for a night or two in Fame Cove. It is so protected and several other boats were in there also. Finally the long awaited rain blew in from the NW on Monday and we spent the day reading, fishing (with no luck) and playing card games.
By Tuesday morning the worst of the weather had passed so we decided to motor out to Shoal Bay, which is just inside the southern entrance to Port Stephens. The long, white, sandy beach is backed by hotels and apartments and is very picturesque. We had seen an NPA pink mooring here on arrival, (courtesy moorings are pink beehive affairs) so Peter Googled NPA and found that it was the National Park Authority and the mooring was for the use of the public. It was ours for the night. While we were having lunch huge, black thunder clouds began to gather and head our way. Peter and I were sitting quietly waiting for a break in the weather to go ashore when there was an almighty flash and bang all at once that nearly sent us through the roof. The rain began and after a while the storm passed over and the sun came out and we took Lily into the beach.
Tomaree Head guards the southern entrance to Port Stephens and we had wanted to climb it if the chance arose. There is a well made walking track to the top and the views are spectacular over the whole waterway. We could see Rene like a little dot down in the bay. After purchasing gas, ice and a few fresh stores we were ready for the trip 27nm south to Newcastle the next day.
Waiting for the rain in Fame Cove
By Tuesday morning the worst of the weather had passed so we decided to motor out to Shoal Bay, which is just inside the southern entrance to Port Stephens. The long, white, sandy beach is backed by hotels and apartments and is very picturesque. We had seen an NPA pink mooring here on arrival, (courtesy moorings are pink beehive affairs) so Peter Googled NPA and found that it was the National Park Authority and the mooring was for the use of the public. It was ours for the night. While we were having lunch huge, black thunder clouds began to gather and head our way. Peter and I were sitting quietly waiting for a break in the weather to go ashore when there was an almighty flash and bang all at once that nearly sent us through the roof. The rain began and after a while the storm passed over and the sun came out and we took Lily into the beach.
Tomaree Head guards the southern entrance to Port Stephens and we had wanted to climb it if the chance arose. There is a well made walking track to the top and the views are spectacular over the whole waterway. We could see Rene like a little dot down in the bay. After purchasing gas, ice and a few fresh stores we were ready for the trip 27nm south to Newcastle the next day.
The unconcerned prickly fellow was half way up Tomaree Head.
Tuesday, 17 September 2013
Broughton Islands 13th & 14th September
The weather forecast looked good for us to make a trip to the Broughton Islands. Broughton is NSW's biggest mainland island. There are several islands in this group. The currents between Boondelbah, Little and Cabbage Tree Islands, as we left Port Stephens, made for a very bouncy ride. The swell rebounding from the cliffs added to the discomfort and we were glad to get past these off-lying islands. It is only an 8nm trip NE from Port Stephens entrance so two hours later we were rounding Providence Point on the northern end of Broughton Island and heading for the courtesy mooring at the eastern end of Providence Bay. It was close to the beach and behind an unforgiving looking patch of reef. The swells coming around the island from the SE were broken down on the reef and the light SW winds blowing across the island meant the anchorage turned out to be quite comfortable. There are another couple of anchorages on this island, but they are only useable when the wind is in the north.
Peter and I thought this bay looked much like Turtle Bay, on the Abrolhos Islands in WA, except for a high hill on the eastern end. Instead of low scrub the island is covered in long grass and low wind swept trees. A path lead over the island to the southern side where we found a row of neat huts at Esmeralda Cove. The cove is full of empty moorings. It must be a hive of activity during the holiday season. We noticed that large patches of the sandy island were mined with active Mutton Bird nests. We walked as far as we could along the white sandy beaches until we were stopped in both directions by low cliffs.
During the night we began to hear the 'Boi-oi-oing!' of birds flying into our rigging. Not a nice sound reverberating through the hull. It was such a dark night with no moon at all. The mast light made no difference and so we had to lie there and listen to the Mutton Birds thumping into the boat. After a while things settled down as the birds made it home for the night, but before daylight they all flew out and began colliding with the boat again. I was glad when daylight arrived.
The forecast alerted us to the fact that a strong NE wind was due so we made a decision to sail back to Port Stephens. It would have been nice to spend another day or two here, but it is not a sensible place to be in adverse weather.
Providence Beach
Peter and I thought this bay looked much like Turtle Bay, on the Abrolhos Islands in WA, except for a high hill on the eastern end. Instead of low scrub the island is covered in long grass and low wind swept trees. A path lead over the island to the southern side where we found a row of neat huts at Esmeralda Cove. The cove is full of empty moorings. It must be a hive of activity during the holiday season. We noticed that large patches of the sandy island were mined with active Mutton Bird nests. We walked as far as we could along the white sandy beaches until we were stopped in both directions by low cliffs.
Esmeralda Cove
During the night we began to hear the 'Boi-oi-oing!' of birds flying into our rigging. Not a nice sound reverberating through the hull. It was such a dark night with no moon at all. The mast light made no difference and so we had to lie there and listen to the Mutton Birds thumping into the boat. After a while things settled down as the birds made it home for the night, but before daylight they all flew out and began colliding with the boat again. I was glad when daylight arrived.
The forecast alerted us to the fact that a strong NE wind was due so we made a decision to sail back to Port Stephens. It would have been nice to spend another day or two here, but it is not a sensible place to be in adverse weather.
Any snakes here????
Thursday, 12 September 2013
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.)
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.
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.)
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!!!!!
Monday, 9 September 2013
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!!
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!
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!
Friday, 6 September 2013
Culture in Cockle Bay 6th September
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.
Thursday, 5 September 2013
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.
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.
Monday, 2 September 2013
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!
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
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
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