Trip To Sydney 5th & 6th July

The morning was cold, clear and still as we pulled the anchor and motored out of Chain Bay. The forecast was for NW going W up to 20-25kn of wind later in the day. This would be on the nose as usual at the start, but sounded OK. For the first 4 hours the wind was very light, but as we headed north it grew in strength, so that by midday we were just south of Jervis Bay in strong winds. Both north and south of Jervis Bay the cliffs are huge, reputed to be highest in Australia. They are certainly impressive. At this stage the wind was coming directly out of the entrance to Jervis Bay and the sea was very lumpy. As we had to motor right across the bay to find any relief from the wind and the anchorages there are still exposed, we decided to go on to Crookhaven River.

Sailing along the cliffs we noticed two whale watching boats sheltering beneath, watching whales. One whale came very close to us. So much for keeping 100m off them. What if they don't keep 100m away from you - lawmakers? Yachts don't travel that fast. We had a false sense of security behind the cliffs and once we left them behind the true strength of the wind became apparent. By now it was gusting well up to 35kn and settled in at 30kn from the west. Of course this made a quick trip, but it was very uncomfortable in short choppy seas. Peter decided to shorten the sails and this meant getting very wet and cold. Once this was done we realised Crookhaven was not an option as the entrance would be untenable. We decided to go on to Sydney.

After we phoned Greg, who told us that the wind there was light, our decision was confirmed. As we got closer to Sydney the wind eased and we coasted through the Heads at 4am. A ship was sailing out at the same time and as we couldn't see it amongst the background lights, the AIS proved its worth. Eventually we could see it against South Head as we cruised past Middle Head into Balmoral Beach. Dropped the anchor at 4.45am and fell into bed at 5am.

 

Cook's Pigeon House (Cook must have been politically correct here. Doesn't look like a pigeon house to me!)

Chain Bay 4th & 5th July

As the weather forecast for the next few days was N/NW winds and strong wind warnings, we decided to relocate to Chain Bay, on the north side of Batemans Bay. This is a lovely bay that has good holding in sand and is reputed to be calm in these winds. It was. We spent a couple of comfortable days there with beautiful views of Maloney Beach and surrounds. The only small problem was landing the dinghy, usual problem of surge up the beach and not getting soaked on landing.

We found a very nice little coffee shop come deli where we indulged ourselves both days. The small suburb of Maloneys Beach is neat, surrounded by forest and on the east side by Murramarang National Park. We noticed that there were mobs of kangaroos relaxing on the beach reserves. Later in the evening they migrated to the gardens and were doing a wonderful job of mowing the lawns. One disadvantage of this was that my ability at advertising myself as a mobile restaurant for small critters meant I ended up with a hungry hitchhiker, a roo tick! Soon sorted it out! An early meal and we were in bed ready for a 4am rise for the trip to Jervis Bay.

Coffee shop at Chain Bay

 

 

 



Batemans Bay 30th June to 3rd July 35" 42.9'S 150" 11.4'E

That insane music of the mobile alarm rang out at 2.00am. The trouble is if you don't answer it the thing continues on indefinitely - no sleeping in! Helen and Brian heard us making preparations to leave and came out to wish us a safe trip and help us let go the lines. Thank you. Hope we catch up soon. The Bermagui Bar was behaving beautifully and we were underway, motoring to Batemans Bay. Actually we spent about two thirds of the time sailing today which was a change and as our route took us close to the coast the scenery was stunning. We sailed past many cliffy headlands interspersed with golden beaches. Again there was more forested land than cultivated.

We made good time and at 11.30am we approached Batemans Bay Bar. The weather was superb and the bar calm, the only ripples on the water being on the sandbanks to the north of the channel. The bar was crossed gingerly at 2 knots and at one stage there was 0.2m under the keel. The water was murky and muddy so no seeing the bottom. Luckily it is sand and as planned the tide was rising, so if we got stuck it was a matter of waiting for a bit more water to continue our journey. Peter had organised a marina pen for us for two days and we docked at midday after and incident free trip.

The facilities here are good with toilets and hot showers not far away. The town of Batemans Bay is a little over 1km walk along the rock walls retaining the river. Once in town coffee shops and eating places line the banks and we found a very nice place to sit and observe the activities on the river and walkway.

I have had a continuing blocked ear problem since leaving Port Fairy so we decided to bite the bullet and do something about it. We were advised to front up to the local hospital emergency department for treatment. Anyone who has done this before knows that you should not be in a hurry. Three hours later, after a syringing the problem was solved and I can now hear perfectly for the first time in a couple of months. Yay!!!!

Today is the 3rd of July and we are going to do a small shop and pay our marina fees. Peter is now filling the water bags and then we will motor over to Chain Bay on the north side of Batemans Bay. We may be there for a couple of days as there is a strong wind warning N/NW, of course exactly where we plan to go. Our research tells us that Chain Bay is a secure, comfortable anchorage in northerly weather and the holding is good in sand. Sounds good to me. Murramarang National Park extends into Chain Bay so there should be some exploring to do to keep us occupied over there for a couple of days.

Bermagui 28th to 30th June

We have decided to stay an extra day at Bermagui, partly because another yacht tied up alongside us making four rafted up from the jetty and that meant we were boxed in, and partly because this is the first sunny day for quite a while and we intend to make good use of it. Later we plan to walk to Wallaga Lake some six kms along the coast.

This is quite a crowded little harbour and that means, for the first time, we have had to raft up alongside other boats. We are the third from the jetty, the first a large trawler, the second is a large motor vessel being partly charter boat and the home of Brian and Helen, then there is us and until early this morning an older design wooden yacht out from us. Very cosy! Everyone is very polite and the general etiquette is to walk around the front of the mast and not the back to protect privacy. On the shore adjacent to the harbour is a new two storey building which houses the Fisherman's Co-op, amenities for boaties, several café/bar/restaurants, gift shop etc. The upstairs coffee shop has a lovely outdoor seating area where it is very pleasant to sit admiring the view of the harbour whilst sipping your cuppa.

 

Still has surf across the entrance.

 

 

 

 

After a good night's sleep we awoke on our first morning to be greeted by Brian and Helen (Peter met them previously in East Boyd Bay) and they informed us that they intended to take a bus to Bega for the day. We thought this sounded like a good idea so 9.30am found us lined up at the bus stop with half a dozen other people. Peter flashed his Senior's Card and BINGO $5 bus fare for both of us to Bega, 65 kms drive through some very scenic countryside. What we found out later was that this was a return fare. That's value! Bega doesn't have a lot to recommend it, except more shops than Bermagui, but it was a pleasant interlude and we restocked the larder from Woolies and saw a place we have not seen before. On the way back the bus driver (a very friendly bloke) stopped at a roadside stall and everyone piled out and bought pumpkins. Great day.

Yesterday was gloomy and very overcast, almost thunder stormy looking. We decided to catch up with some domestic chores in the morning and then went for a walk along the beach in the afternoon. Again we heard the Bellbirds in the Spotted Gum forest on the edge of town. They sound so beautiful. Helen had offered us the use of her washing machine and dryer (luxury) so I caught up with the washing. Brian and Helen invited us over for roast dinner that evening and we had a wonderful evening on board Furneaux Explorer. Brian and Peter disappeared upstairs for some time and later I found out that Brian had been showing Peter some of his favourite spots up the coast. Local knowledge is very handy. Thanks Helen and Brian for your hospitality and friendship.

 

Peter with the Spotted Gum 'Octopus'

Today is our last day in Bermagui as there appears to be a good weather window for our next foray north to Bateman's Bay. Apparently the bar at Bateman's Bay is trickier than here so we need a high tide and fair weather to cross it. That means we will have to be up at 2.00am to arrive at approximately midday to catch the high tide in. It will be about 40nm and again there is not much wind forecast so I suppose it will be more motoring. At least our entrance here is absolutely calm now, so there should be little trouble getting out. 

Eden to Bermagui 27th June 36' 25.6" S 150' 04.3" E

East Boyd Bay was a very different scene to the one we left four days ago. The beautiful blue/green water was now Cadbury milk chocolate brown and the remains of the ocean swells rolling through the bay crashed onto the beach in such a way that there was no way we could go ashore. Brown foam had built up along the shore making the beach look like someone had been out with the dirty detergent. The anchorage was comfortable and we had a restful nights sleep and were up early to prepare for the trip to Bermagui some 40nm north of Eden.

 

We have an informative guide book called 'Cruising the New South Wales Coast' by
Alan Lucas which we consult and read carefully before we travel to the next anchorage or port. Also our chart plotter has detailed charts of course and a great feature we have found since beginning this trip. There are little cameras dotted along the shore and at first we thought this meant it was a scenic spot. It turns out that if you click on the camera you get a great a aerial shot of that particular place. Very handy for visualising where you are going. After doing all the homework I was a little concerned that Bermagui has is a river harbour and therefore involves crossing a bar. Lucas and several locals told us it was fine, plenty of water and quite safe. Hmmmm!!!

We spent the day admiring rugged headlands and white sandy bays mostly surrounded by forest and tended to forget the swell that was still 2.5m or so since the wild weather a couple of days ago. The wind all day was again on the nose, NE at about 3kn. We rounded the headland ready to line up the leads into Bermagui Harbour when suddenly Peter and I realised the reality of the entry. Waves were breaking right across the entrance and as by now there was no turning back Peter gunned the motor and in we went through a maelstrom of white water and foam. I did the really brave thing and shot below and didn't look. I thought a screeching crazy woman on deck was not a good look for the numerous photographers on the rock wall photographing the proceedings. Two other runabouts followed us in so I guess it was all in a days fishing for them. What an adrenaline rush! Anyway we arrived in a calm little harbour literally full of boats. We were allocated a space on the Fisherman's Co-op jetty and here we are, enjoying being here safe and sound and sipping a glass of wine.

 

Just south of Bermagui. The bar swell was not quite this big.

   

 

Eden 23rd to 26th June

We have just spent the last four days at Eden, partly sheltering from the weather and partly reprovisioning. The first two nights we tied up to the Eden jetty, which was interesting as there were the biggest tides of the year, so Peter was kept on his toes tweeking the ropes. Once the lines were correctly positioned we found a café for a coffee. As we walked in both of us noticed a gorgeous painting of Eden fishing boats in the harbour. We wanted it - both of us. We rarely like the same paintings. It was decided to think about it and come back tomorrow if we couldn't live without it.
Of course we purchased the painting. Here it is, my 60th birthday present. (Good excuse anyway)

 

 

After two days on the jetty the weather became considerably worse with strong wind warnings and heavy rain predicted for the Eden Coast. The jetty is no place to be in this weather as the surge into the harbour constantly sends boats crashing into the jetty. A decision was made to anchor in the bay just beyond the moored boats along with three other visiting yachts. It was comfortable there, but very wet as it rained without stop for two days. At one stage Peter must have had a bad case of cabin fever as he thought it would be a good idea to go and do the shopping. There was a huge black cloud making its way steadily towards us and I questioned his judgement. I was told firmly and somewhat irritably, I might say, to get in the dinghy. Well guess what. We got soaked just as we were unloading at the jetty. Both of us were totally drenched. I will not mention this episode again!!!

Today the weather is much improved so after motoring over to the jetty and filling up with water, walking up to the town to wash and dry some of our wet gear and purchase a few final stores we left for East Boyd Bay. We will be spending the night there and in the morning will be up early to make the journey to Bermagui, 40nm north of here.

Fashion Statement

It has come to my attention that there are those of you out there who are 'impressed' with my fashion statement of lime green heater socks on the outside of the trackies! Like all up-to-the-minute, good fashion there is method here. I am perhaps a bit phobic about leeches and having been on the East Coast before and been appalled as the hungry, slimy little critters made their wriggly way up my shoes I decided to make things more difficult for them. I don't like being regarded as leech lunch!

Liz and wombat at Refuge Cove,  Wilsons Promontory

   

East Boyd Bay near Eden 21st June 37' 06.5" S 149' 54.4" E

Nine o'clock found us slumbering peacefully in our bunk when all of a sudden I thought I was woken up by Peter asking if there was any muesli on board. It took a couple of seconds to realise that someone was hailing us and asking if anyone was asleep on board. By the time Peter had stumbled out of bed they had gone. During the night a naval ship had docked at the jetty and they must have come to tell us we were not allowed to move until it had loaded and gone. This jetty is where they load explosives on the naval vessels and although you are allowed to stay if already in the bay you are not allowed to move until the ship has gone and the all clear given. We also discovered that we were out in the middle of the bay. During the night it had looked like we were almost on the beach. Distance is very deceptive at night.

Peter rang the Harbour Master at Eden to find out how long we were to be here and also if we could move closer to the shore. That was OK so we motored closer to the beach and settled in for the day. The naval ship wasn't expected to leave until 4.30pm when it is almost dark, so we decided to stay for a second night and spend the day exploring East Boyd Bay. What a bonus! We had a lovely day there. Out came Lily and we stocked up with snacks and water and rowed ashore to have a look around. Behind the beach was a small estuary and being so still the reflections were superb. A track lead over the hill to the next bay so off we went to see what was there.

The bush reminded me of Clackline, same stony, clay ground and although the trees were bigger it looked a lot like that area. After a twenty minute walk we discovered that we were at Kiah Inlet and the historical site of the old Davidson Whaling Station. The National Parks and Wildlife Service had installed paths and signs to explain what had happened here. There was also a weatherboard cottage known as Loch Garra and sheds up on the hill that had been restored. It is such a beautiful place amongst the forest.

On the way over the hill we noticed some very beautiful bird calls in the distance. We thought they could only be Bellbirds and as we got closer to Davidson's cottage the birds and their calls surrounded us. It sounded like many clear little bells being rung out in the forest. Later we discovered that they were indeed Bellbirds. On our way back to East Boyd Bay we could hear the Bellbirds in one direction and the insane 'beep, beep, beep' of the forklift loading explosives onto the naval ship in the other direction. I couldn't help reflecting on the contrast of sound and activity.

In the end our naval ship did not leave until after 5.00pm so it was a good thing we had already decided to stay another night before heading off to the town of Eden to restock the boat with food, water, fuel and gas.

 

 

 

Goodbye Bass Strait 19th & 20th June

We departed Refuge Cove in fine, calm weather with only a small swell entering the opening.  The wind was predominately ESE and very light the whole way to Gabo Island. However, it was a forgettable trip, owing to the mashed up seas in this area. At times it was so bumpy that we both felt vaguely seasick and couldn't do much below. After the bumpy seas at the beginning of the trip, the seas started to get spikey, then around Point Hicks the sea looked prickly. Stranger little prickles stood up on the top of the waves. There was a swell coming in from the west and another from the south east as a result of a huge depression in the Tasman Sea. Compounding all this must have been various competing currents. I'm glad Bass Strait is behind us.

As soon as we had rounded Gabo Island and began the trip north the seas flattened out, the wind whispered in from the west and we sailed comfortably up to Twofold Bay and the town of Eden. As we arrived at 1.30am we decided to go to the south part of the bay to a smaller bay called East Boyd Bay. This was behind the Naval Munitions Wharf and as there were no navy ships in we could go around it into the bay and anchor. This was a sensible place to go as it is well lit and has no troublesome shallows to avoid. We were in bed and frozen at 2.00am.

Refuge Cove, Wilsons Promontory 17th to 19th June 39' 02.5" S 146' 27.9" E

Refuge Cove - what a beauty! By the time we set anchor and watched for a while to see how things stood the daylight was disappearing fast.The sun sets at 4.30 pm around here, being behind the mountains. The anchorage was surprisingly rolly as we were held side on to the reflected swell rolling around the point. Luckily we felt secure enough to ignore it and slept soundly.

Tuesday morning dawned clear and we found ourselves surrounded by densely forested mountains, blue sky and a lovely little golden beach lined on either side with large granite boulders. Out came Lily. We hadn't used her since Kangaroo Island, so it was a good time to air her out. Again we had to dodge the surge and little breakers slapping onto the beach. Our landing was well timed and after carrying the dinghy above the high tide line we set off to explore. Our part of the bay had a stream running in at the corner and two camping areas, one for hikers and one for boaters. I couldn't think why the segregation, but there it was. In the boaters camp area many of the crews that had come through had signed in with varied "we were here signs'. It was interesting seeing who had come before us and at what time of the year. Most had come in summer of course, but we did find two or three others who had been there in winter. We took a twenty minute walk through the forest to the northern end beach and observed that the swell was much larger here and that we were definitely in the right place.

After lunch we decided to take one of the bushwalks south of our bay. The path soon crossed a small bridge over the creek we had seen in the morning and upon coming around the corner we spotted a wombat grazing on the green grass at the edge of the water. Now we knew who the lawnmower was. The banks of the creek were lined with beautiful trimmed green lawn like grass. Our first wombat in the wild and he/she stayed long enough for us to get a good look.

Our bushwalk took us on a 3km climb to the summit of Kersop's Peak from where we had a wonderful view of the whole area. At this distance the sea looked calm and blue, but we knew there was a decent swell out there as it was still rolling across the entrance to the cove. It was quite a climb and we were pleased to get some exercise after a couple of days at sea.

On Wednesday a window of opportunity opened for us to make the long trip, 220nm to Eden, just over the Victorian/NSW border. As we left the cove Kersop's Peak was dwarfed amongst the mountains of Wilsons Promontory. Yesterday we thought we had done a decent climb. Must be coming from WA. Over there it would have been a big one. We motored most of the morning with little or no wind and later in the day the wind picked up enough to sail.

 

 

 

 

 

Around Wilsons Promontory 17th June

From Oberon Bay we looked out and decided the sea and wind had settled a bit from yesterday, so we headed out to have a go at rounding the Prom. This is the southern most point of mainland Australia and also ours on this trip. We tacked up to the point in the lee of the Prom and thought we were doing OK. Once we poked our head around the bottom end things changed dramatically. The sea was a rough mixture of swell and current and us punching into it. Wind (20kn) and spray were going everywhere. Some of the waves were huge and Rene bucked, tossed and belly flopped off backless waves all the way around the southern end. FUN!! Unfortunately, due to the conditions, we didn't really enjoy the dramatic scenery all around us. Also there is a Traffic Separation Zone here that directs shipping around the point. You are allowed to go directly across at right angles only if necessary. Of course a ship came along and we had to keep an eye on our position and it as well.

The lighthouse came into view and then thankfully it wasn't long before we could bear away and head for Refuge Cove on the eastern side of the Prom. It was still rough, but at least a little more comfortable off the wind. Soon Refuge Cove entry came into view and we blasted in through the opening amongst the rolling swells. Once inside the sea calmed down and became flat. We tucked into the southern corner, which seemed to be the most sheltered and were glad to drop the anchor after four hours of unpleasant, 22nm sailing.

 

 

Apollo Bay to Oberon Bay, Wilsons Promontory 15th & 16th June

We made all the usual preparations to leave, put everything away where it will not fly around if things get rough, tarp over the bed to stop it getting wet (there is a small leek there), pay the Harbour Master for our stay etc, etc. I asked Peter to go and look at the entrance to see if it was calmer. It sounded like it was. He came back and assured me it was OK, so off we went.  It looked rather lumpy as we approached, but not breaking, at least not then. We had just cleared the rock wall when I happened to look back and see a wave break across most of the entry. 'That was lucky,' I said, actually with a bit more panic than that and possibly a few choice words thrown in. Peter must have had a really good look! I guess we were lucky, but Mr Ocean just wanted to let us know that he was still in charge and watch out! It wasn't dangerous so much as we would probably have got pretty wet.

The passage across to Wilson's Promontory was lumpy and ESE winds from 0 to 18 knots the whole way made it hard to do anything below. The overnight passage was hard to take. Like all one nighters you don't get into a routine and no-one wants to go outside at 2.00am when it's freezing cold. It seemed to take an age to finally get close to the Prom, but once there we found that the western side was beautifully calm. Oberon Bay looked like paradise, albeit a rather wet and cold one, so we went in and anchored for the night. We couldn't face going around the corner in the 18-20kn winds just then. What a lovely bay, very mountainous, rugged bush and long sandy beaches. We had a wonderful, peaceful night in Oberon Bay.

Apollo Bay 12th June 38" 45' S 143" 41' E

We're back! It is s-o-o-o cold! Out with the warm gear again! Rene was sitting next to the wharf where we left her, the only difference being a few more bird poos on the deck. Thank you to all the Port Fairy people who have kept an eye on her, especially John, Joy, Doug and Kev.
After taking a look at the weather forecast we decided that it would be a good idea to make a start for Refuge Cove on Wilson's Promontory tomorrow, with the idea that Apollo Bay would be a useful stop over if the weather deteriorated. We walked up to the IGA and stocked up on stores and generally made Rene ready for departure on Tuesday.

Before we left in the morning we phoned Joy and John to say goodbye and thank them for giving us such a good time here. They came down, had morning tea and saw us off. Joy brought a present of a small bucket of Melting Moments for us to munch on for the next few days. They are delicious! Yo- yos is probably a better name for them as the only thing that is melting here at the moment is the ice-bergs. John gave us an MP3 device with several books on it listen to when we are underway. Thank you Joy and John and we wish you fair winds and happy sailing in SE Asia when you go back in July.

We set off at 11.30am with very little wind and plenty of light cloud. We motor sailed the 83 nm to Apollo Bay. A decision was made to call in there for a few days as when we checked the weather at 1am we noticed that there was going to be a strong easterly (we're going there!) Wednesday and copious quantities of rain on Thursday. So here we are, after motoring around very slowly until dawn gave us enough light to tackle the entrance safely. Contacted the harbour master and were allocated a pen at $22 per day and will stay here for the next couple of days until the weather improves. There is a fish and chip shop next to the marina and I'm thinking this should be a good place to indulge. I have just noticed that the wind is beginning to whistle in the rigging!

Bass Straight in winter! We must be mad! We thought that when we bought a DVD that some bloke produced about the anchorages around Bass Straight. He went in winter and our reaction was, 'He must be mad.' Well here we are and very glad that we have not hurried too much as even in winter it is a beautiful place to be.

 

 

Apollo Bay Marina and entrance.

 

 

 

 

Sculpture outside the fish and chip shop, Apollo Bay Marina.

 

 

 

 

Apollo Bay

 

 

Goodbye Great Australian Bight, Hello Bass Strait   13th June

 

 

Now I can say it. The Great Australian Bight treated us well - no unpleasant surprises. In fact, we found some very lovely and interesting places and friendly people. When we eventually sail back we hope to travel more slowly and do the places we missed.

 

 

 

This is our marina entrance today. I'm very glad we came in yesterday. Photos never really do justice to the real thing and at the moment this is no place to be.  We spent this morning reading and sleeping in as the rain and wind battered our warm little cocoon. Peter estimated it to be 35+ knots.  By mid morning we were able to make a dash to the shower and afterwards met up with Brian, the Harbour Master. An hour or so was spent in his office checking out anchorages on or around Wilsons Promontory and beyond. Local knowledge is advantageous when sailing in unfamiliar waters. Also he had the warmest office and it was dreadful outside.

 

 



Another wave rolls past the entrance.



 

Here I am cooking up a storm in the galley while outside the real thing rages.

 

 



 

 

OMG! Thank goodness that sign was there! I nearly walked off the edge!

Really this has to be one of our 'Nanny States' top ten efforts at sign pollution.  



Townsville and the Wedding

We have had a very warm and wonderful break in Townsville, staying with Peter's Dad at the retirement village at Rowes Bay, and helping prepare for Karin and Paul's wedding.  Catching up with Peter's family was an added bonus. I'm sure Peter and I are a kilo or two heavier as we indulged ourselves with plenty of eating out and sorbets/ice-cream at Juliettes on The Strand.

The Wedding

Prior to the wedding Karin's bridesmaids organised a day trip to Magnetic Island for her Hen's Party. The day was beautiful and we spent most of the time relaxing in Arthur Bay swimming and picnicking there. An evening meal at Cactus Jack's finished off a lovely day.

Karin and Paul's wedding was held in the Queens Gardens under a huge Rain Tree. What a perfect spot as the filtered light kept the temperature down and provided a cool green backdrop for the ceremony and photos. Of course she looked gorgeous and Paul a very handsome groom. I noticed I was not the only one reaching for the tissues.

The Picnic Bay Surf Lifesaving Club on The Strand, was a great place to hold the reception and the relaxed tropical atmosphere overlooking the bay provided the perfect place for a good party. Everything went according to plan and everyone had a wonderful time. Many people came from WA and I think they were very impressed with Townsville. The food was fantastic, the photographer did a great job and the decorations beautiful. Excellent organisation everyone.

The photographer provided a box of dress ups, masks, hats, wigs etc so that later in the night, when people warmed up, everyone had a lot of fun on the dance floor. What a great idea. This is my sister, Linda and the bride in party mode. Even Billy Connolly turned up in the form of my brother Geoffrey. There was a very daggy mullet wig that he put on and everyone was amazed at the transformation. Unfortunately there is no photo evidence of that yet.

Posting Comments

Peter has discovered that by adjusting settings anyone who wants to make a comment should now be able to do so. Have a go.

Trip to Townsville 24th May

Up early on 23^rd and off around the river for a shower at the Port Fairy Yacht club. Who else has to go for a bracing walk of more than a kilometre for a shower in the morning? It was a beautiful morning so we counted ourselves lucky to  be alive. At 10.25 am we caught the bus to Warnnambool and then connected with the train to Melbourne. It was a leisurely trip and we enjoyed seeing the countryside for a change. Caught the taxi to Toni’s (our niece) in Saint Kilda and then decided we needed a walk for a coffee. Toni’s cats are gorgeous and kept us entertained while we were there. We had dinner at a delightful Thai restaurant up the road and then went for a walk around the streets to check out the night life. (Party animals!!)

This morning Toni took us for breakfast at the Boat House Café at Yarra Bend. It was cold but coffee and toasted sandwiches soon had us warmed up. Our walk along the river was cut short by a change in our flights, so it was back to Toni’s, order a taxi and off we went. It was great to see ‘Toni’s Melbourne’ and spend a bit of time with her. Thanks for having us Toni and showing us around. We appreciated it and it was very enjoyable.

 

Port Fairy 20th May 38' 23.2" S 142' 14.5" E

After our fine day in Portland we decided to move to Port Fairy so let go the ropes and sailed out of the Portland Harbour at 8 am. The sail was uneventful in dull, occasionally showery weather. The only interesting feature on the way was Lady Julia Percy Island which we passed quite close to the north side. It's a very stark, rugged piece of rock with vertical sides which looks like someone has cut it out with a giant scone cutter and plonked it in the ocean. Locals are proud of their island. It's the only one they've got.

Entered Port Fairy via the Moyne River at 3 pm. What a magnificent, secure little harbour. It reminds me a lot of some of the scenery along the River Thames in England. Actually there is a very English feel about the whole place.We motored past boats moored against the wharf lining the banks and found a small marina of pens where most of the yachts were berthed. One bloke there told us to raft up with a fishing boat across the river while we contacted Max the harbour master. This done Max gave us permission to dock in a space a little further back along the wharf. A couple of locals helped us with the ropes and instant friendships were formed. We are in boaty heaven!!!

For the last two days we have walked all over this beautiful place from the seascapes of Griffith Island, which you can get to via a manmade causeway, to the historic streets of this old town. There are some lovely historic buildings here and I enjoy just walking along the streets ogling peoples houses and gardens.

We have had good weather so far and it is just delightful sitting in the cockpit watching the world go by. On the weekend many people walked along the wharf next to us and stopped for a chat. Today is Monday and very few visitors meant we had a nice quiet day after all the buzz of activity on the weekend. Next to us on the opposite side of the river is the boat launching ramp and we watched the little stink boats go out in the morning and then arrive back with their catches of tuna in the evening. They were accompanied by a seal who entertained us all with its antics with a piece of fish donated by one of the fishermen.

We have made some good friends already. Kev is on an old wooden Collin Archer designed boat called Astrid Nelson which is tied up behind us. He has offered to keep a good eye on Rene when we go to Townsville on 23rd May. Doug owns a huge catamaran (40') which he built himself over the past two years. It is immaculate and like a house on water. We are going to miss this place and the friends we are making here.

Port Fairy 23rd May

Well I am now 60!!! How did that happen? I had a wonderful, memorable day here in this lovely little port. Thank you all the people who sent good wishes via email, text message and phone calls. I won't thank you individually in case (being 60 now) I miss someone out. We have met the most welcoming people here - I think I said that somewhere before. Early on we found that friends of ours from Albany knew sailing buddies here. Well John & Joy caught up with us and we have had such a good time with them. Joy asked me to a cancer fund raising morning tea yesterday and to meet some of her friends. The food was beautiful and they raised somewhere above $1800.00 which was a great effort. Later in the day John took Peter and I for a drive over to Warnambool as he wanted to visit Bunnings. He showed us the town, beaches, river etc. Not having a car we usually don't get to see further than 'shanks pony' can take us so it was great to see a bit of the countryside. On the way there is an extinct volcano and the crater is quite impressive.

Later that evening we went to John and Joy's house for dinner with their friends Marie and Bob. We took the Bollinger champagne that Eddy gave me to share for my birthday. Well it was a merry occasion and a very nice meal. John and Joy's son makes extraordinarily yummy Timboon ice-cream (part of his business) and we sampled Raspberry and White Chocolate. YUM! Thank you Joy and John for making us so welcome and for making my 60th birthday a treasured memory.

Now we have to leave Port Fairy for just over two weeks to go to Karin and Paul's wedding. I am s-o-o-o looking forward to that. We have at least half a dozen people watching our boat so we think it will be in very good hands while we're away. Must go now to catch the bus to begin our journey to Townsville. 

Portland 11th May - 38' 20.7" S 141' 36."6 E

We dropped the huge mooring at Port Macdonnell at 7am and headed for Portland, Victoria with the prospect of brisk winds from the north. As it turned out we had a great sail in 12 to 18 knots from the north, so it was warm and comfortable as we crossed Discovery Bay. The speed indicator showed over seven knots most of the time and occasionally into the eights. As we closed on Cape Bridgewater the coast became more rugged and lined with high limestone cliffs and very much more scenic. Dolphins escorted us for most of the way across Bridgewater Bay to Cape Nelson. What a show! They must have been with us for at least an hour and at times we had possibly twenty of them around the boat showing off, leaping out of the water, chasing each other and generally having fun in our bow wave. Amazingly there were also some seals in amongst the mix early on, with their flippers looking like wet flannels hanging off the back end, it was easy to tell them from the dolphins.

Arrived at Portland harbour at 4.30pm and looked about for a place to spend a few days. Peter eventually managed to contact the Portland Council, who run the new marina in the harbour, and was directed to tie up on the outer end of the pontoons. This is a brand new marina, so new in fact that the power has not been switched on yet - unfortunately. Water is available, but it is very cold since the arrival of a cold front and rain, and if we could use our heater it would be very nice. At the moment I have two pair of socks on and am just keeping the toes from turning to icicles. However at $20 per day it is a very nice place to be,

Portland is not generally given a very positive write up in the literature that we have read, but we are most impressed with the place. The harbour is certainly an all weather port with shipping wharves, fishing boat harbour, marina, moorings and extensive boat launching ramps all in the one rock wall encircled area. Only a couple of hundred metres from us several ships are loading woodchips, logs livestock or grain. Peter read that they also unload alumina for a smelter near here. Very interesting.

We have discovered an excellent café for morning tea or lunch called The Blue C Café. Each morning we rug up and bolt up the hill for a nice warm coffee and scone. These are the biggest scones you have ever seen - thickly spread with jam and dolloped with loads of real cream. A bargain at $3.50 and big enough to share. We are not going to lose weight here. Today we went back for Lamb Shank Soup and fresh bread for lunch. We sat in the window, ate soup, read the paper and watched the rain and hail pelt down once again.

  What are you doing with that dead bat Peter? Actually it's a Target umbrella, but is probably less useful that a dead bat. I suppose at $9.99 you shouldn't expect much. We walked to the far side of Fawthrop Lagoon, as far from shelter as you could get, and the rain poured down. Unfortunately the umbrella's performance did not live up to expectations.

16th May Portland Harbour

We are still in Portland having decided to stay an extra day as the weather has fined up and the forecast is for a couple of days of reasonably good weather. After five days of constant rain, diving from one veranda to another between the showers, we thought we should see something of Portland in the sunshine. Today we walked along the Great South Coast walk path to the south of the town as far as Point Danger and the Gannet Rookery around 12 kms or so we estimate. It was a scenic walk close to the port at first then climbing to hug some deceptively steep cliffs just out of town. Of course dark clouds gathered and gave us a shower or two, but not enough to cause too much trouble. On arrival back in town we devoured a late lunch at one of the local cafe's.

While we have been here we have had showers courtesy of the Portland Yacht Club. Peter noticed a sign in their window early on that showers were available to visiting yachties and a contact number was given. Lawrence came and set us up with hot showers. (Thank you Lawrence they were much appreciated.)

The cold, wet weather was getting to us. Our West Aussie gear was definitely not warm enough. By chance we discovered an amazing shop called Portland Disposals on our way up to town. It is one of those places that if you spend some time poking around you can find some very interesting things that you wished you'd discovered years ago. I found some socks. These socks are amazing. They are called 'Heater' socks and at $20 are on the expensive side. (I learned my lesson with that umbrella.) I now have a pair of pure pink pleasure and another gorgeous lime green pair that literally feel like heaters on the feet. No more icicles! We also lashed out and bought Peter some water proof 'Bogs", boots that will keep his feet warm when on shift at night, some warm ski gloves and a brand new umbrella which at $25 is much more robust that the Target one. We are now set up for this cold Victorian climate.

We have found that Portland has some lovely old bluestone buildings, especially around the council complex. Others are scattered through the town and are quite impressive. Here you can see Peter sheltering under the portico of the Courthouse as more rain sets in.

 There was a quaint little cottage in the Botanic Garden. While there was only a few flowers it was still worth a visit and a quiet stroll around the garden.

Port Macdonnell 10th May

We had a brilliant sail today from Robe to Port Macdonnell. The alarm went off at 2 am and after struggling out of bed we walked over to the yacht club beach to get an idea of wind conditions out in the bay. I say get an idea because the night was pitch black. It was windy, but as the weather forecast had been amended from a strong wind warning to 15 - 20 knots NE, we could not miss this opportunity to go a little further east. Our chart plotter is fantastic and makes night work relatively painless. The day dawned pale and slightly cloudy but, as it went on it became fine and warm and the wind was perfect. As it was blowing off the land the sea was flat and we arrived in Port Macdonnell at 4.30pm after the nicest sail we've has so far. On arrival some fishermen directed us to a huge mooring near the sea wall and here we are ready for an early night.

This picture shows a contented skipper after a good days sail.