captainsailingchick

[captainsailingchick]

Back in South Australia

Before I launch into this I thought I should put out a potential soppy warning. Technically we haven't finished this trip but in my mind we have come a full circle. Last year around this time we took off to Port Vincent for our first trial voyage of our then new boat "Blue Dog". It was Chicken's first trial run as a ship's cat as well. We are now back in Port Vincent having some well deserved rest and relaxation before the racing regatta this weekend. Part of me can't believe that this journey is almost over. Both of us feel extremely privileged to have done this and a huge sense of gratitude. We do live in an amazing world and Australia is a magnificent country. Today is Valentines Day and I know it is a hard day for many. I felt blessed to be sailing in the beautiful flat waters of the Gulf of St Vincent. The sun was shining, there was a gentle breeze as we were coasting along between Stansbury and Port Vincent. Sharing this with my lovely husband and the amazing snoring furball reminded me of how lucky I am. It truly was a magic moment and one I will always treasure. I did you warn you it could get soppy. Part of me is sad that this trip is almost over but the other part can't wait to see friends and family. The hug fest will start this weekend with some of my sailing buddies and will continue over the next few weeks. Looking forward to it! I do have more to write about Tasmania and our trip home but felt that it was important to reflect on how I'm feeling now. Bye for now.

[captainsailingchick]

Perpetual Loyal, Aiken on the way to the finish line, Enchantress arriving, Chicken on guard duty

[captainsailingchick]

South East Tasmania and Hobart

Happy new year everyone! I hope this year is a good one for all of you. I can't believe we will be thinking about heading home soon. This trip has gone so quickly. A fair bit has happened since I last wrote. We left Triabunna, sailing down the passage between Maria Island and mainland Tasmania. The motor came on for the last bit as we approached Marion Narrows. Crossing through the Narrows was interesting. We had a few moments when we almost ran aground as the channel was not well marked and we had to rely on our polaroids. Scenery was spectacular as always. I haven't found an ugly spot yet in Tassie. There was a weird building near Dunalley which we couldn't work out whether it was a prison or someone's residence. We didn't stop in Dunalley as the man who operates the bridge over the canal was expecting us. Going through the Denison Canal is an experience in its self. We went through when there wasn't much tidal influence. Seemingly it can run at 15 knots at times. For a brief moment we felt like a tourist attraction as we stopped traffic and people were standing outside their cars taking photos of us. It was my task to try and put some gold coins for "Canal Guy" in the bucket as we zoomed past. Between him putting the bucket out on a pole and me leaning out while hanging on to the side stays it ended up being a successful drop. With shouts of Merry Christmas we were through. A donation is optional but he was very helpful and friendly on the radio and it was Christmas! We were now in Norfolk Bay and made our way down to the tiny township of Taranna. We managed to pick up a courtesy mooring which was a bonus. Exploring Taranna became a must after discovering it had a chocolate factory. After visiting the chocolate factory and investing in some much needed chocolate (the Tim Tams had run out) we visited an old church and a mill. Taranna was also the site of an old convict railway where a group of convicts used to manually push a trolley along wooden tracks. Those convicts definitely had it tough. By this stage we had worked up an appetite and called into Fishlips Cafe where they were doing all day breakfasts. We had breakfast that morning but I'm always open to what the hobbits call "second breakfast". Speaking of hobbits the accommodation offered at Fishlips looked like something out of Lord of the Rings. It was so cute and I would definitely like to come back one day just so we could stay here. I had salmon and scrambled eggs on toast. I don't remember what Alan ate but we both demolished the lot. The owner also makes her own mustard from an old Hungarian recipe which she sells in Hobart. I'm not a huge mustard fan but even I liked it. We left Taranna and sailed down to Eaglehawk Neck to have a look around. They had a sculpture of one of the dogs that used to guard Eaglehawk Neck from escaped convicts from Port Arthur. Chances of escape would have been minimal due to the dogs. Swimming in potential shark infested waters would have been off putting as well. We walked to one of the natural wonders of Tasmania. The Tessellated pavement is amazing and hard to believe it is not man made. Tasmania did turn on the fine weather that day and I remember a glorious walk along the beach with Alan. Chicken of course, was on guard duty back at the boat. Not quite so vicious as those guard dogs would have been. However getting between her and her food bowl can be fraught with danger. We sailed out of Eaglehawk Neck and headed west towards Nubeena. Due to nasty sea conditions we didn't make Nubeena and anchored in a bay near by. It was one of those winds that seemed to follow the coast and not any particular direction. Despite this it ended up a peaceful night at anchor and we headed off to Hobart the next day. We managed to sail most of the way up the Derwent pretending we were finishing a Sydney to Hobart before the motor went on. Unlike Sydney Harbour it was sail friendly and we didn't have to dodge any ferries. Our luck was in and we managed to secure a berth at the free public marina near Constitution Dock for the night. We went to Street Eats at Franko for the evening. Lots of food stalls and a band playing most of the night. The night was spent chilling with some food and wine listening to music. It was a perfect evening and at that moment I fell in love with Hobart. The next day it was back to Sandy Bay where we berthed for a week over Christmas and New Year. Many thanks to Sonia at the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania for finding us a spot at such a busy time of year. As soon as we sorted out the necessities it was back to Hobart and the Salamanca market. Apart from the nasty big hill to start with, it was a scenic walk around Battery Point to the market. There are some lovely old homes in Battery Point with the dormer windows, beautiful gardens that looked well loved and cared for. The Salamanca market deserves its reputation. Unlike mainland Australia, there is a huge percentage of locally produced crafts and goods. Just as well the finances aren't flush or otherwise I would have done some serious damage. I did buy a bread slicer. My bread making skills may have improved this trip but my slicing hasn't. I am now the proud owner of a sassafras bread slicer. I haven't christened it yet as I haven't made any bread recently but I'm sure it will get lots of use. Christmas Day was a quiet one for us. A lot of skyping, face timing and phone calls took place. The Galleymate BBQ did its job and the turkey roll was delicious. I managed to stuff up the gravy but everything else worked out a treat. In true Christmas tradition we ate too much but it was worth it. We wandered down to the club the next day and watched the start of the Sydney to Hobart on the big screen but otherwise it was a quiet one. We are ashamed to say we didn't watch the first boat over the finish line. The big hill, rain and early hours of the morning that Perpetual Loyal came in were not enough to tempt us out of our warm bed. However we did manage to catch up with our Squadron buddies who flew in from Adelaide. It was great seeing some familiar faces again and we spent an enjoyable few days, evenings being plyed with alcohol. As soon as the champagne bottle came out it didn't take much convincing for me to partake. One thing we did manage to do is to attempt to escort one of our Squadron boats across the Sydney to Hobart finish line. Aiken was very considerate of us and arrived in the Derwent at a reasonable time of day. With Roger and David on board we located Aiken and attempted to keep pace with just the jib up and the engine going flat out. It wasn't long before Aiken with spinnaker and full main steamed past us on towards the finish line. They managed a third in their division. Well done guys, fantastic effort! The beer was well and truly flowing by the time we managed to get back to Constitution Dock. There were some very tired happy guys surrounded by relieved and happy families. Later that evening we watched and cheered Enchantress (our second Squadron boat) as they arrived at Constitution Dock. It was a great atmosphere down there and well done to all the amazing people that competed. We had heard so much about M.O.N.A so we took the plunge and went. We went by ferry which was lovely in itself. M.O.N.A is mind blowing, shocking, and inspiring all in the one package. It is worth coming to Tasmania just to see it and I wouldn't consider myself an arty person. It is world class and well done Tasmania for going ahead with it. On a personal note I felt a surge of creative energy bubble up inside me which I haven't felt in a long, long time. Now I just need to work out where to channel it. New Years Eve was spent with our buddies, Roger, Sheila, David and Paula. Great company, great food and great fireworks! What more could you ask? As we were slowly sailing out of Hobart New Years Day, Aiken happened to motor past and thanked us for coming to see them. After that nice surprise we headed down the D'Encastreaux Channel to Barnes Bay on Northern Bruny Island. The sailing was fantastic but the heavens opened and our wet weather gear received a thorough workout. The "Channel" is another great cruising area and a favourite amongst the locals. We have spent the last few days meandering down the channel and most recently up the Huon river. We are spending a few days here catching up with Alan's sister and partner who are down here from Adelaide. Franklin is very high in the cute factor scale and home to Franks Cider which I have developed a taste for while in Tassie. We hope to get as far south as Recherché Bay before we start heading back up the east coast on our way back to South Australia. Chicken remains well and continues to keep us both in line. Once again happy new year and bye for now.

[captainsailingchick]

One worn out cat, Dawn near Lakes Entrance, Feathered visitors in Lakes Entrance, Wineglass Bay, sailing past Freycinet Peninsula

[captainsailingchick]

Lakes Entrance and Tasmania

Hello from gorgeous Tasmania! Yes we made it down it here in one piece. We have travelled quite a bit since I last wrote. We did an all nighter from Shoalhaven and arrived in to a foggy Eden the following morning. It was a relatively benign passage but we were both glad to anchor and get some well needed sleep. We spent a few nights there before we did another all nighter to get to Lakes Entrance. One amazing sight we saw during the night was phosphorescent dolphins speeding towards the boat. Words cannot describe, it was a truly magical experience. As neither of us is fond of doing too many nights at sea, we decided to tackle the Bass Strait from Lakes Entrance instead of Eden. Lakes Entrance is a lovely spot and a great cruising ground in itself. It was a safe haven from all the nasty weather we knew was about to hit and a good place to re-provision and refuel. Lots of rest and relaxation took place. Alan attempted the fishing again but the fish won again. Just as well there was a good fish and chip shop nearby. Speaking of fishing, I can't remember exactly where it happened but while we were trawling the fish was so enthusiastic it pulled one of Alan's good fishing rods overboard. A few words were spoken that are not repeatable. Since that occasion the fishing rod has been tied to the boat with rope. Another funny thing happened while we were trawling around Jervis Bay. We had two lines trailing out the back and a fishing boat crossed a bit too close behind us and managed to snag both the lines. Amazingly after signalling him to stop both lines were undamaged and more importantly the prop didn't foul on the other guys boat. The fishing has improved since we have arrived in Tasmania. The weather hasn't been great. So when we decided to cross the Bass Strait it was a choice of going when there wasn't much wind or waiting for some wind but then having too much wind when we arrived at the Furneaux Group of Islands in the Bass Strait. We chose going when there wasn't much wind so that gave us time to get to mainland Tasmania before the strong winds hit. Crossing the Bass Strait ended up being a motor trip most of the way with some sail assist. The following day was similar where we motored past east coast of Flinders Island on the way to Cape Barron Island. Both islands looked spectacular. Unfortunately due to the severe weather we knew was coming we couldn't linger and after one night at Cape Barron we were off to mainland Tassie across Banks Strait. There are not a lot of hidey holes on the north east coast. Initially we thought of going in to St Helens but the timing of the tides was completely wrong so we ended up making a bee line to Wineglass Bay. The strong wind eventually caught up with us and we ended up with two reefs in the mainsail. Even this was too much as we were coming into the outer entrance of Wineglass and the mainsail was dropped completely. Even with bare poles we were on a lean. We don't have a wind speed indicator but I would estimate consistently above 30 knots with bullets above 40. Both of us were pretty glad to set that anchor, and have a quick meal before we hit the sack. The boat stood up to it well and we both stood up to it as well. We managed to get a few hours sleep before the anchor alarm woke us up. It was daylight at this stage and the winds remained gale force. After a few attempts we eventually found a sweet spot and the anchor dug in. Wineglass Bay is a spectacular spot, set in a national park, beautiful beach surrounded with craggy mountains. Popular with hikers and seemingly cruise ships. We both got a bit of a shock when poked our heads out of the boat to see this enormous cruise ship doing a 360 just outside of the bay. One of the Princess Line. Most importantly Alan managed to catch a heap of Flathead at anchor. These fish are definitely up there with the mackerel and it was a feast of fish and chips that night. Alan is under orders to catch more of them. Yum! We had a boisterous sail from Wineglass to Schouten Passage and we left the two reefs in the mainsail. Once were were in the passage the wind eased and we finally got some champagne sailing in. In typical Tasmanian fashion the wind dropped, the reefs were pulled out of the sail and we even motored for a short time. Towards the afternoon the reefs were back in and it was back to 20-25 knots. We anchored in Spring Bay and went in with the tide to the fishing village of Triabunna the next day. We are currently moored up at the wharf tucked up in the boat with the blow heater on. The beanies, thermals and thick wool socks are out again. It is seriously cold! This town is tiny, has all the necessities and full of character. It has a memorial to all Tasmanians lost at sea and to all people who have lost their lives in Tasmanian waters. After having experienced some of the wild weather they have here, I have infinite respect for all the Tasmanian sailors and fisherman who traverse these waters on a regular basis. On a brighter note this may be the last blog I get in before Christmas. The plan is to be in Hobart for Christmas and we are not far away now. I hope you all have a lovely Christmas. It will be a strange one for us and there will be lots of skyping/facetiming going on. I know Chicken will get thoroughly spoilt with whatever we end up doing. Bye for now and Merry Christmas!

[captainsailingchick]

Friends, Newcastle, Sydney and Chicken very comfortable on my wet weather jacket

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Sky rail, Kuranda, railway, and Port Douglas

[captainsailingchick]

Fitzroy Island and Cairns and the Journey South

Fitzroy Island is like Dunk Island on steroids. Beautiful rainforest, has it's own resort and campgrounds, and has regular day tripper traffic from Cairns. We did get a cafe fix while we were there. Walking in the rainforest was beautiful and very peaceful, and a complete contrast to the resort area. They also have a turtle sanctuary on this island. This is the place after veterinary treatment that injured turtles go before they are released back into the wild. I love turtles and we certainly saw a lot of them up north. Next stop was Cairns. We stayed at Yorkey's Knob just north of Cairns. No comment on the name. Cairns is marketed as the place where the rainforest meets the reef and it certainly has a lot going for it. Great food, markets, all the normal shops and the fantastic natural attractions. We did the touristy thing and went on the Skyrail up to Kuranda and the scenic rail on the way back. It was worth it. The Skyrail gives you a birds eye view of the rainforest while in the train your are in amongst it. Both allow you to stop at the waterfall. Kuranda is tourist town to the maximum. Where else can you buy kangaroo fur bikinis. I'm not joking and no I didn't invest in a pair. Mango wine was also on offer, aboriginal art, opals and every knickknack under the sun. We had lunch at this fantastic crepe place. Thoroughly recommend it and I'm sorry I can't remember the name. Then it was a lovely walk along the riverbank before our train journey home. The next day we drove up to Port Douglas in a hire car. The journey in itself was extremely scenic. I love Port Douglas, it has a very relaxed vibe with a slightly upmarket feel without the pretentiousness. You could do as little or as much activity as you like up there and I could understand why it is the hangout of celebrities. We didn't see any unfortunately. That concludes our journey north. We are extremely proud of ourselves that we made it that far. Our big aim now is to get to Tasmania for Christmas before journeying home back to South Australia. Currently we are in a place called Shoalhaven, south of Sydney and just north of Jervis Bay. Since I last wrote we spent a few days in the beautiful Port Stephens and then a number of days in Newcastle catching up with friends. We had a lovely time with friends and also managed to stock up on wine at the same time. Newcastle is likely to be our last marina for awhile so I made the most of the washing machines and the blissful showers. We then spent a few days in Sydney also catching up with friends. Sydney harbour remains beautiful but extremely busy. I wouldn't want to sail here as the traffic on the water is horrendous. Speaking of sailing, we have been using our motor less and sailing more. We even had our spinnaker up yesterday. The third time so far. It's so nice to turn that motor off. Chicken continues to spend more time in the cockpit while we are underway, and continues her morning and evening inspections while at anchor. One bad thing about daylight saving is that Chicken believes that as soon as the sun comes up, she needs to be fed. I was treated to a purring head butting furball this morning not long after sunrise. So much for sleeping in. We are going to try and do a long one down to Eden next and then we will be anchored there for a few days waiting for a weather window to cross the Bass Strait. Wish us luck for next week. Bye for now.

[captainsailingchick]

More Chicken shots and Port Macquarie

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Russell Island, Chicken in cruising mode, Glasshouse Mountains

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Great Barrier Reef, Frankland Islands, and Our Journey South

The Great Barrier Reef is truly spectacular. We managed to get to the outer reef twice and spent one night out there. It is quite eerie anchoring out in the ocean with nothing but water surrounding you. On both occasions we went to places less frequented by tourists and also parts that allowed fishing so Alan could fish to his hearts content and catch us tea. Alan also got into the spear fishing and was doing really well until he spotted a Giant Trevally and decided to spear it. Unfortunately it broke the line and ran off with a spear in it's belly. Poor fish and poor Alan as this put an end to the spear fishing for the time being. The coral was amazing with a huge variety of different types and colour. Blue coral is my favourite whether it be staghorn or brain and I naturally gravitated towards it. Therefore my snorkelling pattern was swimming from one blue coral to the next and seeing all the amazing fish, giant clams and the occasional manta ray in between. The occasional episode of hyperventilation happened when I would spot something big which usually turned out to be a Groper. Alan spotted a reef shark once but luckily I missed seeing that. We discovered another slice of heaven on the way back from Cairns called the Frankland Island group. Mainly we were on Normanby and Russell Island. Fantastic snorkelling off the beach, great fishing and we truly felt we were in paradise. It was very hard to leave and we would like to come back here one day and camp on Russell Island. Of course the weather was perfect at the time so maybe I saw it through rose coloured glasses but this place definitely left an impression. In the next instalment I will finish the journey north and discuss Fitzroy Island and Cairns but I thought I better update you with what we have been up to recently. We spent a bit of time again in Brisbane, initially up the Brisbane River then in Manly at the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron. This time the pole berths in the river were available from the council which we made use of. It really is an amazing spot in the heart of the city. We also scored some fireworks one night. It was a great opportunity to have a break from sailing and to catch up with friends again. We explored further afield with a trip by train to the Glasshouse mountains. Despite both of us lacking in the fitness department we made it to the top of one of them and the views were great. I turned into a sweat machine and a beetroot face but it was worth it. It was time to head south again and we drifted down to Southport checking out some of those million or more like billion dollar homes along the way. We decided to do a "biggy" from the Gold Coast to Port Macquarie to toughen ourselves up for the inevitable Bass Strait crossing in the future. We left about one o'clock Sunday morning, travelled all day and night Sunday and arrived in Port Macquarie early Monday afternoon. There was some lightening activity off the Gold Coast when we left but it was well out to sea by the time we went past. The only other exciting moment was off the coast of Yamba where 20 minutes earlier we heard a severe thunderstorm was about to hit from the coast guard. We could see the building cumulonimbus in the distance which looked exactly like all the pictures of a building storm. Also checked the radar on the BOM website which also looked spectacular. Luckily all this was happening in broad daylight and it was try and outrun or dodge the storm. We managed to just hit the edge of it with only copping a few big gusts of wind and some small hail. Lightening was on both sides of us at one stage but we got through ok and kept on going. We were both glad to finally get to Port Macquarie and happy to pick up a mooring. So after some high fiving and a bite to eat, the rest of the afternoon was devoted to sleeping. It was over 228 nautical miles and our longest journey so far. It is not something we would like to repeat often, as both of us are not keen sailing at night but at least we know we can do it. Port Macquarie is a lovely place and it was one of those spots where I could imagine living. Great beaches, reasonable sized town, national park not far away and good weather on the whole. Don't worry it's not going to happen! I would miss my family and friends too much and Mum would kill me. Currently we are in the twin township of Forster-Tuncurry and will be heading to Port Stephens for a few days then catching up with friends in Newcastle. Bye for now.

[captainsailingchick]

Dunk Island, Alan, frog( hopefully and not a cane toad), Chicken in another pose and me prior to a swim continuing to develop the raccoon look.

[captainsailingchick]

Dunk Island, Innisfail and Whales

I can't believe how far behind I am in this blog. I've been chilling too much. The next stop after Hinchinbrook was Dunk Island. I have to say Dunk was one of our favourite spots. We had access to free hot showers if you didn't mind showering with a whole heap of sand and dead leaves that blew in on regular basis. They had a cafe open on the weekends and regular day trippers coming over by boat. We did treat ourselves to some Moreton Bay Bugs. Yum! Apart from lots of chilling and swimming, we did sweat it out on one occasion and went bushwalking through the rainforest and up to the lookout which was a remnant of an old World War 2 radio site. The view was fantastic and worth the effort. The Dunk resort remains closed and who knows if they will ever repair it after Cyclone Yasi. The buildings look like the cyclone only hit a few weeks ago instead of a few years ago with roofs off and twisted metal. It was a stark reminder how powerful cyclones are. Dunk and Mission Beach on the mainland copped the brunt of that cyclone. I have mixed feelings whether I want the resort to be rebuilt as it was quite nice after the day trippers went home and the Island was left to the campers and us yachties. Before I leave Dunk I have to mention one of the local characters called Charlie. Charlie makes an appearance on the weekend when the cafe is open and regales everyone with his select vocabulary and his ear piercing whistles. If he is good he is allowed to perch on a branch watching all the customers and scoring a snack on occasion but if he is bad he gets put in his cage. Charlie did spend a bit of time on my shoulder on one occasion. Charlie of course is a parrot and one of the local institutions. So if you ever visit Dunk say hi to Charlie for me. On the way up and back down we spent a short amount of time in the North Barnards. Definitely a calm weather anchorage but beautiful. We had a lunch stop on the way up and we overnighted there on the way back down. A bit of entertainment on the way down was seeing the HMAS Adelaide and watching numerous barges going to and from the ship to the mainland. Some sort of military exercise. Next stop was Innisfail. Access to Innisfail is via river which can only be entered on a rising tide. Innisfail is the Art Deco capital of Queensland and definitely has a lot of character. Also quite a few characters live on the tiny marina where we tied up our dinghy. We were told by one of the marina residents to use a credit card or equivalent to unlock the door to the marina as that's what they do when they forget their keys. It works so now Alan and I have acquired a new skill of a questionable nature. Innisfail has good coffee, a good op shop and a good laundry. I know it's sad but I get excited about laundries these days. It also has all the normal supermarkets and for some reason an abundance of chemists on the main street. I can't forget to mention the fishing shop as Alan certainly didn't forget it. I can't complain as I have difficulty walking past a book shop or a book exchange. We did have some excitement one night when we heard a bit of thumping on the hull while we were anchored in the river. Alan went to investigate and the cause was quite a large tree that had managed to get stuck on our anchor chain. The tide was ripping out at this stage so that didn't help, it was dark and of course it started to rain. We were concerned that this tree may affect the anchor as it was putting a lot of pressure on the chain. With a few strategic ropes attached to branches and the ingenuity of my husband plus some grunting and groaning (the groaning mainly by myself as I struggled to maintain a grip on the branches) we managed to twist it off the chain and left it to float down the river. Next stop was the Outer reef which we did both on the way up an on the way down. I'll talk about that next time as I have yabbered on enough. We are now back in Brisbane after doing a few long hauls and quite a bit of sailing instead of motoring for a change. The cat has learned to move from one lounge to the other when we tack. She also has been coming into the cockpit at times while we are underway as she realises she can get some extra sooking and lap time. While travelling south we have entered back into whale waters again and have seen a phenomenal amount of humpbacks. We had a very close encounter as we were coming out of Port Clinton with a whale surfacing right next to us. We weren't sure what to do so we just maintained our current course as we didn't have much room to move . The whale surfaced a few times then disappeared into the depths. While we were going past Caloundra on the way to Bribie we saw pods of whales all over the place. Some of them were putting on quite a display with some of the younger ones showing off there breaching skills and one had a penchant for fin slapping. They are amazing animals and it has been a privilege to see them. Weather hasn't been too bad. We have had a few strong wind warnings where we have had to hole up for a few days. After sweltering up north we are now occasionally wearing jumpers again (shock horror!) Better go. Bye for now.

[captainsailingchick]

The Palm Group Islands and Hinchinbrook

As mentioned last time we are heading back down south again. Due to my severe slackness and having too much fun I haven't yet filled you in of our adventures north of Magnetic Island. To try and catch up I'll cover the same destination on the way up and on the way back at the same time. I hope that makes sense. Post Maggie we went to the Palm Island group. On the way up we spent one night anchored at Great Palm Island. Great secure anchorage but I couldn't believe how busy the airport was on the island. Planes seemed to be either landing or taking off every half hour. We didn't go ashore here as we were uncertain if our dinghy would be nicked. After reading "The Tall Man" in our book club last year about the death in custody I was also keen to keep my distance. We spent a few nights at Orpheus Island both on the way up and on the way back. Orpheus is an interesting island. It has an active marine research station which enabled the successful reintroduction of giant clams back into the area. It also has an exclusive resort minimum $1400 a night as well as some national park. The park has an old failed settlement where the house was partly made of coral and a great walk up the hill to get the views from both sides of the island. Alan had great plans of catching fish around Pelorus Island however on both occasions the fish won. We stayed one night at Fantome Island on the way back which used to be the site of an old leper colony. Surprisingly it only closed in the early seventies. Not much left apart from some old foundations and a monument. Some good snorkelling spots around Orpheus and Fantome as well. The majestic Hinchinbrook Island was our next stop. This place really looks like something out of Jurassic Park. No dinosaurs seen but there were meant to be plenty of crocodiles however we didn't see any on the way up or the way back. Plenty of turtles though, which I love. I'm like a little kid when I see one, yelling out turtle and jumping up and down. They're like little Loch Ness monsters when they pop their heads out of the water. I'll bore you some more about turtles next time. The fishing was good and the mud crabs were magnificent. We looked up on you tube how to humanely kill a crab without losing your fingers. Of course Alan did the deed as I am hopeless at killing things and certainly would never make a good farmer. We had our one remaining bottle of Pauletts Riesling which went down a treat with the mud crab feast. The only drawback about Hinchinbrook are the mozzies and the sandflies. We were okay on the way up, as there was plenty of wind but on the way back we only lasted one night there due to the sandflies. Both Alan and I hate sandflies with a passion. Before I go a big thank you to all the birthday messages. Appreciate them all. We spent the day having a long lunch at Maggie and watching the grand final. My birthday wish came true and the Doggies won. Woo-hoo! Next instalment will be Dunk Island, Innisfail and the Outer Reef. Currently we are on our way back to the Whitsundays. Bye for now!

[captainsailingchick]

The Turn Around

Just a quick note to say we have turned the boat around and are heading home via Tassie. I have mixed feelings as I am looking forward to going home and catching up with friends and family but sad as it means we have reached the halfway mark of our holiday. We didn't get to Lizard Island which was our ultimate goal but I am extremely proud we made it to Cairns. So no more new northern horizons but looking forward to spending time at some old favourites on the way back down the east coast and hopefully exploring Tasmania on the way home. I know I'm behind on the blog and I will catch it up soon but this day was too important and needed to be written today. To all my Adelaide friends, I hope you all survived the awful weather in Adelaide. To all my yachtie friends I hope your boats are intact and afloat. Love to you all xxxx

[captainsailingchick]

Gone troppo! Magnetic Island

[captainsailingchick]

The Journey from Airlie Beach and Magnetic Island

We made our way north to Magnetic Island from Airlie Beach. We had short stop overs at Gloucester Island, Cape Upstart and Cape Bowling Green along the way. Gloucester and Upstart were spectacular with mountainous land jutting up from the sea. Cape Bowling Green was as its name suggests was completely flat. We had a few problems at Cape Bowling Green. We were hooning along under sail with a big following sea for most of the day. When Alan went to turn the motor on to anchor the engine wouldn't start. At that stage the wind was blowing at least 25 knots so we managed to sail in to anchor. Unfortunately our anchor decided to drag for the first time, so another anchor went out with a lot of rope. This held and then Alan went about sorting out the engine. There was approximately a teaspoon of water in one of the cylinders which was the problem. There was a big sigh of relief from both of us when the engine started. Then it was a matter of changing from our trusty South Australian anchor which had served us so well to a plough. We had a very rolly night and we set out at first light for Magnetic Island the next day. Magnetic Island as its name suggests attracts you to its lovely shores and makes it very hard to leave. We frequented the cafes in Horseshoe Bay and the bakery in Nelly Bay on a regular basis. We did the occasional bit of bushwalking to work off the cafe food but mostly it was sitting on the sands of Horseshoe bay watching the world go by. Chicken did her regular boat inspections at dawn and dusk and was pretty chilled as well. Currently we are in Mission Bay just south of Cairns with the wind howling around us. We will be heading into the marina at Yorkey's Knob tomorrow. Such a fantastic name for a place. Bye for now.