Two Ships Head Out

 

The beginning of our dual trip (Oso Blanco and Mystery Ship) out of Mooloolaba began with a "bash". We were lead boat out of the harbour entrance and where there were markers buoys on the sand bar when we arrived, now there was nothing, but the sand bar was still there as evidenced by the breaking waves. We followed our original course in, out (and a sailboat ahead of us) only to be rudely awakened by slamming the sand bar. We bounced once and were lifted clear by the next swell. Visions of our impending destruction flashed through my mind - being stuck aground, being battered with the swell, falling over on our side and ultimately filling with sand and salt water. Good thing my imagination is not reality. The worst that has occurred is that we now have a shinny spot on the bottom where the sand rubbed the anti foul paint off.  The rest of our day was uneventful, even the crossing of the Wide Bay Bar in a 1.7 M swell. (we wouldn't want to be going in anything bigger than that though).

 

It felt so good to be letting the anchor down for the first time this season. Even the little rust bits that flew all over the freshly polished white gel coat didn't dim the fun. We are just snuggled up to the shoreline of the Great Sandy Strait channel, in a spot just south of the very shallow crossing that we will do tomorrow on the afternoon high tide. Our freshly inflated rubber dingy is plopped into the water and Glen and I head over to Oso for pot luck super, so we can all exaggerate about our day. Eric has lots of good stories on touching bottom over his extended boating history and we find that they even kissed the sand at Mooloolaba today too.

 

Our sleep has been peaceful. The day begins on a falling tide, so after breakfast, Glen and I head out in the dingy to check out the now exposed beaches and sand dunes. There isn't much to find as far as neat shells, but as we crest one sand pile on the beach, we are met with the strangest sight….. it is like we are looking down from an airplane and under us we see the gathering of multitudes of armies, jostling for position on a great battlefield. These tightly packed foot soldiers turn out to be tiny little blue crabs with white legs, they are the size of small marbles and there are literally thousands of them swarming over the beach in compact groups. If you get too close, they all dig themselves into the sand, disappearing in seconds. They are funny to watch. We are wondering why the birds aren't down here having a feast? Maybe the little critters taste bad! Of course our camera is on the boat, so no pictures to validate our story. This is Fraser Island that we are on and we do come across some dingo tracks…so we did hear one howling the night before.

 

The high tide happens at 5:00 pm today so we up anchor and start motoring at about 3:00 pm so that if we get hung up along the way, we at least have a rising tide to wash us up and away. We let Oso Blanco lead - Eric has a track from when we came south through here (we forgot to make one on our chart - tisk, tisk). We make it through without incident; the least amount of water we showed on our sounder was 3 feet below our keel. Now we have to pour on the coal to get to our anchorage destination before dark, which is complete by 6:00pm. Tonight anchoring isn't so fun as it is raining and windy (breezy) so I am freezing in my shorts by the time I have the snubber lines properly set. I am mollified (is that a word) by the fact that we get to have pizza at the Kingfisher Resort.

Moving Northward

The weather over the Easter weekend was absolutely perfect. Calm winds and flat water. We should have been making northward tracks, and we thought we were, stopping in Manly for two nights then heading up to Mooloolaba for our next stop. Except that the winds and water changed while we were there and we got stuck for 5 days. Oh, well, time to go see what's great about Mooloolaba. We rented a car from 1/2 price rentals, this funny little box that we don't even know the company of manufacture. It can park where ever you can park a bicycle! Too easy! Off we head to Eumundi Markets, about an hour away. What a pleasant suprise, it was like stepping off of the boat in Ganges harbour on SaltSpring Island. All kinds of people gather with their home made everything - jewelry, food items, clothing, things, you name it. It was a lot of fun. We came away with some beautiful soap, some great sented insense sticks and a metal twirly thing for the back yard at home (it is too windy on the boat).
 
Another day's exploring had us heading up to Noosa Heads and joining up with the Discover Everglades Noosa Tour. Ten of us are on a tour boat heading out across a couple of fresh water lakes up to the Noosa River in the Great Sandy National Park. This tour is one of the best values that we have come across in Australia. We had a lovely boat ride, morning tea with cakes, more boat ride, because somebody stole all of the canoe paddles and we had to go back and get some more, then a 1 hour canoe trip - 8 of us canoed, we then had a lovely steak lunch with many salads and refreshments, we canoed back to point B and fianlly a boat ride back to the start. All for $119.00 per person. You can hardly eat dinner out for that amount here and look at all of the stuff we got to do. The canoe trip was through the everglades, lovely calm water, with overhanging trees and birds. We really enjoyed the whole deal. Might have to get a canoe for the boat or home or something!
 
So we've been in Mooloolaba that we have met some fellows Canadians on the sidewalk and invited them down for a visit to the boat - sometimes you just need some outside conversation. Nice people, they are in Australia on a house exchange. And also, we have been here long enough that Oso Blanco has caught up with us. The weather is changing to the better and we will be headed out again. We had a really good visit with Anne and Eric and Bear, so much that each side had to tell as we haven't seen them since last Nov.
 

Happy Easter from Australia

Happy Easter Everybody, and especially Cassie and Georgia.
We just had a month of "Family time" in March, they won't mind so much that we are away over this important holiday (maybe!).
 
It was seriously nice to be in Calgary for March. The weather was more inclined to spring than winter and facing the crisp days at home was rather refreshing after some of the wilting hot days we have been experiencing on the boat. But most importantly we got to spend a lot of time with our daughters and the two pesky dogs.
 
We've finally broken away from the dock at Sanctuary Cove, not to return again until late August. Our destination this season is not too far away, but just as exotic as any of our previously visited tropical islands - The Great Barrier Reef. We'll take our time to get there over the next month and a bit, stopping in along the east Aussie coast as we head north. Currently, we are in Manly Harbour for a day or two, we had hoped to catch Eric, Anne and Bear from Oso Blanco here, but they are out on anchor for the weekend, returning at the same time as we head out for the next stop at Mooloolaba. They will be following behind us soon though, so we'll catch up along the way. The weather is a bit cooler in this area now as it is becoming their winter season, but it is still pretty warm for we Canadian Hot Bloods. I did however have to pull out a pair of jeans for an evening walk last night - shocking! This is why we are heading north, that and the siren call of fantastic diving.
 
Our flights to and from Calgary land us in Sydney, so we spent a few days exploring this vibrant Australian city. It has enough going on to please just about any traveler. Darling Harbour, the Sydney Aquarium, great restaurants, historical architecture and on and on. Sake restaurant in the Rocks has the best sushi ever and Manta is another great place to eat. Maybe it was the charming servers at both places, but no the food in both places was outstanding. Sydney has a gorgeous central botanical garden/park that takes a full day to wander through with plants from every corner of the world. There is definitely something to be said for a great climate, I do envy them the ability to grow anything, especially when I think of all the little plants struggling to poke their heads out of the cold ground at our home.
 
Anyway, long story - short, we are happy to be on the move again.

What we've been up to January and February 2012

Poor little Mystery Ship had a catastrophe while we were home in Calgary over Christmas. The power went out on the docks for several days. All of our frozen foods thawed and were on the verge of spoiling before the problem was discovered by our boat checker. Of course everything had to be "binned" (Australian for - put into the garbage can). The marina's response was that we shouldn't leave food in our freezers while away. Our argument was that the marina power should stay on and the marina personnel should check the boats like they told us they would! Oh well, it is done now.

 

Things have been busy for us January and February, but it is mostly just work stuff, getting the boat all back up to snuff again; ready for the next cruising season. We did our motor tour which took a good chunk of time.  We also did a boat jaunt up to Manly Harbour by Brisbane for a few days just to shake the dust off of everything. In boats, if you don't use it, mysteriously, whatever it is, doesn't work the next time you turn it on. There is an inside channel from Sanctuary Cove to Brisbane between the North and South Stradbroke Islands and the main land, much like the Great Sandy Straits further north (did that last year) very shallow, sandy bottom and well protected from the travel conditions that one would face if on the outside in the open ocean. So it was a fun, easy cruise and we got to check Brisbane out.

 

We've met quite a few Australian boater couples in the Sanctuary Cove Marina, so our social calendar has been quite full. We work gruelling hours, like common deck hands, all day long under the relentless Australian sun then kick back with these people for refreshments, laughter and good fun in the evenings. Our Australian dialect is getting better "Hayagawn mate" is Hello, "heaps" is lots, "too easy"…… you get the picture. "All good!"

 

The weather has been a mix of hot, hot sun and drenching, flooding rains, big contrast, but not really any big deal.  Life is pretty good in this little corner of the world.

Motor Home Travels of South Austalia - Final Chapter (Finally?)

21 We are getting a bit tired of "holidaying". So, today is Sunday - after Mass (we managed to find another church - google is a great thing), we head off down the road, backward (meaning we have been here before), to Coogee Bay. There is a new housing development going in and we spend the afternoon browsing through Show Homes. Today is the first day of calm weather along the south part of Australia and it is absolutely gorgeous. This is a marina community and this is the time to sell houses, but it only lasts until mid afternoon when the winds pick up and the water is crazy again.  Things are really getting boring now…. When we get back to the camp ground, we wash the exterior of the camper van. Three weeks and 4000 plus kilometers of sun baked bugs - we have quite a job to get it clean (part of the rental contract - sucks. Don't they have employees? Why do we pay rental fees?)

 

22 Final day. We spend the morning cleaning up the interior of the unit. That done, we head off to see a bit of the country side in the Swan Valley, north east of Perth. This is their wine area, but we've done that kind of thing already, so our efforts are pretty half hearted. We stop at two cellar doors and visit more than anything. Bought some great chilli cheese! We turned the camper van in and taxied to our hotel. It is a dump! There is a great business opportunity for hoteliers in Perth. There are no vacancies in any hotel within 10 k of the airport! Anyway, it is only 2:00pm and the room sucks, so we catch a bus into downtown Perth. The big deal about today is that we have found the best Thai food restaurant "Ever", Hahm (or Red Orchid on the cc receipt). This is now our number ONE rated eating experience in Australia.

 

23 Fly back to Brisbane and rent a car back to the boat. The holiday within a holiday is done. It has been great. Glen and I have received many blessings.

 

Still South Australia - Part 10

17 Today we are making a bee line for Perth, 425 km. But by 11:00 we are getting bored with the interior driving (all really nice farm land, but miles and miles of it) and head back out to the coast which brings us to a place called Mandurah and it seems to be interesting enough that we will stay here for tonight and we'll check it out tomorrow.

 

18 Although Mandurah is a larger center, the down town is still only a 1/2 hour drive through and we buzz of to Clifton Lake for a walk to see the thrombolites - oxygen creating organisms that make little rock like humps in the water. These are throw backs to the evolutionary times when our atmosphere was being created. With that done, we head up the coast to Freemantle and Perth. A stop in Freemantle for a pizza and a brief look at the Ship Wreck Museum has us planning how the next few days will unfold. Freemantle is said to be best on the weekend, so we carry on to Perth - basically the same city - as we will do Perth tomorrow and come back to Freemantle when it is a happening place.

 

19 We are back to taking the public transit again, because the motor home is too big to maneuver on city streets. Actually, it is nice to be able to just stare out the window and (for me) not worry about determining where we are on the GPS and the map so that we arrive where we plan - we know where this thing goes! All things considered, Perth is just another city. We explore the streets well and our priority is to find a great place for dinner. Just talking to people is how it all happens - Glen decided that he needed to have a personal care kit (nail clipper, scissors etc in a travel case) and just by chance in one of the arcades (malls) that we are there is a shop for such things. So we get chatting with the owners and long story short we are directed to an Italian restaurant for dinner (The BEST!). "Perugino" is all that they said it would be, this is a good thing as we have not had great food experiences so far, except for "Appellations" in the Barossa wine region.

 

20 Back to Freemantle, it is an easy drive from where we are stationed. We spend the day doing "tourist" things, buying souvenirs, lunching in sidewalk cafes, doing tours. We are now the proud owners of an authentic didgeridoo, Glen will entertain guests (kidding). The Freemantle Prison tour is fascinating; I never want to go to jail! This place started, to house the prisoners sent from England and operated until 1991 as a high security prison.  They only ever had a "bucket" for a toilet! (no such thing as plumbing in 1850, so no room was allowed for flush toilets) Oh, for a short period they tried chemical toilets, but the inmates figured out how to make the chemicals "palatable" for drinking by filtering it through a loaf of bread and they got all disorderly, so that idea was disbanded. With the chemicalized bread, they used to leave it on their window sills so the resident birds could eat it, then they (the inmates) would laugh themselves silly (remember they were stoned on toilet chemical) as the birds - now drunk - would fly into the walls! Small things amuse small minds - right?

Motor Home Travels of South Australia - Part 9

15 On to Albany today, a mere 525 k further along the coast. We get in early enough to explore the down town before we park up at our "deluxe" (really) camp ground. We have our own private bathroom/shower facility. Even though the caravan unit we have rented has it's own bathroom and shower, it is far easier to use the amenities provided by the parks we camp in, so you can imagine that having a private bathroom is pretty "posh" (or maybe you don't care!). We are mere footsteps from the crashing surf which is bashing onto the powder white sandy beach that stretches the whole length of the bay - several kilometers. Of course we have to get out there and feel the sand between our toes and get sprayed with the vaporized sea water. There are couple of guys kite surfing along the breaking waves - the wind is howling at about 40 knots - so when they catch air….they fly about 30 feet up and most times they aren't in control enough to land right side up, thus bombing back into the water. It is quite exhilarating to watch.

 

16 Albany's National Park has sealed road access so we have the privilege of getting up close and personal with the local wilderness. We are set for a day of walking and hit all of the natural wonders and do a trek across one of the home bay's sheltering headlands. Great views, beautiful scenery, lots of exercise and the high light was catching a flock of Black Cockatoos feeding. What a gang of characters! They squawk like crazy as they fly from bush to bush and then talk to each other in "mum, mum, mum" little voices while they eat. These are very large birds and this is their only area of habitat according to the new bird book that we have of Australia's Birds. Oh and we have about 100 pictures of three different types of lizards. We have some serious picture editing to do when we finally get down to it, one of each will be fine.