Finally we're in the Southern Ocean,and have safely arrived in Albany.The dreaded Cape Leeuwin,where the two oceans meet,lived up to expectations.We spent a very rugged night rounding the cape at sometimes less than 2knots,tossed about in 20-30+ gusts of wind and converging currents.We had intended to overnight at Hamelin Bay, but by the time we were near there it was too late;it's not a bay you enter for the first time in darkness,so we had to make the decision to continue on around the Cape.There was nowhere to rest until reaching a bay near Point d'Entrecasteaux the following day about 4pm.And then the surf was too rough to go ashore.
Next day with some help from the wind we reached Peaceful Bay,a beautiful spot,but it took 6 attempts to anchor in the tiny rock-strewn anchorage,where two boats was a crowd.We were not thrilled to hear the anchor drag alarm at 3am.The following day we stayed at Dunsky Bay,,near Torbay Head,an idyllic tiny steep beach,clear blue water,surrounded by huge smooth rocks.We set out from here with ever increasing winds,on the nose of course,tacking backwards and forwards across the bay,right up under the towering wind-farm mills.It was a terribly rough ride around Bald and Limestone Heads,but the huge rocks above us were spectacular.On the final run towards the harbour entry channel,we nearly ran over lines of black buoys,probably oyster leases.Once inside the harbour,we headed for the Town Jetty,as advised by our FSC guide,but found only piles of rocks and earthmoving equipment,as they are remodelling the whole area.A quick radio call to the local VMR and we were rerouted to the Princess Royal Sailing Club on the other side of the bay,where two helpful locals guided us into a safe berth at the marina jetty,where we still are moored.
We have been made so welcome here by the locals and offered every assistance,even a lift into Albany the next morning to catch the coach to Bunbury at 8am.to pick up our car.That provided a scenic tour through interesting old towns,then we took another route coming back and covered more picturesque areas,reaching Albany just on dark.We are looking forward to seeing more of the places around here,as what we have glimpsed so far has been spectacular,both from the sea and on land.
This last couple of months have been great,taking daytrips all over the southwestern area,from the Swan Valley,Perth Hills,historic Bunbury,Busselton, the beautiful West Coast area and the hinterland.We even drove down to Cape Leeuwin and Augusta to get an idea of what lay ahead.We visited many wineries and breweries and were given a Margaret River tour by local Ned,whom we had met on the way down from Broome,sailing on 'Othello'.
Marika and Khan's visit was a highlight,catching up after more than 18 months.Unfortunately,because of strong winds,we didn't do much sailing with them,however we progressed from Fremantle to Bunbury,taking inland sightseeing trips,and they managed to swim,relax and enjoy the sunshine.
Bunbury is an historic city with many well-preserved old buildings and houses,strong links to the early settlers.We preferred Busselton as it is a smaller,friendly town,well-situated in the centre of the wine region,close to the West Coast,with its spectacular bays and beaches and surfing spots.It was here we met Dave and Dale on 'Raffles Class'and later at Quindalup,Hugh and Robyn on 'Georgia',both couples living aboard,when not at home on Christmas Is.which sounds like another paradise.
We have met so many friendly,helpful and interesting people here that it's going to be hard to continue on our way in a couple of weeks' time.Many also have knowledge and experience of crossing the Big Bight.We have ordered a new Delta anchor from Fremantle,so hopefully we will have no further trouble anchoring along the Southern Coast,as these are more suited to conditions here than our Ploughs.
Don't forget to view photos for this blog at http://picasaweb.google.com. au/crewsers3
Friday, February 12, 2010
Tuesday, December 08, 2009
Rocking with penguins
We're at Rockingham Bay,south of Fremantle,at the lower end of Cockburn Sound,opposite Garden Is. Naval Base,enjoying a relaxing break before we head out to the south and into the Indian ocean again.It's a perfect bay mooring,only 100m from the beach,yacht club,cafes and shops,next to 'Fortuna',with tiny penguins swimming underneath the boat.We ferried to nearby Penguin Is.Sanctuary and saw the huge colonies of breeding pelicans and cormorants,and watched the tame tiny penguins being fed at the Discovery Centre.
Two days after reaching here we bought a bargain car,a '96 Mitsubishi Magna,so we will have transport during the next few months ahead while we're waiting in this SW region to cross the Bight.There is so much to see around this area,including Margaret River.
Carnarvon proved difficult to leave;we were held against the Fishing Harbour fuel wharf by the strong evening southerly,and only managed to escape next morning by securing a line to an adjacent dock to help pull Two XS around.However, the further south we went into Shark Bay,the better the conditions,if very shallow.We anchored just off the beach at Monkey Mia in incredibly clear blue water. During our return trip to shore,a resident mother dolphin and calf came up beside the dinghy,swimming laps around us,eyeing the excited Bodi,who would have jumped in with them,only held back by Bill grabbing his tail.
We stayed over at beautiful Cape Peron,surrounded by huge red sand cliffs and clear shallow water on our way to Denham,where the Shark Bay Discovery Centre contains an outstanding display,including a replica of Dirk Hartog's plate,originally affixed north of here over 300years ago.Passing Australia's most westerly mainland, Steep Point, we sailed back out into the Indian Ocean,heading out at least 20nm to catch the helpful Leeuwin Current,and avoid the effects of the shipwreck-littered Zuytdorp Cliffs,extending 150nm south.After an uncomfortable,bumpy overnighter we reached tiny Port Gregory,in through reefs and rocks.Unfortunately the headsail failed to furl properly in the strong wind and had to be secured around with halyards to prevent its flapping shaking Two XS wildly,and could not be sorted out until Geraldton, when the wind abated.
There we anchored in the bay near the Yacht Club close to the town,and spent several days sightseeing and recovering,preparing for the next major leg to Fremantle.All the stopovers,Port Denison,Jurien Bay,Lancelin and Two Rocks,required entry through outer reefs,then narrow,twisty and often shallow access to a harbour and welcome shelter and calm.At Two Rocks,moored at the marina fuel wharf,Bill had to go underneath Two XS in the dinghy to repair damage to the forward strakes of the bridgedeck,where waves had repeatedly hammered all down the coast,and water was forced inside.However Two Rocks was a friendly,convenient place,and 'Ohmless'and 'Toucan'caught up with us here,while 'Fortuna'had gone on ahead.
Next stop was Hilary's Marina,a northern suburb of Perth,where we were invited to tie up at the V.I.P.wharf in front of the Yacht Club,because as usual down this coast there were no pole berths wide enough to accommodate a cat.There is a huge separate marina complex with tourist and upmarket shops,cafes and restaurants,all on the waterfront.At Fremantle we had a berth on the Fremantle Sailing Club visitors' wharf,a huge marina area,fortunately sheltered here while gale force winds blew outside for most of our stay.It was so cold and windy while we did our tourist thing,travelling to Perth by train,only 30 minutes away,to take in the sights-a clean if small modern city.We walked and bussed all over Fremantle,full of imposing and quaint historic buildings,the Maritime Museum a fascinating place to visit,including a guided tour of the submarine HMAS Ovens.We stocked up on fresh produce at the old markets in the town centre,especially the double-sized punnets of yummy strawberries-a local treat.
Don't know how long we'll stay here,with everything so convenient,but will eventually sail back out into the Indian Ocean and the prevailing afternoon southerlies,maybe as far as Busselton by New Year.We are looking forward to Marika and Khan flying over from Melbourne to join us then for about ten days-haven't seen them since June last year!
View photos for this post at http://picasaweb.google.com.au/crewsers3
Two days after reaching here we bought a bargain car,a '96 Mitsubishi Magna,so we will have transport during the next few months ahead while we're waiting in this SW region to cross the Bight.There is so much to see around this area,including Margaret River.
Carnarvon proved difficult to leave;we were held against the Fishing Harbour fuel wharf by the strong evening southerly,and only managed to escape next morning by securing a line to an adjacent dock to help pull Two XS around.However, the further south we went into Shark Bay,the better the conditions,if very shallow.We anchored just off the beach at Monkey Mia in incredibly clear blue water. During our return trip to shore,a resident mother dolphin and calf came up beside the dinghy,swimming laps around us,eyeing the excited Bodi,who would have jumped in with them,only held back by Bill grabbing his tail.
We stayed over at beautiful Cape Peron,surrounded by huge red sand cliffs and clear shallow water on our way to Denham,where the Shark Bay Discovery Centre contains an outstanding display,including a replica of Dirk Hartog's plate,originally affixed north of here over 300years ago.Passing Australia's most westerly mainland, Steep Point, we sailed back out into the Indian Ocean,heading out at least 20nm to catch the helpful Leeuwin Current,and avoid the effects of the shipwreck-littered Zuytdorp Cliffs,extending 150nm south.After an uncomfortable,bumpy overnighter we reached tiny Port Gregory,in through reefs and rocks.Unfortunately the headsail failed to furl properly in the strong wind and had to be secured around with halyards to prevent its flapping shaking Two XS wildly,and could not be sorted out until Geraldton, when the wind abated.
There we anchored in the bay near the Yacht Club close to the town,and spent several days sightseeing and recovering,preparing for the next major leg to Fremantle.All the stopovers,Port Denison,Jurien Bay,Lancelin and Two Rocks,required entry through outer reefs,then narrow,twisty and often shallow access to a harbour and welcome shelter and calm.At Two Rocks,moored at the marina fuel wharf,Bill had to go underneath Two XS in the dinghy to repair damage to the forward strakes of the bridgedeck,where waves had repeatedly hammered all down the coast,and water was forced inside.However Two Rocks was a friendly,convenient place,and 'Ohmless'and 'Toucan'caught up with us here,while 'Fortuna'had gone on ahead.
Next stop was Hilary's Marina,a northern suburb of Perth,where we were invited to tie up at the V.I.P.wharf in front of the Yacht Club,because as usual down this coast there were no pole berths wide enough to accommodate a cat.There is a huge separate marina complex with tourist and upmarket shops,cafes and restaurants,all on the waterfront.At Fremantle we had a berth on the Fremantle Sailing Club visitors' wharf,a huge marina area,fortunately sheltered here while gale force winds blew outside for most of our stay.It was so cold and windy while we did our tourist thing,travelling to Perth by train,only 30 minutes away,to take in the sights-a clean if small modern city.We walked and bussed all over Fremantle,full of imposing and quaint historic buildings,the Maritime Museum a fascinating place to visit,including a guided tour of the submarine HMAS Ovens.We stocked up on fresh produce at the old markets in the town centre,especially the double-sized punnets of yummy strawberries-a local treat.
Don't know how long we'll stay here,with everything so convenient,but will eventually sail back out into the Indian Ocean and the prevailing afternoon southerlies,maybe as far as Busselton by New Year.We are looking forward to Marika and Khan flying over from Melbourne to join us then for about ten days-haven't seen them since June last year!
View photos for this post at http://picasaweb.google.com.au/crewsers3
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Besieged in Carnarvon
We've wished for wind before on many occasions,but this is ridiculous-strong wind warning for this whole section of the West coast have been in place for five days! At least Carnarvon is a very pleasant and convenient town to be,after a nightmare overnighter from Coral Bay-nowhere to stop,wind against us,steep waves close together,motoring most of the way.
Broome,now 1300 miles behind us,provided avery enjoyable break,although busy with repairs and reprovisioning,and ruled by tide for trips ashore.As well as being an historic,multicultural town for pearling,it is also a thriving tourist centre,laid -back and beautiful,set off by red cliffs,yellow sand beaches and bright turquoise water.Most of our Kimberley cruising companions caught up with us,also preparing for the trip south.
From there on the coast is less hospitable,anchorages few and not very comfortable,sometimes anchoring in the shallow ocean for a break.However we had good winds and flew down Eighty Mile Beach averaging 8-9 knots,the water less than 3metres deep for miles out.Within 5 days we reached Port Hedland,an iron ore and salt exporting centre,the anchorage right beside the shipping channel,but a friendly yacht club nearby.The town consists mainly of accommodation for mine workers,to be flown in and out of the Pilbara.Two XS was covered with red dust by the time we set out 2 days later for Depuch Is.There we climbed Anchor Hill to check out aboriginal rock carvings,discovered by the crew of HMS Beagle in 1840, mostly turtles and fish on the large boulders which covered the island.
Next on to Dolphin Is. where we navigated slowly over the rocky shallows of Searipple Passage,saving many miles around on our way to Dampier.Avoiding huge bulk iron ore carriers and container ships,we eventually reached the sheltered bay anchorage,to find a yacht club with a floating pontoon jetty.Also we met Darwin boatie friends,Kylie,Mick and dog,Gypsy(joyful reunion for Bodi),staying and working in the area for a while,and we were grateful for being driven around sightseeing as well as shopping in Karratha.Although Karratha is a busily expanding iron ore and gas centre-the scale of the industry is amazing,Dampier is a quiet backwater.
More of our fellow cruisers arrived there,making quite a fleet heading for Perth and beyond-Wendera,Quoll 11,Othello and Pretty Woman(2);more socialising and catching up.
Good winds helped us past Cape Preston,where a monstrous bulkloading facility is being constructed,an uncomfortable,rolly night at Great Sandy Is.anchored next to reef,then on to Onslow.Here we caught up with Fortuna,another cat en route to Perth,and our present sailing companions.We were able to refuel up the shallow creek in Onslow,thanks to our Bailey card,and wash Two XS,but it is only a very small town with a salt loader,pub,supermarket and a flourishing community garden.But there was tv,phone and internet access so Bill and Damien were able to watch the footie Grand Final.
Next stopover was Serrurier Is.,a lovely spot,white sand beach,clear aqua water,whales frolicking just outside the bay.We decided to miss Exmouth and head around the corner-North West Cape,through Ningaloo Reef to Tantabiddi,where we unfortunately caught up a 30m mooring buoy rope on a rudder,spending an uncomfortable bumpy slappy night,stern on to the wind and waves.
All the anchorages in this stretch were inside Ningaloo Reef,with swell ,shallows and lurking reef to contend with during entry and not much shelter inside,including Norwegian Bay(former whaling station) and Maud Point,near Coral Bay.We had to dinghy around,over reef and shallows,to visit Coral Bay;a beautiful unspoilt little tourist town,pub lunch at the Reef Resort,then a very wet ride back as the wind had come up,with Bodi sheltering under the dinghy cover.
Carnarvon was once a main shipping port,so we have checked out the Historic Precinct near the One Mile Jetty with the lighthouse keepers'cottage museum,railway and shearers museum.Maybe we'll be able to leave for Shark Bay by the weekend?
PS. It's getting colder so we now have to wear clothes instead of our swimmers 'uniform'.
Photos for this post can be found on http://picasaweb.google.com/crewsers3
Broome,now 1300 miles behind us,provided avery enjoyable break,although busy with repairs and reprovisioning,and ruled by tide for trips ashore.As well as being an historic,multicultural town for pearling,it is also a thriving tourist centre,laid -back and beautiful,set off by red cliffs,yellow sand beaches and bright turquoise water.Most of our Kimberley cruising companions caught up with us,also preparing for the trip south.
From there on the coast is less hospitable,anchorages few and not very comfortable,sometimes anchoring in the shallow ocean for a break.However we had good winds and flew down Eighty Mile Beach averaging 8-9 knots,the water less than 3metres deep for miles out.Within 5 days we reached Port Hedland,an iron ore and salt exporting centre,the anchorage right beside the shipping channel,but a friendly yacht club nearby.The town consists mainly of accommodation for mine workers,to be flown in and out of the Pilbara.Two XS was covered with red dust by the time we set out 2 days later for Depuch Is.There we climbed Anchor Hill to check out aboriginal rock carvings,discovered by the crew of HMS Beagle in 1840, mostly turtles and fish on the large boulders which covered the island.
Next on to Dolphin Is. where we navigated slowly over the rocky shallows of Searipple Passage,saving many miles around on our way to Dampier.Avoiding huge bulk iron ore carriers and container ships,we eventually reached the sheltered bay anchorage,to find a yacht club with a floating pontoon jetty.Also we met Darwin boatie friends,Kylie,Mick and dog,Gypsy(joyful reunion for Bodi),staying and working in the area for a while,and we were grateful for being driven around sightseeing as well as shopping in Karratha.Although Karratha is a busily expanding iron ore and gas centre-the scale of the industry is amazing,Dampier is a quiet backwater.
More of our fellow cruisers arrived there,making quite a fleet heading for Perth and beyond-Wendera,Quoll 11,Othello and Pretty Woman(2);more socialising and catching up.
Good winds helped us past Cape Preston,where a monstrous bulkloading facility is being constructed,an uncomfortable,rolly night at Great Sandy Is.anchored next to reef,then on to Onslow.Here we caught up with Fortuna,another cat en route to Perth,and our present sailing companions.We were able to refuel up the shallow creek in Onslow,thanks to our Bailey card,and wash Two XS,but it is only a very small town with a salt loader,pub,supermarket and a flourishing community garden.But there was tv,phone and internet access so Bill and Damien were able to watch the footie Grand Final.
Next stopover was Serrurier Is.,a lovely spot,white sand beach,clear aqua water,whales frolicking just outside the bay.We decided to miss Exmouth and head around the corner-North West Cape,through Ningaloo Reef to Tantabiddi,where we unfortunately caught up a 30m mooring buoy rope on a rudder,spending an uncomfortable bumpy slappy night,stern on to the wind and waves.
All the anchorages in this stretch were inside Ningaloo Reef,with swell ,shallows and lurking reef to contend with during entry and not much shelter inside,including Norwegian Bay(former whaling station) and Maud Point,near Coral Bay.We had to dinghy around,over reef and shallows,to visit Coral Bay;a beautiful unspoilt little tourist town,pub lunch at the Reef Resort,then a very wet ride back as the wind had come up,with Bodi sheltering under the dinghy cover.
Carnarvon was once a main shipping port,so we have checked out the Historic Precinct near the One Mile Jetty with the lighthouse keepers'cottage museum,railway and shearers museum.Maybe we'll be able to leave for Shark Bay by the weekend?
PS. It's getting colder so we now have to wear clothes instead of our swimmers 'uniform'.
Photos for this post can be found on http://picasaweb.google.com/crewsers3
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Kimberley cruisers emerge
After nearly two months of communication blackout,we're in Broome,and have phone ,internet and tv. access again after cruising the Kimberley wilderness.
We sailed out of Darwin on 18th July, reaching the Berkeley River a few days later.From here on we explored it and the navigable reaches of the King George,Drysdale, Mitchell and Prince Regent Rivers,and many bays,inlets and islands.Most of the rivers were huge gorges,with amazing rock formations, pools and waterfalls behind rugged rockbars, requiring strenuous climbing-We couldn't believe how well Bodi managed to stay up with us and avoid the crocs!
The beauty of the Kimberley and its variety of land and seascapes has to be seen to be appreciated.We had the most wonderful time experiencing it as well as the fun and camaraderie with other boaties.We have selected a sample of our hundreds of photos, to give you an idea of what we've seen and done and you can view them by going to- http://picasaweb.google.com.au/crewsers3
We sailed out of Darwin on 18th July, reaching the Berkeley River a few days later.From here on we explored it and the navigable reaches of the King George,Drysdale, Mitchell and Prince Regent Rivers,and many bays,inlets and islands.Most of the rivers were huge gorges,with amazing rock formations, pools and waterfalls behind rugged rockbars, requiring strenuous climbing-We couldn't believe how well Bodi managed to stay up with us and avoid the crocs!
The beauty of the Kimberley and its variety of land and seascapes has to be seen to be appreciated.We had the most wonderful time experiencing it as well as the fun and camaraderie with other boaties.We have selected a sample of our hundreds of photos, to give you an idea of what we've seen and done and you can view them by going to- http://picasaweb.google.com.au/crewsers3
Friday, July 17, 2009
Departing Darwin
Bodi looking for mate Bob
Low tide at Port Keats
Busy turtle
Bare Sand Is.
Brave Bodi with Mimis,Barunga
Gunlom.pool above falls
Rock painting
View from Ubirr,nth.KakaduDEPARTING DARWIN !
The saga continues-after a nine-month stay in Darwin we’re on our way again.Bill’s six month employment with Nautical Supplies spun out to nearly eight.The Wet and its almost intolerable humidity is over and the Dry-one perfect day after another,and no rain at all has arrived.We enjoyed our time there, met many new friends, and got to know The Top End and experience its unique character-to say nothing of the many unique characters we lived amongst at the anchorage at Sadgrove’s Creek and Dinah Beach Yacht Club.
Main highlights of our season in Darwin were:
Our frequent visits with Ben &Bianca- a Barunga Xmas, Barunga Sporting and Cultural Festival in June,following our tour of Kakadu in B&B’s 4wd camper,including a flight over the most interesting areas.
Bought our car in November, which made activities and exploring Darwin much easier-and Bodi could visit the beach-if not for a swim.Sold it to other ‘boaties’ two days before leaving.
We bought a new autopilot and chartplotter-now appreciating the new technology.As well other equipment was installed-the cockpit seats were recovered; a new boomtent and outside window covers were designed and made with the help of friends.The long-suffering headsail was professionally renovated and Bill spent most of his weekends improving Two XS.Our ‘ducky’ has a new owner, and we are now equipped with a tinny,called Rudolph for the red nose we installed to avoid damage,and a new 9.8 Tohatsu. Apparently,crocs don’t take bites out of aluminum as readily as rubber.
TwoXS, laden with supplies, finally set sail for the Kimberley and beyond on June 24.A wonderful first night out was spent at Bare Sand Is.,a tiny islet with only one tree but heaps of sand-a mecca for egg-laying turtles at this time of the year.We followed one lady up the beach watching her lengthy nest-digging,laying and cover-up-it takes 50 days for their hatching.
After anchorages at Point Jenny-beautiful beach,then Cape Scott,we made Port Keats-not a port at all,just an inlet.On the beach here we found a tidal pool for a long-awaited swim.Next morning we found that the compressor on our freezer had died,and although we had another electrical system for backup,and no food was spoilt,we decided to return to Darwin for repairs,as we had a freezer expert to help us there.In fact, he generously lent us his spare vehicle during our stay.However, freezer fixed, we were ready to leave again,and the generator which we use for 240volt power failed-new alternator needed-a week’s wait for it to arrive from Adelaide.Bill is at present finishing off the installation,and we hope to leave tomorrow.
Maybe as we are setting out so late in the season we will have the wind against us further down the coast and will have to return to Darwin for another Wet season!!
Friday, November 21, 2008
You'll Never Never Know If You Never Never Go
We are just so lucky! Ben & Bianca gave us a hire car so we could visit them in Arnhem Land for a wonderful week,staying at Barunga,an aboriginal community 100km SE of Katherine,where Bianca is a remote area nurse. Special visitor permits had to be obtained,and we were very impressed with the tidy,well kept community,its friendly people and gorgeous kids.
On the roadtrip south made a break at historic Adelaide River,with its old tavern and railway station,showing many reminders of the important role this area played during WWII.The trip seemed quite quick as the speed limit is 130kph,the road mostly straight,and there is interesting country along the way.Bodi loved his airconditioned backseat lounge and was quite reluctant to get out,even for comfort stops.
As B&B have now lived in the Never Never area for over 12 months they knew all the best places to take us.Ben took us 4wheel bush driving showing us the beautiful country and wildlife-we saw brumbies,buffaloes,donkeys,kangaroos and vivid parrots.We visited one of the old mining sites near Maranboy,once very populated but now consisting of only a police station,lockup and derelict hospital.Having obtained permission from the traditional owners,and being a coordinator for the local Emergency Service,Ben took the ES boat,after a quick motor service by Bill,for a test run along the Roper River.It was amazing to see the river surrounded by tall dense tropical growth,huge palms and ferns,just a fertile channel in the dry,arid landscape.
We swam and snorkelled at Bitter Springs, visited bat-infested hot springs at nearby Mataranka and wondered at the spartan homestead conditions endured by the Gunn family of "We of the Never Never " fame.Then it was a great lunch at The Stockman's Gallery' opposite the huge old banyan tree.
Wugularr(Beswick)Falls was a highlight,with cool streams,a large sandy pool,with obvious croc tracks all over the shore, and the sheer dark red cliffs surrounding the waterfall.In Beswick, another aboriginal community we visited the Cultural Gallery,full of vibrant local works.We even managed a trip to Nitmiluk (Katherine Gorge)and in the heat climbed the steep track to the top of the escarpment,for a spectacular overview of the gorge and miles of surrounding country,then enjoyed a lunch of Barra burgers and iced coffee,both local favorites at the cafe.Just outside Katherine we visited the original 1879 Springvale Homestead,surrounded by huge rain trees,where a pioneering family unsuccessfully attempted to farm in the extremely harsh conditions.
Almost reluctantly we returned to Darwin.Bill has started work and is finding his job full of variety; from helping the sailmaker to set up sails at various marinas,to restocking liferafts for the Navy,as well as serving in the chandlery-no mechanical work at all!
We now have a car,a necessity here,so we can go sightseeing as well as attend the great local weekend markets,and conveniently do our shopping.We have joined the nearby Dinah Beach(there is no beach!)Yacht Club and use their floating jetty(tide permitting)as well as socialise in the open air club breezeway,with live music several nights a week,and great reasonably priced meals.We're enjoying living in Darwin and getting used to NT time-not Today,not Tomorrow,not Tuesday,not Thursday, Not This week...just take your time!The Wet has not arrived yet-we've heard lots of stories-so we'll let you know !PS. It has just now started to rain!!
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Up the creek in Darwin
Yes-we made it to Darwin,but it's been too hot to type out the blog!
Even Bodi has had a radical trim.
We have a Darwin Port Authority mooring in Sadgrove's Creek close to Dinah Beach Yacht Club and Nautical Supplies,a large shipschandlery,where Bill now has a job for 6 months.After The Wet we will continue our travels down the West Coast with a new autopilot.
Our trip from Gove to Darwin,which took 11 days,was interesting,beautiful and isolated -we were out of phone and internet range for most of it,and met or sighted only several other people.The most exciting event was forcing our way through the "Hole in the wall"Gugari Rip,a 65m wide channel between Guluwuru and Raragala Is. in the Wessel group.Against the incoming tide we were gaining only 2knots at 3000rpm.,zigzagging to avoid shallow patches and rocky outcrops.Just after we emerged shakily at the western end we were hailed by radio from a Customs vessel,lurking around the next bay, checking our id. and movements.
Further west we overnighted at Refuge Bay,Elcho Is,then decide to head straight across towards the Goulburn Is. Passing close to the picturesque Crocodile Islands, we thought we'd stop off for a beach walk and swim,but just after anchoring we were greeted by a 4m."lizard",and then we noticed many slide marks and tracks into the water from the sandy beach!
Other stopovers were in a sheltered bay near Braithwaite Point where all the water drained away during the night,returning with the morning tide;Sims Is.in a bay full of coral heads,but we did manage to swim in the sandy shore.Heading north in Bowen Straits we were accompanied for miles by a school of mini-dolphins,playing and diving underneath,ignoring Bodi's excited barking.
At Port Essington-no port just a large body of water-we met Peter,the ranger at Black Point,viewed the info and cultural display,and decided to visit the ruins of the Victoria Settlement(1836-1849) further down the bay,another futile and tragic British settlement disaster.
At Cape Don we were hoping to visit the historic lighthouse,but after trudging for miles along the red dirt road,we were picked up by a Cape Don Experience 4wd troupie,told that we were trespassing as it was now all private property,an exclusive fishing lodge,and dumped back at the jetty.
Tidal flow determined our next few early mornings(3 or4 am.)to enable us to get the right currents through the Vernon Is.in darkness,anchoring at reef-fringed Cape Hotham,then through the Beagle Gulf and Timor Sea,reaching Fannie Bay,Darwin, about 11am. 23rdSept.We moved around and up the creek a couple of days later as it is very shallow,wind-prone and bumpy at Fannie Bay.
Ben and Bianca drove up from Barunga,400kms south in Arnhem land,where Bianca is a remote area nurse,to welcome us.It was a great reunion as we hadn't seen them since Townsville ,12 months previously.Next post will be about our visit to Barunga!
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