Dont Mention the Weather-Airlie Beach to Port Macquarie

    We have survived the strong winds,incessant rain and storms and are now enjoying our stay at Russell Is.,at the south-eastern corner of Moreton Bay,catching up with ex Port friends, Ian and Bev Triplett and Mike and Sandy Emery,now locals.
With their extensive cruising  experience,Tripletts are giving us invaluable help towards planning our projected cruising trips.

Rafted up for refuelling at Yeppoon

Coral spore floating on the sea, ready to block engine filters !

     To continue from the last blog,the rest of our voyage down the coast was uneventful, as we kept ahead of the bad weather,stopping over at Yeppoon, Pancake Creek and Bundaberg, then on through Hervey Bay to the Great Sandy Strait and Kingfisher Bay Resort on Fraser Is.We overnighted at Tin Can Bay,setting off early for a very smooth trip out through the Wide Bay Bar.Once we had rounded Double Is. Point we felt we were making better progress,sailing due south instead of east.
    At Noosa Heads we sailed right in almost to the beach,hoping to go ashore for a stroll along Hastings St and a coffee,but could not get the anchor to bite in the gravel bottom of the bay,so it was on to Mooloolaba.
    As we came through the port entry channel, we noticed crowds of people lining the foreshores,apparently flocking to welcome us-but after we anchored further inside the harbour,we learned that the Christmas boat parade was due to start-a great spectacle,with vessels of all types and sizes decorated and lit up in a long procession around the harbour passing right in front of Two XS.We spent a few more days in Moo.,met many more yachties, before setting out for Moreton Bay and Bribie Is.,anchoring beside the town of Bongaree,in the south-west corner.
    We had decided to try to find some boaties met at Airlie, Rick and Sue,on Q Cat,so ventured up the Caboolture River,tentatively entering at high tide as this entrance and river are extremely shallow,and finally found them many winding miles later for a great reunion at their idyllic riverside estate, celebrating our 41st wedding anniversary at the local new Beachmere Tavern.
     Brisbane was our next port of call,anchoring in the middle of the city,near the Botanical Gardens.Unfortunately Two XS was attacked by a wide-swinging monohull with a nasty chunky bowsprit on too long an anchor chain,due to the strong currents and tides,so battered and bruised we moved further downstream,opposite the main Riverside docks.We had a great time in the city, catching up with cousins Sue,Margie and Helen and husband Bob,sightseeing and shopping.
    Fortunately we had been invited to return to Rick and Sue's for a longer visit at Beachmere,so when the rough weather started, we were safe and snug in the Caboolture River,not out in the bay or further down the coast.We had a great time there,partying,meeting the locals,most of whom were boaties,catching mudcrabs,mushrooming in the sodden cow-paddocks,with Bodi having fun rounding up the cattle and kangaroos.Finally the weather relented and we ventured out into the Bay to Scarborough, for fuel and fresh seafood at Morgans.We then caught a good wind all the way across the Bay to Dunwich on Nth. Stradbroke Is.,a quiet town whose main tourist attraction appeared to be their Historic Cemetery. Further down the island we stayed at Blakesley's Anchorage and caught three blue swimmer crabs-Bill is fast becoming an expert at tying them up for cooking.
    Yesterday we 'went to Australia' on the waterbus with Ian and Bev ,shopping at Victoria Point,as there is no real supermarket on Russell Is.We're nearly becoming locals,having been to the RSL for Roast Night,meeting more people every day,and Bill is helping Ian with a house building project.New houses here are innovative, mostly of unique steelframe design,standing on steel posts mainly on steeply sloping blocks.Older Queenslander style houses are shipped over from the mainland,set up on stilts and renovated.  Quirky local creation !

Water filling R.I. Style

Trippy , Mike and Sandy wave us off

   The sun has now appeared-maybe the wet season is over and we can continue our journey south?
PS. Late breaking news-our beautiful Volvo has been drowned in the Airlie floods.

Apparently the people we left it with to drive down to Brisbane this week,neglected to move it to higher ground in time.Yes it was fully insured, but BUGGER!!