to Bundy

Good onya, mate! How’s it goin’?

Wondering what we’ve been up to? Since leaving Manly/Sydney mid-March, we’ve been slowly making our way north (towards the equator) along the east coast towards Bundaberg, the southern start of the Great Barrier Reef, with short stops at several places, including: Avalon Beach & Rock Pool – and the Avalon Brewery (almost like being at OOGA). The Hawkesbury River – the longest coastal river in New South Wales, with rich Aboriginal and colonization history (read The Secret River by Kate Grenville). Kayaked among throngs of huge 12” Blubber Jellyfish – which we learned are not so dangerous and are actually a delicacy in China. Newcastle, the Gold Coast, Brisbane, Mooloolaba in the Sunshine Coast, and the famous Bundaberg Rum Factory (their Solera Rum was awarded the Best Dark Rum in the World).

It’s so nice getting back to nature & the quiet boating life with anchorages, islands, bridges, interesting river traffic, coastal walks, sunrises/sets, Aussie pelicans, white-bellied sea-eagles and the flute-like song of the Butcherbird.

Some interesting Australian info:
The large deserts of central Australia mean that 90% of Australians live on the shores of this enormous country. Outside the major hubs like Sydney, there are hundreds of smaller beach towns where you can appreciate Australia's beautiful coastline. Many of the beaches have ocean rock pools – with some built back in the 1800s by wealthy patrons and convicts - built into the cliff and rocks at the end of the beach where they are more protected. With sandy bottoms, man-made and natural rock walls, the surf and tides provide regular water changes for their own natural marine-life ecosystems and swimmers, offering a safe alternative to the hazards of swimming at the beach.

As a commonwealth of the United Kingdom, Australia’s head-of-state is the British monarch (King or Queen). Australia is one of the largest countries on Earth, and the only country that covers an entire continent. Although it is rich in natural resources and has a lot of fertile land, more than one-third of Australia is desert. The famous outback (remote rural areas) contains the country’s largest deserts, where there are scorching temperatures, little water and almost no vegetation. In the northeast, there are dense rainforests where lush vegetation grows.

Australia’s warm, sunny climate and abundance of open spaces give the population a love of the outdoors. The people are also passionate about sports, including swimming, surfing, sailing, tennis, soccer, cricket, rugby and their own invention – Australian rules football!

Next Stop: the Great Barrier Reef!
XOXOXOXO
Gma & Gpa