Onward Ho!

Once we returned from Bali, the good weather gods were granting us very unusually calm winds and seas for the foreseeable near future. We quick stocked up on food and diesel and left Cairns early the next morning to take advantage of this unexpected lull from the normally unrelenting SE tradewinds this time of year. To make as much “ground” as possible on our long southern passage to Brisbane we motored along the coast and coastal islands, covering about 80 miles each day from before sunrise to before sunset (from coffee time to beer/rum/wine time). We were able to tuck into a safe anchorage every night, enjoy a good dinner and movie/show on StarLink and get a good night’s sleep, only getting off the boat to take a couple swims/snorkels when in safer croc-free waters, give the water line a quick scrub, and to refuel twice – at Airlie Beach and Bundaberg. Since we were making good time, we gave ourselves a break at Bundaberg for a day to see more of the city (a nice walk about in the Botanic Gardens with lots of birds, turtles, water dragons, eels & even a napping monkey), stop at a brewery for a beer, pizza & hot olives (so yummy!) and to grab a few more provisions (ie: beer).

Along the way we saw whales and dolphins jumping about, several beautiful sun & moon risings & settings, some foggy mornings, a dingo walking the beach, dodged freighters transiting the shipping channels, and were able to not run aground in the shallows of the Great Sandy Straights and the shifting sandbars along the rivers into Horizon Shores Marina.

After 14 long days of motoring in wonderfully light winds and seas, we got settled in and then saw Captain Ed off to catch a flight to Tahiti to see the love of his life. Merci! Au revoir. A la prochaine fois.
XOXOXOXO Gma & Gpa