Friday (19th February) we awoke to another grey and miserable day in Tipplers anchorage. However it was not too busy with boat traffic and it didn’t rain, so definitely an improvement on recent days.

We had a lazy day on board then, about 4pm when most of the day trippers had left, we headed ashore and had a few drinks and nibbles. We were lucky enough to have another wallaby encounter but no huge lizards this time. Back on board around 6pm and, by now, the weekend crowd were starting to arrive so we had the usual anchor shenanigans as they all tried to get set for the night.

Saturday morning we got ourselves ready to leave Tipplers and waited for the tide to turn. So at 10.15 we were heading north an hour after low tide, through the gap between South Stradbroke and North Stradbroke islands at Jumpinpin and then into the Canaipa passage. During the trip, winding our way through the shallow river system, we picked up about a knot of boat speed as we were lifted by the tide and we saw no less than 1m under the keel so we had timed this 15 mile run just about right. Sad sight at The Huts anchorage, though, where we saw that an abandoned boat had finally sunk in recent weather events. Wonder who is responsible for cleaning all that up?

As we neared Canaipa, we snuck under the overhead power lines (which always look closer to the top of the mast than they really are) and anchored on the west side of the river as we were expecting winds from the NW / W overnight. A few other boats joined us and we watched big clouds building and heading out to sea, thankfully they didn’t affect us.

We sat in the cockpit and enjoyed watching a large camp of fruit bats fly through as they headed to North Stradbroke Island to roost for the night. We also had a very brief dolphin and dugong visitation. They literally show themselves for seconds and disappear right beneath the stern so no chance for a decent photograph but, oh, what a treat!

Sunday we stayed on anchor at Canaipa and had an admin day onboard continuing with our online visa applications. When we called it a day we sat in the cockpit and were then visited by some strange looking yellow-eyed flies and we soon found out that they bite, hard! So we lit our insect smoke coils and left them burning in the cockpit (in a suitable container obviously) while we took ourselves down below to escape. The rain then started and the water became flat calm. After the rain we were treated to the most beautiful cloud formations and a fire-red sunset. One of our neighbours took a photo and loaded it up on Facebook showing Morphie at anchor in Canaipa lit by the most astonishing sky. Beautiful or what?!?

Monday morning we weighed anchor at 8am with our destination 19 miles away at the Moreton Bay Trailer Boat Club Marina in Manly. Another marina…sigh….but the weather forecast was consistently for severe thunderstorms and we would rather be safely tied to a dock and surrounded by large masts than sitting it out on the hook. We felt very lucky to have been able to get a berth booked at such short notice for a three night stay.

It was really hot and still in the morning and we got a picture of our neighbour in the lovely morning light. There was no wind so we motored across the glassy water in the Bay and had more encounters. This time it was a turtle, another dugong, and a ray jumping completely out of the water. What a great start to the day!

We arrived into the marina, found our berth, and got ourselves organised. Richard hooked up the power, rinsed Morphie off and re-installed the canvas while I headed into the office with all our documentation to check in. In Australia the marinas insist on a minimum of $10mn public liability insurance plus a copy of the Border Force Control Permit to allow you to stay, so I already had that ready for them. Checked in, security gate key fob in hand, I returned to Morphie. Have to say, on first impressions, we think the MBTBC marina beats the neighbouring East Coast Marina hands down in terms of facilities and quality of the docks and services. Plus it is literally across the road from Manly village so very accessible for re-provisioning etc. Here is Morphie settling into her new slip.

Later in the afternoon we headed out to the Moreton Bay Boat Trailer Boat Clubhouse (literally across the car park) and paid $5 to become an annual member. This gave us significant discounts on all food and drinks so we managed to recoup our outlay in less than two hours!

We took a seat on the outside balcony and enjoyed a view across the channel leads into the harbour entrance which serves four marinas. A really lovely place to enjoy a couple of cold ones. Then the discussion turned to food so we checked out the Club’s simple menu but were very excited by the ‘curry of the week’ option of a chicken tikka masala with basmati rice and a roti. OMG we haven’t had a proper curry for about a year and, although expectations were low, we both decided to order it anyway. It turned up after about 15 minutes and it was absolutely divine….very authentic with fabulous flavours. All I can say is Yum.

Suitably replete we returned to Morphie and watched the clouds roll in and then the heavens opened but thankfully no thunderstorms. The rain was biblical in nature and the wind gusts were significant so we were pretty sure we had made the right decision to shelter out here for a few days.

Tuesday morning we were up very early and Richard started by doing routine engine checks when he realised that the fresh water pump was leaking a small amount of coolant. Doing some research it became clear that these are very difficult to repair and Yanmar themselves actually recommend a straightforward replacement. So Richard got in touch with a company in the Boatworks to order a new pump on our behalf. In the meantime we’ll nurse the engine and top up the coolant as we go until we can get this replaced.

Doing his other boat checks he also noticed that the Balmar SG200 battery monitor would not cycle through all the modes AGAIN. So he disconnected and restarted it only to find that the readings were complete garbage as our house battery bank’s state of health should definitely not be 100% after two years of use. We have been having battles for about a year with Balmar about this unit as we keep insisting that it is faulty and their helpdesk troubleshooting advice works in the first instance (sometimes) but then, soon after, it goes into meltdown again and we have to keep reverting to their helpdesk. This time, thankfully, they finally agreed to replace it. Woo hoo! We just need to work out the logistics to make that happen now. Phew….

In the meantime I continued doing admin – this time it was to apply for Australian Federal Police Checks which are needed for the visa process. Their system was playing up but, eventually, I managed to get them completed and paid for.

Afterwards we both headed out to the shops and topped up with some basic provisions. Once back on board after we had stowed our shopping we had a lazy afternoon sitting watching the clouds build. We had dinner down below and then returned to the cockpit. OMG the storms were building, it was getting dark, the internet was lit up with warnings and radar images, and then it started. There were multiple storms all around us with lightning shows, thunder and torrential rain and it went on for over two hours. Was very exciting because it wasn’t immediately on top of us and, thankfully, no hail. Phew!

Wednesday morning it remained cloudy and stormy. Richard was swapping out the shower bilge pump while I headed into town again for more shopping. I got back and Richard had just finished so we then stripped beds, sorted out all the washing, and headed up to the laundry area. We put the machines on, got a propane fill sorted there and then, and then sat outside in the BBQ area while we waited for the laundry to finish. All very civilised.

Whilst there I called AmEx’s fraud team to query a charge which had been taken by a company without permission. As this ‘purchase’ had allegedly been done via PayPal we raised a potential fraud case with them too. It turns out that the vendor involved is well known and ‘auto renews’ annual software products sold to customers previously (at virtually triple the cost in my case) without informing the purchaser or seeking approval despite no previous authority being given. So very happy that the card wasn’t compromised; the ‘purchase’ was cancelled; and the vendor has been blocked from charging me ever again. Thankfully all resolved to my satisfaction that afternoon.

Back on board we relaxed before heading back out to the Club for a drink. We had planned to then go to a local restaurant for a fish and chip supper but, very naughtily, we both succumbed to the curry again and it was just as good as the first time. Wednesday night in the Club was very busy as it was Parmy night (which is chicken parmigiana and one of Australia’s most popular dishes) for only $14. For the uninitiated this is a breaded fried chicken snitzel coated in tomato sauce with grilled cheese on top served with salad and chips.

Oh yes and Wednesday night is race night at the local marinas here so we enjoyed watching all the little ducklings return to base for the night from the outside balcony.

We decided to move on to the Celtic Corner pub in Manly village before returning to Morphie. The barmaid screwed up my order so it had to be redone; we had to fight to get a seat; and the price was $10 more than the same round in the Club. So if we come back this way again, think the pub has seen the last of us LOL.

This morning, Thursday, it was raining and while Richard was preparing the boat to depart I quickly went into town to pick up some fresh bread, fruit and vegetables, got rid of our last minute rubbish, and then returned our key fob to the marina office. Definitely think we’ll be back here, such a friendly place.

By 10 am we were making our way through the leads and headed out towards the Sandhills anchorage, Moreton Island, just under 16 miles away. The weather deteriorated and it poured with rain for a while with poor visibility but nothing out of the ordinary….

Eventually the rain cleared, we arrived at our destination, and had our anchor down by 1pm. Lovely spot – really glad to be back. This time, though, there was a fishing camp that had been set up in the shallows so we watched them go about their business also checking out the pelicans who were clearly hoping for a tasty handout.

So that’s it for now folks. We are looking forward to exploring more of Moreton Island over the next few days as the wind is coming from the right direction to make these anchorages tenable and the weather forecast is nice and stable – fingers crossed of course!

In the meantime, we have caught up with the ongoing Covid vaccination programme at home and were delighted to hear the plan of when they are going to ease the restrictions. There is still a way to go but definitely light at the end of a very long tunnel. Keep safe and well everybody, sending hugs as always. So to cheer you up in lockdown here is another tiny Australian cutie to make you smile – this one is a baby orphaned Antechinus.

Jan

Friday (12th February) we had plans to do some boat jobs but both felt a bit weary so decided to just chill and instead watched the anchoring shenanigans around us as the anchorage filled up. As the day boats left for the day we picked up the hook and re-anchored further away from the shore as the overnight forecast of brief NW winds would put us on a lee shore. During the manoeuvre we had a brief dolphin visit. Always lovely to see them come by although we do worry about them swimming in the channel with the speed some of the jetskiers come through here! We also admired some strange cloud formations above us before the sun set for the day.

Settled in for the night and we just sat down below listening to the wind and the rain, it was definitely a wild one but thankfully we held fast.

Saturday it was a bit brighter and we were surrounded by houseboats and it was crazy jetski busy. We waited until most of the crowds had gone and then went ashore for a couple of drinks and nibbles.

Whilst sitting outside Tipplers Café and Bar we enjoyed visits from both a wallaby and a monitor lizard. The guys sitting near us were feeding the lizard their chips and some lettuce and, of course, it then came close to them to get a better look at which point they freaked out and were worried about their toes getting chewed. Was really funny to watch – who would have thought big Aussie guys would be frightened of a lizard eh??

We had a quiet night back on board and then retired early listening to the very heavy rain falling on the coach roof. There had also been an earthquake detected near New Caledonia which meant a tsunami warning was in place for Lord Howe Island but thankfully not the east coast of Australia. Luckily the danger was over quickly and the warning was soon dropped.

Sunday morning and it was Happy Valentine’s Day. We enjoyed exchanging our cards and had a leisurely morning.

The wind had swung south early on and we were now pointing back down the river towards Southport and as we had a good set we decided to stay put. In a lull in the rain we got into the dinghy and quickly cleaned the waterline of the light growth that had accumulated. We then climbed back on board and get the dinghy hoisted onto the arch as the next band of wind and rain came through.

The winds built up and built up but we were pleased that, by now, lots of the houseboats and day trippers had cleared out of the anchorage so we were able to put out more chain to reflect the worsening conditions. And it blew like stink – forecast of 40+ knots – and we reckon we saw that at least. As the rain eased later in the afternoon we sat in the cockpit and watched this 52ft Lagoon catamaran come into the anchorage – who then tried and failed to anchor behind us four times – and then left, probably because he was embarrassed. Oh dear, not sure where else he would find shelter from this appalling weather nearby before it got dark….

Monday morning it was still blowing but was lovely and sunny. Hurrah! So we did some hand washing and then headed ashore for some coffee and cake (although I actually had a delicious smoothie). The place was deserted although we did have two lizard encounters which was fun (and they didn’t seem too keen on each other!). By the time we were ashore we had a very large neighbour anchored in the middle of the channel.

We had a nice time relaxing in the sun on board for a little while on our return to Morphie but, yet again, we were chased down below by the rain although we did at least enjoy a lovely sunset first.

Tuesday it was cold and cloudy. Then the rain set in and the wind picked back up again. Getting a bit fed up of this now!!! We stayed on board all day and just poked our heads up to check our position as the wind was swinging SSE/ESE but as there were no neighbours we weren’t really concerned. We then heard about more earthquakes just off Vanuatu and Tonga but thankfully no tsunami warnings came about because of these. Oh yes and we saw the Lady Brisbane come down the river which was nice to see.

The weather forecast continues to show rain for most of the week and, unusually, this time they seem to be pretty accurate! Oh well, never mind…. Even the sea birds are looking a bit fed up with it all! But at least the wind died down overnight giving us some respite.

Wednesday morning and, of course, the wind picked up and then it rained again…sigh…. It really was miserable out there so we both stayed down below and started downloading all the documents that we need for our visa renewals and turning them into .pdfs in preparation for uploading onto the on-line Australian Immigration system. We then started the actual process of completing the on-line form but a poor internet connection meant we didn’t have great success so called it a day! Neither of us enjoyed doing this but at least we are getting there….

Afterwards we had another quiet night on board watching more offline Netflix content.

This morning, Thursday, and it started a bit brighter with a better forecast than previously, but then of course, it started raining.

We had hoped to get ashore for coffee at least (and to get rid of our rubbish) but decided against in the end. So I’m blogging down below while Richard is in the cockpit reading. Hopefully we’ll get out of here soon!!! Oh yes and half the Australian content is missing from Facebook today because of the ongoing row so even Bureau of Meteorology weather warnings are not allowed anymore. We can obviously access them elsewhere but seems a bit heavy handed or what?!?

Anyway, bye for now, and take care everybody, sending love and hugs your way. The Covid situation at home appears to be improving with the rollout of the vaccinations so hopefully there is an end to the lockdown restrictions soon. But, in the meantime, to keep your spirits up here is a baby Australian platypus to make you smile.

Jan

Thursday (4 February) I blogged during the day while Richard pottered around doing some important jobs like working Y-valves. In the late afternoon we took ourselves off to the Pirate Ship for sundowners before returning to Morphie for dinner.

Friday morning and it was time to give Morpheus some loving care and attention. First job was to wash her down as she had accumulated quite a bit of dust on her topsides whilst we had been away. Then, having wiped her down, we used a cleaner on the topside gelcoat. Afterwards we worked on the non-slip areas of the deck and coach roof by applying a layer of special non-slip wax before washing off the residue and drying it all. We then took a bit of a breather before tackling the coach roof which was waxed and polished. And here she is looking all beautiful and clean again, although we did notice that the varnish is starting to deteriorate on the eyebrow so that will probably be our next job.

Later on we picked up our courtesy car for the weekend and headed to the doctors. Blood test results were all fine, we got our repeat prescriptions, and then headed to the bottle shop to stock up on supplies. We then had a takeout roast chicken for dinner. Have to say we both slept well that night after all that physical exercise.

Saturday was a big provisioning run. We are planning to be on anchor now for a month and, then, after a short return to the Boatworks for doctors appointments we are booked into Sanctuary Cove again in early March. So we needed to replenish our stores. We were out for quite a few hours and it took us just as long on our return to find places to stow all the goodies onboard.

Later in the afternoon Richard decided to tackle cleaning and waxing the cockpit while I headed back to the shops as I wanted to get some new shorts / capri pants. I was surprised to find that Waitangi Day was being celebrated in the Coomera Westfield Mall and that Maoris were performing some traditional cultural dancing and singing including the haka. So I enjoyed watching that for a while – which brought back great memories of the numerous times we had spent at the Waitingi Treaty Grounds in New Zealand – before returning to the boat with my purchases. For a change we spent the evening in the cockpit enjoying some music and a snack supper.

On the dock behind us we have the YouTubers Sailing Zatara who are here as they need to get their engines replaced. They are constantly coming and going and we have noticed randomly that the males of the family go everywhere by some sort of electric skateboard or scooter, whilst the females walk everywhere. Very interesting….

Sunday we headed out very early to the laundry having got everything we could think of stripped off and into the washing bags. After getting the washing started we headed to the Galley to have breakfast.

Afterwards Richard headed out to Bunnings (because no week on the dock would be complete without a trip to his favourite shop LOL) plus to pick up some other bits and pieces that we had missed from our original provisioning list the day before. I stayed watching the laundry and used the Boatworks internet in the Cruisers lounge to do some admin work plus also to look into the Australian visa renewal process. Our current visas are good until mid March so I need to action this around the end of February but just wanted to check it all out in advance.

Reunited back on board we hand washed all our boat cloths; did the engine checks; filled up with water; and stowed everything properly down below in preparation for our departure on Monday morning. On our return we had noticed that we had a new neighbour on a Princess powerboat and he clearly didn’t make it into the slip easily in the gusty conditions – look at the damage he did to his boat on his arrival by hitting the huge pile at the end of the dock. Ouch….that won’t polish out…. Thankfully he didn’t hit us!

Very early Monday morning we returned the car. I checked the freezer temperature only to realise that it had fallen over during the night and we could not get the compressor to restart. Damn, we had just filled this up too, so we need to get this resolved as soon as possible to avoid our newly-purchased food defrosting. We rang Rene (our “go to” refrigerant guy) for advice but he is so busy that he wouldn’t be able to schedule us into his diary for another three weeks – so it was down to us to resolve it. We realised that, until this was resolved, we wouldn’t be able to leave the dock as we will need shore power to support the freezer as below a certain level of voltage the freezer tends to throw a wobbly anyway. So I went to the office and booked us in for another day. Frustrating but these things happen…..

We spent the rest of the day trouble shooting the issue to no avail initially. We decided to swap the fridge and freezer units over. We can live without the fridge if necessary but obviously we had a lot of food in the freezer that was at risk. So I cleaned both units, reset their temperature settings, and moved the food across. The fridge responded really well and started to come down to temperature (although a long way from freezing at this point) and we carried on working on the freezer unit. With a bit of mucking around with gas and pressure levels we were able to get the freezer to respond and stay on. So, once it was stable, we swapped all the food back across again and hoped for the best overnight. Phew had been a very long and frustrating day!

Tuesday morning and the temperature in the freezer box was coming down nicely but still had a way to go. And the wind was howling too. So we decided to stay another day on the dock. We had a quiet day on board and even did another small laundry run just to make sure there was nothing left that needed washing on board before we headed out LOL.

Wednesday morning and we were up early. The fridge and freezer were fine, the temperatures were set, and we set off for Tipplers anchorage on South Stradbroke Island. The wind picked up en route and, to start with, we were getting a lift from the outgoing tide until we got to the Broadwater when the current was running against us.

We arrived at Tipplers and it was flat calm on arrival and not too busy either, so that was a result. We got anchored quickly and enjoyed sitting in the cockpit for a while – and, then of course, the skies darkened and it rained on us!

In the meantime a cabin cruiser (which had tried to anchor at least three times to our knowledge) decided to drop his anchor in the channel but then backed up into the shallows which we thought was very strange, but assumed he knew what he was doing. So when the tide went out he ended up sitting on the mud and despite efforts from others they were not able to pull him out. Later in the evening as the tide came back in he was able to get himself free of the mud and re-anchored with all the other boats. We are genuinely surprised by how many boats we have seen stranded on the mudbanks during our travels – these areas are well buoyed and charted so there really is no excuse!

It was quite chilly and drizzly in the cockpit during the evening so we headed down below for a Netflix evening. But we had a lovely sunset anyway.

This morning, Thursday, and we were up early and suddenly the big supply barge came in and cut between us and the green channel marker (so he was travelling outside of the channel). Was a bit close to say the least! We decided to give him more room for his departure so, once he was offloading the trucks, we picked up anchor quickly and got set further away. Was at least a lovely bright morning.

We had planned to leave here tomorrow to head to Peel Island for the weekend (making the most of the shelter there from light north winds) and then on to other anchorages near Moreton Island. But, of course, the weather forecast changed again and there are strong winds from the south east forecast now from Monday to Wednesday at least (plus a chance of a thunderstorm too) so we might just stay here and sit it out as we have protection here plus it is good holding in mud. So plans all up in the air yet again but we will just go with the flow – we are definitely getting used to the changeable Australian summer weather.

Hope you are all doing well at home despite the snow and hope to see you all again at some point later this year. With UK quarantine rules; requirement for covid tests; banned countries list; we are really not sure how long we will have to stay here especially since some of the major ‘hubs’ (eg Hong Kong, Singapore, UAE) are also not currently letting transit passengers through to the UK either. And, of course, we don’t want to abandon Morphie without the international borders opening so that we can return to her here in Australia. So we’ll just have to keep sending you lots of love and Australian hugs until that day comes. Take care and stay safe everybody.

Jan

Thursday (28th January) we arrived into Caloundra (188 miles drive south from Bagara) and, once we arrived on the outskirts of town, did some food shopping in the local mall. It had been raining on and off all morning and the roads were very busy with lots of big trucks driving quite aggressively so we arrived feeling a bit weary. We got to our accommodation at Rumba Beach Resort at just gone 2pm so were able to check in immediately, park in the secure underground car park and then take the lift direct to our apartment. And, wow, what a place. One bedroom, two bathrooms (including a large ensuite with a spa bath), full kitchen, laundry, lounge, balcony the works. An amazing place and fully equipped with everything I could think of that we would ever need.

Having got ourselves unpacked and settled in we headed out to Happy Hour that was being advertised in the resort’s bar which sits behind the pool complex. Well this wasn’t great as the seating was not comfortable and the drinks were served in plastic glasses which would be OK if we were going poolside but not sitting in the bar itself. Oh well, never mind. After a short while we retired to our very comfortable room for dinner and a movie night.

Friday we were up early and on the road to Steve Irwin Way, Beerwah, to visit Australia Zoo. We had heard a lot about this place so were excited to finally visit. We were there 10 minutes after they opened the gates at 9am.

As well as animal exhibits there are also regular shows and photo opportunities to have close encounters with some of them. We planned our day around the main Wildlife Warriors Show in the Crocoseum and, first on our list, was to visit Australian animals. We started off walking to see the dingos – but the enclosure was sealed off as they were away on holiday (seriously) – so next stop was the cassowary, but again, the enclosure was sealed off as they were sitting on eggs right now. Next was the Tasmanian Devils and, again, the enclosure was devoid of life. At this point – hot and bothered in the high humidity – we were both wondering whether this was worth the effort and thought about asking for our money back! All we had seen at this point was a few lizards, a cute sleepy binturong and a funny crocodile statue.

But we persevered and this time we came across some crocodile enclosures. Richard was convinced that one was a statue but when we checked later we found his mouth was now closed so clearly a living specimen LOL. We saw native snakes and then checked out the echidnas and a variety of kangaroos, wallabies and koalas.

The enclosures are spacious, well laid out, and beautifully landscaped with many of the animals roaming freely so it is possible to get up close to the many non-deadly species. What made this better (for us) was the lack of visitors so social distancing was easy to maintain. But the lack of visitor numbers must be causing some financial difficulty for the Irwin family right now. Throughout the park there were lots of tributes to Steve and his passion for conservation work.

We headed to the parrot show and I was amazed by the white cockatoo who would jump on demand, come close for a photo while I was sitting on the bench, and would chat away quite happily. He was so much fun and we really enjoyed meeting him.

Then it was time for the main show. The arena was about 20% full and whilst we were getting seated the big screen was on showing Steve in all his glory. It was sad to think of such a charismatic character taken so early. Then it was followed by a video from Bindi’s wedding which, to be honest, was a little much especially when they declared that they would be conservation partners and wildlife warriors for life as part of their vows. They were even selling this video in the gift store….. Oh well, each to their own.

The show was fun with free flying birds followed by some salt-water crocodile action. Was amazing to see these creatures just doing what comes naturally and the rangers were very brave to be in such close proximity to these deadly creatures.

After the show, and some lunch, we passed the children’s water park which was very popular with the toddlers and their parents….and moved on to the wetlands where we came across a range of birds as well as some interesting dinosaur exhibits and saw some more small critters. Check out the colours of this tiny (poisonous) tree climbing frog.

Then we visited more local animals and saw our first wombats who were largely asleep in their shady enclosures. Much bigger than we expected them to be, with huge claws! One family, doing the (very expensive) VIP thing with animal encounters and a personal tour guide / driver, did get to lay on the grass next to a wombat but we saw them moving him to this event walking through the park on a lead just like a dog LOL and then onto a cart. He didn’t seem that happy at having his sleep disturbed.

From there it was into Asia where we tried to see red pandas and elephants but the enclosures were empty. However, we did see some teenage tigers.

Then onto Africa and, first, to Bindi’s island where there are lemurs roaming free. So we enjoyed spotting these little fellows along with their other island inhabitants, giant tortoises.

Moving into Africa properly we saw giraffes, zebras, five southern white rhinos and, finally, the meerkats. The African savannah was huge with lots of room for the animals to move around in and, as is the way here, the animals are not caged so it felt very natural. They must have spent a fortune on the landscaping, it is simply beautiful.

Now to the serious question – is this a zoo or a conservation park? Well, in my mind, it is both. Some animals are clearly at risk of extinction (like the rhinos) and others are endangered (like koalas) so the breeding and release programmes are fantastic (with animals that are not able to be released for whatever reason, living out the rest of their life in the park). But others (like giraffes and zebras) are purely there for entertainment purposes. The conservation side is definitely more focused at the on-site hospital. Any wild animal that is found distressed in Queensland can be taken here and is brought back to full health and released free of any charges. This is funded by their own charity so quite a special setup. While we were there we watched a malnourished and rescued sea turtle being checked over by the vets.

Overall it was definitely worth the visit and we had a great time. This zoo is 4,000 km² so there was a lot of walking involved but, thankfully, it was mainly flat and there were lots of benches and places to take a breather during the day.

We got back to our apartment around 5pm, rested up for a while and then headed out to dinner. First we walked through the twilight market that was set up along the promenade which we expected to be artisan goods – but it was mainly food stalls with lots of people around.

Moving on we decided to go to the Drift Bar which is below our resort, overlooking the beach, but it was absolutely rammed with people queuing for tables. So we continued exploring and ended up in the Aqua restaurant sitting above the promenade. This was a bit of a find and we had a fabulous three course Italian-style meal with Richard enjoying his first glass of wine in nine months. Yum!

Saturday morning we were up early and decided to try one of the resort pools. But OMG it was way too hot as there was no breeze.

I had a dip in the lap pool but we soon called it a day and headed to the beach armed with our new shade tent.

We got ourselves set up and even enjoyed bobbing in the sea – which dropped off into deep water pretty quickly. Then, later in the afternoon, the currents got really strong and we struggled to hold our position. We then realised that people were turning up just to drift along in the currents – so we joined in. It was fantastic fun and we understand why the nearest bar is called the Drift Bar now LOL. It was tough to get out of the water at the end so we just launched ourselves towards the sand bar and, when we hit bottom, we crawled out. I had to get assistance from Richard to stand up but then we walked back down the beach and did it all over again…and again….and again. Was really good fun.

Later on we returned to the hotel pool complex where we bobbed with a cold drink in the jacuzzi but found the water way too hot. So we returned to our room and had a bubble bath in the spa bath instead! Cleaned up we then headed out to the (still busy) Drift Bar for a couple of drinks before returning to our apartment with the best fish and chip takeaway we’ve had for a very long time.

Sunday we returned to the beach for another lovely sunny although windy day. There is a very shallow non-navigable bar (for keel boats anyway) into this beach from the top of Bribie Island to the mainland. That said, we did watch the coastguard going out to sea through the surf and across the bar. Quite exciting! Whilst relaxing on the beach we watched a number of huge ships that were going up the coast – amazing that the ship channel can be that deep so close to the sandbars.

There was a king tide that day so the current was running even faster and we drifted along at about four knots! Here is Richard showing how it is done LOL.

After a lovely day enjoying the beach we headed back to our apartment for another bubble spa bath before going out to the Drift Bar for a couple of drinks before returning back to our apartment for dinner.

Monday morning we packed up our belongings and checked out of our apartment. A great trip and we had thoroughly enjoyed our stay in Caloundra. But we had timed our departure perfectly as the heavens opened and the rain was so heavy we had to pull over to the side of the road for a little while as the visibility was so limited. We got back to Morphie around lunchtime, pleased that all was well, unpacked, returned the hire car, re-opened the sea cocks and that was it for the day.

Tuesday we spent the whole day down below as it was raining heavily most of the day. Richard, in a very small gap in the weather, headed out to buy a longer snubber line, chafe protection and a new hook while I blogged. And that was it!

Wednesday morning we were up early to collect our Boatworks courtesy car and head to the doctors as we both needed to have fasting blood tests done. Mission accomplished we had breakfast out in the mall and did a bit of clothes shopping – a new swimsuit for me and shorts for Richard. The rain had stopped but it was very hot and humid with the threat of a thunderstorm later.

Back on board and I rested up for the rest of the day while Richard swapped out the engine impeller, cleaned the engine compartment, then put in a clean ‘nappy’. Later on, we headed to the Pirate Ship for sundowners and met up with the crews of SV Zofia and SV Mischief. It was a real nice change to have some company. They were staying there for a BBQ dinner so we left them to it and came back to Morphie and listened to a few tunes before turning in.

So that’s it for now. Our plan is to leave the Boatworks on Monday (if the weather forecast doesn’t deteriorate) and go back out on the hook for the month. So we need to provision up again and give Morphie’s topsides a wax and polish before we leave.

We are pleased to see that the vaccine roll out is speeding along at home so we hope that you are all coping well with the restrictions and that there is light at the end of this very long tunnel. Stay safe and well and here’s another Australian hug to make you all smile.

Jan

Tuesday (26th January) – Australia Day – we were on the road by 7am heading towards our destination Bargara which was 269 miles and five and a half hours drive away. We weren’t sure whether travelling on a public holiday would be a good idea but we were delighted to find that, apart from around intersections to major towns along the route, the roads were pretty quiet. Richard drove first and then, after a couple of hours, we stopped at a ‘rest’ stop for a bathroom break. Richard went first while I stayed with the car. Then I headed into the unisex facility and, of course, I forgot to look at the ceiling before I sat down. But I soon realised I had the company of a huge hairy spider looking at me. I exited left as quickly as I could and told Richard about it – being very brave he headed in there to have a look. OMG this beasty was about the size of his hand and, of course, we had no idea whether it was venomous or not. Doing an identification check now and I think he was another giant Huntsmans. Have to say didn’t enjoy the encounter much LOL.

Quickly leaving the rest area behind I drove on towards our rented apartment in Bargara along the main Pacific Highway. About an hour away from our destination we left behind the main road and found ourselves in farming country travelling on twisty and bendy single-lane roads. The crops are varied (with much of the land given over to sugar cane production which goes into the manufacture of Bundaberg rum) and macadamia nuts, ginger and figs are available throughout the year. Other crops like melons, lychees and mangos are in season now and the harvest looked plentiful with lots of farms advertising temporary jobs and accommodation to help with the picking. The unintended consequence of the Australian border closure is that there aren’t the usual temporary supply of Pacific islanders or international backpackers and students. This is a big worry for the farming community and, in Queensland, they are desperately trying to resolve the situation with specific quarantine suggestions that would allow temporary workers in and stop the harvests being lost. But time is running out for some crops.

We arrived into Bargara around 12.30pm and located the Koola Beach apartments. I popped into reception to see if we could leave the car in their secure underground car park whilst we went out to explore before official check in (at 2pm) but were told, to our delight, that our room was ready and they let us take immediate possession. What a result! We parked the car and headed up in the lift direct to our apartment. We let ourselves in to find we had been allocated a two-bedroom unit so lots of space and very nice and well-equipped it was too. The only disappointment was that we overlooked parkland rather than the sea but we were only there for two nights so it didn’t really matter.

We relaxed in the air conditioning for a couple of hours then headed out for a walk. We found ourselves in the middle of an Australia Day party with lots of competitions for the kids and numerous food trucks. We had a snack whilst we wandered around and then left the park to check out the beach. Was a really hot and humid day.

Moving on we walked the promenade which followed the shore towards the main town of Bargara which was a fair walk away.

When we got to the town we headed to the Bargara Beach Hotel which had an outside veranda bar open to non-residents. So we had a couple of cold ones there while we debated dinner, not really fancying any of the offerings that we had come across. So we left the hotel and continued looking until we came across a small Thai restaurant so settled on that. We had a nice meal and then asked if they could call us a taxi – but the cab company didn’t pick up the call – so we decided to walk after all. Arriving back to our apartment we had a night cap in front of our large flat screen TV in the air conditioned environment which, for us, was a bit of a treat.

Wednesday morning and we awoke to a very cloudy and grey day. It definitely wasn’t a beach type of day so we headed inland to Childers. This town came into existence as a service town for the sugar cane fields and has a wealth of historic buildings. This, combined with the age of the unusual Brazilian Leopard Trees which line the main street, had led to it being dubbed Historic Childers, the National Trust Town. It is full of quirky sights, including some unusual statues, historic buildings and a link back to Oxfordshire with it’s river Isis and town of Childrey.

We enjoyed visiting the town and stopped for tea in an old Post Office building. Walking the high street we checked out the old medicine bottles in one of the museums and then spent some time in the military and memorabilia museum, before coming across the most moving war memorial to those who had served and been lost in past conflicts.

Having had a great morning out we headed back towards Bargara, around 40 miles away. On the way we decided to check out the Mon Repos beach and conservation centre where we had tickets that evening for a turtle encounter. Was nice to get a glimpse of the beach in the day time.

After checking out the beach, I used the basic public facilities and, this time, I remembered to look up but instead of a beasty I found a wild koala fast asleep tucked into the rafters of the roof. Amazing!

On return to our apartment we headed down to the complex’s small pool and jacuzzi area and enjoyed relaxing in the water – we had the entire place to ourselves.

Back in our apartment we got ourselves cleaned up and changed ready to head out back to Mon Repos for the evening when Richard looked out from the balcony to see large kangaroos in the park – so we spent some time watching them.

Then it was time to head back to Mon Repos for the ‘turtle encounter’. We were very excited about the prospect of seeing turtles but, of course, there is no guarantee with wild animals.

Mon Repos supports the largest concentration of nesting marine turtles on the Eastern Australian mainland and has the most significant loggerhead turtle nesting population in the South Pacific region and is critical for the survival of the endangered loggerhead turtle which is officially classified as ‘vulnerable’.

During November to January female turtles lay their eggs on Mon Repos beach (which is closed to the public from 6pm to 6am during turtle season) and from January to March young hatchlings dig themelves free and run down the beach to the sea. They then have to swim offshore for a number of days before they can have their first feed. Loggerhead turtles are omnivorous feeding mainly on bottom-dwelling invertebrates. Young loggerheads are vulnerable as eggs to predators such as lizards and then on their perilous sea journey until they reach adulthood at around 30 years of age where their only real predator are sharks because of their size. It is estimated that only one in a thousand hatchlings actually survive to maturity. The loggerhead sea turtle has a low reproductive rate with females laying an average of four egg clutches in a season then producing no eggs for two or three years after. Each clutch can contain up to 130 eggs. They have a lifespan of 47-67 years and can weight up to 450 kgs in weight measuring around 90cm when fully grown.

Climate change has impacted on the gender distribution of these turtles in the wild as the hotter the sand the more likely that the clutch will produce female hatchlings. The Mon Repos rangers are trying to conserve the population but they only interfere with the natural way by relocating eggs that have been buried below the waterline (where they would perish in the nest) and, to address the gender issue, they have built some shaded areas so that these clutches produce male turtles. Otherwise it is just as nature intended….

Anyway, we had arrived at 6pm for our 7pm encounter as the on-site parking was very limited and the off-site facilities were a long walk away. Of course we hadn’t checked our phone for text messages until we were there completing our track and trace registration. That’s when we found out that we should have arrived at 7.15 for our Group 4 encounter to ensure proper social distancing at the centre. Never mind, we weren’t the only ones, and we got chatting to a couple originally from Belfast which was nice.

We looked at the exhibits and took our own allocated table and waited and waited. And then we were called to the beach. Luckily it was the night before full moon so it wasn’t too dark. The ranger explained that she had spotted a couple of turtle noses sticking out of the sand quite high up the beach and she wanted to explore this clutch. Well, the mother turtle must have had a hell of a job getting this far above the waterline and digging this narrow tunnel into the hard-packed sand filled with vegetation roots. The ranger just swept away the top impacted layer and, suddenly, all these little bodies started appearing. They were left to escape naturally and then collected and moved into a ‘holding’ area so that they could be counted – this clutch had 98 hatchlings which gave us the opportunity to look at them closely. Only the rangers are allowed to handle them.

Afterwards we lit the way to the sea with our torches, the ‘barrier’ was removed, and they all ran to the sea (including across our feet at times). OMG what an experience – felt quite emotional and just hoped that they would beat the odds.

Encounter over we were walking back along the beach to the centre in awe at the power of nature and suddenly we were told to stop and not move our feet. Another clutch had dug their way to the surface and were heading towards the sea – it was a good job it was a moonlight night otherwise we could easily have squished them! What an unexpected bonus.

Back at the centre we were given certificates although the waiting time of almost two hours was the ‘official’ time rather than the actual time we had been waiting of course. A great souvenir though.

We then returned to our apartment for the night.

Wednesday morning (27th January) we were up early, packed and checked out to drive back down the sunshine coast to Caloundra for the second part of our adventure. You’ll have to wait for the next blog for the rest.

Bye for now. Stay safe and well folks.

Jan

Tuesday (19 January) it was very hot and steamy but thankfully it was dry first thing. We had a car for the afternoon so popped out to our local Repco motor store (a bit like Halfords) and picked up some transmission oil and coolant. I then dropped Richard back at Morphie where he got busy changing out the main engine transmission oil whilst I headed back out to Westfield Coomera for more girlie pampering – this time, it was a manicure and a pedicure. Such a treat. Back to the Boatworks I returned the car to find a very happy Richard as the job had gone very well with no hiccups. By now it was raining so we just relaxed down below the rest of the day.

Wednesday it was hot and steamy again and a bit drizzly. Richard stayed on board to swap out the main engine coolant while I took myself off to the cruisers’ lounge armed with a bag of laundry. Surprisingly all the machines were busy so I had to wait for a little while, but once the machine was loaded up and started, I set myself up with the computer and started to download more Netflix content for watching offline.

Back on board and Richard had finished his engine job with no problems. So I found him busily unwrapping some parcels that had just arrived for us – one was the spares from the US which was pretty speedy considering the significant reduction in flights into Australia at the moment. So we are now the proud owner of a retrofit fresh water conversion kit for our Raritan head. This job will be done when we are out of the water but nice to have it all ready for when that day comes. The other parcel was much more exciting – it was our new shade tent for the beach.

Thursday was another cloudy grey day. We had a lazy one and just popped out to the Galley for coffee and a cake. We unpacked the tent, checked the instructions, so that we wouldn’t look complete numpties when we used it for the first time. And that was about it for the day. The weather cleared up a bit in the evening so we had sundowners in the cockpit.

Friday morning and there was no rain forecast – woo hoo! So we gave Morphie a bit of loving – I spent the day cleaning all the stainless steel and Richard did a spring clean down below. By the time we had finished we were both pretty tired but felt satisfied having done a good day’s work. We picked up the courtesy car we had booked for the weekend and headed out for some supper at the nearby Boathouse Tavern. We have driven past this place on numerous occasions but have never stopped in and were pleasantly surprised by the ambiance in the little cabanas in the Bistro area. Was basic fare but very tasty and we had a good time.

On the way back to Morphie we spotted some kangaroos having fun near the local sports fields. Not something you see everyday on the rugby pitch LOL.

Saturday we headed down the M1 to Surfers Paradise as we wanted to visit the Skypoint Observation Deck located atop the iconic Q1 building with panoramic views of the entire Gold Coast coastline, hinterland area and the central business district. This is the only beach-side observation deck in Australia. The traffic was heavy and it had taken us at least an hour to get there so we were delighted to find a free parking spot just outside the building, that was totally unexpected! We queued up to get in, whizzed up very fast in the lift to the 77th floor, and then wandered around and enjoyed the spectacular views. We also had some great coffee and cake from the on-site cafe. They were restricting numbers to the tower so there were lots of opportunities to check out the views whilst still managing social distancing. Was definitely worth the trip.

Afterwards we drove back to Coomera and stopped off in Westfield for some fresh fruit and salad and then back to Morphie for the evening.

Sunday morning, the sun was out and it was glorious! So we quickly packed up a salad picnic lunch and headed down the M1 to Southport as we wanted to go to the beach on the ocean-side near to the Gold Coast Seaway entrance. The traffic was crawling along most of the way and then we all had to get out of the way for an ambulance to get through – to find ourselves stuck in traffic alongside a prone teenager who was being tended to on the side of the road. Not sure what hit her but she was out for the count – just hope she was OK. We continued our journey (feeling a bit subdued after seeing that) and arrived at the car park and actually managed to find a parking space which is definitely a bonus anywhere near a Gold Coast beach at a weekend! We unloaded the car and headed to the beach which was a bit hard going for me walking on soft sand. But I made it and we got out the new tent shade and erected it – it was very simple and quick. We were both delighted by our new purchase and made ourselves comfortable.

This beach is one of the few that allow dogs to play off their lead so we enjoyed watching them having as much fun in the surf as their human parents. Some of them were a bit naughty though and one little Rasta dog with dreadlocks (probably some sort of poodle cross-breed) definitely liked the look of our tent and came visiting for cuddles a few times and stole some rubber bands of all things. A bit concerned we told his mum but she said he just liked chewing them, he wouldn’t swallow them so no worries. Phew that’s a relief. Oh yes and if you are wondering about the pier structure it is a sand bypassing system which delivers all the sand that arrives at the Gold Coast Seaway across the entrance and moves it up the coast into the Moreton Bay Marine Park. Up to 500 cubic metres of sand can be moved per hour. Oh yes, and how could I forget watching the yacht race that was going on just off the coast. Was a fabulous day!

Coming back to the Boatworks and, again, another ambulance this time rushing to the children’s waterpark on the Broadwater being directed by a lifeguard on the ground. Sends shivers down my spine when this happens just hope that incident turned out OK for everyone concerned also. Driving via the back roads to avoid the mayhem that is the M1 on a busy weekend we returned to Morphie and unpacked. We then headed over to the showers having checked up on the new marina duck family and, suitably cleaned up, we took up residence at the new pirate ship landscaped area for sundowners listening to some tunes. We had this space all to ourselves and very pleasant it was too! Lovely way to finish the day.

This morning, Monday, we have returned the car and Richard is doing the last bit of laundry while I’m blogging. Later on we will head out to pick up our hire car and get packing as we plan to leave early tomorrow morning heading north towards Bundaberg. So the next blog of our adventures will be published after we come back.

The grim news from home continues and now you have heavy snow just to cheer you all up! Please stay safe and well everybody. So just to make you smile here is an Australian quokka showing you his cheeky grin. Love from us both to you all.

Jan

Monday (11 January) we were up very early as we wanted to make the most of the rising tide to push us towards the Boatworks on the Coomera river. At 6am I picked up the anchor and started washing off the glutinous black mud as the heavens opened, so I got pretty wet! By 6.30 am we were underway and heading across the Broadwater to the river checking out some more casualties of the last wind event along the way. The forecast was for the wind to drop by now but this didn’t happen so we were getting buffeted around a bit as we motored along. Luckily the wind was pushing us onto the dock when we arrived at the Boatworks so we made it into our berth, tied up, and all with no dramas.

We quickly rinsed Morphie off with fresh water and then got ourselves cleaned up before heading to the laundry. Once the washing machines had started we headed over to the Galley for breakfast and very nice it was too. Having completed the laundry we were back onboard by lunchtime. At 4pm we picked up the courtesy car and headed out to Westfield for our medical appointments. Doctor was happy with both of us (which is always a relief!) and we then headed into Coles for some fresh provisions before heading to the great Thai restaurant for dinner. As always, the food definitely didn’t disappoint. So Happy Birthday to me!

Afterwards we headed back for a quiet night on board escaping from the showery weather down below. Back on line we found out that the Brisbane three-day lockdown had been eased as there had been no community transmission of Covid. We did feel for those people stuck in quarantine though who had been moved swiftly to another quarantine hotel and were having to restart the whole 14 day process – one guy was only an hour away from being released. That must have been tough!

Tuesday it was raining so we had a lazy start. The rain continued and I needed some girlie pampering so I managed to get another car and, leaving Richard on board, I headed out to get my hair cut and a facial. Such a treat! Returning to Morphie we had another quiet night on board bingewatching a couple of Netflix programmes.

Wednesday morning the weather improved slightly although it rained on and off all day. Richard took the opportunity, when the sun did occasionally break through, to clean out our anchor locker; cleaned the anchor chain properly; and swapped out the bow roller as the old one had cracked. Jobs done we, again, sheltered down below. I was having a bad pain day so spent most of it reading and relaxing. This week we were supposed to have been going to New South Wales to see my nephew and his family and was very disappointed this couldn’t happen again because of border restrictions. We had been looking forward to some time away from the boat too so had already booked into the Boatworks until the end of January expecting to leave Morphie safe and sound in her berth.

So we made the decision to book another short road trip within Queensland. First stop is to Mon Repos which is the only ranger-guided turtle encounter available on the east coast. They are instrumental in turtle conservation research, especially the endangered Loggerhead turtles that frequent this area. It is turtle season right now so we are very excited about the prospect of seeing hatchlings emerge, but, of course, nothing is guaranteed!

On the way back south we are stopping off at Caloundra which is a 30 minutes drive from Australia Zoo so we are going to visit there plus spend some time relaxing on the beach. We were easily able to get a self-contained apartment booked as holidaymakers from NSW had cancelled.

Really looking forward to this six night trip (starting next Tuesday). So that was it for the day apart from organising a hire car plus online shopping for some spare boat parts from the USA (as they are not available here in Australia).

Thursday morning I defrosted the fridge and that was about it for the day. We stayed down below to try and keep cool as the weather had turned very hot and humid. We did, however, manage to pop to the Galley for coffee and a cake during the afternoon followed by another quiet night on board.

Friday morning we had a lazy start as again it was very hot and humid which certainly zaps our energy levels. Late morning we headed out for lunch before getting ourselves cleaned up and picked up our courtesy car for the weekend. We then headed out to see the Australian Outback Spectacular’s Heartland show which was my birthday present. We arrived, picked up our tags (for free drinks and photo) and were given cowboy hats and then headed into the bar. Don’t we look smart!

We then entered the arena which is set up on three sides around a sandy floor and a backdrop. All seats have tables in front of them as our tickets came with a served three course dinner and complimentary premium drinks. So we settled in and enjoyed our vegetable and feta tart starter and the live music.

Then the lights dimmed and the spectacular began. Basically the story is about the current five year drought where crops are dying, cattle are being sold for next to nothing and this show depicts the generosity and warmth of a community as it rallies around its central characters (Marge and Reg) as they face the tough conditions head on as the drought threatens their future. As all hope is fading the rain finally falls and the whole town can rejoice. The stage effects were amazing with rain, thunder, helicopters, flowing rivers, canyons and some aboriginal sights. The animals were live and there were lots of cattle and even some ‘wild’ horses.

During the show they managed to serve us a steak meal and a chocolate desert along with copious amounts of sparkling wine. Was a great show and we were amazed by some of the horse riding skills and acrobatics. It finished with the guy getting the girl, getting married, and a celebratory line dance from the cast. Absolutely fantastic and we thoroughly enjoyed the whole production.

Saturday morning we had breakfast in the Galley then went shopping including picking up some prescription medication. Arriving back, we stowed our goodies, and then did some more laundry combined with Netflix downloads in the cruisers lounge. Thunderstorms had been forecast and the clouds certainly were building. Then the warnings started of severe thunderstorms coming to our area and to take cover. We are in the marked red zone.

We managed to get the laundry back on board just before the heavens opened….and the wind blew…and the hail started and the thunder and lightning was very close….with a whiteout looking down the river and the storm drain overflowed into the river behind us from the road. The noise was incredible! We did try to sit in the cockpit for a little while but the horizontal driving rain drove us down below in the end. Phew thankfully we came through unscathed with no damage from the hail.

Sunday morning and Richard wanted to check the head hoses as we had a blockage so he started early taking everything apart, thinking it was the usual joker valve that had failed. But, of course, it wasn’t. By now there were tools everywhere and a pretty fed up Richard as he struggled to access things. Why would you put a serviceable item near the ceiling of a bilge locker and then install a tiny access locker more than an arm’s length away in the floor?!? Here it is partly reassembled only after a lot of swearing, and cursing. You really need to have very long arms, small shoulders and flexible joints to work on certain parts of an Island Packet!

We did have a list of things planned whilst we had the car for the weekend so I decided to leave Richard to it and get on with the jobs as I was more useful than being in his way onboard. So I headed down to Southport to visit the Volunteer Marine Rescue to pick up our membership card; then on to Charis seafoods in Labrador for some fresh fish; then back to Oxenford for cash and some provisions from Woolworths that I couldn’t get in Coles the other day; before finally returning to the boat. Richard was still huffing and puffing so we took a break over a cold drink and then I headed back out to Bunnings to get some bits and pieces that Richard had now found he needed. Back on board and it was obviously not going to be resolved that night, so we cleaned the place up, and had sundowners in the cockpit. Richard had a couple of beers and he certainly deserved them! We then had dinner down below followed by a movie night.

This morning, Monday, and I’ve taken up residence in the cruisers lounge to blog leaving Richard on board using acid to clean the remaining hoses through having swapped out the more accessible ones yesterday. The weather is closing in again, the clouds are building and the threat of thunderstorms continue.

However, at least we are not in NE Queensland as Tropical Cyclone Kimi is threatening to come ashore as a Cat 2 storm soon. Hope everyone comes through that OK.

Anyway, that’s about it from me. The news from home remains grim but at least the vaccination process is gaining ground and we just hope that everyone is able to stay safe and keep well. Take care everybody, sending more Australian hugs.

Bye for now

Jan

Monday (4 January) we did some fruit and veg shopping and then headed into the marina office to say our farewells. We had really enjoyed our time in Sanctuary Cove Marina but our month was up. By 11am we had left our slip and was headed out into the Broadwater.

We had planned to go to Tipplers for our first night on anchor (which is only a few miles away) but when we had got there it was absolutely rammed. We had hoped that as this was ‘back to work’ day after the Christmas break it wouldn’t be too busy. We didn’t want to squeeze in and worry about swinging room overnight so we continued on north to the top of South Stradbroke Island, navigated the shifting sand banks at Jumpinpin and entered the southern end of the Canaipa Passage.

We decided to try Perry’s Hole which is an isolated anchorage between Crusoe Island and Short Island which meant navigating a narrow entrance and bar to enter. Luckily the tide was right for this and we were successful, having covered about 15 miles. We were treated to a wide open space with nobody else around apart from one trawler. We weighed our new anchor for its inaugural use and, OMG, it set so quickly I virtually had to hold onto the bow when it set and pulled Morphie around into the wind. We let out more chain and enjoyed a nice evening in the cockpit with our insect coil burning brightly to keep the biting midges away. Was very peaceful and we certainly slept well with no concerns.

Tuesday morning we decided to return back to Millionaire’s anchorage at the top of South Stradbroke Island. We found a great position in shallow sand and settled in for the day.

Of course then the wind decided to pick up to 25 knots. This is a pretty exposed spot but we held on whilst we waited to see what would happen – the predicted bad weather wasn’t supposed to arrive until Thursday. We sat on board and watched the tide change as there are very strong currents here to ensure we were set properly. Did you know that in Europe we tend to set our anchor on 5:1 ratio (eg chain to depth) but here in Queensland the norm is 3:1 so we always have to watch out for their different swinging radius. Anyway all was well and the wind died away as quickly as it had picked up.

So we dropped dink and went exploring the spit at Jumpinpin. We enjoyed watching pelicans, tiny crabs, bird life and even the surf as it came crashing over the bar from the ocean on the east side. This narrow sand bar between South Stradbroke and North Stradbroke islands is not really navigable and certainly should not be crossed except without local knowledge. It was certainly a nice place to explore….. We left dink on the beach and, as the tide continued to recede whilst we were ashore exploring, we had to walk him back into the water. This was like a creek with another sandbar. Once re -floated we went to the sand bar itself and had a quick bob in the chilly water which was certainly refreshing.

We returned to Morphie, got cleaned up and had a quiet night on board.

Wednesday morning we picked up anchor on a rising tide to return to Tipplers. We were delighted to find our favourite anchoring spot available on arrival and got a good set. Boats were coming and going all day around us but we were pretty happy with our positioning. Early afternoon we took ourselves ashore for a coffee and a cake and were treated to a visit by a huge monitor lizard who was sunning itself on a tree.

Back onboard we had sundowners on the coach roof watching all the late arrivals trying to find a spot in this busy anchorage. We had a trawler ahead of us and a houseboat behind so there really wasn’t room for anybody else to squeeze in. Sitting in the cockpit we suddenly heard a bit of a commotion and watched this orange fibreglass dinghy heading off down the river – clearly someone couldn’t tie a knot on one of the houseboats ahead of us. Most of the houseboats that ply these waters are charter vessels and the skill of some of the “captains” is a bit suspect at times! Anyway, the trawler in front of us very kindly shot off and rescued it for them. Later on we heard some shouting and screaming. Suddenly the trawler in front of us picked up anchor as the houseboat (which they had helped earlier) had swung too closely to them – we are not sure if they touched or not. Anyway, the houseboat then decided to move too….not sure why as he had loads of room now….and, of course, he dropped anchor alongside us. We were not happy!!! We kept watch for a while and, eventually convinced that it didn’t present us with any danger unless the wind switched direction (which was very unlikely) we retired down below. By now the wind was howling and it started raining heavily which gave us a stormy sunset.

Thursday morning it remained very windy with intermittent rain and the forecast was just horrible.

Early on a supply vessel came through the anchorage to offload some trucks – as there are only sand roads on this part of the island we were surprised to see the size of this ship and even more surprised that he found room to back up to the beach!

We stayed on board watching all the anchoring shenanigans again as people came and went throughout the day. Thankfully our houseboat neighbour left and another one came in to take his place but he couldn’t get his anchor to set (despite numerous attempts) so he moved off to try his luck elsewhere. Then a small sail boat turned up and anchored in front of us. We watched as he got himself settled and considered him a bit too close but, thankfully, he came to the same conclusion and picked up and moved forward to give us both a bit more room. And by now another houseboat had arrived behind us – but this time it was a liveaboard houseboat with two old ZZ-top type bearded men and one woman on board. This was a good result for us as, once again, we were well spaced with no room for anybody to join us. Although the wind howled throughout the night and the rain was persistent we had a pretty good night’s sleep.

Friday morning it was raining heavily and the wind was still howling. Our wind generator beat it’s own personal best record and produced 204 amp hours in a 24 hour period. So we didn’t have any problems with keeping our batteries topped up despite the lack of sunshine! Anyway we spent the day down below reading again….not much else to do…. By now the news had come in that Queensland had extended the closure of the interstate border to New South Wales in relation to specific Covid hotspots which included Greater Sydney and the Central Coast until the end of January. Well, sadly, that put paid to our plans to visit my nephew Jamie and his family again! Then the news hit that a cleaner in one of the Brisbane quarantine hotels had tested positive for the new UK variant so the Greater Brisbane area was placed under lockdown for three days while they undertook extensive testing and tracing which included banning recreational boating in Moreton Bay so we won’t be heading that way on Morphie anytime soon either. We had another quiet night on board with a Netflix binge.

Saturday morning it was still raining and it had poured heavily overnight. But come lunchtime it had cleared and the wind had dropped. So exciting!!! So we went ashore for coffee and a walk along the beach checking out the mangroves and a derelict wedding venue along the way (along with dead statues). Real shame that this stuff is just left to rot on the beach. Oh yes and even wallabies leave footprints in the sand LOL. Was nice, though, to stretch our legs for a while.

We got back on board just before the heavens opened again – phew! More anchor shenanigans were going on but we escaped the drama. During the late afternoon a police boat came through the anchorage and stopped at the Tipplers Cafe pontoon – we wandered who they were looking for but I think they were just after a coffee LOL. Later on we were treated to a lovely sunset once the rain had cleared. The wind died down considerably during the evening so we were hoping that this latest wind event was over.

Today, Sunday, and the wind is still blowing a bit stronger than expected. There are more comings and goings in the anchorage and, because the sun is trying to break through the clouds, the jet skis are back and buzzing around as this is a popular watering hole for jet ski tours from Southport. Richard is upstairs reading while I’m down below blogging. And that’s probably it for the day. Tomorrow we return to the Boatworks primarily for doctors appointments although there are some other things in the pipeline but I’ll share them next time. It is definitely time for us to give Morphie some loving care and attention again.

So, finally, just to let all our family and friends know that we are thinking of them constantly, especially as the news from the UK is so grim right now. So sending lots of love and hugs that you all stay safe and well.

Bye for now

Jan

Tuesday (29 December) we woke up to a cloudy day but the sun was trying to break through. So we had a leisurely start and then headed to the lagoon pool for the day. We were quiet surprised as most of the lounge beds were ‘reserved’ with towels placed on them. We made camp best we could in the adults’ area before going bobbing in the pool which was lovely. Four hours later we decided to evict two towels and commandeered two lounge beds as we needed some shade from an umbrella. By now two people had returned and it turns out they were British expats – although they moaned loudly enough for us to hear nobody else turned up to take possession throughout the day. It was all very strange but we just ignored them. Later on we returned to Morphie for a quiet dinner on board and a movie night.

During the night the heavens opened and by Wednesday it was raining heavily. So we just got on with boat jobs like laundry, freezer defrosting, and a bit of cleaning before having a relaxing afternoon and evening down below. Our sole entertainment for the day was feeding the fish that lurk underneath our neighbour’s boat with some out-of-date seedy bread LOL.

Overnight it rained heavily again and we thought that New Year’s Eve might be a bit of a washout. But Thursday morning it cleared up a bit so we headed out for breakfast at the Anchor Buoy which was very nice.

Whilst there we downloaded some Netflix programmes to watch later, then did a bit of shopping, before going to the lagoon for a little while. On the way back we showered off using the marina facilities and then headed to the Pizza Wine Bar and had a delicious thin and crispy pizza. And yes no cooking for me for the whole day woo hoo!

Back on board we rested up for a little while before heading back to the lagoon suitably adorned with our wristbands which we had picked up earlier in the day giving us access to the pool bar for the beach party. The trees that were lit up around the lagoon looked really pretty.

The mix of people was quite interesting: from yummy mummies in their expensive skin tight dresses and killer heels (not forgetting the fake body parts) pushing infants in prams; to people dressed to the nines having clearly come down from the masquerade ball; and other guests like us just casual there to have a drink and enjoy the fireworks. Surprisingly a large contingent of the younger guests were British ex-pats who were definitely having a good time LOL. The DJ played very cheesy songs – a bit like a bad wedding entertainer – but the kids enjoyed dancing around even when the heavens opened while we all ran for cover for a little while. There was a full moon to check out too which was pretty spectacular as it appeared in the clouds above us.

At midnight we did the count down and watched the fireworks which were great. It felt strange to be alone again (and socially distanced) as we usually spend NYE with friends but that just sums up the rest of 2020 really. Anyway, Happy 2021 everybody.

Friday we had a lazy start and again it was drizzly and cloudy. But by noon it had cleared up and we headed into the Marine Village to meet Sandra and Nigel. The last time we had seen them was many years ago when they returned to the UK for a while and came to Clive and Sharon’s for Christmas and our two families spent the holiday together. Afterwards Sandra (Sharon’s sister) and Nigel returned to Australia where they had been living for many years. Coincidentally Clive mentioned to them that we were currently in Sanctuary Cove and they had literally just got a place around the corner on Hope Island. What a small world eh?!? So we had quickly organised a reunion.

Well, as you can imagine, we had many years of news and memories to cover so we chatted, had lunch, chatted some more, had another drink or two or three….and before you know it the whole afternoon had passed. Was lovely to catch up with them!

We said our farewells, promising to see them again soon, and headed back to Morphie for another quiet night on board.

Saturday it was partly cloudy but the sun managed to burn it off and we headed to the lagoon where we spent the whole day. Once again the place was pretty quiet now that the NY celebrations were over and we had a choice of beds and was able to get a floating bean bag for bobbing purposes whenever we wanted through the day. Around 4pm, having had more than enough sun, we were packing up and some kangaroos decided to join us – I love watching these creatures.

On the way back to our dock we used the marina showers. I got myself ready, put my toiletries in the shower cubicle, took my glasses off and climbed into the cubicle. I was just rinsing my swimming costume out when something moved in the corner and, of course, I’m pretty blind without my specs. Quickly I grabbed them and realised that there was this HUGE spider (about the size of my fist) sitting there looking at me and then it reared a couple of legs up. OMG I thought my heart was going to stop, I’m petrified of spiders, and of course in Australia many of them are dangerous. So I rushed out of the cubicle grabbing all my belongings and ran naked into the main area before taking another cubicle having checked first carefully that it was clear of nasties. Will definitely be more careful in future not sure I could stand the shock again LOL. I have since found out it was a Huntsman spider which is probably one of the most common (and scariest!) spiders in Australia. Their size, fast movement and ability to “jump”, coupled with their habit of finding their way into houses and cars makes them pretty frightening although they are non venomous. 

Back on board we had a sundowner in the cockpit before retiring down below for dinner and another Netflix binge night.

This morning, Sunday, and it is cloudy and very humid. This is our last full day booked here into Sanctuary Cove Marina so we need to get ourselves ready to leave having been here a month. Richard is cleaning Morphie’s topsides while I’m down below blogging. Afterwards there will be engine checks, water top ups and then we’ll probably head out to get a final internet download fix before we go back on the hook tomorrow. It is time to try out our new Christmas anchor. Typically the weather forecast for the next week is currently very mixed, nice for a few days then some strong winds with possible thunderstorms. So not sure we’ll actually go too far as we need to return to the Boatworks on Monday 11 January for doctors appointments.

Bye for now, take care of each other.

Jan

Saturday (19 December) after I had published the latest blog we headed into the Marina Village for coffee and a cake at the Anchor Buoy.

We also had a look around the shops and I tried on a couple of swimsuits but didn’t like the fit or the price so decided against in the end. Whilst we were out, we had hoped to be able to download some more Netflix content to watch offline but, for some reason, my computer couldn’t find the marina wifi so we had to give that up as a bad job. Back on board we had another quiet night in.

Sunday morning we got ourselves ready to go to the pool and headed there via the IGA to pick up some lunch (they do very tasty wraps). We had a lovely day by the lagoon watching lots of people having fun especially when a family turned up with loads of floating flamingos which meant that the big bean bags were abandoned by the kids so we could do some more bobbing ourselves LOL.

Later on we came back to Morphie via the showers and had a quick drink in the Tavern before having a light supper on board and a movie night. We then found out that Queensland had slammed shut the interstate border again to anyone in Greater Sydney, the Northern Beaches and the Central Coast (New South Wales) in response to the latest Covid outbreak and people were panicking and rushing to try and get back across the border into Queensland by Tuesday 1am so they would not end up having to do 14-day compulsory hotel quarantine on return home (at their own expense). So, once again, our plans to visit Jamie and the family in January are up in the air. Fingers crossed it gets sorted out quickly. And, of course, the new Tier 4 lockdown restrictions were announced at home too so on both sides of the world family Christmas plans were sadly overtaken by events.

Monday morning we headed to the pool around 11ish. It was cloudy most of the day and was very hot and steamy so we stayed in the shade apart from when we spent some time chilling out in the lagoon pool. We came back to Morphie via the showers and had a salad supper onboard before talking a walk down the dock to see the ‘little star of Bethlehem’ when Jupiter and Saturn were closely aligned. We had a good view but our camera sadly wasn’t able to capture the moment so here’s our traditional view of the Christmas star instead.

Tuesday we headed out again to the lagoon pool and it just got hotter and hotter. Then suddenly, from nowhere (and not forecast either) the sky darkened, the clouds rolled in, and the heavens opened. We rushed to the hotel pool bar to sit it out before heading back to Morphie.

Wednesday it was another hot and sunny day but the clouds were building around us.

So we decided we would spent the day catching up with chores instead of more pool time. So we headed out for coffee and cake (at a different cafe this time just for a change); picked up some fresh vegetables from IGA for Christmas; got medical prescriptions filled at the chemist; withdrew some cash from the ATM; picked up a lottery ticket (fingers crossed); and did the laundry. Back on board we then flushed both the water tank and the bilges through and, once it was all pumped out, we refilled the water tank.

Afterwards we just rested up down below before getting ready to go out for dinner. During the afternoon the winds picked up and gusted up to 30 knots momentarily. So we double checked all our lines again and then got dressed up and returned to George’s Paragon restaurant. This is a walk in restaurant – no reservations allowed- and we weren’t surprised to find the queue out the door and into the street. So we headed to the wine bar next door and had a quick drink before re-joining the slightly shorter queue. We actually didn’t wait that long before we were seated and had another wonderful meal.

Really good food here…in fact so good…we even succumbed to a desert which isn’t something we do very often LOL. Great evening and, as we tend to eat dinner later in the evening than the locals we were pretty much the last people to leave the restaurant.

Completely full up we enjoyed the Christmas lights in the marina village as we strolled back to our dock.

Thursday morning, it was Christmas Eve, and we had an early start to go to the pool. It was cloudy for some of the day and when the wind picked up it even felt a bit chilly but we didn’t mind and enjoyed bobbing around. We were expecting everyone to be full of the joys of Christmas but, has become the norm, we were completely on our own and didn’t really engage with anyone apart from a couple of neighbours who said goodbye as they vacated their sun beds (as they recognised our accents). People here are mostly in groups of family or friends so they tend to focus on each other and we end up just watching them. It certainly didn’t feel like Christmas to us….

On our way back we came across some kangaroos enjoying a munch on the grass, including one who was having a bit of a lay down. Check out the length of those legs LOL. Some of the hotel guests then came along to check them out and, the stupidiest thing we have ever seen, is a man taking his very small baby (about 9 months old) out of its pram and sitting it up on the grass just in front of a kangaroo for a photograph. Does he not realise that these (wild) kangaroos can do a bit of damage? Seriously, what an idiot!!!

We stopped off in the Tavern for a couple of drinks before heading back to Morphie for a quiet night on board. Before we turned in I did at least remember to get the meat out of the freezer for defrosting overnight LOL.

Friday morning and Happy Christmas to you all! Not the Christmas we had expected but that was true for most of our family and friends with lockdowns and travel restrictions across the world.

We went to the pool early and had a lovely time bobbing around before returning to Morphie via the showers around 3pm.

On our return, Richard relaxed in the cockpit while I got on with preparing and cooking the Christmas dinner. We decided not to go Australian with a BBQ so instead I prepared a full traditional dinner with only a few missing items (sprouts and pigs in blankets LOL). So the menu was a rolled and boned turkey, roast potatoes, roasted parsnips / carrots / onions, yorkshire puddings, peas plus cranberry sauce and gravy. Oh yes and don’t forget the stuffing. Considering the restrictions of two shelves only in my marine Force 10 oven I was pretty happy with how it turned out and we thoroughly enjoyed our meal.

After dinner we had a Netflix binge before an early night as we were both pretty weary.

Saturday morning (Boxing Day) we had a leisurely start and awoke to a overcast day and some rain. So we decided to give the pool a miss and headed out for coffee mid morning. This time the computer was able to pick up the wifi signal so I was able to download a few things to watch offline while we were there. Yay!

We then walked to the hotel and went inside for the first time. It really is quite nice. We chatted to the concierge about options for New Year’s Eve as we knew that they were having a couple of events – but we certainly don’t have appropriate clothing on board to attend a ‘masked masquerade ball’ that’s for sure LOL. Anyway we found out that the lagoon pool bar is going to be open in the evening so we can catch the fireworks from there as they are set off over the canal behind. So that was a good result. On the way back we popped into the Voyager Bar for a quick drink (or at least I had one as Richard remains on the wagon) and then walked back to Morphie via the road rather than the marina village. We think it might actually be quicker this way….

Back on board we spent the rest of the day relaxing down below and having a traditional Boxing Day dinner of mashed potato, pickles and cold meats before another movie night.

Sunday, we headed back to the pool again but, this time, the hotel was really busy. In fact the busiest we have seen it so far and the lagoon pool was crowded with lots of kids around. We eventually set up camp by the other hotel pool instead having been lucky enough to nab the last two sun loungers with an umbrella for shade.

We enjoyed our day there although found the constant reggae music blaring from the pool bar a little irritating rather than the peace and quiet of the adult’s area of the lagoon that we usually frequent. Oh yes did we tell you about Queensland’s track and trace system? We have to scan a bar code into our phone wherever we are and, in this hotel, they use it to monitor the numbers for social distancing purposes and, to buy a drink at the bar, you have to show them this completed registration before they will serve you. Up until now most places have been happy to take a written record when you arrived at their venue – but, in the latest news from NSW it appears that there are a lot of Donald Ducks and Mickey Mouses living in Australia! So compulsory bar code scanning for venues is Queensland’s response – luckily there’s an app for that.

Having had a nice time we later returned to Morphie via the showers for another quiet night on board.

This morning, Monday, and I’m blogging while Richard is relaxing and apart from a bit of shopping later that will probably be it for the day. So I just want to take this opportunity to wish you all a healthy, happy and prosperous New Year. Please take care of each other. Bye for now.

Jan