Sunday afternoon (28 March) we headed out to meet Sandra and Nigel having last seen them on New Year’s Day. When we arrived at the Pizza Wine Bar it was absolutely rammed – possibly something to do with it’s all afternoon happy hour prices – so we headed to the new Marina Village wine bar called Destino instead. Was a very nice place although a bit confused as to why they would be selling homewares and furniture in the shop front area of the wine bar…..strange…..but the outside space was absolutely lovely.

After a few drinks we returned to the Pizza Wine Bar and managed to get a waterside table so we settled in and enjoyed some great pizzas and a few drinks. Afterwards we invited them back to Morphie so they could see the boat. Always fun to show her off to new people! We had a really nice time.

Monday morning it was lovely and sunny so we headed over to the lagoon pool only to find that the beach was being dug up and the sand redistributed inside the pool itself. Was pretty noisy with all the machinery buzzing around. Workmen were even cleaning the many fountains / ponds around. Guess the hotel was gearing up for a busy Easter.

Moving on we managed to get some sun beds by the other pool and enjoyed a few hours there until later when the workers had vacated the area for the day and we had a bob around in the lagoon pool to finish off the day. Was lovely. Then we returned for a quiet night on board.

Tuesday morning and it was raining again. Really getting fed up with this! We did a few odd jobs around the boat and cleaned up before cooking dinner for Steve and Jo who joined us later. We had another great social evening on board.

Wednesday morning it was bright again but rain was forecast for later so we borrowed Steve and Jo’s car and headed out shopping for a few bits and pieces. It felt very strange to be wearing compulsory facemasks in the shops though as this was the first time whilst out shopping. Our only other experience of wearing masks was at the airport. Not very comfortable at all so had a lot more sympathy for those of you at home who have been doing this for over a year! When we got back on board it wasn’t long before the rain started again and the temperature dropped dramatically. Even with all the hatches closed and no fans on we felt a bit chilly – definitely Autumnal.

Thursday morning we awoke to the news that the snap Brisbane lockdown was over due to the efforts of the Queensland Health track and trace teams and genome sequencing enabling them to link clusters. Huge sigh of relief all round especially as this means we can now go ahead with our trip to NSW after Easter. Very excited about seeing the family again!

Of course, despite the good news, the weather continued to be cold and showery, so definitely not another pool day. We had coffee out and used the marina’s free wifi to download more Netflix content before we returned to Morphie. Richard then kept himself busy cleaning the dinghy before we had another quiet evening on board.

The rain was very heavy overnight so I didn’t sleep particularly well because of the noise on the coachroof. So was very surprised on Friday morning that it was a bit warmer with sunny intervals. We quickly got ourselves ready and, after breakfast, headed to the lagoon pool. In the strengthening winds it was a bit chilly so we headed back to the other pool and were lucky enough to get a couple of sunbeds out of the wind. We had expected it to be much busier as it was the Easter holidays but we think many people had been forced to change their plans. Although the Queensland lockdown had been lifted, the Greater Brisbane area (along with many other council regions) were still being deemed as ‘Covid hotspots’ and new interstate border restrictions had been imposed as a result.

Back on board we got ourselves cleaned up and headed over to Steve and Jo’s boat. Steve had found an Indian curry house which did deliveries to the marina and had beem declared as the “Best Indian in Queensland”. So we just had to try it out. The menu was interesting with some strange concoctions and, when ordering, we were asked whether we wanted it Indian hot or Australian hot so of course we went with the Indian strength. The food delivery service was very efficient and we quickly tucked in. Sadly it wasn’t the best and, for the cost, don’t think we would rush to order from them again. But it was worth a try and it was nice that none of us had to cook.

Saturday and it was raining again on and off. Steve had a problem with his rev counter and wanted Richard’s electrical expertise to trouble shoot it. So we headed over around noon and Jo and I chatted down below while they got to work in the cockpit. Jo was in the middle of looking for something so this is what happens when you start emptying cupboards down below in a boat LOL.

Richard and Steve didn’t fix it completely but it was certainly working better than before. And of course they had to celebrate their partial success with a beer….and another….and another….and we all ended up having a bit of a session in the cockpit before we were chased down below by torrential rain.

We then ended up playing cards and reintroduced to the delights of crib. Had been a very long time since we had played so it was fun to learn again. Had been a very impromptu social gathering but what else do you do on a chilly and rainy bank holiday weekend?!? Oh yes and, can you believe it, but this was the anniversary of Richard’s heart attack?!? Where did that year go?

This morning, Sunday, and, yes it is raining again. Actually the forecast is awful for the next few days and severe weather warnings have been issued for south Queensland covering just about everything from hazardous surf; flooding risk from significant rain; chance of severe thunderstorms etc etc. Here we go again! Oh joy….. This is the view from our cockpit this morning.

So that’s about it really, not much to report. We have had to cancel our hire car for next week as the collection point in Loganholme is within one of the ‘hotspot’ areas which would cause us problems crossing the NSW interstate border. So Steve and Jo have very kindly offered us their car so that we can go ahead with our trip – really very grateful to them for their generosity!

We are also delighted to hear that the easing of restrictions at home continues and holidays and weekends away will be allowed again soon. Vaccinations are still being rolled out at a pace and just relieved that this means you will all be safer going forward. Bet you’ll definitely have to reserve tables in pub gardens to service the pent-up demand! Just hope that all the idiots who have been partying in the parks and on the beaches haven’t caused a spike causing freedoms to be curtailed again. So fingers crossed for continued progress and, to make you smile, today I bring you another Australian cutie, a baby Tasmanian devil.

Jan