Monday (5 October) and we decided not to move on as it was a Bank Holiday and this anchorage was serene and beautiful away from all the madness. Only downside was the amount of sand fleas that managed to bite us LOL.

Tuesday morning we weighed anchor and headed back through the myriad of channels and islands past the (not navigable) Jumpinpin Bar which separates North and South Stradbroke islands. And on the beach was this couple from one of the anchored boats – guess they just want to be alone?!?

Got a great spot in the Tipplers anchorage well away from the narrow channel. We went ashore and had a couple of drinks in the licensed cafe and, of course, said hello to our Wallaby friends once again. And then the day was rounded off by another lovely sunset.

Wednesday we stayed put at Tipplers. First thing in the morning, however, we spotted something odd with our charging system. The Balmar controller said 0% State of Charge! What the hell??? So we checked the DC panel and it said that the house bank was sitting at 12.4 volts and the engine battery was at 13 volts. Didn’t make any sense and we definitely had concerns as our batteries are AGMs which have a memory – if they get depleted too far they never fully charge again. So we needed to get on top of this. Before doing anything, however, we decided to test the actual batteries themselves directly. Thankfully they were both in the 13 volt range (which is fine) but both monitors were going crazy. We decided to link all batteries together just in case there was some problem somewhere we couldn’t identify. We then went through the schematic and found fuses associated with the DC volt meter so we pulled it, cleaned it, and reinstated it. Low and behold the problem was fixed. Yay….

Leaving that behind we had a lovely afternoon on the beach watching over Morphie in the anchorage. And we both had a beer – yes Richard decided he fancied one – over six months after his heart attack – and he enjoyed a couple with no adverse effects although he is obviously limiting his intake.

Was fun to watch all the comings and goings although, thankfully, it was pretty quiet. Some great boats moving around though, check this one out, do you reckon he wants to be a tug boat when he grows up!?!

Had been an emotional day for me as it would have been Mum’s 90th birthday but we raised a glass in her honour so I know she would have smiled down on us that day. We made friends with the solitary duck in the anchorage and then finished the day by sitting on the coachroof as the sun went down.

Thursday morning, very early, we were up and started to weigh anchor. We have rigged a submersible pump in the anchor locker that I throw over the side to give me wash down facilities….but this morning, I turned on the power, and nothing! Damn….never mind….back to the old fashioned method of bucket and chuck it until we manage to purchase a new one.

As the chain started to come up there was something strange about the way it behaved and when I got the anchor to the bow I found out why! Was very surprised to find an old water heater firmly attached and wrapped around the anchor. What drongo (Australian for idiot) would dump something like this in such a beautiful anchorage?!? Anyway, I took the helm and left Richard battling to untangle it as we worked our way very slowly out into the channel. Eventually, covered in nasty black mud, he got it off and dropped it back in the drink in the channel so at least nobody else was going to get their anchor caught up in it. Yuck!

We then meandered up the river system to return to the Boatworks. You can see our little trips around the area by checking out our tracker (which shows our current position at Tipplers).

By 10am we were back in our normal slip and quickly got Morphie hosed down and cleaned up, even emptying the anchor locker again to clean up all that nasty mud we had managed to pick up in the morning. We then got ourselves cleaned up and enjoyed a leisurely afternoon in the cockpit enjoying the sight of Boatie McBoatFace (not it’s real name of course) coming up the river. What a fun vessel, it even has a hot tub on its top deck, but don’t reckon it would fare too well in a strong wind!

At 4pm I picked up the courtesy car and headed off to the physio. This time he was much more personable than before (guess he must have had a bad day last time LOL) and gave me some different exercises when I explained the difficulties I had had after our last session. Fingers crossed….. He also was OK with a three week break before the next session so, hurrah, we can head off back out sailing on Monday once we have done the rest of our chores.

Friday we were going to be busy but made time for a leisurely breakfast in The Galley first…that’s always a treat when we return to the marina. Richard filled the water tank, topped up the diesel tank, and some general cleaning (including the bilge) whilst I did computer stuff (largely finishing off and submitting our travel insurance claim in relation to out-of-pocket expenses when Richard had his heart attack with fingers crossed for a speedy and painless resolution). We had lots of laundry to do so (making the most of the numerous machines) so spent some time doing that and taking refuge in the cruisers lounge utilising the Boatworks high speed internet. Managed to download some things to watch off line and also updated all our apps etc. In the evening, it was lovely and warm, so we enjoyed a couple of cold beers in the cockpit before retiring down below for dinner.

Saturday morning we were up pretty early. We had compiled a shopping list and set off on a mission to Oxenford. First stop was BCF where we stocked up on some strong Bushman bug spray to deal with the pesky biting midges! We also got a propane fill and some petrol for dink. Then it was off to the main village centre and we picked up some items in the pharmacy; some meat from the butcher and I got my hair cut whilst Richard started the Woolworths shop in my absence. I caught up with him in the aisles, we completed the shopping, and then came back to Morphie and spend a while stowing it all away again. We then had a leisurely and quiet evening on board.

Sunday morning and again we headed out to the shops – this time to Coles in Coomera – to finish off the shopping list for fresh fruit and vegetables. Heading back to the marina we popped into The Galley for a coffee then back onboard and stashed all our goodies. Then it was just a range of normal boat jobs to be done prior to heading out again the following day like engine checks, water top up etc. We are also checking the weather closely and deciding where to go. Strong winds and the risk of thunderstorms later in the week are forecast right now but that will probably change on a daily basis… We had a quiet night onboard.

This morning, Monday, we were up early and returned the car keys to the marina office. We then got ourselves cleaned up and ready and, by 8.15 am, we were slipping away from the marina and was underway down the river. At 11.05 we had our anchor down at Tipplers and here we stay. At 11.40 I finally had a telephone appointment with the dietician so that was another thing ticked off my list. So Richard is now relaxing in the cockpit while I’m down below blogging. Both of us are glad to be back out on anchor once again.

News from home is pretty grim and we hope you don’t all get locked down again. Please stay safe everyone and take care. Sending virtual hugs your way. Bye for now

Jan

Tuesday morning (29 September) it was still pretty chilly and blowing quite hard in Jacobs Well (on the Pimpana River) but we had a good anchor set and weren’t being bothered too much by local traffic buzzing to and from the public boat ramp – so we decided to stay put.

Early afternoon we headed ashore (surprised by how hot is was when we got out of the wind) and used our new dinghy wheels for the first time by pulling him up the beach – much much easier. Very happy!

We wandered around the little town for a while and headed into the Jacobs Well Tavern for some snacks….well, we ordered two sharing snacks, and they were huge! But very tasty so of course we managed to finish them. We then headed back to Morphie for a quiet afternoon evening on board and didn’t need to bother with dinner….

For those of you unfamiliar with the area here in Queensland, Moreton Bay is about 80km from north to south and 25km at its widest point. It lies between the mouth of the Brisbane River and the barrier islands comprising Moreton, North Stradbroke and South Stradbroke. The bay narrows at South Stradbroke, where there is a cluster of islands that turn the bay into channels and passages.

Wednesday morning we were up very early as we wanted to head towards Russell Island with the high tide. But first, along the route, we had to navigate underneath some power cables….lots of headroom really but it always feels so close.

We were almost there and suddenly faced with lots of ferry and freight traffic, particularly between Russell Island and Karragarra Island. Anchoring space was at a premium because of the large private mooring fields and the few spaces left were very exposed to the strengthening winds. So we decided to continue on to Canaipa Passage instead which is between Willes Island and North Stradbroke Island. OMG such a difference. A beautiful and serene anchorage. We enjoyed sitting in the cockpit as the sun went down and we really thought we might stay there for a few days.

Thursday morning, however, when checking the weather forecast we realised that the wind direction will be swinging north which is the one direction Canaipa is not well protected from. So we decided to head over to Horseshoe Bay on Peel Island which has good shelter. There was no wind and the sea was like glass as we motored the nine miles there.

By 10 am we had the anchor down and were just looking around at the other boats when we spotted Calagorm in the bay. So later on we dropped dink and popped over to have a cup of tea with Hella and David – was so nice to catch up with them.

By the time we left them the tide was going out so we headed over to the beach and just left dink in the shallows while we enjoyed taking in the sights. Was very relaxing…. This island is uninhabited apart from the custodians and is national trust land. A very popular day trip spot so lots of people watching going on…..

Back on board we watched more boats come and go and also checked out the clouds forming around us. There was some CAPE activity forecast so there was the chance of thunderstorms but we hoped they would skirt us. Thankfully they didn’t develop any further.

Later on we checked the weather again for the following day. The wind was swinging south to south east which is not good for this bay. So at 8.10 on Friday morning we picked up anchor and headed over to Raby Bay (which is on the mainland near Cleveland). Again we had another glass-like day on the water dodging ferries and the like. Frustratingly though the wind doesn’t kick in until mid morning by which time we are usually already settled somewhere else – so lots of motoring going on right now. Although on the chart this area is supposed to be full of mooring balls it isn’t (thanks for the heads up David) so we anchored, and then once happy we were set, we got dink down to go ashore.

We meandered through the nice houses and docks lining the river until we reached the marina and found the public dock.

We wandered around the boardwalk area and thought it looked pretty nice, another possible spot for us to consider during cyclone season?? We then went to The Anchor and had some lunch which was very nice.

Heading back out to the anchorage we realised that Morphie had dragged so we quickly got on board, weighed anchor and reset her. On bringing up the anchor it was covered in lots of grass and ferns so obviously we had found the underwater garden – to avoid dragging again we put down a 7:1 scope of chain which held us very well. At this point Richard realised he had left his phone behind in the pub! And, of course, we had already lifted dink for the night. So we had to put dink back in the water and Richard rushed off to get his phone…..luckily the waitress had found it and had kept it safe for us. He came back just as the sun was going down and we could put dink back up on the arch. Phew….what a palaver….

Saturday morning the wind had strengthened and the direction was swinging again so we headed back towards Canaipa. What we forgot was that this was a Bank Holiday weekend and the world and his boat were out there – it was total madness!!! Calagorm were in this anchorage too when we arrived and they had to move because a motorboat anchored so close they could have touched them – Hella said that if they had sneezed she could have caught Covid! We decided not to stay….so weighed anchor and headed down the river (under more power cables) another five miles to The Huts anchorage (along the shore of North Stradbroke Island). We found a spot and anchored under the shelter of the hill next to us. Lovely firm sand underneath us and we got a good set straight away.

Although still busy with boat traffic we weren’t affected that much so we enjoyed a leisurely afternoon in the cockpit. Around 5pm the day tripper boat traffic was largely gone and it was lovely and quiet especially as the wind died down. Was a bit buggy as the sun went down so we ended up burning our citronella candle to tell the little biting beasties they weren’t welcome – not sure all of them got the message though LOL.

This morning, Sunday, and we haven’t moved (or needed to). Hurrah! This anchorage is lovely and we have decided to stay another day…..so Richard is reading while I’m blogging. We are absolutely loving being back afloat again despite being chased around by the weather. Looking forward this week we’ll continue to enjoy being out and about until Thursday when we return to The Boatworks for my next physio session.

Take care everybody, stay safe. Bye for now

Jan

Tuesday (22 September) Richard finished the anchor locker project – so we now have a lovely clean anchor locker plus a new waterproof panel to protect the teak access panel. I spent most of the day on the computer putting together our travel insurance claim for out-of-pocket expenses relating to Richard’s heart attack in April as he had now been signed off to resume sailing. So I was making the most of having shore power and there was lots of printing, scanning and collating going on. And that was about it for the day.

Wednesday morning Richard stayed on board and did a spring clean while I took myself off to the laundry and the cruisers’ lounge. This time to make the most of the Boatworks internet so I could download some replacement apps for those that we had been informed were being discontinued (particularly Navionics). So downloaded the new app, logged into our Navionics account, and double-checked all our charts were up-to-date and downloaded for off-line use. I also updated all the apps on the phones, the iPad and the computer as we don’t tend to do this via our mobile hotspot as it is so data intensive. I returned with everything up-to-date laden down with clean laundry and of course admired Richard’s handiwork….Morphie was sparkling!

Thursday morning, Richard managed to get a UTE (Australian word for pick-up truck) so left me still working on the computer and headed out to his favourite hardware store Bunnings. He came back with some fridge seal material and a new toilet seat. He then installed the toilet seat in the heads and let some gas out of the freezer as it was working too hard to get down to temperature (as the unit was full) and frosting up the lines inside the fridge. This took a couple of attempts but, finally, the freezer was working again as it should. He then removed the old seals around the fridge and freezer lids and replaced them.

Later on we headed out to the Westfield Mall in Coomera for my physio appointment – wasn’t keen on the guy – but he did give me some useful exercises to do to keep my hip moving and to help my thigh (where I have torn a muscle). After that we had a doctor’s appointment so that the GP could complete the medical section of the insurance claim form as we had failed to get hold of our UK doctor – thankfully the claims team were happy to deal with the Australian GP instead who had treated Richard for the last five months. Oh yes and the surgery confirmed the dietician telephone appointment for 9.45 am now on Friday morning. The physio doesn’t want to see me again until 8 October so we can head out of the marina again for another couple of weeks – yay!

Job done it was getting late so we headed into the fantastic Nahm Thai Restaurant for an early dinner. Suitably full we then went to Coles supermarket for a fresh fruit and vegetable run and a quick trip to the bottle shop for me to get some wine supplies (Richard remains teetotal). Back on board we stowed our goodies and had a movie night.

Friday morning early Richard cleaned the cockpit while I continued with the insurance claim paperwork. Finally everything is ready to go except we are just waiting on one document from the Heart Clinic signing him off. There are so many receipts and evidence of expenditure I’ve had to do two spreadsheets to bring the whole story together. Phew – had been a long time since I sat in front of a computer for days on end LOL. Richard returned the car to the office and confirmed that, because of bad weather forecast for Friday night (strong winds and threat of thunderstorms) we would not now be leaving the marina until Saturday.

At 9.50 I realised that the dietician hadn’t called. So I called the surgery and they said that as I hadn’t responded positively to a text message the appointment had been cancelled. What a stupid system – they arranged it, I confirmed it, and yet because I missed a text she didn’t call. The practice manager was sympathetic to my position and said she would get her to call later in the day. So I kept the phone glued to my side but, of course, she didn’t phone…..so frustrating…..

Later on Richard and I headed to the Galley for coffee and a naughty cake and started checking out anchorages for our departure on Saturday. And, for once, the weather forecast was accurate and we experienced strong winds and saw lightning in the sky south of us. So was happy to have a movie night tucked up securely in the marina especially as I was now feeling the results of the physio session the day before and the subsequent exercises I had done that morning.

Saturday morning and I was struggling badly with my back. So I stayed in bed and Richard took himself off to find the caretaker (the marina office is closed on a weekend) to let him know we were staying an extra day to give me time to recover. Then he took himself off to Garage 25 to see the cars and bikes while I rested up. He returned with some blog photos for me and then went off and did some final bits of laundry making the most of the access to the machines.

Finally late afternoon, after a lazy day just relaxing and using ice / heat and my Tens machine the pain started to ease….so we were definitely going to leave in the morning.

Sunday morning we stowed everything away and left the dock heading towards the top of South Stradbroke Island going with the tide as it went out. Oh yes and going down the river we found what we think is the biggest ugliest house ever!

Crazy busy out with tinnies, jet skis, motorboats you name it….the Broadwater was foaming at times from all the fast traffic. Boats in this area have a 40 knot speed limit and it seems like most of them go as fast as possible!

We saw one jetski rescuing a motor boat and one guy in the water cleaning his hull as he had run the boat aground on the mud flats. We had also heard of one old chap being rescued from his sunken houseboat so wondered if this was it…. Always enjoy seeing the birdlife preening itself on the shallow sand banks as we sail through too. Plenty to keep us on our toes that’s for sure!

Although it was bright and sunny with beautiful blue skies we were actually wind chilled by the time we arrived at Millionaire’s anchorage which is near the top of South Stradbroke Island. Beautiful place and we were looking forward to spending a day exploring there on Monday. So we enjoyed the peace and quiet, had a nice day onboard, and loved seeing another sunset at anchor.

Overnight the wind picked up and we were constantly woken by the noise of the anchor chain as it strained against the hull and we were experiencing wind over tide conditions so lots of slapping and nodding going on. Overall definitely not a relaxing or refreshing night’s sleep…..

At 6am this morning (Monday) we decided to make a quick exit as the forecast had deteriorated and there was not going to be any respite for a few days to come. So we headed back on ourselves and up another river towards the small community of Jacobs Well which would give us more shelter. The route into this anchorage has some shallow spots so we left straight away as it was virtually high tide. We moved through these areas very slowly and cautiously but managed with no problems and anchored out of the channel on the housing side of the public boat ramp (also avoiding the public mooring area behind us). This is a very busy ramp so lots of boat traffic but at least we have some respite from the wind which continues to blow pretty hard.

We’ll stay on board today and catch up on some sleep….and, hopefully, we’ll get better conditions tomorrow so we can go ashore and check this sleepy little place out a bit more. And it’s still pretty chilly….are you sure we’re in Australia LOL?!?

Take care everybody and stay safe. Bye for now.

Jan

Monday (14 September) we were up early: topped up the water tanks; swapped out the tatty Ensign for a brand new one; did a route to our chosen anchorage Tipplers on South Stradbroke Island; stowed everything down below; did engine checks; ensured the Iridium Go! was tracking us; unhooked the power and we were ready to go. We had to wait for the tide so we went and had a coffee in the Galley and did some last minute internet stuff.

Then finally we were off. We motored slowly down the Coomera River admiring the houses and tucked away marinas until we came to the Broadwater which was very busy with speedboats, houseboats, jetskis and tinnies. They were everywhere and they didn’t adhere to any navigation rules (like passing port to port in a channel) so it was a matter of just keeping our eyes open and avoiding them all.

Three hours later and we arrived at Tipplers Passage and made our way through the narrow channel into the anchorage near Tipplers Cafe (which is only accessible from the water). We found a great spot in only 3m of mud and settled down for the afternoon / evening. Was a pretty spot and we had a very quiet night. In fact it was less rocky than in the marina LOL.

Tuesday morning we had a lazy start and had breakfast in the cockpit – it had been a long time since we had done that and it was lovely. The sun was out and the weather had definitely warmed up. Fantastic!

Later on we went ashore and walked the path across the island to the surf beach on the seaward side of the island. The beach was pure white silica and was beautiful and deserted. But it was very windy so we only sat there for a little while before heading back to the riverside anchorage.

We then spent a couple of hours on the beach admiring our girl who was happy to be back on anchor.

We then had afternoon drinks at Tipplers cafe and were fascinated by the birds and wallabies that turned up once the majority of the tourists had left for the day. Guess that’s why they have the logo in the cafe then?!?

We then returned for dinner on board. Followed by a gorgeous sunset. Felt so good to be back out there.

Wednesday morning Richard spent some time looking at the shower sump pump that decided to play up again….and fixed that. He also fixed the inverter but that meant removing power from some other instruments. Everything went smoothly but the AIS wouldn’t restart. Without it’s wifi capabilities we couldn’t do any resetting of the system either as you need to be connected to play around with it. So we were not transmitting or receiving and our anchor alarm was also now useless. All very strange. We did a bit of troubleshooting and then sent off an email to the technical support team for some inspiration. Not a biggie right now as we are not going to sea and have another anchor app so all good for the night.

Later on we went for a bit of a dinghy exploration up to the Dux anchorage where the Southport Yacht Club have some premises. Well the anchorage was pretty tight with lots of long-term boaters there and the SYC area was private to members only, no guests. So we turned around and returned to the beach for a couple of hours before returning for sundowners and dinner onboard followed by a movie night.

Thursday morning and we got a reply from Vesper which was not that helpful in that they suggested checking quite a lot of things but we really couldn’t believe that simply disconnecting the power could have caused the type of problems they were envisaging. Their only other alternative was to return the unit to New Zealand. Hmm….don’t think so unless we get really stuck. Richard then had a brainwave and isolated and disconnected the whole network from the batteries and then reconnected it. Well, the Vesper light (which had been solid red for over 24 hours by now) went orange, then green, and lo and behold the wifi signal started up again so the iPad could connect to it. I quickly turned on the chartplotter and checked that the AIS was working on the network as it should and yes, sorted. Not sure why this worked but so pleased that it did! We told Vesper and they were pretty surprised too LOL.

Mid-afternoon we headed to the beach and set up camp. Around 4pm Richard returned to Morphie to collect our cool bag and I cooked on the (free) gas supplied BBQs. At this point three wallabies came by and we had spare carrots so we treated them to a little munch. One was even brave enough to take the carrot from Richard’s hand….definitely friends for life LOL. We enjoyed our dinner overlooking the anchorage but the bugs descended as the sun went down and we were being bitten so we quickly packed up and headed back to Morphie for the night.

Friday morning it was colder and cloudy with rain that kept threatening – it had poured hard overnight. So we stayed on board for most of the day watching the anchoring shenanigans around us as people descended for the weekend. We went ashore for sundowners and stayed there longer than planned because the heavens opened. But it didn’t seem to deter the day trippers who were turning up in droves. Later on, under heavy cloud cover but thankful that we found a gap in the rain showers, we headed back to Morphie for a quiet night on board.

Saturday morning and it was madness!!! Lots of boats, jetskis, houseboats, ferries you name it they were there. We watched lots of people having fun and the comment of the week had to be from Richard when some stupid blonde woman hung onto the front of the speedboat and was dragged into the water as it reversed off the beach “Don’t drink on an empty head”. Hysterical…. We went ashore and had to queue just for coffees – it was mayhem. It was definitely a people-watching bonanza.

Back on board and we spotted a number of speedboats that had beached themselves and were now stranded as the tide went out. They tried to push the boats back in but couldn’t and, eventually, the rescue boat turned up. We just sat on the coachroof in the sun enjoying the craziness all around us until they had left for the day and we had a quiet and lazy night onboard.

Sunday morning we were up reasonably early and, by 10, we had weighed anchor and I spent quite a bit of time trying to get the thick gloopy mud off Morphie’s anchor / chain / topsides and me. Really gross! We were in slack water so there was no adverse current and we just enjoyed meandering back. By the time we turned into the Coomera River we were on a rising tide so had a bit of a lift from the current back to our destination. Check out a couple of the huge riverside properties in this area. Not sure about the second one…..

Having been in the marina for so long we had spotted a good anchoring spot with ample swinging room just up the river from the Boatworks so we headed there and thankfully it was clear of other boats. So we set our anchor and settled down to a quiet afternoon and evening on board. Was lovely and calm apart from the occasional wake of a tinnie or jetski just to keep us on our toes LOL.

Monday morning, very early, we weighed anchor and maneouvered back into our slip. We quickly hosed and cleaned down Morphie with fresh water and then emptied the anchor locker of all the chain onto the dock which also got a hose down. We had breakfast and restored shore power before I headed to the showers whilst Richard went into the anchor locker tearing out some marine ply which he is replacing with starboard. This plywood panel covers a panel of teak which is at the head of our bed inside the boat. It had rotted over the years because it had been painted rather than epoxied into position. Not sure that was such a good idea in a wet area! Hence replacing it with starboard.

I checked the phone (not sure why) to find that my dietician had cancelled which was very frustrating! We had come back into the marina specifically for that today and physio on Thursday. Never mind…. Apparently the dietician is going to phone me on Friday evening for a consultation instead – not sure how much good that will be as she has never met me. Sigh…. So I started blogging before picking up the courtesy car and heading out to the shops for some fresh provisions.

I’ve now come back, stowed the goodies, and wow it’s hot out there today! Richard has now got all the rubbish out of the locker and removed the solid teak board inside our cabin and has cleaned all the locker out and is now prepping the area for the new panel that he has cut and sized. Here is the man at work….

We had had a great time away from the dock and look forward to exploring properly again come Friday (fingers crossed). We are hoping for a much longer break next time. But I’ll enjoy being back here in the Boatworks for a short time and make the most of the access to the laundry; the internet; and the unlimited fresh hot water LOL.

So that’s it for now. Take care and please stay safe everyone – we are thinking of you all and sending lots of love. We feel very fortunate and lucky to be in an area with virtually no Covid transmission and so few ‘local’ restrictions although the interstate and international borders remain firmly closed.

Jan

Sunday (6 September) it was very cloudy, chilly and the wind was howling. Pre-empting the long-awaited decision that Richard would finally be allowed to go sailing we made the most of our courtesy car and headed to the Westfield Mall where we stocked up with meat for the freezer. We also got another month’s worth of medication to store on board. Once back and everything was stowed we called it a day and relaxed down below getting used to heeling over again despite being tied to a dock LOL.

Monday we got out all our stores and did an inventory whilst creating a shopping list of dried / canned / frozen foods that we needed to purchase. The aim is to avoid doing large supply runs by dinghy! We also ran the engine to check everything was OK and then spent some time troubleshooting the wind generator. It is working fine (in that it is generating power) but the monitor is refusing to tell us exactly how much. We couldn’t resolve it so will need to do a bit more research. Richard had already checked all the wires / fuses etc to ensure it wasn’t something basic. Never mind, it’s not really a big issue. We then went to the office to book more courtesy cars for the next set of medical appointments and called it a day.

Tuesday morning Richard headed off to get his bloods taken. Then we went and did a big shop and got most of the things we needed. It took us a while once back on board to get all our supplies stowed and, afterwards, we just lazed around reading for the rest of the day.

Wednesday morning, very early, we got the staysail hoisted and furled as this was the first low wind day we had had for a while. This went very smoothly but the wind then picked up so we decided to leave the genoa for another day. Then we treated ourselves to breakfast out at the Galley and then got dink down onto the dock for a good scrub down. We then cleaned the tubes and polished them with a special UV protector. Afterwards we got the outboard off the rail and reinstalled it on the transom of dink and Richard took a little test spin up and down the river to check everything was working as it should after it’s stint in the repair shop.

Very happy we then hoisted dink back onto the davits so our tender is now ready to go. We usually stow the outboard on the rail when going to sea but as we plan to just meander around the river networks here for a while we don’t expect large following seas so it is safe for the outboard to stay fixed to dink.

Then it was time to head back to the doctors and, thankfully, the blood test results were good and the GP was happy for us to go sailing. Wow, our enforced stay in the marina had been quite a lengthy one so we were both a bit giddy and happy to finally be able to use Morpheus as a boat once again rather than a floating hotel room. I then talked to the doctor about my left hip which is giving me significant pain and restricting some mobility. He referred me to get a CT scan to identify the issue and, if the left hip is also impinged (as the right one was back in 2018 which necessitated surgery) he agreed that he would refer me onto the consultant’s waiting list. Finally we did a bit more shopping for the items that we couldn’t get the other day and returned to the boat. We spent the rest of the day looking at charts / guides / tides / weather forecasts and planning our escape!

Thursday morning very early we got the genoa hoisted and furled. It was flat calm with no wind at 6.30 in the morning so was worth getting out of bed to do! We then “unpickled” and flushed the watermaker. This piece of kit had been in storage mode for quite some time so we were delighted that it all worked well and we hadn’t sprung any leaks. Richard then installed new filters so we are able to make water again now once we have left the dock.

Early afternoon I headed out for my CT Scan. I had to go on my own as the facility only wanted patients (wearing masks) with no visitors. Not a problem. I turned up, filled in the paperwork and waited to be called. Right on time I went through and had my scan. It is hard to believe the speed in which these appointments can be booked online here in Australia – they are virtually on demand providing you have the referral paperwork. Just amazing.

By the time I returned to Richard and Morphie the skies were really grey and it was drizzly and miserable. So we just hibernated down below for the rest of the day.

Friday morning we awoke to another grey cloudy day having listened to the pouring rain on the coachroof most of the night. We were also heeling over again in the strong winds. We had planned to wash Morphie’s topsides but decided that this wasn’t a good day for it so we just chilled out onboard and relaxed all day.

Saturday morning and we had breakfast at the Galley before heading back to the doctors for my results.

And then we were thrown another curve ball. No, it wasn’t hip impingement it is severe osteoarthritis and basically I need a complete hip replacement as there is no cartilage left and is now bone on bone. The doctor then referred me to the hospital but wasn’t sure how long the waiting list would be for this surgery which is classified as non-urgent and elective. Our travel medical insurance does not cover private hospitals as we have access to the Australian version of the NHS through Medicare and the reciprocal country arrangements with the UK. Damn! Clearly the doctor was shocked with the terrible scan results and so were we. He then said that I would need to see the dietician as losing weight would help (yep knew that…) and also to see the physiotherapist for pain management. Hmm….not sure that is going to help having been down that road before…but have to go along with the process. The clinic nurse who then organised my care plan was very surprised that I was walking at all let alone moving around so well and still smiling!!! We left the doctor feeling quite deflated again particularly after the excitement of only a few days ago of Richard getting signed off. The follow up medical appointments for me were fixed for the week after next so we are still leaving the dock on Monday even if it is only for a week!

Leaving the doctors we headed straight down to Labrador on the coast to get some fresh fish from the Charis seafood market. Had a very successful shop coming away with some lovely mahi mahi, swordfish, mackerel and salmon fillets.

Later in the afternoon Richard took me to the pub so we had a pleasant few hours sitting on the boardwalk at the Hope Island Tavern. We discussed our options – Australian international borders remain closed so even if we were able to get a flight home (doubtful) we would be abandoning Morphie indefinitely with no return date in sight. So we decided that we’ll see what happens about the timing of the referral and take it from there….

Today, Sunday, we’ve been out shopping for fresh fruit and vegetables. All stowed I left Richard filling up the water tanks, cleaning the boat and reinstalling the fuel cans on the rail. I took up residence in the Cruisers’ Lounge doing the final bits of laundry whilst blogging. Back on board now and doesn’t she look lovely and clean, ready and raring to go. We just need to swap out the tatty Ensign and the boat job list is done!

So a bit excited about leaving, albeit for initially only a short period, and looking forward to exploring the local waterways by boat for the first time tomorrow. The weather forecast is nice and benign so that’s a good start! But we are not immune to the news from home and the rise in Covid cases again – stay safe folks and look after each other.

Bye for now

Jan

Thursday afternoon (27 August) having done a few bits and pieces around the boat we both confessed to being really bored! There are still some boat jobs needed but we don’t want to do them until we have the nod to go sailing…. Sigh…..

Friday morning we went out for breakfast at The Galley.

Whilst there we decided to do another short road trip especially as our wedding anniversary was coming up. So we rented a car from the local hire company; reserved a self-catering apartment in Hervey Bay; and booked a whale watching tour for the Wednesday morning. So another adventure to look forward to once again! In the late afternoon we picked up the courtesy car and I did a bit of shopping while Richard installed the new cleat that had just arrived from the US (we couldn’t get a matching one anywhere else). This was an additional one for the cockpit (on the starboard side) so we now have somewhere to tie everything off leaving the winches clear for active sheets…. Definitely an improvement.

Saturday morning we headed out to Paradise Point but the wind was up and it was a bit chilly so we decided not to stay there but we did enjoy watching the huge numbers of tiny crabs on the beach.

So we drove down to The Spit at Southport and enjoyed a few hours and a picnic on the beach. Even got some ice creams from the travelling boat man.

On the way back to Morphie we stopped off at Hope Island marina and had a couple of drinks in a waterside wine bar which was quite nice. Back on board we cheated and just heated up pizza for tea.

Sunday morning it was very damp after some heavy rain overnight. It was cloudy and cold so was definitely not picnic or beach weather. So we did the laundry and packed our bags in preparation for our forthcoming trip. Later in the afternoon we drove down to Oxenford to pick up the hire car and was surprised that it was a new MG3. I drove the courtesy car back while Richard drove the hire car. We then had a quiet night on board.

Monday morning, very early, we returned our courtesy car to the marina and then had breakfast in the Galley to set us up for the day. By 8 am we were on our way and I was driving this time for the 400km run north, mostly on motorway. Wasn’t expecting the motorway to be single track though for the last 100km or so though LOL. Oh yes, why do Australians have car washes and dog washes together?!?

We arrived at our apartment block around 1pm and got checked in, found the underground car park and headed up to the third floor to unpack. The apartment was a bit dated but was well equipped and quite spacious with everything we needed.

We then headed out to explore the area a little bit and walked the beach; did some food shopping; went to the nearby pub for a couple of drinks before heading back. I didn’t fancy cooking so had a takeaway Chinese from the nearby restaurant and had a quiet night in. A lot of the bars and restaurants in Hervey Bay were either closed completely due to Covid – presumably the limited numbers allowed within each venue made them untenable?? – or were working limited hours with many of them closing mid afternoon. Very few visitors around either.

Tuesday morning we headed to the beach across the road (Torquay Beach). Wow it was a blisteringly hot day with no wind.

There was little shade so we had had enough after a couple of hours and took ourselves back to the apartment block’s small pool area. This was nice and became our own oasis as no-one else used it.

Later on we headed out again in the car as we wanted to check where we had to board the whale watching boat the following morning. We were fascinated by the old wooden houses that were being renovated or re-sited so many of them were up on stilts. This area was originally settled back in the 1850s so has quite a heritage feel to it in places.

We found the embarkation place where Richard had a few words with the life-sized humpback whale model on the promenade.

We then had a drink at the Hervey Bay Boat Club. This is a huge place with pokies (casino-type slot machines), restaurants, outside deck, bars etc etc. It also had two cinemas within the complex and used to have live music most nights. Would imagine, in a non-Covid age, this would be the place to be of an evening. We stayed inside as the wind made it far too cold to sit outside and with so few people around it all felt a bit sad.

So we moved on and came across a nice looking restaurant called Cafe Baleana which was doing a roaring trade – so we popped in and made a reservation for the following night so at least we could go out to dinner to celebrate our wedding anniversary. We then went to the pub for a final sundowner before returning to the apartment for dinner.

Wednesday morning we headed out very early to the marina complex and had a coffee whilst we waited for the boat to be readied.

Finally we boarded and took up seats at the bow of the boat so had our spot for the morning. It was pretty chilly when the boat finally departed the marina and did over 20 knots into Hervey Bay and towards Fraser Island. We had sailed south from Bundaberg through this area in November 2019 so it was interesting to see it from a different perspective. But we had missed the annual humpback whale migration that comes up from the cold waters of Antarctica to the sub-tropical coastal waters of eastern Australia to give birth and mate during winter and spring. The huge area of Hervey Bay is famous for being a playground for the whales during this period so we were very hopeful of seeing some of these fabulous huge creatures. It started off slowly but, eventually, we were rewarded by lots of surface time where we met a mum and a very energetic baby playing in the warm water. There were also a couple of male ‘escorts’ who were happy to wave (pectoral slaps) for the camera too. So enjoy the photos. What a wonderful experience – we love whales!

Back on terra firma we headed back to our apartment for a spot of lunch (chip butties with the assistance of the local chip shop Madigans) which was very naughty but nice! We then headed to the pool for a couple of hours chilling before we got ourselves cleaned up and headed out in the car back to the Cafe Baleana. We weren’t happy with our original table (which was surrounded by others) but they were happy to move us to the waterfront, so that was good. We were then seated quickly and given the menus. Some strange concoctions but, hey, we were just pleased to have managed to get a table for dinner LOL. We ordered our food and drinks and got initial good attentive service.

But after that they just ignored us so we had to grab someone to get Richard a refill; I had to pour my own wine; and the dirty dinner plates were on the table for at least 25 minutes before anyone noticed to get them cleared. The food, however, was great so despite this we thoroughly enjoyed our 24th wedding anniversary celebration.

Thursday morning and it was our last full day in Hervey Bay. We headed to the beach again and it was very pleasant with cloud cover although it really wasn’t that comfortable. There were no beds available to rent here and the soft sand has been eroded into steep dunes so you end up laying on the hard compacted sand once the tide has gone out.

So after a few hours we returned again to the pool and stayed there until the middle of the afternoon having had enough rays. That evening we just had a lazy time in front of the TV and utilised the dishwasher and laundry machines to get ourselves ready for our departure in the morning.

Friday morning we packed up and headed back towards Coomera. Richard was driving this time and we decided to divert to Maryborough en route which was has roots dating back to the gold rush days of the 1800s. Lots of interesting older buildings here….

But check out the pedestrian crossing signs. Yes that really is a red and green Mary Poppins as P L Travers was born here. There is even a museum and a statue of the fabulous fictional nanny. Was fun…

Walking back to the car we came across a giant Kookaburra and a giant Koala being driven around the city – supposedly bringing light and fun to everyone in difficult times. Certainly made us smile but the Kookaburra was pretty damn noisy LOL.

Leaving Maryborough behind we headed back to the main road to rejoin the motorway and came across the Kookaburra and Koala again – this time they were with Ned Kelly, another famous resident. You just couldn’t make it up!

We stopped off on the way back for a coffee and we changed over so I drove the last hour and a half back to the Boatworks. Back on board, we quickly unpacked and got the bags stowed again and then picked up our marina courtesy car so we could return the hire car. Job done we headed to the Westfield Mall for Richard to have a quick check in with the doctor (just to get a blood test form really) and, after a bit of shopping, we headed back to Morphie for a quiet night in.

Today, Saturday, we had planned to head out somewhere but the wind is strong and we’re both feeling tired. So Richard has taken himself off to do some more laundry (not sure where it all comes from!) and is now residing in the cruiser’s lounge to watch some videos while I’m blogging back on board. Think that will be about it for the day.

Hope this finds you all well and keeping safe. Bye for now

Jan

Tuesday (18 August) I started catching up with the blogs and did the first part of our latest road trip in the morning whilst Richard ran the engine and flushed the bilges through. In the afternoon we headed out to get his blood tests done in Oxenford followed by a bit of shopping. It was pretty cloudy and quite a bit cooler than in Cairns so we definitely noticed the difference. Before we settled down below for the evening we did a quick check around and spotted that two boats had gone aground in the river nearby. Oops!

Wednesday I blogged again to bring us up-to-date and then it was just domestic chores like laundry and spring cleaning. Richard also did some shopping for parts eventually having to order them from the US as we weren’t able to source them in either Australia or New Zealand. Then we got a phone call from the doctor who asked Richard to come and see him. Luckily we managed to get a courtesy car for later in the afternoon so headed out to the Westfield Mall in Coomera. The GP noted that Richard’s platelets were low and he wanted to repeat the test in a week so that the latest information would be available prior to his heart clinic appointment the following week. By now it was pretty late so we stayed in the mall and had dinner at the Thai restaurant. Was a treat and absolutely fabulous food!

Thursday morning it was another early start as we headed down to Helensvale for Richard to attend the physiotherapy clinic at the local community health centre.

Dropping him off I then headed to the nearby Westfield mall to get our medication prescriptions filled. We are trying to get a good supply of medication on board so that we don’t find ourselves under pressure once we go sailing again – here in Australia the pharmacy will only give you one month’s supply per visit.

Mission accomplished I returned to pick Richard up and we were both delighted that they had signed him off as he had made such great progress. One major hurdle overcome – yay! When we got back to the boat it was blowing like stink so we just lazed around down below being buffeted and heeled over by the very strong winds. We eased the lines a couple of times to try to minimise the creaking. Definitely one of those days we were glad to be in a marina.

Friday morning we had breakfast at Garage 25 (the other cafe at the north of the boatyard) and also laundered some cushions while we have access to washing machines. As we were hoping to go sailing soon we started compiling our final boat job lists. Back on board Richard did a complete engine service including new oil and fuel filters etc. I spent the day in the cockpit online updating our Navionics charts (on both iPad and Raymarine chart plotter chip); activated a new SIM card for the Iridium Go! unit and got that all up and running (so the tracker facility is live again now on the blog which you access by following the ‘Where are we now’ button); and downloaded some routes etc. So quite a productive day and a few jobs ticked off the list.

Saturday morning there was a ‘Caffeine and Gasoline’ event at Garage 25 so we walked up there to check it out. Was the first meet since the introduction of the Covid restrictions in March and it was rammed with an interesting array of cars. There were so many that they spilled over into the boatyard (which they are not supposed to do) so the security guard was having a bit of a nightmare trying to corral them. We had coffee (plus pastries yum!) and enjoyed watching them come and go. They even laid on live music. Was great fun!

You might wonder why these petrolheads descend on Garage 25 here at The Boatworks. The Boatworks is owned and managed by Tony Longhurst who is a famous retired Australian racing driver and he has a collection of his own classic cars in a showroom behind the Garage 25 cafe. So the strong connection with a variety of car clubs here on the Gold Coast is not surprising.

On return to Morphie we did some research into various local anchorages and routes from the Beacon to Beacon pilot guide. After that we relaxed for the rest of the day.

Sunday I headed out to do more laundry while Richard finished up with the engine – swapping out the impeller and realigning the alternator. And that was it for the day.

Monday we had breakfast at the Galley then filled up our water tanks. We popped into the office to confirm all our forthcoming medical appointments and to check that we had courtesy cars booked for them all. In the afternoon I took Richard to the pathology lab again for a repeat blood test and then I went for a doctor’s appointment myself. While I was at the medical centre the hospital phoned to see if Richard could move his echocardiogram appointment from 8.30 to 7.30 on Tuesday morning. OK, no worries… Another quiet night on board.

Tuesday morning and very early we headed down the M1 to the Gold Coast University Hospital for Richard’s echocardiogram. All very efficient, running on time, and we were out of there by around 8.30 am.

We headed back to the Boatworks and had coffee and breakfast in Garage 25. Realising that we had actually booked the car until noon (just in case of delays) so I dropped Richard off and then headed back out to the mall to get a hair cut. Job done I returned the car and we had a lazy afternoon onboard. Later on Richard picked up another car so he could go to see the doctor to pick up his blood test results. I didn’t go with him this time electing instead to stay on board and cook dinner for his return.

Wednesday we had a leisurely start and picked up another car at noon to head down to Helensvale again for the heart clinic. This was the make or break appointment we had been waiting for as they would have access to Richard’s results from all the tests. The echocardiogram showed that Richard’s heart function had improved from 40% to 47% since his heart attack in April which is great news. His ECG was also showing a better rhythm and his blood pressure was good. The doctor, however, wanted to increase one of his tablets so we need to stay around for another couple of weeks while they check he can tolerate the new dosage and have further blood tests to ensure that there are no ill-effects. So very good news but a bit frustrating as we had hoped that we would be able to leave the marina next week. Never mind…..more time to get those jobs done I guess….

This morning (Thursday) Richard has headed off to Bunnings to try and get a new shower head for our solar shower while I’m bringing the blog up to date. So that’s about it for now and another week tied to a dock in the Boatworks looms. But there is light at the end of the tunnel and we are very grateful for the amazing medical service Richard has received here in Australia. He is feeling great and we just need to get those last bloods done and we can then head out into the river. The cyclone season is upon us soon (November to April) so we won’t be going too far north (and south is out of the question as the border with New South Wales remains closed). So we plan to just rock hop around and check out some places we’d like to see that we haven’t explored yet like the Tangalooma Wrecks anchorage which has great snorkelling apparently.

Stay safe everyone, take care. Bye for now

Jan

Thursday morning we packed our bags and checked out of Il Palazzo. They offered to look after our bags for us, so we headed out for a 20 minute stroll to pick up our rental car. It wasn’t ready for us (we were very early) so we went off and had a coffee. On our return our Kia Sportage was ready and waiting. So we headed back to collect our bags and, once stowed, we were driving north to Port Douglas about an hour away. First though we decided to head inland to the Ross lookout to get some views over the city and airport.

Well, what we didn’t really realise, was that they were pretty much what we had seen from the train. Never mind, still beautiful. We back tracked down to the main highway and drove the coast road stopping and starting every now and again to take in the sights.

At one stage we spotted smoke in the distance but thought little of it…..until we found ourselves driving along the highway with flames from the bush fire adjacent to us! OMG didn’t expect that. I guess this was a real Australian experience. Seriously though it was pretty scary to drive so close to the flames.

Moving swiftly on we continued pulling on and of the road to take in the sights – taking note of the recent crocodile warnings on some of the beachy headlands – and then we crossed a river and I spotted wild crocodiles sunning themselves on the banks. We weren’t able to stop as the bridge was single track so missed the photo opportunity but was amazing to see them in their own domain.

Arriving into Port Douglas we found our apartment building (Mantra Aqueous on Port) and checked in. We were given keys to the underground car park so drove around the corner and parked, got in the lift and headed straight up to the top floor to our room. Well, this place was fantastic. Just the right size, fully equipped, absolutely spotless with an added bonus of a spa bath on our balcony which had views down to two of the pools. We were very happy!!!

We unpacked then went shopping in Coles for some provisions. Having secured them back in the apartment we headed out to the marina for a couple of drinks at Hemingways Brewery on the wharf. Was very nice. Then we went back to the apartment for dinner.

Friday morning we packed a picnic and headed to Four Mile Beach. Was simply stunning although the notices about crocodiles are a little off putting LOL. We had a lovely day relaxing on this empty beach – there were very few people around.

Returning to our apartment we decided to relax so had bubbles in the spa on our balcony. Fantastic!

Squeaky clean we headed back out into town and went to Anzac Park to check it out. Lots of families and couples had set up here and were just chilling over sundowners waiting for the sunset. Very nice too. And then drove up to the lookout at the top of the hill – more spectacular views.

Leaving that behind we headed back into town for a drink at the iconic Iron Bar with it’s rusty corrugated iron paying homage to the Australian outback. Very nice place but they were getting ready for dinner service so we moved on. We decided against the Irish bar across the street as it was way too busy for social distancing, so headed up the road to the Rattle and Hum pub for a final drink before going back to our apartment for dinner admiring the illuminated trees along the main drag. Very pretty. It would appear that most tourists come out for an early dinner and then go back to their hotels / apartment for the evening, as very little is going on. Lots of the eateries are fully booked most of the time as there are quite a few that remain closed due to Covid.

Saturday, having had quite a bit of sun the day before, we decided to stay by the pool so we could get some shade. So we just chilled, relaxed and read.

Mid afternoon we got ourselves cleaned up and headed over to The Tin Shed for a drink. This is a Returned and Services League property (a bit like the British Legion) with great views over the water. Unfortunately they had no availability for visitors that afternoon. Never mind. But we did take the opportunity to check out the beautiful old church sitting on the waterfront nearby.

A bit further out of town is the Port Douglas Yacht Club (called The Yachty) so we headed there for a drink overlooking the pile moorings in the river. Was a very nice spot and we enjoyed the ambience and the scenery despite the annoying no-see-ums who decided we were tasty.

Back into town we went to Paddy’s for a final drink as there were very few people around. It was OK but not the best ambience so we headed back to our apartment for dinner and a quiet night in.

Sunday morning we were up early and headed to the street markets. Lots of different type of things on sale here which was interesting. My favourie was the coconut carved heads.

Afterwards we headed back to our apartment to collect our picnic and then onto Four Mile Beach as this was our last day in Port Douglas. When we arrived we had a coffee on the promenade before wandering onto the beach itself. We were pleasantly surprised to see (socially distanced) sunbeds and umbrellas for hire so we splashed out on a bit of comfort. Was a lovely day.

Back at the apartment we enjoyed the jacuzzi again before getting ready to go out for dinner. We went out a bit earlier to try and get into the Tin Shed and they could accommodate us, but only for 45 minutes. That would have been a little quick for a romantic dinner overlooking the water so we declined and wandered the waterfront to check out other offerings.

We were delighted to be able to secure a table in Melaleuca which is rated the no.1 restaurant in the area.

We took our seats at the back of the restaurant in a quiet spot and had slightly over-attentive service to start with whilst we made our choices. The drinks and starter was quickly served and we enjoyed it, although when I ordered crispy wasabi prawns I did not expect them to be whole (including heads and eyes), which, apparently, is how you are supposed to eat them!

The rest of the food was delicious although the service between courses was a bit indifferent. We wanted a leisurely meal but having empty/dirty plates in front of you for up to 20 minutes meant the place didn’t live up to its hype. Nevertheless we had a really nice evening and it was pretty reasonably priced too.

Returning to our apartment we watched the documentary about the real story of the death of Azaria Chamberlain – the dingo baby death. What happened to the family was shocking and a dreadful miscarriage of justice with the mother Lindy jailed for murder despite lots of (unused) evidence to corroborate the dingo story. We remembered this news story breaking back in 1980 so it was interesting to watch the real story of love, loss and redemption told exclusively by the Chamberlain family. Gripping viewing.

Monday morning we were up early to get packed up to return to Cairns. We checked out and headed back along the Captain Cook Highway. Again we had a bit of time so we took it leisurely stopping at a few spots along the way. Thankfully there were no fires this time!

We dropped the car off at Cairns domestic airport and went across the road to the terminal to print out our boarding passes and luggage tags. All went well and we dropped the bags and proceeded through security. Once we were settled airside we had coffee and a sandwich before boarding the Qantas flight to Brisbane.

This plane was packed so we were very happy to wear our (supplied) masks from the gate onwards. We enjoyed spectacular views over Cairns as we left….

Arriving into Brisbane we were picked up by our Uber and then headed back to Morpheus. Of course, by now, we hit the rush hour traffic so didn’t get back onboard Morphie until 5.30 pm. We had a quiet night in after unpacking.

So that’s the end of this adventure, we have had a great time and are really enjoying seeing some of Australia even though we are restricted to Queensland only. But we realise that we are very lucky compared to friends and family who continue to face the many challenges of Covid. Stay safe everybody. Bye for now

Jan

Thursday (6 August) we did a few boat jobs and Steve (from SV Tamanu) popped in for a quick visit. Was nice to catch up with him. Then it was on with some printing and computer stuff while Richard popped out to get a gas (propane) refill. Later on Greg (from SV Liberty) popped in for a cup of tea. So it was a nice and social day.

Friday morning we got our cases out and spent the day just packing and sheltering down below away from the heavy rain.

Saturday morning we were up very early to get organised for our 8am Uber pick up to Brisbane Airport. On arrival, we couldn’t get the airport machine to print out our luggage tags (which was the same for most people) so ended up in the queue with everyone else to drop the bags off. But it all went smoothly and then we went through security quickly although I had to have the usual pat down.

So we made ourselves comfortable and watched the world go by at the departure gate. Lots of security for the arriving passengers now that the Queensland border has been closed again.

We boarded the Virgin Australia flight and were given ‘wellbeing’ packs with sanitiser cloths and facemasks which we were encouraged to wear. So we masked up and got ready to enjoy the flight. We enjoyed the couple of hours flying north enjoying spectacular views of the Great Barrier Reef along the way.

We arrived into Cairns and, because we are not Queensland residents, we were taken to one side and given a grilling about how we had got there (especially as we did not have a border pass). We explained that we hadn’t left Queensland since our arrival in March and they then wanted documentation to prove that. Luckily they accepted our marina bills as evidence on the iPad. Phew!

We collected our luggage and left the terminal. There was a phone at the taxi rank so I called them with our online booking number to be told that they had cancelled it and we would have to wait in line. Why?!? Anyway, luckily it didn’t take too long before we were picked up.

We arrived at our ‘fake’ Italian apartment building Il Palazzo and checked into our one-bedroomed unit. It was clean although pretty compact with very little drawer space so we ended up with having to live out of one of our suitcases. The kitchen was reasonably equipped and we did have laundry facilities so not all bad. But the disappointing thing was that we were on the pool / BBQ / courtyard level area so everyone who used this space would walk past our patio doors and could look straight in. So we ended up with curtains closed and living in a cave LOL although to be fair we were hardly in our room during the day anyway.

We headed out for a walk to pick up some provisions. Then we wandered the area checking out the lagoon (a free picnic / BBQ / pool area for everyone to use) and the promenade round to the marina. We returned back to the main drag and had dinner in the Rattle and Hum pub before returning to our apartment.

Sunday morning we awoke to a very cloudy and muggy day which threatened showers. So after breakfast we headed to the Cairns Aquarium and enjoyed checking out some of the fish and various other beasties. I know you are wondering why we would do this as scuba divers but Richard hasn’t got the all clear to dive and this was the closest we were going to get to the Great Barrier Reef right now! Was a fun way to spend the morning anyway.

After lunch the sun was trying to come out so we headed to the lagoon and enjoyed a lazy afternoon relaxing. On the way back to our apartment we had a couple of sundowners in the pub and then went back to our apartment via the night market where we had a cheap dinner in the food court.

Monday morning and we awoke to a brilliant sunny day. So we packed up a picnic and headed to the lagoon and worked on our tans. Was lovely and relaxing. We then went back to the apartment to get cleaned up, went to the street market again for dinner (the food was cheaper than cooking!) and then onto the casino for a quick flutter on the pokies. Afterwards we finished off in the pub and back to the apartment for the night.

Tuesday morning and we were booked for a trip on the Kuranda Scenic Railway. This was a tremendous feat of engineering when construction started in 1887 to link the rich gold mining belt to the sea as reliable supply routes needed to be found. This railway has 37km of track and ascends 327 metres above sea level incorporting 106 cuttings, 15 hand-carved tunnels, 55 bridges and 98 curves. The carriages are originally made from Silky Oak timber and date back to the early 1900s. We travelled Gold Class so had lovely comfortable seats combined with cabin service and complimentary food/drink throughout the two-hour journey into the rainforest. A real treat!

So enjoy the trip…….

Arriving at Kurunda we got the shuttle bus to the RainForestStation Nature Park and checked in for the Pamagirri Aboriginal Experience with a dance performance, digeridoo playing, spear and boomerang throwing. Was great fun as well as being quite educational about their traditions and culture.

They demonstrated their spear throwing skills by piercing a post, about 50m away, which represented hunting a kangaroo. Amazing!

Afterwards we were wandering through the cafe and souvenir shop to get the shuttle bus back to the village and spotted the ‘cuddle a koala’ sign. So went to explore and, before you know it, we were the only ones being led through to meet and cuddle Ollie who weighed about 8kgs. He must have thought I was a tree as he clung on tightly and I did wonder if he was going to kiss me at one stage LOL. Amazing experience which was made very special by the fact that we weren’t in line with loads of other tourists being hurried along…. Oh yes, interesting fact, did you know that baby koalas eat their mum’s poo to get their digestive system used to the poisonous eucalyptus leaves that is their staple diet.

Oh yes and Richard just can’t pass up the opportunity to wear a silly hat!

We then got the shuttle back to the village expecting to tour the artisan market only to find it is shut on a Tuesday. None of the promotional literature tells you that. Never mind there were a few stores open and we wiled away the time checking out some of the unusual snack items and artwork available before heading back to the train station for the return journey.

We enjoyed the train ride back just as much as the trip up. So here we go again….

Back into Cairns we walked into town, had a couple of drinks in the pub, before returning to the night markets for a takeaway dinner. Had been a long and tiring day.

Wednesday morning (12 August) was another relaxing day around the lagoon. It was very peaceful and quiet until around noon when the foreign students and backpackers get out of bed and descend on the place loaded down with BBQ supplies and bluetooth speakers. We heard German, English, Italian and Spanish being spoken in one big group. We managed to continue to socially distance even if that meant moving away a little….must be getting old LOL.

Late afternoon we got cleaned up and headed over to Prawn Stars trawlers for tea. Massive tiger prawns were the treat and it was lovely to sit on the deck of the fishing boat with local prawns and a chilled glass of sauvignon blanc as the sun went down. Smashing!

On the way back to our apartment we walked through the pretty illuminated trees along the wharf and enjoyed the night view of the lagoon before we stopped in for a final drink in Cairns (well at least for me, Richard is still on the wagon) at the pub and then headed back to the apartment as this was our last night in Cairns.

Thursday (13 August) we left Cairns to head north to Port Douglas so will do another blog shortly to bring you up to date. Bye for now.

Jan

Wednesday (29 July) we tidied up down below and did some laundry. During the afternoon we received an email from our current marina saying that they would be willing to match the (introductory) Sanctuary Cove quote if we would like to stay here instead for the month of August. Wow, another very generous move by The Boatworks who have looked after us so well since we returned to Australia. Although Sanctuary Cove has its many attractions (largely restaurants and access to a hotel pool) the main issue there is transport. Here we can book courtesy cars in advance for Richard’s medical appointments (plus it is a working marina so we can liveaboard without any issues) so we made the decision to stay put.

Thursday and Richard reinstalled all the lines in preparation for us getting the sails on in due course. Apart from that it was pretty much a lazy day onboard.

Friday morning and we started tackling the companionway boards and a couple of internal drawer fronts. So we sanded them down on the dock and gave them their first coat of varnish.

During the day the news came in that, because of an increase in Covid cases in New South Wales they had closed the border to people from the Greater Sydney area. And, of course, this is where my nephew and his family live even though they have had very few cases in their district. Checking out the new rules in more detail it turns out that, although we could definitely enter New South Wales as non-Queenslanders we would be refused entry on return by boat or face 14 days compulsory quarantine in a hotel (at our cost) if returning by land assuming that we would be able to secure a border pass in the first place as the restrictions tighten. So sadly there goes another reunion opportunity. We will see them one day just not sure when right now….

Late afternoon we picked up our courtesy car for the weekend and did some shopping at the Westfield mall before having a quiet night on board.

Saturday morning, picnic made and packed, we headed to our favourite spot at Paradise Point and enjoyed a few hours just people watching and relaxing in the sunshine. We found a place out of the wind so it was a very pleasant way to spend the day.

On the way back we popped into Sanctuary Cove thinking we would have a drink in one of the wine bars there overlooking the water but, as they were preparing for dinner, they wouldn’t serve drinks only. A bit of a wasted trip so we returned to Morphie.

Sunday morning and back out to Paradise Point again. This was a busy day at the sailing club with lots of dinghies being raced by kids and adults alike. Was fun to watch. But the strangest picture of the day has to be the guy who was taking his own floating pontoon with him up the river LOL.

Having enjoyed our picnic lunch we headed back to Morphie via Hope Island. We came across the tavern on the boardwalk overlooking the marina and enjoyed a couple of drinks there and watched the sun go down. Afterwards we headed back for another quiet night in.

Monday we returned the car to the marina, rubbed down the boards and the drawers again, and then varnished them on the dock. We left them outside to dry and headed back down below and talked through our plans for August. We don’t have that many boat jobs left to do with the majority of them really scheduled for the final week we are tied to the dock. For example we need to get the genoa and staysail on; need to activate our Iridium Go! tracker; unpickle and test the watermaker; and renew our navigation subscriptions etc. Which gives us a couple of weeks of sitting here on the presumption that we get the all clear to go sailing in September after the plethora of hospital tests and appointments for Richard at the end of August. So we decided to book another road trip – this time heading to Cairns for five nights and then on up to Port Douglas for four nights. We don’t really plan to sail that far north so very excited about this.

Tuesday we sanded the drawer fronts and the companionway boards again followed up by another coat of varnish (using the rubbed effect Epifanes for the internal drawers as opposed to the high gloss version for the exterior wood). Morphie sits looking pretty on the dock patiently waiting for the day she can get out there again.

Oh yes and our Lewmar stainless steel anchor locks arrived in the post which we had almost forgotten about as they had only taken two and a half months to arrive from the USA! This is the final bit of the bow project so Richard quickly installed them and they have two purposes. One is to secure the anchor and the other is to stop the chain bouncing off the newly-installed black starboard strips (in a big sea) and damaging the wood. They do look a great addition.

Whilst he was doing this I got on with the laundry again. Returning to the boat and the drawer fronts were dried so I reinstalled the stainless knobs and put them back in place. Richard kept busy filling up the boat with water again before another quiet night on board watching more box sets.

This morning, Wednesday, and I’m blogging while Richard does a final sand down and varnish of the companionway boards. And that will probably be it for the day although I have a car this afternoon to pick up a few bits of shopping and to see the doctor (just for prescriptions nothing more). The rest of the week will probably be taken up with getting our suitcases out again and packing for another Queensland adventure.

Oh yes and the Covid restrictions have just toughened up with the border between Queensland and New South Wales being completely closed again from Saturday morning as the Premier here continues to respond quickly to outbreaks elsewhere in the country. The situation has certainly not been helped by a number of idiots who have been caught breaching the border restrictions which have then led to clusters of infection in Queensland.

Stay safe everybody and bye for now.

Jan