Arch Cliffs to Bundaberg

Well that wasn't the best idea we've had this week.  Beautiful day yesterday and we just about had all of Hervey Bay to ourselves.   Anyway, we went over to Arch Cliffs thinking that this will be a nice quiet spot out of the wind for the next few days before we head up to Bundaberg.

It was out of the wind but the swell was coming from the South West all the way up the inside of Fraser Island and with the tide we were sitting side on.  Very uncomfortable nights sleep so we left early this morning for Bundaberg.

The forecast kept saying 15 - 20 knots southeasterly and 1 m swell from the north to northeast.  The reality is that we had 20 - 25 knots from the south (which was perfectly side on) and the swell was mostly south and even a little bit southwest (which again was mostly side on).

All in all a crappy trip up but we've done it now and we're in the marina at Bundaberg where we've booked for a week.  20-20 hindsight, with yesterdays perfect weather we should've come up then.  Oh well, you live and learn.  And we didn't even get any photos of Arch Cliffs :(

Torquay and Arch Cliffs

Yesterday we only went round the corner to Torquay and stayed overnight.  We saw a line of buoys that just looked like black plastic containers and anchored kind of near them but not too close.  Anyway, an hour or so later a guy on a jetski came up and told us that they were part of a designated training area for unlicenced jetski hirers.  Nice guy and we told him it didn't really worry us.  Anyway, we only saw a couple of jetskis in the entire afternoon.

This morning we went for a dinghy ride and walk up the esplanade just to see what was there.  Not a lot but we did manage a coffee and a quick trip to IGA to get the things we'd missed the day before.

We picked the rising tide so that there would be enough water over the 'Outer Banks' so we could take a shortcut on the way to Arch Cliffs and we got here about 4.30.  Looks really calm and we're in the shadow of the cliffs so when the southeasterly comes through it should be quite nice still.

Anyway, photos tomorrow

Urangan

Yesterday we left Garry's Anchorage around 10am so we had the right tide for an easy run up the strait.  Went about 10 or 12 nm up and stayed at South White Cliffs.  It's on the inside of Fraser Island and about 5 or 6 nm south of Kingfisher Bay resort.

Very quiet night and another beautiful sunset.

 

This morning we got up early and left at 6.30am so we could ride the tide up to Urangan.  Arrived about 11am and tied up in the marina.  A little bit of remote work configuring email and databases (which will need a bit more work tomorrow) and then we had a bus ride in to a major shopping centre in the Hervey Bay region to do the shopping.  About 10 days worth of dinners and the fridge is chockers.  Tomorrow we'll head off and I think we'll go over to Arch Cliffs and hang out there for a couple of days while the south easterly blows through.  When it's finished we'll head on up to Bundaberg.  Belinda is keen on getting a bottle of the Chocolate and Coffee liqueur and apparently you can only get it from the factory.

A couple of days there and then we'll look at going north again.  Over the weekend we did find out that there are less restrictions on the Shoalwater Bay area than we thought so we should be able to go through there without any problems this year.  We will however stick with our plan B idea of spending the July school holidays around Great Keppel Island, looks like a nice spot.

Garrys Anchorage

I wrote that last post before having a nap yesterday and ended up having two naps and then an early night. Great nights sleep but I did manage to get in a photo just before all of the light disappeared.

I felt a little bit cool when I woke up this morning and when I checked the current temp (at 0700) was only 5.9 degrees.  The sun didn't get over the island until about 0730 and when it did I took this shot.

We'll stay again tonight and probably head off further up the strait tomorrow.

Where are we page fixed

Actually, there was nothing wrong with the page, it was the old phone that I'd been using to keep track of us is still running Android 2.2.1 and the app no longer supported it. I've now installed it on my phone and will just turn it on and off manually so people know where we are.

Yes we are on our way north

After what seems like a few false starts, we feel like we are really on our way.  After the haulout and boat show we went back to Southport where we had arranged to leave the boat (again) on our last trip to Canberra before the end of the year.

Lewis had his first birthday and we wanted to be there and we also went to Glenn's 50th birthday as well so we stayed in Canberra for just over a week.  Crazy as it seems we have worked out that it is cheaper to get a hire car from the Canberra airport for 24 hours instead of a one way trip in a taxi.  Not by a little bit either, taxi = $68 (+ 10% if you pay with a card), hire car (Yaris = $42 for 24 hrs and it took $3.12 in petrol)

Anyway, we arrived back on the Gold Coast and Roger picked us up from the airport again (definitely cheaper than a taxi :)) and we stayed overnight before going back to the boat on the 9th, after dragging Roger to the supermarket to re-stock.

Finally left the mooring on the 10th and filled with water and fuel up before heading up to the bottom of Short Island.  About a 20nm run where we anchored for two nights due to strong wind warnings from the south.

Left Short Island and went up Canaipa Passage hugged the inside of North Stradbroke Island and stayed overnight in Lazaret Gutter at the top of Peel Island.  Still sheltering from the dying southerly.

We wanted to catch up with Raelene and BJ and see the new house so next stop was Scarborough for the weekend.  Got in mid afternoon on Saturday and stayed Saturday and Sunday nights.  Weather was pretty miserable but we did get to see the house and helped a bit with the deck, also use and abuse their washing machine and dryer.

Monday morning (15th) was an 0800 start for Mooloolaba with the dying southerly by still a fair amount of easterly swell.  Good thing was Moreton Island kept the worst of the swell away until we about level with Caloundra.  Anyway, we stayed at the Mooloolaba Wharf until yesterday catching up with Belinda's aunt Angie and Bob.  Lunch turned in to a long lunch followed by coffee on the boat.  Good to catch up as we haven't seen them since the last time we sailed through in 2010.

Yesterday afternoon (Thursday 18th) we left the dock and anchored in Mooloolaba waiting until 7pm before leaving so that we would make the tide for crossing Wide Bay Bar.  Notoriously bad and our last bar crossing for a long time.  In fact it will be this bar that we cross next when we come back in November.

Right now, we're anchored in Garrys Anchorage in the Great Sandy Strait having traveled about 180nm in the last 9 days.  Only had a couple of hours sleep in the last 24 so we'll probably have an afternoon nap.  Weather is beautiful, cool breeze but the sun is out and we're in shorts and t-shirt again. If that wasn't good enough, we have dolphins swimming around us.
 

Sancutary Cove boat show

Went off to the boat show today just to see what was there.  Actually there was a few jobs which were successfully completed but we also saw this fantastic table in a Lagoon 620. Now that would be cool! (Dad?).

The (early) haulout at Coomera

When we got back on the boat at the beginning of May we had this naive idea that we would be able to just fill up and head north.  Didn't quite happen like that.

Two new engine batteries, saildrive shafts needed to have a sprayweld(?) to build up the metal and then get machined again, new seals, new water pump, new alternator pulley and belt, just to name a few of the jobs.  Roger came out one day and helped us with the antifoul painting, now that we've spent the entire weekend polishing we really should have asked him to come back for another day and help with that too.  Next time!

Anyway, another bunch of money spent but a full on week of lots of hours and we're back where we belong on the water.  We're anchored just on the inside of South Stradbroke Island listening to the surf on the other side, hardly a breath of wind and just watched the sunset.  Life is back to normal :)

Autumn on the Gold Coast

Not a cloud in the sky, hardly a breath of wind.  Just sitting here listening to the leaf blowers and some road traffic.  Because it's mid week there's no water traffic.  Very nice spot to sit. :)

Solar working properly again at last

I've finally been able to replace 4 of the 6 panels that were damaged last year in the hail storm.  Means in addition to the fridge running all day and charging notebooks and phones and a little bit of hot water we've also added about 80 amp hour.  Not bad at all.