On 23rd October 2017, after a very rolly night and waking to a beautiful sunrise, we weighed anchor, cleared the pass between Recif To and Recif Le Sournois and entered the Coral Sea. With that, it was goodbye to New Caledonia and goodbye to the South Pacific Ocean, or so we thought, but not before we received a lovely send off as a large pod of dolphins crossed Paw Paw's bow as we exited the pass.
We had expected to motor-sail for the first 24 hours of this leg of our passage after spending the end of our previous leg anchored off Ilot Amédée, but around 1300 we entered the transition zone between the low pressure system, which had just passed southeast of New Caledonia, and the leading edge of the approaching high pressure system. That meant we picked up winds of 10 to 15 Kts, backing from the southwest through south to southeast, much sooner than forecast and allowed us to switch off the motors and enjoy a SOG (Speed Over Ground) of between 6 and 8 Kts as the wind speed strengthened and weakened. That definitely gave our VMG (Velocity Made Good) a boost for the day. In layman's terms, VMG is a measurement used to help us capitalise on our COG (Course Over Ground) that will give us the most direct course to our destination.
By 1600, though, in very lumpy seas, the winds dropped, so on went the engines again. Thankfully that only lasted for less than two hours before the winds picked up again and by sunset we were reefed down for the night and sailing at 6.5 Kts in 12 Kts of wind. However, just when we thought we'd be able to sail through the night and pick up the slightly stronger south-easterlies forecast for tomorrow, the wind shifted to the east at around 2200 and dropped, causing the mainsail to slam in the swell. So, under a clear moonless, starry night we were motor-sailing again, but on headsail alone. It certainly was a mixed bag for the day, none of which was forecast as usual.
By 0530 on 24th October 2017, the south-easterlies we were expecting had kicked in, so, up went the mainsail and off went the engines. However, by 0900, we started to encounter some squalls, so back out on deck to furl the head sail and reef the main. Fortunately the rain passed fairly swiftly and gave Paw Paw a nice freshwater rinse, but with slightly stronger winds than forecast, we decided to keep the main reefed before unfurling a full head sail and, with that, we had transitioned into the high pressure area; sunny blue skies, with a scattering of puffy white clouds. Of course, with all this activity, a few dolphins popped by to see what was going on.
Fortunately these conditions held and Wednesday, 25th October 2017 was another gorgeous day under sunny blue skies, with winds around 12 - 17 Kts out of the southeast. Perfect sailing conditions on a beam reach for Paw Paw, allowing for speeds of 8.5 to 9.5 Kts in relatively subdued seas on a single reefed main and full genoa. Other than a few birds, a cruise ship and a number of cargo ships, we had no other company, but we were in contact with other yachts that were also underway via the SSB/HF radio nets and with family and friends via email.
As expected, though, we ran out of wind around 2100 as we entered the calm area of the high pressure system and slowed down as planned. We altered course to avoid the Kalso Bank a few miles north of us and then set a course for our theoretical "mooring ball" in order to remain north of 25S and east of 155E, where we had planned to hove-to for 6 - 12 hours, if necessary. This was a contingency option to allow the worst of the weather associated with the tail end of a low pressure frontal system that was passing south of us. Our hope was that Mother Nature would clear the way sooner and allow us to alter course, without delay, directly for Southport, Australia. In the interim, with the cruise ship, Pacific Aria, for company and Paw Paw surrounded in bioluminescence, under a waning moon, we continued westward.
On 26th October 2017, we enjoyed a very peaceful and relaxing day under sunny blue skies and flat seas, so we decided to enjoy a barbecue for dinner and use up the last of our fresh vegetables. With the latest forecast still showing the frontal weather to the south of us, but starting to clear, the winds had shifted to northerly and dropped to below 10 Kts as expected. As a result, we motor-sailed through part of the night, then switched off the engines and dawdled along under sail at 4.8 Kts, taking us to our revised theoretical "mooring ball" and negating the need to hove-to overnight.
By Friday, 27th October 2017 it was a case of “feast or famine” regarding the weather conditions, which had continued unabated during this sailing season, just as they had during the previous one. In the early hours of the morning the north-westerlies kicked in about six hours ahead of the forecast which resulted in us having to alter course before reaching our preferred position. We weren't too far off, though, in the grand scheme of things, passing just 30NM to the south of our theoretical "mooring ball". This earlier course change brought with it the stronger winds and higher seas as expected, given that we were sailing around the tail end of the front. While the skies remained sunny all day, the conditions were a total contrast to those we’d experienced the day before. We were sailing with a third reefed main and a double reefed headsail in anything from 15 to 23 Kts of wind and in at least a 2.5 to 3 metre swell. The good news was that these conditions were forecast to moderate and subside overnight, as we approached the Australian coastline, which they did. By then we were sailing on a double reefed mainsail with a full genoa and definitely looking forward to "land ahoy".
On our last day at sea, the winds and seas moderated and we started the day sailing in light north-westerlies, then motoring in light westerlies, but as the wind swung back to the southeast at around 0800 we enjoyed another fabulous day of sailing at 8.5 Kts in 12 Kts of wind and flat seas; it doesn't get much better than that! That night we "drifted along" on a slither of a head sail, since we had to wait on the flooding tide the next morning before we could cross the sand bar at the entrance of the Gold Coast Seaway.
In many ways this passage reminded us a lot of our Pacific Ocean crossing, with the exception of our penultimate day at sea, where the very tumultuous sea state reminded us of our New Zealand to Fiji passage. Fortunately it was only for a few hours and not days and there was no cyclone involved! At this point, though, we had nothing but praise for the Australian Bureau of Meteorology and their extremely accurate forecasting, which allowed us to plot our course for the most favourable conditions, something which had been hit and miss using the other available weather forecasting services. Having accurate information to make our decisions made the world of difference!
On Log Day 657, Sunday, 29th October 2017 we reached Australia; a momentous occasion for any sailor on a circumnavigation since it denoted halfway, but for us it felt like we had come full circle. Some thirty years ago and a few years before our son was born, we sold up everything; house, cars, furniture we didn’t need, etc, rented a small townhouse and used company cars for transportation. With both our job offers in Sydney finalised, we awaited our final documentation to immigrate to Australia. Then both Elaine's sisters gave birth to a son each a few months before Christmas of that year and Elaine realised she didn't want to move country, away from family and friends. Although exasperated, Roy went along with the decision not to move to Australia and our lives took a very different path. Two years after that decision was made, we had a son of our own and a few years later we moved country anyway. In fact, we moved country five times after that, ending up in the US before moving on to Paw Paw and becoming full-time cruisers in March 2014. There was definitely a surreal feeling at the idea that we were now sailing into Australia, all these years later. Reaching Australia and getting settled as soon as possible also meant we got to fly back to the US to see our family, especially our beautiful grandchildren; nearly a year since our previous visit had been far too long!
At around 0600, Elaine shouted "land ahoy" and, with that, it was "hello Australia". We couldn't have asked for better conditions to transit the Gold Coast Seaway in completely flat seas. In fact, it was so calm it reminded us of our approach into the Galapagos Islands. Having contacted the VMR (Volunteer Marine Rescue) services at the Seaway on our approach, given the slight conditions, we obtained directions to proceed straight down the centreline, even though it was an hour before low tide. Finding our way to the quarantine dock in the Southport Yacht Club marina was just as straight forward. We had arrived safe and sound and definitely in one of the most sophisticated places we had ever sailed Paw Paw into.
While we awaited the arrival of the customs and immigration officials, we enjoyed our end of passage celebratory drink, even though it was 0900 in the morning. Soon thereafter the officials arrived and completed our clearing in process which was swiftly followed by the arrival of the biosecurity officials and we were happy to report that we received two separate compliments; Customs were impressed with the manner in which the Small Craft Arrivals form had been completed, given that there were no omissions and that Elaine had taken the time to complete their section for them, providing the information that the officials would have had to ask her for on arrival anyway before they could complete the form. Secondly, the biosecurity team was so impressed at how organised, neat and clean Paw Paw was, commenting that ours was the easiest inspection that they had ever completed and rewarded us by not charging any overtime fees for a Sunday clearance. We were also able to dispel quite a few myths about the Australian Border Force procedure, given our experience; they didn't care at all about the condition of Paw Paw's bottom, dairy products, honey or alcohol and our holding tanks were not plugged, obviously with the understanding that we would follow standard protocol in this regard.
With clearance completed, next stop was the marina office to complete their paperwork, collect our security access tags, obtain some initial information on the location of the various services we needed and directions to the nearest restaurant; their very own Southport Yacht Club restaurant and what an unexpected afternoon we ended up having. A delicious meal was followed by dancing to a fabulous live band, which included guest performances by Chris Knight from "Australia's Buddy Holly Show" and various artists from the "Sixties Show". It was definitely a very festive atmosphere and we learnt that this was pretty typical of the various clubs around the area for a Sunday afternoon. What was completely fascinating and striking about the entire experience was that the club was packed with senior citizens, all of whom were slim, fit and trendy, dressed in the latest designer fashions; men and woman alike. We'd also learnt earlier in the day that "Millionaire's Row" was just beyond the bridge from the marina, which certainly explained the demographic of the Yacht Club patrons. Regardless, they were all up dancing and having a jolly good time. It was the perfect setting to celebrate our safe arrival, an excellent passage and the completion of our semi-circumnavigation. We topped off our day with a stroll over to the beach and had a good giggle at, what we realised, must have seemed like a completely ridiculous question which we had asked Storm Dancer (Del and Craig) after meeting them in Fiji; were there any beaches nearby? Well, there is nothing but beautiful white sandy beaches everywhere, which go on for miles and miles. They truly must have thought we were nuts!
After only a few hours of sleep, Roy woke Elaine at 0430 on the morning of Monday, 30th October 2017. At first she grumbled thinking it was time for her watch, but then remembered that we had to move Paw Paw off the quarantine dock and, since strong winds were forecast, we wanted to take advantage of the calmer conditions first thing in the morning. Fortunately we received some help with the docklines from Paul off EZ GO, as we approached our berth, since he also happened to be awake at that ridiculous hour. We soon discovered that Queensland didn't have daylight savings, so we resigned ourselves to the fact that we'd probably be awake at that time most mornings, through the summer at least, and that’s exactly what happened; we were both bright eyed and bushy tailed at the crack of dawn every morning, which also meant there were no excuses for not taking an early morning walk on the beach.
We got through that first day, though, fuelled on caffeine from one too many cups of coffee, which is generally something we don't do. However, it allowed us to get through quite a number of priority tasks. First, was making arrangements so we could cancel our US cell phone and data service with T-Mobile after more than 15 years and after being strong advocates for their unlimited international roaming services which they provided in 140 different countries. Unfortunately, none of these countries included the South Pacific Islands as well as New Zealand, but it definitely included Australia and most of the Southeast Asian countries we had planned on visiting over the course of the next few years. So, for the best part of 18 months, we’d paid for a service we hadn't been able to use, but expected to enjoy the benefits again once we arrived in Australia. Well, to no avail. Some bright spark in the boardroom of T-Mobile decided to half the bandwidth of the data service as of July 2017 without notifying us of these intentions, which rendered the service completely useless to us, but they were nonetheless still prepared to try and up-sell us to the service level we previously had. So, plan B, obtain a local Australian service and, with that, our explorations of Australia commenced. By this stage we had also worked out the local bus service route, so, after making our way to the closest tram station which took us into the town centre of Southport, we started the process of obtaining local sim cards, opening a local bank account, getting some groceries and reserving a car to explore further afield.
Since we've banked with HSBC for more than 30 years, we'd decided that that was probably the best option. What were we thinking! They point blank rejected us, stating that, although we'd be legally living in Australia for the next year or more, we didn't have a utility bill or an Australian drivers license, apparently a new policy from that year. Using local transportation or Uber and having our utilities powered by solar and wind wasn't enough to convince them. Fortunately the next bank we approached was far more helpful, although, given that all we wanted was a savings account with a debit card so that we could use the "tap and pay" facilities which are widely used in Australia, as apposed to cash or a credit card, we still had to jump through a myriad of hoops, answering all sorts of questions that really had no bearing on what we required. After waiting two hours for an appointment and another hour answering all the questions, we eventually walked out with a bank account. Of course, the next challenge was actually receiving the cards in the mail before we had planned to leave the marina at the weekend. That little issue paled into insignificance over the following days, though.
Getting sim cards, however, proved to be far more challenging and turned into the most bureaucratic process we had ever encountered and, for our troubles, still did not have a service by the time the day came to a close, as we had to await approval from yet another department we had to correspond with. After attempting to sign up to one of the various options, including one that we discovered was subsequently no longer available, although advertised in the pamphlets and literature we’d received and not obtaining approval based on the "promo code" we entered, because we had purchased the card in a store and not ordered it online, the latter of which was to be mailed to us, but we had no address and, at that point, we were scratching our heads and wondering how that would even be possible without an online service to order a card to begin with. This fiasco was followed by having to hold on for hours at a tremendous expense while using our T_Mobile service, which we hadn’t cancelled at this point, trying to reach their support centre, before giving up and trying the online Instant Messaging support option. At this point there was some progress after providing passport details, birth date and emailing a form of identification to them.
Making a car hire reservation was the last straw after receiving instructions on how to collect the car: "DRIVE along the Gold Coast highway and turn left onto Beach Road". Say, no more; besides the fact that we had absolutely no idea where the Gold Coast highway was, we had no CAR! We needed a stiff drink by this stage, so we returned to the Southport Yacht Club for exactly that. By the time we got back to Paw Paw, it was dark, we were exhausted and couldn't be bothered to cook dinner, so we settled on going straight to bed after a cup of tea and a slice of freshly baked Cobb loaf. Through this entire frustrating day we did, however, find the time for freshly baked jam doughnuts and more coffee to keep a cheery disposition and Elaine decided that a reflexology session was exactly what she needed. This is something she had never tried before, but it was definitely heaven on earth for her tired feet and body.
Returning to a degree of landlubber life for an extended period of time was definitely proving to be more challenging than we first thought, including the constant background noise levels everywhere we went, but we’d hoped that our frame of mind on this particular day was somewhat affected by our fatigue and that all would be well in our world again once we'd completed all these initial tasks. We were, however, thoroughly enjoying everything else Australia had to offer. The convenient and modern transportation system with a combination of buses, trains and light rail services depending on where we were, the fabulous malls and supermarkets, an abundance of great cafés and restaurants, the beautiful beaches, the cleanliness, the well-maintained gardens and parks, the extremely helpful marina staff with all the services we needed at our doorstep and, mostly, the friendliness of the people. A good dose of patience and tolerance was all we needed to help us deal with the bureaucracy, but of this we had been warned!
However, arriving in Australia, little did we know at the time that our lives were about to take a very unexpected turn and, in fact, very nearly halted our sailing adventures altogether. What the unforeseen event did do, though, was force us to stay in Australia for far longer than we had planned, but that, in turn, afforded us the opportunity to catch up with friends we hadn’t seen in more than twenty years since leaving South Africa, it allowed us to make more visits back to the US and the UK than previously envisaged to see family and friends, it afforded us the opportunity to return to New Caledonia during the 2018 winter sailing season, it allowed us to keep our plans to have Justine and Paul visit us, albeit that it was in a slightly different location of the Australian coastline and, most importantly, although a very tedious process because Elaine’s diagnosed conditions were more aggressive than first thought, it allowed her to receive vastly more affordable healthcare compared to the US and efficient at the same time.
Setting aside the “medical blues”, though, we definitely enjoyed our time in Australia and everything that Australia had to offer. It was easy to see why many South Africans chose to resettle here rather than other parts of the world. The laidback, friendly attitude of the Australians was something we noticed immediately, but finding a myriad of our favourite South African products in most stores, especially one of Elaine’s favourite chocolates, Peppermint Crisps, definitely went a long way to making us feel at home and tilted the scales to Australia becoming our favourite western country. We also found Australia to be a strange mix of what life in South Africa was like, including the very similar climate, with a bit of the UK influence thrown in, especially the universal healthcare, but with all the modern infrastructure. It was the outdoor lifestyle, coupled with the Australian’s love of being in or on the water, that were definitely the most striking aspect.
Given that we were in Australia for more than 18 months, there was plenty we got to see and enjoy, but one of our favourite areas was discovered on our very first leisurely stroll that we took soon after our arrival in Gold Coast; Tedder Avenue village centre, and it remained a favourite place to visit on each of our many subsequent visits to the Gold Coast. For us, it was a very tranquil area, although right in the middle of the hustle and bustle, with its lovely gardens, restaurants, coffee shops, boutique stores, a bakery, a convenience store, medical services, etc. In fact, we think much of its appeal was probably the European feel it had.
In the interest of brevity, though, we’ve decided to split our time in Australia into separate articles, which we hope will provide a better feel for the country and our experiences of the various places we visited, amenities we enjoyed and the few aspects we found difficult, primarily experienced as full-time cruisers rather than what a landlubber would have to deal with.
The Gold Coast and, in particular, the Southport area, definitely became “home away from home” for us. It was a place we returned to the most during our sailing adventures in Australia and it was the place that provided us with the first impressions, particular all the high-rise buildings as we approached the Australian coastline. We later learnt these comprised mainly of the buildings of Surfers Paradise. It was also the place where we were able to establish ourselves in Australia with various services that made life easier, where we were able to purchase various new household items that needed to be replaced on Paw Paw since last doing so in New Zealand, where there was somewhere to haul us out with a large enough travel lift and it was a base from which Elaine could travel to Sydney for her continued care.
Besides our visits to the Tedder Avenue Bakery on occasion for a pie or Crema Expresso for a coffee, breakfast or lunch, it was Roy's trip to the local barber that cemented his views on Australia; drinking a beer, while having his hair cut by a very attractive female barber, left him in awe, to the point that he had great difficulty in attempting to regale his experience to Elaine when he returned to the Southport Yacht Club. Other places we enjoyed during our visits included the Southport Yacht Club restaurant where we either stopped for a coffee or hot chocolate to warm up after being drenched in the rain on more than one occasion or having drinks and a Sunday roast dinner while enjoying the Sunday evening entertainment, sundowners at the Mirage marina shopping centre, enjoying long walks on the beach going as far as Surfers Paradise at times or stopping in for breakfast “Aussie style” at the Main Beach Surf Life Saving Club; croissants served with apricot jam and Vegemite. What was lovely about these walks, was the choice of walking along the beach or walking along the nature's trail. On an exploratory walk along Spit Beach to the Seaway during a subsequent visit to Gold Coast, we were surprised to find pathways, gardens and picnic areas, not to mention people swimming and snorkelling in the Seaway itself, with jet skis and powerboats racing up and down. We were convinced these people had a death wish and were amazed that there weren’t any serious or fatal accidents on this waterway. A stop at the Sea World Resort on a later visit provided another pleasant surprise when we learnt that non-guests were welcome, providing a far closer venue for a coffee or a sundowner.
On this first visit to Gold Coast, being close to Christmas, we also enjoyed the Mayor's Christmas Carols at the Broadwater Parklands, followed by a spectacular fireworks display. That certainly inspired us to deck Paw Paw's halls! However, more often than not, we would dinghy over to the west side of the Broadwater to visit the Australia Fair mall to do our provisioning and enjoy a mid-morning coffee at the Breadtop, accompanied by the best jam doughnuts we’ve ever tasted. Trips to one of our favourite shopping malls of all times, the Pacific Fair mall, was definitely a highlight as well, where we enjoyed unusual lunches like a pulled-pork Cuban sandwich or got our local sim cards eventually, purchased new bed linen for Roy, replaced Elaine's comb and nail clippers which had mysteriously disappeared following our trip back to the US in November 2017, purchased some new tea towels and a new memory foam mattress topper for Elaine's bed, shopped for a few more comfortable outfits for Elaine; some loose fitting, airy and lightweight cotton shorts and t-shirts, as well as a few small gifts for our visits to see family and friends. There was nothing we couldn’t find here, although yacht parts and spares were very expensive in many cases.
One of our better discoveries from a convenience perspective, though, having returned from our adventures in Sydney and along the New South Wales coast and after deciding to risk our lives in the dinghy and head across the waterway to the opposite side of South Stradbroke Island over the Easter weekend of 2018, despite all the power-boaters and jet-skiers, was the Runaway Bay shopping mall, but, more importantly, a public pontoon, supplied by the shopping centre and specifically welcoming sailors; a first in Australia for us and very much appreciated. It was a place we returned to for our bulk provisioning before heading north later that year to meet Justine and Paul in the Great Sandy Straits and again in 2019 prior to our departure north heading to SE Asia. They deserved our business for sure!
Southport was also the place where we got to purchase a cruising guide to New South Wales, immediately setting about defining a sailing itinerary for that summer of 2017 / 2018 and, more importantly, making the necessary navigational notes, specifically around what anchorages were available and what conditions were required to cross the bars at the various destinations. In fact, this was a huge factor for all our sailing around Australia and on more than one occasion we felt like we were trying to align the planets just to move from one port to the next.
By Wednesday, 1st November 2017, though, after a hectic few days following our arrival in Australia, we were both feeling a little worse for wear, but we had a lot to sort out. It hadn't helped that we were both bright eyed and bushy tailed every morning with the very early sunrises. That morning, however, we "slept in" until 0530, but then it was time to get ready for the day, walk to the tram station which took us to Surfers Paradise, collect our hired car and then drive out to Jacobs Well, where we had planned to leave Paw Paw on a mooring ball owned by Storm Dancer (Del and Craig), who were kind enough to offer it to us, since they weren’t using it and it would allow us to return to the US to see our loved ones; our first visit since seeing everyone a year prior.
Having successfully collected the car and made it safely to Jacobs Well, with assistance from the Volunteer Rescue Services, who took Roy out on their boat to locate the exact mooring ball, we then discovered it was occupied by a large barge and had a huge houseboat anchored almost on top of the ball. Since no one knew who the barge belonged to and who put it there, we couldn’t use the mooring ball and, with that, it was a mad scramble to find another place to leave Paw Paw while we return to the US to see the family. We weren’t to know at the time, though, that years later this would be the venue of a very sad memorial service for our friends Del and Craig, who had changed their yacht’s name to Ohana-Uli by then and who were lost at sea.
Every marina we called was full and their swing moorings under long term lease. Fortunately the Southport Yacht Club found a berth owner who could rent us his berth for a few weeks as he was sailing his yacht to Sydney. Of course, this came with its own complications, in that the longest period a transient could stay in the marina, was a month without becoming a member and we'd already been in the marina for nearly a week, not to mention, that since this was the creme de la creme of yacht clubs in the area, it was costing a small fortune. We were, nonetheless, definitely grateful to find somewhere to leave Paw Paw. So, with the time constraints associated with the berth, we then scrambled to get all our international flights changed to leave sooner than planned and to sort out the public transportation system to get us to Brisbane Domestic Airport, as well as our internal flights, hotels, etc.
Other activities included getting our propane tanks filled, purchasing an additional two house batteries and purchasing yet another starter battery for our starboard engine; the second one in as many months, given a wiring fault uncovered during our passage to Australia, but unfortunately at the price of another battery. We did, however, take a breather from all this mayhem to enjoy our first visit to the Pacific Fair mall, where we finally got our local sim cards, and enjoyed a delicious, relatively inexpensive lunch. We'd also had the pleasure of Time Bandit's (Anne and Stuart) company as they arrived in the marina en route to Sydney, but we'd completely forgotten it was Halloween, when we all decided to have dinner at the Southport Yacht Club, undertaken over the noise of all the children dressed in their costumes and enjoying the Halloween party at the club. Plastic Plankton (Kathi and Wolgang) had also arrived by then, but they were boat bound on the quarantine dock. We bumped into Time Bandit a second time unexpectedly, after they'd changed their plans to stay an extra night in the marina, so we all headed to the Surfers Club on the beachfront for sundowners, bringing an end to a number of very long days. It is fair to say, though, that having spent these few days out and about, we never thought we would find a country that rivalled America in terms of its infrastructure and amenities, but Australia definitely did. In fact, there were so many great restaurant choices that we'd hardly eaten onboard since our arrival and the mall was far superior to any mall we'd visited in the US, which, in itself, was hard to beat. We weren’t looking too closely at the state of our budget by then, though!
The following few days continued to be busy with getting ourselves and Paw Paw ready for our return to the US. On the morning of Thursday, 2nd November 2017 we moved Paw Paw to her new home for the next few weeks and, fortunately, we were enjoying a visit from Plastic Plankton ( Kathi and Wolgang) at the time, so they were able to help us with the docklines. Once that was all done, it was time to get the laundry done and start packing. In between all of that we purchased the additional medical insurance coverage we needed for visiting the US, installed the two new house batteries, replaced the "Damp Rid" in all the cupboards to, hopefully, prevent an issue with dampness on our return, pickled the watermaker, cleared the cockpit, secured the mainsail and sheets, treated the water tanks and defrosted the freezer to prevent any science projects sprouting during our absence.
By Saturday, 4th November 2017, after sailing halfway around the world, we were on our way back to where we started, using every form of transportation except a yacht; we were up early for our five minute walk to the Tedder Avenue bus stop, where we caught a bus to Helensvale Train Station, then a train to Brisbane Domestic Airport for our flight to Sydney, enjoying a very efficient public transportation service and a very friendly clearance through airport security. So refreshing! With just one more sleep until we saw the family, our excitement was beyond words and, fortunately, in all, we had a very uneventful journey all the way to Arizona. Everything was on time and ran like clockwork. Flying first class on the international leg of the journey, complements of Keenan, was a definite bonus, but we weren't expecting the miserable, overcast and rainy weather we encountered in Sydney. Fortunately the hotel for our overnight stay was right at the international terminal, so we didn't have far to walk in the rain the following morning.
By Saturday, 25th November 2017, after a wonderful time with the family in Arizona, we were up bright and early to collect our hired car and commence the first stage of our long journey back to Australia and Paw Paw, but not before a very difficult and tearful goodbye to all our sweethearts. The time together had passed far too quickly. Since we had to move our international flight earlier by a day, due to an overbooked flight, and given that all the internal flights were full, there was nothing like a road trip to Los Angeles in bumper to bumper traffic to add insult to injury. Fortunately we got to the airport with plenty of time to spare before our flight that night, but our hearts ached with each passing mile; a definite downside to this vagabond lifestyle of ours!
Well, our return flight wasn't first class, but it was free; or, was it? Our new downwind sail and some of our cloths didn't arrive with us in Sydney, although the last status indicated that everything had been loaded in Los Angeles. By Sunday, 26th November 2017, we were back in Australia and hoping that the airlines could find our baggage, otherwise this trip was going to turn into a rather expensive undertaking and become a major headache to replace our sail from Australia. It's fair to say that we had definitely been spoilt with our air travel over the past few years, so having to travel economy for the first time in forever, definitely reminded us just how unpleasant air travel had become; cramped, uncomfortable and exhausting, particularly on a fifteen hour flight and it didn’t help that Roy appeared to be coming down with something. It would be a while before we complained again about a passage on Paw Paw. At least on passage we have all our home comforts at our finger tips no matter where we choose to roam and the officialdom processes are far more enjoyable and efficient when entering or leaving a country by yacht. Of course, we crossed the international dateline again and, therefore, lost yet another day of our lives, but, regardless, although we enjoyed our time with the family and would miss them all over again, we were both looking forward to getting back to Paw Paw and our very peaceful, calm and fulfilling lifestyle!
Our domestic flight on Qantas from Sydney to Brisbane on Monday, 27th November 2017, was very refreshing indeed. The gate opened on time, following which ALL passengers were requested to board; no call for platinum, gold, silver, bronze, diamond, ruby, frequent flyers, etc and we were all greeted by name as our boarding passes were scanned. Everyone was loaded on a completely full 737-800 aircraft in ten minutes flat. Amazing! Then a healthy snack of hummus, celery sticks, cheese and crackers was served, accompanied by either a fresh fruit juice, water, coffee or tea, regardless of the fact that it was just a one hour flight. Having to wait only six minutes for our shuttle after our arrival, which dropped us off right at the Southport Yacht Club, was the cherry on the cake. Exhausted and feeling like death warmed up by then, we were both delighted to see Paw Paw and crawl into our own beds.
The Tuesday morning was spent liaising with Delta Airlines both in Sydney and the US to try and obtain clarity on the status of our missing luggage. It was only when Elaine suggested that the sailbag resembled a mailbag, that the light bulbs went on; it had been unloaded in Sydney as mail. It was a great relief to receive the phone call later in the day indicating that the missing item had been delivered to Coolangatta Gold Coast airport and was ready for collection. Unfortunately, with Roy feeling dreadful and having to spend most of the day in bed after starting a course of antibiotics for tonsillitis, a chest infection, sore ears and a splitting headache, we decided that collecting the sail could wait another day. Elaine, however, managed to mustered up some energy to start the process of getting Paw Paw back in order and unpack. A walk to Tedder Avenue for a late lunch and to buy a few things for a light dinner helped clear the cobwebs, but we were both "man down" by early evening.
By Wednesday, 29th November 2017 we were both feeling a little more human and the antibiotics had kicked in for Roy. A short walk to the nearest tram station, a tram ride and a connecting bus journey got us to the airport without any hassle. Finding the sail damaged because some bright spark had decided to drag the sailbag across the tarmac, rather than carry it was, however, infuriating and, of course, there was no recourse. Fortunately it was repairable, but another saga we would have preferred to avoid. The rest of the day was spent doing laundry, then, since it was Roast Night at the Southport Yacht Club, we settled for a very tasty early dinner.
The following morning, awake at 0430, we took advantage of the time to catch up with family in Ireland and Arizona. Having William recognise our voices immediately, followed by his cheerful and enthusiastic: "Hi Grandma, hi Grandpa" was a wonderful start to our day. Then, while Roy dealt with some landlubber matters and investigated a possible leak in the dinghy, Elaine eventually completed the task of unpacking and getting Paw Paw organised again. That afternoon we dinghied over to the Australian Fair mall to make a start on our provisioning, while we awaited a weather window to head south.
Our preparations for departure continued over the next few days, including repairs to our new “chicken chute” and socking it, replacing the anchor swivel and the water sensor in the starboard saildrive, stowing all our new spares while setting aside all the DYI items to be completed over that cyclone season and completing our provisioning. We also decided to pay the marina to stay an extra few days, given the storm that was battering the southeast coast of Australia and which was forecast to reach us by Saturday, 2nd December 2017.
With the arrival of the bad weather, as expected, we had an interrupted night's sleep, but with Elaine's new mattress topper, she still woke fresh as a daisy. So, after catching up with Justine in the UK, she decided to bake soda bread and prepare a full cooked breakfast, something we both struggled to remember the last time we were able to do that. Having mushrooms again was also definitely a luxury. Then while Roy lounged around, Elaine decided it was the perfect day to deck Paw Paw's halls, topping off the day with drinks at the Yacht Club while enjoying the Sunday evening entertainment.
By Tuesday, 5th December 2017, our final preparations for our passage to Sydney were underway, including rigging our new downwind "chicken chute", preparing our passage meals and completing our pre-sail checklist activities. We had definitely enjoyed our first visit to Gold Coast, but as Roy pointed out to the ladies in the marina office, if we stayed any longer, he'd have to purchase a toupee, a Mercedes-Benz and a Southport Yacht Club membership, the latter of which they were more than willing to provide.
That afternoon, after catching up with Keenan, who had been looking after all the babies on his own over the previous few days, but seemed to have survived the ordeal while Brooke enjoyed some "mother-daughter" time in Oregon, we decided to enjoy another walk along the beach, given that we'd be "boat bound" for the next few days. However, before we even made it to the beach we were both nearly knocked over by an elderly man racing to get the only vacant disabled parking spot. As Elaine jumped backwards and Roy jumped forwards, he came careening into the parking spot, hitting the curb with an almighty bump and then had the audacity to get annoyed with us for walking in front of him, although he admitted to seeing Roy holding Elaine's hand as she limped across the road. Instead of getting into an altercation with him, we decided to just walk on. What we weren't expecting, however, was that on our way back from our walk along the beach, he approached us and asked us to please accept his apology for being so rude. Our faith in the Aussies was restored!
On Wednesday, 6th December 2017, we had an early start to make our way through the Gold Coast Seaway just before high tide and, with that, we said our goodbyes to the Southport Yacht Club where Paw Paw had spent a month in luxury and where we had thoroughly enjoyed the amenities of the surrounding area.
Under sunny blue skies, as we rounded Cape Byron under full sails, we picked up our "magic carpet" ride; an additional 2 to 3 kts of speed, complements of the East Australian Current and enjoyed speeds of 9 to 10 Kts for most of the afternoon. That night, under a bright moon, but with the winds having died down, we were motor-sailing on the genoa alone, but still enjoying speeds of up to 8 Kts. We were keeping a vigilant watch, though, as we ducked and dived around numerous cargo ships coming up the coast. However, we were in the company of a few other yachts and land was constantly visible, as we were only 10 to 15NM off the coast. It was a most unusual passage to say the least!
By Thursday, 7th December 2017, another look at the weather prompted us to reluctantly change our destination from Sydney to Port Stephens. Unfortunately the unfavourable weather associated with a low pressure system was now forecast to come further up the coast than previously predicted. So, rather than having it meet us en route, we decided to slow down to make Port Stephens by first light the following morning. This would coincide with the rising tide and allow us to make a safe entry. Trying to slow down in the East Australian Current was another matter entirely, though. With a slither of a headsail out, we were still doing an average of 6.2 Kts. That night, however, we were able to motor-sail with a full headsail and one engine ticking over, which gave us a little more control over our speed and arrival time and there was plenty to keep us occupied too, given the constant stream of cargo ships, reminding us of Panama City in many ways. There was also a huge bush fire raging and we could smell the resulting smoke nearly 10NM offshore. Add to that the haze from the smoke on top of a very dark night while we awaited the moon and vigilance was definitely required. Of course, having dolphins to entertain us on two separate occasions during that day added to the enjoyment of our passage and, although we were frustrated by the weather window closing sooner than forecast, forcing us to stop at Port Stephens, we were very glad we diverted for a host of reasons.
At about 12NM out we had a wind shift from a northerly of 6 Kts to a southerly of 25 Kts in a space of two minutes, destroying our starboard genoa car stirrup. Fortunately the stronger winds didn't last long, allowing us to make our destination safely, but the winds had stayed southerly and in completely the wrong direction for us to head further south. Then, after we were anchored, had a nap and had just finished putting Paw Paw back in order, a thunderstorm developed, packing winds of 32 Kts. Fortunately that too only lasted about twenty minutes.
Based on the latest forecast, it appeared we would be in Port Stephens until after the weekend at least. However, we couldn’t complain as the area reminded us of the Bay of Islands in New Zealand with the same "sleepy hollow" feeling. It was very picturesque and, more importantly, tranquil; a welcome change after our whirlwind trip to the US and the hubbub of Gold Coast. There was, of course, one major exception to the Bay of Islands in that the majority of bays in Port Stephens all had bars, restaurants, shops etc, on shore. Anchored in Salamander Bay, it was also a relatively short walk to the Salamander Shopping mall and various amenities, which we discovered the following day.
The highlight of our day though, was our dolphin escort. A pod of about twenty to thirty dolphins frolicked in Paw Paw's bows and to either side of her from about 6NM out until we reached the entrance to Port Stephens and we were lined up with the leading light. At that point they simply disappeared. Although we have seen dolphins in various parts of the world on numerous occassions, we had never had the experience of an escort. It was a very special encounter indeed!
On Saturday, 9th December 2017, after a lazy morning onboard and a late breakfast of freshly baked crumpets, we headed ashore where we beached the dinghy and enjoyed a walk through the village of Salamander. It was lovely to stretch our legs after three days of being "boat bound”. Our walk eventually took us to the Salamander Shopping mall where we enjoyed a mid-afternoon coffee and a few delights from Ma Belle Patisserie before Roy received a free haircut at the local barber shop. Yes, free. The young lady, who was an apprentice barber, needed someone to practise on and Roy had no trouble succumbing to the request, given that there was plenty of room for error.
On our return to the dinghy we stumbled upon a memorial to HMS / HMAS Psyche, the "Forgotten Cruiser", constructed in 1899 and which, unfortunately, after years of service in the Royal Navy prior to and during the First World War, carrying out patrols off the Burma, Indo-China, the Bay of Bengal and Eastern Australia's coastlines, sank during a storm in Salamander Bay on 8th December 1924, 93 years ago to the day and would always be remembered as one of the first ships of the Royal Australian Navy.
The highlight of our day though, was receiving a video of the twins trying to walk. Thus far they’d both worked out how to stand up and balance on their own, with Carter being so delighted with himself that he started to bounce on his little legs then flopped down again. Brayden on the other hand managed to stand a little longer and had plenty to say for himself while he did so. We had hoped they would both walk while we were with them during our recent visit to the US, but at least all Grandpa's walking up and down holding their little hands caused something to click. Now the fun was about to start with Irish triplets running around! Back in our world, as we watched the sunset, we had the pleasure of seeing more dolphins that had entered the bay. Whether it was Roy's choice of dreadful music he had decided to blast out from a new playlist or just natural curiosity that attracted them to Paw Paw, we will never know, but they certainly came close enough to investigate the racket.
On Sunday, 10th December 2017 it didn't feel like it was that long ago that we had logged Day 500 and Day 600 since starting our circumnavigation, but here we were, logging Day 700. It was simply incredible and a glance at our Yellowbrick track brought back, in an instant, all the wonderful memories we had gathered along the way. Of course, our hope was that we would be able to continue to enjoy and, more importantly, appreciate, this fabulous lifestyle with each new experience. So, after a delightful walk on the beach and on to Colette Point, we said goodbye to Port Stephens for our overnight sail to Sydney. Sailing under full sails in 10 to 15 Kts of wind out of the ENE, in flat sea and, under blue sunny skies, we couldn't ask for much more! Then, while Elaine was writing her blog for the day, we heard an almighty whoosh sound far too close to Paw Paw for comfort. As Roy undertook a hasty departure from the navigation station in the saloon to the helm station, with Elaine hot on his heels, our investigations revealed a huge whale less than 15 metres / 50ft from our starboard stern. After surfacing a few times, it disappeared and resurfaced less than 4 metres / 15ft from our port side midships. It then disappeared again and resurfaced midships on our starboard side, where it followed us for a little while longer. What a marvellous sight, albeit rather disconcerting having such a huge creature so close to us. It seemed the amazing experiences were to continue unabated!
After a relatively uneventful motor-sail that night, we entered Port Jackson at around 0630 on the morning of Monday, 11th December 2017 and a whole set of new adventures began. It’s hard to describe, though, just how we felt that morning. Given that there aren't too many iconic cities in the world, sailing Paw Paw into one of them, two years into our circumnavigation, brought home the magnitude of our achievement. Although tired from our overnight sail, covered in goose bumps and grinning from ear to ear, we slowly made our way along the outer edges of Port Jackson, avoiding the numerous high speed ferries flying past us in every direction, carrying commuters to work, who had no idea of where we’d come from, how far we’d sailed, how proud we were of ourselves and didn’t care or even notice us. But, as we rounded Bradley’s Head, slowly and cautiously making our way towards our chosen anchorage for the night, Farm Cove, seeing the most magnificent sight of the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge spread out before us, was beyond words. We actually couldn’t believe our eyes that we were seeing this sight from Paw Paw, after the thousands of nautical miles we’d sailed. We were simply in awe and, with that, it was HELLO Sydney!
