Wednesday 27^th August – Well yesterday was of course ‘another day’ but it was dishearteningly like Monday and it wasn’t until midnight last night we were able to talk to the States (because of the time difference) to find out that Sherri Moon from Transatlantic Diesels had not only found a water pump but despatched it on its way to us airfreight so with luck (and no interception by Aussie Customs) we may have it by the end of the week.  We will still need to fit it of course but we should be within our time frame to reach Darwin in time to meet our boys’ plane and be included in the group CAIT (visa) applications.  Whew!  Zipadedoda, Kaimin and Neva are still here in Mackay so we are not quite the last to leave……..yet!

We are busy fitting our new Raymarine auto pilot, a bilge pump in the rear lockers, a buzzer to the radar (to warn if a ship comes within three miles radius) and the new hifi equipment so it is all a bit upside down in here at the moment…….there are hardly any shops in the marina - you have to go to the airport by taxi to hire a car (and return it to the airport) so it is not brilliantly ‘user friendly’ – you can’t buy alcohol in a supermarket - you must go to a dedicated liquor store (great if you have a car but one more stop in a taxi) – it cost two days car hire to collect our sails from Airlie Beach as the loft here is small and was too busy (there is a 200 mile daily limit so with a journey of 400 miles it makes sense to take it for two days).  Everything here seems to take a bit more of an effort than usual……..but hopefully soon we will be on our way…….