Saturday 30^th August  Although the UPS tracking told us our water pump was held up in Sydney Customs, it arrived yesterday……..fantastic! So we legged it around to the mechanic who has been on standby to fit it every day (and still has the old one with the required bolts attached to it) to find a notice on his door ‘family matter – back on Monday!’  With no way of contacting him, or getting back our bolts Paul has fitted it himself and  tapped new holes for spare bolts we were given by the shop next door!  We have made excellent use of our time here in this squeaky clean marina with water and electricity on tap…….for 40 AUS$ a day.  We have fitted the new auto pilot bilge pump in the back locker and the hi fi system.  I have done a huge shop to replace the food confiscated on arrival – I keep finding things missing - muesli for instance because it had dried bananas in it – Jennie from Zippy came with me as coincidentally but happily they are the only Rally boat left here now with us…..and a home cooked dinner invitation is on the menu tonight.  We should be leaving tomorrow – the clearances have been done, the tanks and containers are full of diesel (£1 a litre here – ugh) and the marina berthing bill has been paid.  The weather forecast is for rain and north to north east winds…..oooh la!

An ARC boat we know arrived alongside us today – an Irish couple who had stayed in the same b and b with us in England when we were doing our medical course.  They are staying in Australia and had given a lift to the couple on the ARC boat which sank recently after hitting a reef just off Cairns, an Amel worth over a million pounds. They gave us the news that the insurance claim to Pantaneus has been refused because the couple had started the Rally with four on board but (like us) are now only two!  Wow!  We are insured with GH Insurance and a hasty email was sent today to make clear our position!

We have around 1400 miles ahead of us to Darwin……….. there is bad news there too as due to overcrowding in Cullen Bay on the waiting pontoon where we were meant to be going, we are now initially going to anchor off the Darwin Sailing Club in Fannie Bay where we will be checked and treated for our mussel infestations…. .  Customs is a separate issue – down town…..why do I have reservations already?