Around the world with the Aqualunies

Sydney to Tasamania

Jonathan & Gabrielle Lyne

Fri 21 Jan 2011 06:15

20TH JANUARY, 2011

Whilst Jonathan, David de Kantzow and Tom headed off to Tasmania I opted to stay on in Sydney with Maggie. For two reasons I didn't fancy a cold, rough sail down and I hadn't really had enough of Sydney yet.

I spent another week in Sydney staying with Maggie Crichton and had a lovely time doing some walks, swimming going to the beach, visiting historical sights and spending a night in the the Blue Mountains with some good friends of Maggie's where we did a lovely afternoon walk and then ended the day on the deck of the house watching a beautiful sunset over the mountains. Back to Sydney where we went to the opera again to see Carmen which was amazing.

3rd January, 2011

Before Jonathan headed off to Tasmania we sailed up to Pittwater north of Sydney and spent a few days there. An old friend Penny Hinings came with us which was fun, sadly she was unable to stay over as she had to work the next day. We met up with Byzance a 40 year old Swan owned by friends David and Jenny Saunders who's garden we were anchored off for New Year's Eve. We went for a walk to look at Old Aboriginal stone drawings and got back just as it started to pour with rain. Maggie Crichton also joined us in Pittwater came on the walk, we swam and had a lovely time and had the Saunders and their daughter Zoe on board for dinner.

7th January, I drove back with Maggie to go to the Opera House in Sydney to see Madam Butterfly for the evening and then caught a bus the following day to rejoin the yacht in Pittwater.

9th January just Jonathan and I sailed further up the coast and into the most beautiful creeks called Coal and Candle Creeks, nothing but trees and deep water and a lovely day. In the evening we picked a bouy off Cottage Point and had dinner at the restaurant there, a tasting menu! we sat down at 6.30 and left the table at 11.30 pm. It was very good and just lovely to have time out on our own.

10th January we sailed back to Sydney and anchored off David Saunders Garden again.

12th January after sorting out the yacht and going to the supermarket I left the yacht at Rushcutters Bay to stay with Maggie. The 'boys' David de Kantzow, Tom and Jonathan set sail for Tasmania. They had a rough sail down but at least the wind was behind them, they also saw Albatross which must have been amazing. They had a few problems with the engine as heavy kelp had reduced the revs and to try and move it. They arrived at the Royal Tasman Yacht Club in the late evening of Saturday 15th January.

I flew down to join them on Wednesday 19th January. Jonathan had rented a small car so the next day we headed up to Mount Wilson as the sky was clear and the visability was good, see photos below.

We then carried on to a vineyard, Home Hill, 30 minutes south of Hobart and had a very good lunch but desperately slow service which was ashame they were not even busy.

After lunch we headed up to the the 'Air Walk' in the forest which was lovely.

Yesterday evening we went to see Michael Parkinson interviewing Ricky Ponting and Shane Warne a fantastic interview which was done to raise money for Ricky Ponting's charity to fight childhood cancer.

Today the David and Jonathan have gone off to watch the one day cricket match between Australia and England. I meanwhile an catching up on laundry and get below decks cleaned up and tidy and catch up on downloading photos and writing my blog. We plan to set sail to explore some of the inlets just south of here over the weekend.