16:55.2S 145:47E Cairns

Babe!
Paul & Trish Ducker
Fri 13 Sep 2013 10:18

Hi Folks,

 

Well ‘tra-la’ finally got Babe back in the water on 20th Aug after 4.5 long and frustrating weeks, having missed so much cruising around the Whitsundays and now having to play catch-up with the rest of the rally. So a direct 2-day sail up toCairnsn, for just Nelius and me (Trish in Gold Coast, meeting us at Darwin). So out we go for a brief test sail, all looking good, did a normal tack and ‘oh truck’ tore the flippin Genoa – not a happy chappy. Still so keen to get away from Mackay decided to leave the repair until Cairns as a number of sail makers there.

 

So next morning off we set on a good reach speeding along under main sail only and covering ground at a good rete of knots. Come evening wind dropped to nothing so time to put the motor on in order to get into Cairns first thing Friday Morning. Revs up to 2000 rpm – clunk, clunk, clunk, oh WTF – sounds like Mackay hadn’t re-mounted the propeller or new bearing properly?? So straight on the phone, too late to really go back so said would sort in Cairns. Mackay said if’s its there fault they’ll cover the cost, so only place for a haul-out is up the river and its restricted by tide. So eventually booked for a haul out for the following Thursday and back-in the following Tuesday, therefore again adding another 4 days delay in our catch-up, grrr not happy!!

 

Anyway eventually get to Cairns on the Friday. Trish, Lela, Ed, Jude and Rafferty & Kady were already there waiting for us, which helped to ease all the crap. Nelius was off to a friend’s farm for a well-deserved holiday. Got sail fixed by a right character on the industrial estate – lots of banter and telling tales of his female conquests in Derby, UK!

 

Rally enjoyed Cairns. Just so happens that they had a festival on for the week just as we got there, so Friday afternoon was a big float procession through the town and a right party atmosphere, followed by a firework display early evening. During the week there were numerous stuff going off, including 2 x stages for a whole host of different bands and artists throughout the week, fire spinning displays, kids entertainment in the parks, pavement chalk art, Brazilian dance fighting (can’t remember what it’s called but saw street fighters in Brazil doing it during the Rio carnival, quite spectacular). Sorry no photo’s as didn’t take big camera and lost the small one – replaced in Cairns so normal service will be resumed after Cairns.

 

Fortunately, initially, most of the other rally yachts were still there when we got there so good to catch-up, including hiring the VIP room for us and a few other owners in the local restaurant for Kady’s last night. There was a silly minimum spend stated, but we thought we’d go with it and argue to toss later. Bill came, not reached minimum spend so they had added a ‘misc charge’ – no happy, but Sue of Spent got the bit between her teeth and sorted!

 

Managed to pack in a couple of day trips including Palm Beach, which was nice in a sort of Oz Condo sort of way. Also took a day trip to the mountain village of Kuranda, the place where there was a gold rush a couple of hundred years ago and where hippies chilled out in the 70’s (and even now actually) and is now a national park and world heritage place. Train ride there on the original track that took years and many lives to build, going to a height of several thousand feet (well felt like it) and through 20 odd tunnels – spectacular. Stopped halfway up to admire views into the valley and associated stream (now dammed for hydro power). In Kuranda had a good look around and bought some kangaroo memento’s (nipple warmers and scrotum purse)  and even managed to get Ed into the spider/snake/lizard place!!

 

Trip on way back was via Skyrail (cable car), and I mean a big jobby – 7.5km, 2 station stop-off and highest station = 1788feet. Great to look out over the national park and eventually out towards the sea. Jude was in his element and even Trish (who really loves heights, not) enjoyed it!

 

So week went on and had a great time. Boat lifted and appeared the rope cutter had not been mounted properly, but as a pre-caution took prop shaft out and checked it, for which there was a slight bend, but within tolerance, which was fixed [they used a . Replaced through hull bearing and put it all back together. As is typical missed the Tuesday slot and was told would now be Thursday, so a lot of persuasion later finally got then to agree to put us in at 6am on the Wednesday!

 

Anyway  eventually left Cairns for leisurely sail to Darwin, finally managing to stop-off for overnighter at some of the islands up the east coast of Oz, before a direct run across the top of Oz and into Darwin, where we will be in about 8 hours’ time all being well. On the way we managed to pick up a bird, who we kept in the tender, until she died! Then we had a creepy crawly board us and further on schools of small dolphins. Still an arduous trip – came down with flu and both very tired on 3hour alternate shifts – roll-on Darwin!!

 

Luv to all,

Paul, Trish, Nelius

xx

 

Photos:

a)      Happy couple

b)      Happy family with obligatory early morning drink

c)       Kuranda station

d)      My sort of advertising

e)      Oz concept of tourist commercialism

f)       Bush Store – a complete disappointment

g)      Local didn’t know any Placebo, even though they did a song with a doo

h)      The Dam

i)        Skytrain view

j)        Panoramic view of great Adolphus off top NE corner of Oz

k)      A bird we picked up on the way to Darwin

 

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