A Sporting Interlude.

Bamboozle
Jamie and Lucy Telfer
Thu 16 Jun 2016 08:53
19:06.642S  146:51.513E

We ended up staying a few days longer than planned in Hamilton Island, not only because it is a lovely place, but also because we figured out we could fly back down to Brisbane for the night to watch the England rugby team play the Wallabies at the Suncorp Stadium.  I had bought the tickets several months ago when the plan was for us still to be in Brisbane and after our plans had changed and we had charged off north I had cunningly managed not to give the tickets away….just in case!  When I discovered that Hamilton Island now has a proper airport the temptation was too much, especially when we discovered we could actually walk to the airport from the marina.  We feared we might be off to watch the traditional southern hemisphere summer tour thrashing but for once, and for the first time ever in Brisbane, it didn’t turn out that way.  England, now coached by the cunning Aussie Eddie Jones, surprised us all….particularly the forty-five thousand local supporters who had been assured all week in the papers and on TV that the Wallabies just needed to turn up to crush the feeble Poms.  I haven’t enjoyed watching England play rugby this much since Clive Woodward’s day so we were both immensely pleased to have re-traced out steps to Brissie for the night.  Normal service may be resumed this weekend with the second test in Melbourne but in the meantime….we were there!

Since Hamilton Island we have continued our journey up the coast with two cracking 70 nm days sailing in wonderful strong trade wind conditions and we are now in Horseshoe Bay on Magnetic Island just north of Townsville.   


Hamilton Island Marina…..not a bad place to abandon poor old Bamboozle for 24 hours.


Before kick off with Stephen, Pamela and Cherie, the owners of Salacia who were moored near us in the Viaduct in Auckland for the World Cup back in 2011. Keen Wallaby fans who had so kindly had us over to stay and to watch England’s previous desperate performance against Australia in the World Cup last year. 


Just after full time in a rapidly emptying stadium.



Our heroes acknowledging the few English supporters.  During the match we were totally surrounded by some extremely vocal Wallaby fans who subjected us to a torrent of good natured banter, they were however a bit less polite to the referee but generally provided a lot of additional entertainment and commentary and their view of what was happening on the pitch.  It was certainly a hell of a lot more friendly than Loftus Versfeld!


One of the happiest men in Brisbane!