To Queensland

Beez Neez now Chy Whella
Big Bear and Pepe Millard
Wed 20 Apr 2016 22:57
Beez Neez Heads en Route to her First Port of Call in Queensland
 
 
 
 
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We went ashore to take our rubbish and took in the Iluka-Yamba anchorage for the final time. Anchor up at five past four for the ninety nine mile, overnight journey to anchor in the Gold Coast Seaway, Queensland. We radioed our intentions to a nice lady holding the fort at Yamba Maritime Rescue, as it happens just before she went home (it is a daytime only office).
Lucie our neighbour, had told Bear they were leaving at half past three, we had seen them go off at lunchtime and had assumed they were going over to Yamba for fuel or supplies.... anyway, they were anchored just in front of us. The skipper called over as we passed by, he had gone out to look at the bar, didn’t like the look of the clouds and the threat of thunder and lightning and was staying put until tomorrow. Mmm, interesting. On we went.
 
 
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As we passed Simba we could see two tiny visitors.
 
 
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Just then the loud, tacky but wonderful New York, flashing picture exploded – yet again, despite Bear’s restorative ministrations.
 
 
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En route to the ‘doorway; a couple of shy dolphins came to escort us and the radio chirped. Scott on the ferry bade us a safe passage.
 
 
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The ‘door to the sea’ looked peaceful, clearly I got the short straw on the way in.
 
 
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We waved to the lady in Yamba Maritime Rescue.
 
 
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A fisherman enjoying the afternoon, another as we began the chute and our last look at the lighthouse.
 
 
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A working girl, stabilisers out ready for the bar undertook us and a catamaran came in.
 
 
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The northern wall doing its stuff and a few minutes later we were in deeper water leaving the bar behind. Sails up and off we went.
 
 
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The clouds looked very benign and gave us a pretty sunset.
 
 
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A friendly sea and all was calm.
 
 
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The skipper settled to read his book, I listened to the first chapters of The Skin Collector by Jeffery Deaver. Bear caught me taking a picture just as was dropping off to sleep, but I got him later. Under a bright moon, I missed the chums as they take a course far off shore along this part of the coast, I did have five fishing girls until numbers dropped to just one at ten o’clock handover. I got up at two and carried on with my book, all very uneventful, which, after our journey to Yamba made for a lovely change. A nought nor nothing sunrise and time for bed at six for me. Night Night.
 
 
 
ALL IN ALL A FANTASTIC FIRST HALF
                     REALLY GOOD TO MOVE ON IN GREAT CONDITIONS