Duet's progress
Duet
Simon and Kitty van Hagen
Fri 27 Apr 2007 21:32
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30 18.25 S
153 08.82 E
Coffs Harbour.
Friday
Once south of 28 south the whole atmosphere
changes and we are suddenly into the Tasman Sea. Balmy weather and the blue
waters of semi tropical Queensland are behind us. We have seen dozens of yachts
en route migrating north like a flock of swallows. Are we mad? As I was
tossed about in my bunk last night whilst we bashed to windward on
our way south, I certainly thought so.
We returned to Bundaberg, Queensland
Australia, Earth, the universe after a few months away. Duet was laid up ashore
and the first three weeks of our return was spent getting her ready to live on
board again. Well, to be honest, Simon spent three weeks wrestling with various
mechanical bits and pieces on board whilst I painted my toes, lay on a beach and
ate magnums. In my dreams. Bundaberg, Rum city of Queensland, is a quaint little
town. There's the high street, tree lined and cobbled stoned filled with sugared
almond painted old buildings that reflect the prosperity of it's past. It is
also the only town I've seen that has flannelette nighties on display. The
surrounding country is as flat as Holland and divided as neatly into symmetrical
blocks of lush green sugar cane. It's the only green stuff around. In case you
haven't noticed, Oz is in the grip of the worst drought for years - and they
keep on squandering the precious water by squirting it over the cane fields in
the heat of the day.Perhaps sugar rots more than just the teeth?
Duet was now antifouled, launched and
we moved aboard. The wind howled steadily from the south as a ridge of high
pressure remained firm along the Queensland coast. A brief lull in the wind and
we scooted south through the Great Sandy Straight of Frazer Island to Moloolaba,
a heavenly town, a tropical paradise with fabulous restaurants and the
friendliest marina on the coast. We were delayed there by friends, a great
excuse as always. We departed in light airs, motoring for hours. As the
skyscrapers of Brisbane melted into the haze, so the wind picked up and we could
sail, in the direction of Fiji. Great. We'd been promised N'thly winds and it
stubbornly remain S to SW. All of which brings me back to why I was being
bounced around in the bunk like a pea in a drum - We want to get to
Sydney.
Coffs Harbour.
It's raining heavily. Don't think we'll
move.
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