Darwin: been there, done that.
Fleck
Sat 24 Jul 2010 07:26
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Saturday, 25 July
Position Beagle Gulf 12:17.8S
130:36.7E
Recent address, Fannie Bay, Darwin 12:25.96
130:49.2E
Well, no blogs for ten days, what have we been up
to? You left us off the New Year Islands; on the map just a stone's throw
from Darwin. In reality an interstesting but rather hard 36 hours work.
Rounding Cape Don at 02.00 hrs we came on to a beat to the SE, and this was
quite a bumpy ride. I was quite tired, and sort of settled the boat down until
dawn, when we were able to fine tune things a bit, and get going down the Gulf
of Van Diemen in good fashion. During the day the wind eased, and by dusk it was
clear that we would not be able to carry the tide through the Clarence Strait. A
stream of about four knots, so not a trifle, and we anchored up under the lee of
Cape Hotham: low and featureless, but good holdoing and calm, and enjoyed a good
supper, although we abandoned the cockpit to the mossies! ). 01.00,
and my funny internal clock woke me up to get going with the flood tide. We were
soon motoring along at more than 9 kts, and by breakfast we were at anchor in
Fannie Bay, among 40 or so other entrants in the Sail Indonesia rally.
Generally sheltered from swell the Bay is
unfortunately very shallow. We were about a mile offshore: a very long way in
our little dinghy, and very wet whenever there was any wind. We learned that
this is really the best spot however, the marina beths are expensive, and very
airless and hot.On shore in Fannie Bay is the excellent Darwin Sailing Club: a
nice mix of efficiency and laid back Oz, and the hub of the Sail indonesia
activity. We had arrived just in time for the Saturday Night BBQ, and Hannah was
thrilled to make some friends: in particular, Stephanie (Finale), parents
Barbara and Mike, who are going with us to Banda, and Indigo (Suspense), parents
Natalie and Jeremy, who are going to Kupang. Most of the entrants had been in
Darwin for several weeks, and felt that we would be pressed to complete our
arrangements in time for the start. Next day, Sunday, we couldn't do a great
deal of 'office work', and Hannah spent the day with her new friends by the
Sailing Club Pool, whilst I checked the boat over and found that the engine
water pump had been leaking again (last a problem in Fiji). My poor mood and
temper were lifted by our decisioin to visit Lindil Beach Markets for supper:
advertised as a must do, and actually great fun, and with excellent food stalls.
Hannah had chicken satay skewars and rice, I sampled fish and shellfish in many
different Asian and Indian stalls, but I did baulk at the Aussie Roadkill Burger
Bar! We bought a nice ethnic Aboriginal style Tee shirt, made in China! Free
entertainment, music and fire stick jugglers, hard work for them, we put money
in their hat!
Downntown Monday to Customs and the Indonesian
Embassy: the start of paperwork to come. We also had a great lunch on Stokes
Hill Wharf: a modern version of the wharf that featured in the film 'Australia'
Afternoon relaxation at the sea front Wave Pool: excellent, but bizzarre
recreation of a beach with surfing waves. No box jellyfish, of course! By this
time we realised that we would not get everything done without our own wheels,
and we rented a little white Datsun from Thrifty. Tuesday Morning I had the
water pump out and did a round of the engineering shops looking for a spare
spindle, or someone who could fly in a spindle by Saturday. The usual
confabulation, just like in the mobile phone shops, and you realise that there
is no single truth about even simple matters like water pump spindles! Hannah
spent the morning on Indigo's boat, and I had a Bromsgrove Deja vue moment:
'Dad, you should see the size of their boat / bedrooms / fridges and deep
freezers etc etc'. In the Afternoon the 'Technical Briefing' at a local hotel.
The kids played in the Foyer, and had a much better time than the grown ups.
Dinner at the SC (excellent kitchen) with Natalie, Jeremy, and the crew of Red
Boomer.
Wednesday, and our big R and R day. A 'Jumping
Croc' cruise on the Adelaide River may not have seemed in the best of taste, but
actually very well done, and we certainly saw some crocs, We also visited Fog
Dam, a wetlands bird sanctuary, and then made our way, via a solid white line (
A nice policeman explained that you are supposed to stop at them), to Litchfield
Park: not the grandeur of the Kakadu Escarpments, but an attractive area, and a
quiet day for the principle sights: the Buley Rockholes: deep swimming pools on
a tiny stream, and the Impressive Wangi Falls (but no swimming here, not cleared
of crocs. after the wet season yet!) We also drove through a controlled bush
fire, with flames leaping along the roadside verges, stopped off at the
magnetic termite mounds, and finally hiked up to Tajaetaba falls: again a small
stream, but a perfect swimming pool at the top of the falls giving an infinity
pool with a difference. We had the place to ourselves, lucky, I
think.
Thursday and Fiday were hard work, shopping and
stocking the boat: everything: 80 litres of water, 40 litres of diesel, outboard
petrol, food and drinking water had to be transported in our diminutive new Avon
dinghy. She is to be called 'Fleckmate' but no time to paint on a name just
now. But some good news: a new water pump materialised at considerable cost, my
replacement chartplotter showed up in Tipperrary Waters Marina, and my charts
arrived as well. Friday evening we returned the rent car and had dinner at the
SC.
Saturday, and the start of the rally at 11.00
hours: up with the dawn to fix the chart plotter, but vowed not to try it out
until we were well and truly underway. Ashore for a celebration breakfast (all
food gone!!), and just back to the boat in time to lift the anchor at 10.50 hrs.
And you never saw such sticky mud!!! It took for ever to half clean it from the
chain and anchor, and we finally crossed the start line, all sails set, at
11.30. Since then we have been blessed with rather variable winds, currently
from the north, at about 10 kts. We are reaching accross Beagle Gulf, and
will round Cape Fourcroy during the night. We then reach northwards towards the
Banda Islands with the wind in our beam for the whole trip: it may be quite
bouncy, once we get out on the open sea, which is why I'm writing all this now,
in calm water!
Sorry about this blog: so many things to record,
and no time for musings. We both had a great time in Darwin, full of interest
and nice people. More of a city than Cairns: which is really just a tourist
trap. So a great finale to our stay in Australia, and now its on the pastures
new.
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