Noumea, New Caledonia to Brisbane

Gaviota
Fri 14 Nov 2014 21:12

27:26.681S  153:06.393E


We left Wednesday, 29th October at 9.00am having done our checking out the day before.  Fueled up and were on the way by 9.20am.  The wind was under 10 knots so we motored out to the outer reef then motor-assisted sailed close hauled on port tack.  Wind picked up enough to sail in the afternoon then died down so motor on again for the whole of the first night.
 
The following afternoon the wind went more Easterly and we got the spinnaker up and turned the engine off.  We kept the spinnaker up (set as a genoa) all night and until about midday the following day when the wind went dead astern so poled out the 2 genoas and carried on, early morning the wind shifted so gybed and put the pole across.  The day after the wind shifted again almost North so we speeded up as we were close reaching for the first time and reached 6 knots!  Used that wind to head a little South as 25-30 knot winds were forecast for the next day, which duly came in but at 20-25 knots from the South East and rain as the front went over. 

Cloudy for most of the day so broad reached directly to Brisbane and so it went on all day.  During the evening it went dead aft and carried on so we had to gybe to get back on course for the Brisbane river entrance.  Entered Moreton Bay 1.00am and up the shipping channel under motor (very bumpy and interminably long!)  Eventually karrived at Rivergate Marina customs at about 11.00am (50 miles from the entrance to Moreton Bay).  Customs straight on the boat complete with 2 sniffer dogs who trampled over everything, then Bio-Security and Health who pulled everything out in their search for illegal vegetables and termites.  The whole process took about 2 hours then we were officially allowed to set foot on Australian soil (that's if a floating pontoon counts!).  We made it.

First impressions of Brisbane - love it, especially the brilliant cycle-ways everywhere and the City Cats - what a great way to get your first glimpse of a City.  Fab restaurants and bars and the beach at South Bank, what a great idea build a beach in the centre of a City and make it free!

JPEG image

JPEG image

JPEG image

JPEG image

JPEG image

JPEG image

JPEG image