We first anchored in Fannie Bay, just outside Darwin to clear quarantine again in case we had brought any nasties from the Torres Strait. This time it also included an inspection of our bottom by a diver who pronounced us clean but squirted some pink fluid into our underwater orifices in case they were harbouring any unwanted shellfish. There is a particular mussel that they are worried about that can spread very quickly especially in the marinas. The good news was that we did not have to pay for this service and the diver considered our hull quite clean, so we have decided to postpone an expensive lift out and antifoul. I may regret this decision once we reach Indonesia and gain a coral garden on our underneath!

Once cleared, we motored around to Tipperary marina , a small friendly waterside development with a really helpful harbourmaster. There is a tide here of up to 8 metres so we had to lock in.

There then ensued a few busy days getting Lorraine ready for her trip home. The Indonesians go in for  red tape in a big way and Lorraine was told that she not only needed a visa for our trip to Indonesia but also a separate transit visa prior to her  flight as there is a stop in Bali.

 The information was wrong. Visas are necessary but easily obtainable at the airport on arrival. The result was some fraught moments when we thought she was not going to be able to get the Visa in time and some expense too. Ah well the delights of developing countries. We have already been warned that the only thing to do is smile. The culture is that a person who loses their patience is  demeaning themselves and loses respect. To quote from the Sail Indonesia information “You will be surrounded by confusion and continually changing plans. This is the way of Indonesia so you will just have to enjoy the experience, be patient and smile.”

Anyway a rather tired Lorraine went to the airport by taxi at 2 am and apparently had an uneventful flight home.