21:06.643S  149:13.537E

Day 7  Monday 16th August

We arrived at Hydrographers Passage at 8 am at slack water. The passage is 120 miles long and takes us through the Great Barrier Reef, it’s one mile wide at the entrance widening as you go further into the pass. Our welcome to Australia was a huge sea snake and hump back whales swimming in the pass.

Our first sighting of the Great Barrier Reef and two bulk carriers heading into the pass bound for Mackay's coal terminal

Cargo ship laden with coal

Jackamy can be seen on the chart plotter heading for Mackay with the grey diamonds showing all the boats at anchor waiting to be loaded with coal

We arrived in Mackay just before mid-night. We had been instructed to go to the quarantine pontoon and to stay on our boats until we had been cleared by Customs, Immigration and Quarantine the following morning. Well as you can imagine five boat all arriving within half an hour of each other called for a pontoon party, we had a lot to celebrate; we have sailed half way around the world.

Arriving at Mackay at mid-night........and having a wee dram to celebrate our arrival

I am not sure who is happier to have arrived me or Paul