Mackay Australia

Jackamy
Paul & Derry Harper
Wed 18 Aug 2010 01:41
 
21:06.705S   149:13.626E
 
Wednesday 18 th  August
 
Tuesday morning Tony from the Blue Water Rally was on the pontoon bright and early followed by customs, immigration and quarantine at 9.30 am. The quarantine official had a good look around the boat looking in all the food cupboards, not that there is much left. We found out that the mahi mahi we caught and let go a few days ago would have been allowed after all. It took about an hour to clear us in, we can now officially go ashore, oops do they know about last night's pontoon party.
Mackay is the sugar capital of Australia and boasts one of the world's largest sugar-loading terminals. It is also in the middle of the Bowen Basin coal deposits, and the largest coal export terminal in the world is found at Hay point, 30 miles south. When we came in last night we counted 72 ship's at anchor waiting to be loaded with coal.
On Wednesday we headed into town and spent most of the day in the travel agents. Anita from the flight centre has put together a great itinerary for us; we are off to New Zealand and fly to Christchurch via Brisbane tomorrow morning.
Later that evening there was a welcome party hosted by Mackay marina, a Barbie, well we are in oz after all . It was great catching up with everyone, although not all the boats are here; some have gone directly to Cairns and a few are still making there way here.
We had to say goodbye to Michael and Ger on Simanderal who leave the rally here, it's really hard saying all these goodbyes; we wish you safe sailing.