Overnight in Apollo Bay, and more wonderful coastline all the way to Melbourne

John and Pat Bloom, and Yvonne and Ralph Morris both live on the Mornington Peninsula

It’s the long wide piece of land that winds itself right around Phillip Harbour to make Melbourne

Such a huge sheltered inland harbour.  We took the ferry across from Queenscliff rather than drive all the way round.

John and Pat on their boat Roustabout had much to celebrate.  John nearly died when he

contracted the blood poisoning disease ‘Streptococus aurea’ in the tiny islands of the

Marquesas in the Pacific.  Pat managed to sail the boat to Nuku Hiva hospital Just as John went into a comma. 

John was 3 days in a comma whilst the blood samples that had been

flown out to Tahiti were analysed.   Thankfully the correct antibiotic was analysed and John

recovered within 24 hrs of its administration.   David and I took Kanaloa from Opua over to

Nuku Hiva to help Pat.  This is where my French came in

handy translating from French into English for Pat what was going on. 

The French Doctor was second to none, but could not speak English!   

Pat and John could not have made us  more welcome,

having us stay in their lovely home whilst in Melbourne, despite their being at work during the day!

Yvonne and Ralph were the first Aussie’s we met way back in Gibraltar in 1997, whilst they were

making urgent repairs To Pipe Dream before undertaking the two largest ocean crossings they were to

 encounter on their Round the World trip. Ralph used to work for Price Waterhouse.  This gave them

 a great excuse to be well greeted  by fellow members of  that group as they travelled

 around the world.  He also introduced us to the term ‘bring out another 1,000’

every time another repair was needed on the boat!  They have also built a delightful house

which gives them commanding views over the Phillip harbour, right out to the race entrance.  With

a self contained unit on the ground floor, they offered us delightful hospitality.