26:41.22S 153:07.71E

2^nd May 2010

MOOLOOLABA Entrance – canoeists early morning, enjoying calm weather

 

We came to Mooloolaba because we had been here by car previously in 2007, and realised what a

delightful harbour it was.  Also sailing friends from New Zealand who have their boat imported to

Australia had suggested we come, they were on a friend’s dock in the harbour. 

 

Morning Tide tied up to their their friend’s, Geoffrey and Lindy’s dock

Another great beach for morning and evening walks

Even alongside the Mooloolaba River is great for walks, here just opposite the marina

Kanaloa is given a great berth on the outside of the marina, opposite

the private docks and houses

And we discovered that our friend Kerry, whith whom we had sailed

across the pacific in 2000 was also on our dock, with his new boat, Fayaway

We also met up with other cruisers we had been with in Tahiti in 2000,

plus a new friend who will be sailing the Louisiades at a similar time to us

 this year, he was able to give us valuable information, having been there

 the previous year.

Gos, a friend who has the same boat as us, an Oyster 55.  He sailed from

 the UK the same year as us, and we have been in touch with him since we

 were all in Gulf Harbour, New Zealand together in 2001.  His boat is currently

 not far away in Bribane, so he kindly drove up to visit us.

We h ad to move onto the Wharf Marina, having spent 3 weeks already

 at the Moollolaba Marina, due to the owners of that berth returning. 

We were not disappointed, however, as it was altogether much quieter,

 with less fishing boats going past in the early morning, and it gave us the

opportunity to make even more friends.  One couple who are also sailing

 up to the Louisiades same time as us, and several other live aboards who

took me under their wing whilst David flew to Phuket for 10 days  to renew

 his annual retirement visa there.

And hey presto, our friends Gerry and Alan Lear, with their new power

 catamaran called Black Gold came into the berth alongside us.  We had

first met them in the Galapagos in 2000, when she had her first boy Rowan

 as a babe in arms, and was pregnant with the second one.  They had very

little money to do their circumnavigation back then, but Alan started up a

 ‘Shade Shed’ franchise, and then went into the project for recycling old

cooking oil to make fuel with, and was sponsored by the Queensland

 Government to build this catamaran and start up his bio-fuel company.

They have made plenty of money now, and here they have just completed

 their circumnavigation of Australia.

Living just North of Brisbane are Tammy and Craig.  We sailed across the Atlantic at the same

time as Craig and his Dad on their boat Mere Storms in 1997.  He had just finished a job in the

US, and had taken a year out.  He met Tammy whilst they were passing through Australia,

 

Their Daughter Hailey is five years old already!

 

This view over to Brisbane is taken from the hills NW of Brisbane

The Glengarry Estate nearby is a Vineyard, but also used for Weddings

Surfers abound along this beach too, with canny ways to carry their surfboards on their bikes