Tipperary Waters Marina-5 October 20
Moonshadow of London
Peter Mantle
Mon 18 Oct 2010 06:19
Position 12:27.0S 130:51.0E
We checked into the marina by following a narrow chanel into the lock and thence into the marina. Tides that ranged as much as 24 feet necessitate having marinas inside locks. The dockmaster, Keith, was quite helpful to us as we locked into the marina with great anticipation.
We stopped at fueling facility just south of Tipperary to purchase diesel fuel. Peter predicted 400 liters and we pumped 399! The cost was only 99 cents per litre, Aus. The tide was somewhat low then and the docks seemed like they were miles above us as we pumped fuel into Moonshadow. When we left at high tide on the 12th, the docks were just slightly above the water which gave the facility a whole different look.
Jim Prentice met us at the dock at Tipperary marina and we welcomed him to the pack.
We took care of chores and made arrangments for a car trip to Kakadu and Litchfield National Parks. We saw and swam in the Jim Jim Falls very welcome after a long hike! Saw the giant termite mounds, both magnetic (flat huge monolith orientated north south to ensure wind cooling-How do they know?) and the non-magnetic (6 meter high mounds of no particular orientation). We hiked in the heat and were quite happy to get back to the Gaguju Lodge each night for local beers, food and wine. We had a sampler platter of buffalo, crocodile, kangaroo and other local treats.
Once back from our driving tour, we said goodbye to John, Peter's cousin at a dinner at the local Holiday Inn's Hunamon's restaurant, very high quality Indian food. John will be installing a pump on his toilet at home so he won't miss the exercise the marine head affords many times a day. He will also enclose his bed in a paper sack and sleep on the floor with the electric heater full on to simulate sleeping in the crew quarters aboard Moonshadow!!
We rose early on Tuesday, the 12th of October, leaving the lock and Tipperary Water marina behind for Kupang.
We checked into the marina by following a narrow chanel into the lock and thence into the marina. Tides that ranged as much as 24 feet necessitate having marinas inside locks. The dockmaster, Keith, was quite helpful to us as we locked into the marina with great anticipation.
We stopped at fueling facility just south of Tipperary to purchase diesel fuel. Peter predicted 400 liters and we pumped 399! The cost was only 99 cents per litre, Aus. The tide was somewhat low then and the docks seemed like they were miles above us as we pumped fuel into Moonshadow. When we left at high tide on the 12th, the docks were just slightly above the water which gave the facility a whole different look.
Jim Prentice met us at the dock at Tipperary marina and we welcomed him to the pack.
We took care of chores and made arrangments for a car trip to Kakadu and Litchfield National Parks. We saw and swam in the Jim Jim Falls very welcome after a long hike! Saw the giant termite mounds, both magnetic (flat huge monolith orientated north south to ensure wind cooling-How do they know?) and the non-magnetic (6 meter high mounds of no particular orientation). We hiked in the heat and were quite happy to get back to the Gaguju Lodge each night for local beers, food and wine. We had a sampler platter of buffalo, crocodile, kangaroo and other local treats.
Once back from our driving tour, we said goodbye to John, Peter's cousin at a dinner at the local Holiday Inn's Hunamon's restaurant, very high quality Indian food. John will be installing a pump on his toilet at home so he won't miss the exercise the marine head affords many times a day. He will also enclose his bed in a paper sack and sleep on the floor with the electric heater full on to simulate sleeping in the crew quarters aboard Moonshadow!!
We rose early on Tuesday, the 12th of October, leaving the lock and Tipperary Water marina behind for Kupang.