Can-Do Aussies

Rhiann Marie - Round the World
Stewart Graham
Sun 21 Nov 2010 22:29
Monday 22nd November 0734 Local time 2204 Sunday 21st UTC
 
12:27.07S 130:49.39E
 
We made it to Darwin but perhaps we were a little fortunate. We had only a half day sailing off sea breezes on the east side of Cape York and we, got another five or six hours north of Cape Don on the last night of our passage. Every night at sea we witnessed spectacular lightning storms on the shore. This is the wet season in the Top End of Australia. 
 
On Thursday evening we were sitting at the cockpit table as the sun and the sundowners went down. The sea was almost like a mirror. Rain clouds could be seen and examination on the radar showed they were very dense, covered a huge area and would catch us. What I did not expect is the wind to go from almost zero to thirty five knots almost instantly. One minute we were droning along at under eight knots on the engine next minute we were flying along above ten knots with main and jib! It lasted till after midnight and then disappeared just as quickly as it had arrived. It had bought us however about fifty to sixty litres of reduced fuel consumption and that plus the fifty litres I had in two gerry cans was just enoough to get us into Darwin.
 
In Darwin, Cullen Bay marina has a lock gate which operates till 2300 normally. However you can not enter from a passage from other areas unless you contact the fisheries department who arrange for some divers to come and disinfect the bottom of your boat. This is to protect against importing any alien species into the area. They take special care not to allow you into the marina before the treatment. If you were not treated and were infected then the alien species would rapidly multiply inside the marina environment and infect every boat which would then carry the unwanted species across the whole area when they leave the marina. This is a good policy, however after treat ment a boat has to wait 14 hours before entering. The divers who do the treatments could only work up to 1630 at the anchorage due to the tidal streams and upto 1800 at the lock gates due to the daylight situation.
 
We were desperately trying to make the deadline so that we could be treated Friday evening and enter the locks Saturday morning. However with the tides in the Dundas straits our ETA slipped and slipped and eventually we could only arrive at the lock gates after 1900 hrs (seven pm). 
 
Now ever since we have arrived ion Australia we have noticed that a) everyone - everyone - we have met has been very friendly and helpful. Even in the big cities and b) everybody we have come in contact with has had a "can do" attitude.
 
We radioed the dive team and the fisheries who had already stretched to the limit their time deadline to treat us to 1800. We told them we were going to be late (remember this was Friday night), that we were a Scottish couple circumnavigating the world.... that we had just been on a six day passage.... and asked if there was any chance....... "Look you just call us when you arrive at the channel to the locks and we will come and treat you so you can get into the marina the next morning", said the divers. The lockmaster arranged then, exceptionally that we could stay overnight on the pontoon at the lock gates for an early entry. Can do! That's the Aussies we have met. I wonder where all the "jobs-worths" in the world are? Oh yes, I remember now......
 
Good on ya mates! We owe you.