24 45.62 S  152 23.28 E

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Some of our friends say it is about time that we provided an update to say we are alive; we will not cover all of the missing gap since October when we arrived in Australia, but we do want to express greetings for the New Year….and assure you that we are both alive and well.

S/V Sea Mist remains in Bundaberg, Queensland, Australia right where we originally arrived; no change on that front. ....or so we hope....she was floating there in the marina when we left her on Dec 1st.

We are now into our 5th week of visiting with family and friends in Canada....quick visit with the Mraceks in Vancouver, 2 weeks in Pocologan, New Brunswick on the Bay of Fundy...and now 2 weeks in Southern Ontario with the Mitchell's and with our son - Shawn, Kathryn and the grandkids.....Elizabeth and Alex.....what a wonderful season for us to have a quality length of fun time with them over the Christmas Season.

On Jan 9th, we head back to Australia from Toronto via Tokyo ....Bangkok...Brisbane...and train to Bundaberg.....and back to our home on-board Sea Mist.

We will of course then need to give attention to some boat projects ……as usual.

We also intend to explore Oz by land….probably not by sea until after the cyclone season nears its seasonal end in Mid-April; we will then spend 3 months cruising north along the East Coast of Aus and around the top over to Darwin. Our plans call for us to depart Darwin on July 28^th and head north to Indonesia for about 3 months of cruising within those waters with the Sail Indonesia Rally.

A year from now at the end of 2012, we expect to find ourselves in Phuket, Thailand…..after  some time in Singapore and Malaysia……more on all of that later.

In the meantime, we wish all of our friends and blog visitors a Terrific 2012 as we all welcome in the New Year.

Cheers, the Seamisters…John and Cheryl