21:06.689S 149:13.650E -Breakfast With Wallabies
Irene IV - World Adventure
Louis Goor
Wed 3 Aug 2022 12:08
Australian biosecurity is serious! When they say, no honey is allowed into
the country, they mean it. All honey will be removed from the boat. The same
applies to all raw, uncooked, meats, vegetables, and fruits. We only learned
while on passage about the meats, vegetables, and fruits, so I set about
frantically cooking all our stores. The amount of red meat consumed was
intense! Hours from arrival in Mackay, the "boys" had a breakfast of Wagyu
beef burgers, caramelized onions, tomatoes, and lettuce, between buns
dripping with tomato ketchup!
On the 31st July, (Louis and Fish's wedding anniversary), winds calmed a
little, but most of all the sea state became more tranquil and allowed us to
stand upright without the fear of breaking limbs or tatooing ourselves with
blue bruises. A beautiful day at sea. George saw a Humpback Whale breach as
we entered the Capricorn Channel beside the Great Barrier Reef. That made
his, and our, day!
Mackay is an industrial city in the state of Queensland. It is an entry
point to Australia for many yachts on a circumnavigation. The port is
friendly and very efficient. Our arrival here on 1st August marks the end of
our Pacific crossing - a milestone to be proud of.
Too early in the morning on 2nd August we arose to enjoy a tour to Cape
Hillsborough to watch the Wallabies eat their sunrise breakfast. It was a
magical morning. The fog was lifting over the coastline as the wallabies
hopped down to the mangrove lined beach to munch on pellets scattered by the
park ranger. As long as we stood still, the almost tame animals came close
and inspected us. After a dramatic sunrise, against a backdrop of jagged
rocks and a golden sea, we hiked through 2 very different semi tropical
forests, had a delicious breakfast picnic, and visited a local organic
produce and natural food store. A perfect first day in Oz.