Wednesday 18^th May 2016

It has been a very quiet and relaxing three days here in Shoal Bay.  The weather has been sunny and settled, with little wind, and the anchorage has been flat calm with just an occasional gentle swell.  Surrounded by hills and sand dunes, we have enjoyed watching the world go by from the cockpit. 

Cormorants looking for fish...                                                                                    clearly not in the right place!  These were right beside the boat.

Marine Rescue comms masts visible on top of Nelson Head.                        The entrance to Port Stephens from Shoal Bay anchorage.

After a couple of lazy days, we spent this morning doing boat jobs and then felt the need to stretch our legs, so we dropped the dinghy and went ashore.  Judy and Geoff had recommended walking to the top of Mount Tomaree, the hill that overlooks the Port Stephens entrance and Shoal Bay, and it had seemed like a good idea, but as we looked up at it we lost enthusiasm and decided to stroll along the foreshore instead.   We stopped at the Game Fishing Club, where we sat on the balcony looking out over the bay and shared the biggest plate of calamari we have ever seen.

Mount Tomaree to the right.                                                                                      Looking across to the north shore, Scott-Free on a buoy

Great view from the balcony out across the bay. S-F to right.                      The pile of calamari went right to the top of the skewers! Yum!

The Game Fish Club on the foreshore.                                                                    By the time we got back to the boat, the sky had clouded over.

Back at the boat it was time to make her ready for sea.  The winds are forecast to be fair for the next two days and so we are off tomorrow to Coffs Harbour, an overnight passage of 160 nmiles.  We’ll be leaving at first light, so an early night for us.