We spent some time playing tourist in Sydney. We visited the Town Hall, the Botanic Gardens, Darling Harbour, Government House, the NSW Art Gallery and Circular Quay. We walked across the Harbour Bridge to Milson’s Point and Luna Park and caught the ferry up to Parramatta. One day we went to Edgecliffe and Woolahra and found the house Jamie’s grandparents had lived in back in the middle of last century.
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| Government House, Sydney |
We enjoyed bbq’s ashore at Blackwattle Bay with friends from
“The Southern Cross” (Peter and Catherine), “Code Blue” (Steve and Judy), “Storm
Petrel” (Joe and Claire) and “Freya” (Tim and Liz) before moving to Drummoyne
where we had dinner with Ron (“Carinya”) who we had met on Lord Howe Island.
From Sydney it was a short sail up to the Hawkesbury where we spent a week exploring the Cowan Creek up to Bobbin Head where we caught a lovely kingfish – perfect for dinner – and the first fish we had caught in ages so it was doubly tasty!!
Picking up a mooring in Hardy’s Bay (Brisbane Waters) we had Jamie’s cousin Richard and his wife, Chris aboard for a great evening, drinks then dinner.
Our next port of call was Lake Macquarie which involved yet another bridge – we are getting used to bridge transits now!! It is a little un-nerving when just as we go through SOL is caught by the current and pulled sideways towards the wall though.
We stayed in Lake Macquarie a week, utilizing the numerous free public moorings kindly supplied by NSW Maritime, and a few nights tied to the wharf outside the Wangi Workers Club, both Jamie and I needed the dentist, and there was one just at the end of the wharf. We also took the opportunity to do a service on both engines, oil, filter and impellers changed.
We went to the house of Sir William Dobell, it's open to the public one afternoon a week. William Dobell was born nearby, in Newcastle, but lived most of his life in Wangi. An artist, he won the Archibald Prize three times - once very infamously for his painting of his friend, Joshua Smith.
Lionel came up from Sydney so we sailed over to the
Lake Macquarie Yacht Club for lunch – they also have a wharf attached to the
restaurant – so convenient.
Leaving the Lake, northwards to Port Stephens, again picking up public moorings – first in Shoal Bay then to Nelson Bay. It was in Nelson Bay we heard there was to be a weather event – expected winds to 50-60knots – so fortunately the chap who was on one side of the public wharf in Nelson Bay came to us and offered to move his yacht (a monohull) into the smaller space and we could put SOL in the large space he was currently in – if we helped him move his boat. Of course we did, and with SOL securely triple tied to the wharf we sat out the definitely windy two days (over 50 knots) and torrential rain.
On Friday 6th June, on a very lumpy sea, but
accompanied by many dolphins, we endured a rather uncomfortable sail up past Seal Rocks to Crowdy Head, arriving just on dusk to anchor there.
Next morning we pulled the anchor and looking for mermaids we passed Mermaid Rock (Jamie a little disappointed there were none to be seen). Crossing the bar at Camden Haven we moored at Laurieton alongside Bruce (“Shellac”).
Whilst in Laurieton we went to the movies, we saw Rocketman – a really enjoyable film about Elton John and his life and all three of us felt that now the lyrics to his songs had much more meaning.
In the company of Bruce, we continued our trip north. A great day sail took us to Trial Bay, 200 nautical miles north of Sydney and halfway to Brisbane. We are seeing so many whales and dolphins this year as we make our way along the coast.
Trial Bay is a really interesting place. Trial Bay Gaol was built in 1877 to hold prisoners that would work to build a breakwater creating a safe harbour for ships plying their trade up and down the coast. However, the breakwater never was completed due to storms which washed away the wall as quickly as it was built – it was a disaster and only a small portion of it remains today.
The gaol was fascinating. Intended as a model for prison reform, the prisoners were given certain freedoms as they learned skills for life in the outside world. They were paid for their work, and had time for fishing, swimming and playing sport. It lasted as a gaol for just 20 years then lay empty until the war and from 1915 to 1918 housed mainly German prisoners and “enemy aliens”. The ruins are now heritage listed, and quite beautiful.
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| Cottage Point, Hawkesbury River |
From Sydney it was a short sail up to the Hawkesbury where we spent a week exploring the Cowan Creek up to Bobbin Head where we caught a lovely kingfish – perfect for dinner – and the first fish we had caught in ages so it was doubly tasty!!
Picking up a mooring in Hardy’s Bay (Brisbane Waters) we had Jamie’s cousin Richard and his wife, Chris aboard for a great evening, drinks then dinner.
Our next port of call was Lake Macquarie which involved yet another bridge – we are getting used to bridge transits now!! It is a little un-nerving when just as we go through SOL is caught by the current and pulled sideways towards the wall though.
We stayed in Lake Macquarie a week, utilizing the numerous free public moorings kindly supplied by NSW Maritime, and a few nights tied to the wharf outside the Wangi Workers Club, both Jamie and I needed the dentist, and there was one just at the end of the wharf. We also took the opportunity to do a service on both engines, oil, filter and impellers changed.
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| A great view of Hardy's Bay, Brisbane Waters |
We went to the house of Sir William Dobell, it's open to the public one afternoon a week. William Dobell was born nearby, in Newcastle, but lived most of his life in Wangi. An artist, he won the Archibald Prize three times - once very infamously for his painting of his friend, Joshua Smith.
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Bad weather - purple and
blue equals windy as!!
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Leaving the Lake, northwards to Port Stephens, again picking up public moorings – first in Shoal Bay then to Nelson Bay. It was in Nelson Bay we heard there was to be a weather event – expected winds to 50-60knots – so fortunately the chap who was on one side of the public wharf in Nelson Bay came to us and offered to move his yacht (a monohull) into the smaller space and we could put SOL in the large space he was currently in – if we helped him move his boat. Of course we did, and with SOL securely triple tied to the wharf we sat out the definitely windy two days (over 50 knots) and torrential rain.
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| A friendly pod of dolphins accompany us |
Next morning we pulled the anchor and looking for mermaids we passed Mermaid Rock (Jamie a little disappointed there were none to be seen). Crossing the bar at Camden Haven we moored at Laurieton alongside Bruce (“Shellac”).
Whilst in Laurieton we went to the movies, we saw Rocketman – a really enjoyable film about Elton John and his life and all three of us felt that now the lyrics to his songs had much more meaning.
In the company of Bruce, we continued our trip north. A great day sail took us to Trial Bay, 200 nautical miles north of Sydney and halfway to Brisbane. We are seeing so many whales and dolphins this year as we make our way along the coast.
Trial Bay is a really interesting place. Trial Bay Gaol was built in 1877 to hold prisoners that would work to build a breakwater creating a safe harbour for ships plying their trade up and down the coast. However, the breakwater never was completed due to storms which washed away the wall as quickly as it was built – it was a disaster and only a small portion of it remains today.
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| At Trial Bay Gaol - with a modern day prisoner |
The gaol was fascinating. Intended as a model for prison reform, the prisoners were given certain freedoms as they learned skills for life in the outside world. They were paid for their work, and had time for fishing, swimming and playing sport. It lasted as a gaol for just 20 years then lay empty until the war and from 1915 to 1918 housed mainly German prisoners and “enemy aliens”. The ruins are now heritage listed, and quite beautiful.
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| Bruce (Shellac) going out through the entrance at Camden Haven ahead of us in the early morning |
Via stops for a couple of nights in Coffs Harbour and then
Yamba/Iluka (still the best fish and chips to be had here from the fishermans cooperative) we reached the NSW-Queensland Border town of Tweed
Heads-Coolangatta where we moseyed into the Tweed River and anchored not far
from the town.
Here we will leave SOL while we fly south to Victoria to meet our second grandchild - our youngest daughter, Grace, is due on 27th July.
Here we will leave SOL while we fly south to Victoria to meet our second grandchild - our youngest daughter, Grace, is due on 27th July.
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| Arrow points to where we have secured a good, safe mooring for SOL while we go to Victoria |
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| Awaiting our turn to go under/through Swansea Bridge, Lake Macquarie |
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| A very pleasant afternoon and evening spent with Richard and Chris in Hardy's Bay |
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Glebe - interesting temple - monks burning large quantities of incense and selling
various icons and more incense (which looked like huge mozzie coils !!)
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A couple of visitors one evening up in the Hawkesbury they came unannounced and didn't want to leave!! |
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| Brooklyn Rail Bridge, from nearby Dangar Island |
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Back to Coffs Harbour, where we spent many weeks waiting for a weather window
before making the passage to New Zealand in November 2017
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