Yacht Envy "HAPPENINGS"

Happenings 2010 Number 18

2010-08-03T12:53:00.000+08:00

Farewell Rebak - Langkawi

and

Sail Malaysia "Passage to the East"

As I sit and write, all around me is deep cobalt blue, glassy smooth in all directions for 360 degrees as far as the eye can see, as ‘Envy’ motors across a vast, windless South China Sea from Terengganu in north-eastern peninsular Malaysia to Malaysian North Borneo. The only threat at the moment is to avoid hitting floating tree trunks and logs and other things that go ‘bong’ in the middle of the night.

'Court Jester' on the glassy South China Sea

Many large logs like this to dodge!

With mostly tranquil light airs prevailing, the motor has been running non-stop day and night, together with all sails up, for the past five days of our six day 668 nautical mile (1,237 km) crossing to Miri in Sarawak, in company with our friends Wayne and Sue on ‘Court Jester’, with whom we’ve done much sailing these past four years.

The weather has not always been as benign as at the moment, having endured two scary nights of multiple storm cell activity with lightning, thunder and rain all around us. Hour after hour all night long we relied on Radar as our eyes in the dark, seeking safe passage through shipping lanes plied by huge ships, and the ever present hazard of dimly lit fishing boats hundreds of kilometres offshore.

But I’m getting a little ahead of myself here.

In an endeavour to bolster tourism in general and boating in particular within the far flung states of Sarawak and Sabah, the Malaysian Government sponsors an annual ‘Passage to the East’ yacht rally to encourage sailors to undertake the South China Sea crossing to Malaysian Borneo, so we’ve joined the rally once again for our second Borneo experience.

Langkawi to Miri, Borneo route

Commencing in Langkawi at the end of April, (finally leaving ‘home base’ Rebak Marina after a wonderful four year association) the rally hopped from venue to venue down the west Malaysian coast, collecting more participants along the way, totalling some forty yachts by the time we reached the southern tip of the country in Johor State, just across the strait from Singapore.

Sea Eagle - symbol of Langkawi


Rebak Swimming Pool

Rebak Marina and facilities


Kuah, Langkawi streetscape

Since this was to be our final jaunt down the west coast we made the most of our last visit to favourite places including Georgetown-Penang, Pangkor-Lumut, Port Klang, Port Dickson, Malacca, and Danga Bay – Johor Bahru, most of which were official Rally destinations. During our nine day stopover at Danga Bay Marina we made a final visit across to Singapore, this great shopping magnet of SE Asia, where it seems one can buy almost anything.

The new Pangkor Marina at Lumut

Rally Welcome at Malacca (Meleka Malaysia spelling)

Group photo (Sail Malaysia Rally) at the new Malacca Marina

The rally fleet then sailed up the east side of the peninsular, again going from venue to venue enjoying more official welcome functions, with bus tours, gala dinners, entertainment and cultural displays etc enroute, until the final north-east coast destination of Terengganu, from where the “real” Passage to the East commenced, heading off on our six day crossing of the South China Sea.

1753 Dutch Church, Malacca

Colouful Malacca Trishaws

Old buildings Malacca riverside

Welcome dinner at Danga Bay

Wayne (Court Jester), Joy and John (Touche)

Peninsular Malaysia’s East coast is quite different than the West being much more ‘touristy’ with many Resorts backing mile upon mile of sandy beaches; its clearer waters are home to many coral reefs offering hours of diving or snorkelling enjoyment, whilst sea breezes bring some respite from the heat and humidity that is Malaysia.

Some of the cosy bay anchorages, with their coconut rimmed silica sand beaches and clear shallow sandy bottoms, were as good as we’ve seen in SE Asia, and many had fringing coral gardens as well. We spent much time snorkelling or diving, often followed with a beach BBQ at sundown. Paradise!

Beach cricket (Chris from China Grove) and BBQ at Kapas Island

Unlit fishing platform in 30mtr water

However, some less protected anchorages were not at all pleasant, as all boats rolled uncomfortably - sleepless throughout the night, but, in similarity to the weather, the good times outdid the bad ones a hundred fold.

With an entrance fee of only about A$140 (for this fixture), sailing rallies are extremely good value. In addition to making new acquaintances, plus the camaraderie, comfort and security of sailing in a group, the ‘all inclusive’ tours and entertainment along the way offers great variety, and the food at the various dinner functions is simply superb, as the venues do their upmost to excel and thereby hope for re-selection the following year.


Danga Bay, Johor Bahru welcome and dinner

Official Table

Danga Bay Welcome

Terengganu Banner

Crystal Mosque, Terengganu

Could this pair be new converts?


Scale model Mosque - Islam Theme Park, Terengganu

Beach at the Coral Resort - Redang Island (last stop before Borneo)

Midway between peninsular Malaysia and North Borneo lie Indonesia’s Anambas and Natuna Islands’ groups which were the site of some maritime piracy activity just this past May/June, when three large ocean going ships were boarded and robbed under way at night. Since these islands lie enroute, we’ve all had to divert our courses to give the area a wide berth, with most yachts traveling in groups. Yesterday “Envy’ passed about 40nm to the North of the Natuna’s, and twice during the day we two yachts were approached close-by by fishing boats which made us uneasy until their inquisitiveness was satisfied and they steamed away. Relief!

While sailing in company with us, just below Singapore Island on 28 May, our friends Trevor and Joan on “Been-A-Long’, in whose company we’ve planned to sail back to Brisbane, suffered the expensive misfortune of their engine ‘blowing up’ and the boat had to be towed 150nm up the east coast to a shipyard at Endau for new engine replacement, which was flown in from Sydney. With the new diesel engine installed they departed, but were forced to return the following day with steering failure, and they are as yet uncertain whether they’ll be able to join us for the return to Oz.

Mid morning on our last (sixth) day of passage ‘Huey’- the weather god - (as he’s irreverently referred to by yachties) decided to have a bit of sport with us about 50n/miles offshore and for an hour we were belted by a full gale of 40+ knots with black rainy skies and big seas, plus the odd ship to dodge thrown in to add to our misery. Some days are diamonds, some days are stones!

Approaching storm 1000hrs, last day of Passage

Radar at 1030hrs - in the thick of the storm!

But that’s all behind us now, tied up safely as we are here in Miri City Marina, awaiting the start of our next indulgence, the Borneo International Yachting Challenge (BIYC), a series of low key, fun yacht races for which all entrants get paid 600 Ringgits (A$ 200) appearance money to encourage participation, a total reversal from everywhere else where one has to pay entrance fees to compete!!

http://www.borneorace.com/

The BIYC regatta finishes early August in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, approx 160 nm (300km) north of Miri, then the ‘Passage to the East’ rally continues on over the top of Borneo through Sandakan to finish in Tawau.

From Tawau we’re really at the start of our long 3500 nautical mile (6400 km) passage back to Australia, often with adverse current and little wind through Iran Jaya and over the top of PNG. Then it’s down through the Louisiade Archipelago and 900 km across the Coral Sea into Cairns, then mosey on to Brisbane, hopefully avoiding the cyclone season to be home by early December.

You can follow our progress on ‘YOTREPS’ accessed via the following link, which we endeavour to update daily. http://www.pangolin.co.nz/yotreps/tracker.php?ident=VL3733

Cheers til next time
Bruce and Audrey

Envy in Rebak - aptly renamed "Yachties Retirement Village"

End of the day - farewell Peninsular Malaysia

Happenings 2010 Number 17

2010-04-12T10:40:00.002+08:00

Thailand Revisited

2010 – A new year and a new decade - seems like only yesterday since the new millennium began! And on reflection, I can’t help but recall the wisdom and truth of the sobering old adage;

“Time’s a precious thing, and the Years teach much that the Days never knew”

We left you last at Happenings -16 as ‘Envy’ departed Langkawi, Malaysia mid December 2009 for a three months’ return visit to Phuket Island, Thailand.

It’s around 135 nautical miles (250 km) up to Phuket and we sailed it in four easy day-hops through southern Thailand’s numerous inshore islands, anchoring each afternoon in shallow sheltered bays. During the passage Envy’s water lock exhaust (‘pong box’) cracked and sprung a leak which we discovered by chance just as the bilge was about to flood the engine room floor with seawater, and managed to effect temporary repairs under way.

After ‘Clearing’ Thai Customs and Immigration we purchased a new ‘pong box’ and moved to a more sheltered anchorage at nearby Panwa Bali Beach. But all of a sudden things went terribly wrong. The following day, a week before Christmas, while trying to fit the new ‘pong box’ at anchor, Bruce accidentally broke off a thru-hull ball valve beneath an un-braced strainer in the engine room and sea water was flooding into the boat like a Kiwi geyser. Pretty scary stuff!

Broken thru-hull strainer valve

Fortunately our long-term cruising friends, Trevor and Joan Long, (‘Been-a-Long’) were anchored beside us and, as I sat there like the little Dutch boy covering the hole with my hands, Audrey summoned Trevor’s help and, after what seemed like hours, we managed to smother the opening with quick drying marine putty, after which Bruce dived under the hull and jammed a wooden bung into the inlet hole. The heartbeat rate was fairly racing there for a while - I’ll give you the drum!

New red 'pong box' and strainer bracket

We were able to motor-sail in strong headwinds to Boat Lagoon Marina, midway up Phuket’s east coast, where “Envy” was hauled out into a cradle on the hardstand, and where this and several other repair and installation jobs were arranged with local professionals over the following few weeks.

Fortunately we had both Air Conditioning and our electric Engel Fridge/Freezer to provide some respite to the horrors of living in a boat on the hard in tropical heat, accessed only by a ladder.

Meanwhile we hired a Suzuki Jeep for three weeks and joined 28 yachtie friends for a Beach BBQ lunch on Christmas Day at the foreshore of a National Park overlooking the turquoise waters of pretty Nai Yang Bay on the NW side of Phuket. So all was not lost, and we thoroughly enjoyed a Christmas with a difference plus all the excitement of Secret Santa with gift wrapped ‘Treasures from the Bilge’. A telephone call home by both of us to our respective celebrating families added to that special feeling of Christmas.

Christmas Day BBQ and Secret Santa

Once Christmas was over it was ‘full on’ with an array of boatyard professionals working on ‘Envy’ including marine engineers, stainless steel fabricators, and various tradesmen doing new canvass work, fibreglass repairs, a carpenter making teak shelving, marine electrician, a yacht rigger and hull antifouling painters and polishers who, together with yours truly, spent one month to the day getting the boat back into shape.

Meanwhile our rented Suzuki jeep was put to good use as we made the most of non-work days to explore further afield. We treated ourselves to an outing on New Year’s Day driving 80km north to visit, lunch and indulge both culture and scenery of the small inland provincial town of Phang Nga, (”Fang Nar”) from which Phang Nga Bay, the area’s famous aquatic playground derives its name.

Bruce and and new Thai friend!

The generally flat topography is dotted with steep karst limestone outcrops, like giant needles rising several hundred feet above the ground, for which the province and its namesake bay are most famous. This small town is also somewhat unique in that it stretches for nearly four kilometres along either side of the main road, but mostly only one block deep, and with a jumbled up mixture of residential, commercial, and industrial buildings all together – most unusual for a smallish town.

Other motoring outings took us sightseeing along Phuket’s scenic west coast, with its bays of clear sparkling water and splendid white sand. Nov-March is the tourist ‘high season’ here with the prevailing dry NE monsoon providing (cooler) hot days with almost no rain.


Beach BBQs - always delightful

Green Prawns - always good value

What a joyous feeling to splash back into the water off ‘the hard’ in mid January, and even better still to finally depart the marina a few days later and be back at sea swinging on the anchor once more.

Australia Day was a real hoot; Australian flags, decorations and ‘boxing kangaroos’ fluttering in the gentle breeze in southern Phuket’s popular Nai Harn Bay as more than twenty Aussie yachts, including some newer arrivals we’d not met before, gathered on a large catamaran to celebrate the day in true style with a BBQ on board, with all things ‘Aussie’ including singing and bush verse. A great fun day – the stuff memories are made of.

Australia Day with 28 'True Blue' yachties

We wasted little time getting back into cruising mode and set our sights on sailing up Phuket’s scenic west coast, comprising bay after bay of excellent white sandy beaches and endless high-rise holiday accommodation, patronised predominantly by older central and northern Europeans, especially Scandinavians, who lounge about in their thousands on plastic deck chairs, many women topless, as they fry their milky-white arctic skins under the tropical sun.

Sun worshippers - Patong Beach

Pad Thai Noodles with Seafood - a favourite at $2

So we sat at anchor out front of the sandy beaches of Nai Harn, Kata, Patong, Surin, Bang Tao and Nai Yang, spending time with friends, swimming and reading, eating ashore at cheap beach cafes (whose meal prices were about one quarter of Oz costs), and catching up with our ‘Happenings’ reports and emails.

An interesting anomaly relating to the 2004 Tsunami is that Phuket’s Surin Beach had barely a 2 metre surf wave while similar beaches either side of it and indeed all beaches up and down the west coast suffered huge waves causing extensive damage and much loss of life.

Having been right up to the Myanmar (Burmese) border in previous seasons, this is as far north as we went before returning southwards back into Phang Nga Bay for a month cruising there.

To the east of Phuket is picturesque Phang Nga Bay with its many sheer-sided sea mountains of karst limestone that rise vertically out of the bay, providing stunning scenery, occasionally used for motion picture locations.

Karst Limestone Outcrops - Phang Nga Bay

There are numerous quiet Bays like this

These great sailing grounds are home to many individual fishermen who net the shallow waters of the northern bay and regularly stop by in their small ‘long-tail’ boats to offer fresh green prawns, fish and crabs, often finding a willing prawn buyer in us. One young fisherman – who spoke little English - took me to his village, Laemsak, and then on his motorbike for 13km to the supermarket.

We ran out of petrol enroute and a passing friend, on his motorbike, “foot” pushed us three km to get fuel. Upon return to Laemsak village the tide was out, so he summoned several locals to drag his boat through the mud to the water, and I paid him generously for his kindness.

200 metre push along mud into the water

Fisherman loading their pots

Heading out to set the pots

Three unchartered small rivers drain into northern Phang Nga Bay and the good ship ‘Envy’ carefully explored one of them, the Marui River, for a few miles upstream, eyes glued to the Depth Sounder as we cautiously zigzagged our way searching for navigable depths in the mangrove lined channels of murky brown water.

We anchored beside a mid-stream ‘postage stamp’ sized rocky outcrop where “Wilma’s Place”, a recently abandoned food kiosk nestled on the rocks in the middle of nowhere, piqued our imagination as to the commercial feasibility of its location in the first place – there’s no habitation within sight! At dusk ‘Envy’ hosted the entire local mosquito population, but fortunately 4 smoking ‘mozzie’ coils held them in check. One night was enough to whet our explorer’s appetites – we departed the next day!

Audrey and I have again enjoyed this part of the world, pretty much planning our travels to avoid previously visited haunts in favour of discovering places new to us. We particularly enjoyed our first visit to the Krabi area in the Bay’s northeast, which is both pretty and touristy, and boasts some of the most spectacular karst limestone of the area.

Abandoned 'Wilmas' Restaurant

Eroded Limestone cliffs - Krabi Coast

Our next interesting stop was at Ko Yao Yai (South Yao Island) where Bruce, ever the explorer, went ashore to check out Ban Lam Lan, a tiny isolated Muslim fishing village where very few westerners would venture. Everyone was just so friendly and wanted to know all about this ‘Farang’ (foreigner), so, aided by my Thai-English phrase book, there was much laughter and ‘carrying-on’.

Ban Lam Lan Muslin Village

Local Storekeeper with my Phrase book

Enroute back to Langkawi we again visited the “Emerald Cave” on Muk Island, the must-see highlight of the region. The entrance is an 80-metre pitch dark winding passageway, with just enough headroom and width for a small dinghy to paddle in, and the reverberating sound of booming seawater resonating in ones ears likened it to a spooky ‘Disneyland’ ride.

This dark passageway leads to a completely enclosed circular, cathedral-like Hong (room), with a diameter of 60 metres, open to the sky. The high, sheer walls are draped in lush foliage above a tiny patch of silica sand beach and an ethereal glow makes it seem as if you were encased inside an emerald, looking out. It’s an awesome experience, never to be forgotten!

Inside the Emerald Cave Hong

The main fishing village on the relatively small island of Ko Muk, which was swept away by the tsunami, has been rebuilt with foreign aid. The 130 new dwellings are a vast improvement over their modest pre-tsunami homes. The complex sits on concrete pillars over tidal mudflats that are exposed at low tide; all houses are inter-connected with walkways and incorporate a septic waste system which few enjoyed previously. Not the most salubrious location but at least there’s no grass to mow!

Rebuilt housing - Koh Muk fishing village

School children on Koh Muk

There is a tourist resort at the bottom end of Koh Muk, with a restaurant nestled into the headland, providing wonderful elevated views overlooking the beach and bay; it has long been a favourite of ours so we made a point of savouring it one last time to enjoy ‘Sundowners’ at sunset followed by an excellent seafood dinner.

Million dollar view - and a one dollar floor!


Sundowners at Sunset from the same position

And a great farewell to Thailand

Having accumulatively spent several months during our Thai cruising these past three years, there is not much of Thailand’s popular cruising grounds – from Malaysia to Myanmar - that’s accessible and/or of interest to us - which we’ve now not seen.

Our 90 day visa to Thailand expired mid March when we departed Phuket and made a leisurely return to ‘home base’ in Langkawi over the following 10 days.

‘Envy’ now lies in Rebak Marina being prepared for our participation in ‘The Rally to the East’ at the end of April, destination North Borneo.

We have made the decision to abort our Philippines cruising plans and sail ‘Envy” back to OZ a couple of years earlier, and hopefully to arrive in Brisbane by the end of this year; it’s far more difficult returning southwards and we need to wait for more appropriate seasonal conditions later in the year.

We are still researching the most favourable route, either backtracking through Indonesia or returning over the top of Papua New Guinea. We’ll keep you posted.

Bruce and Audrey
April 2010

Happenings 2009 Number 16

2010-02-04T13:47:00.000+08:00

Australia
An unexpected return

Six days after our arrival back on “Envy” at Rebak Marina, Langkawi, Malaysia, following the most wonderful holiday visit to Britain, we are again in the air on a flight to Brisbane to attend a problem at our ‘down the bay’ house on Karragarra Island.

Karragarra (Karra) Island Jetty

Pretty Karra Beachfront

Having been alerted by non payment of several weeks’ rent, enquiries led to the unhappy discovery that our tenant had fled without notice, albeit understandably, as a result of the total failure of the septic toilet system. The local Council authority was talking mega- bucks’ figures for its replacement so we high-tailed it home to sort out the problem.

Most of the following two months are consumed having the entire septic system replaced, re-establishing the ruined lawn, having house painting done and getting the house and grounds spruced up ready for sale.

Trenches for the new Septic System

Job completed, but no grass, just the red soil of Redland Bay!!

We have owned this property since 2002, have done well capital gains wise, and with a dearth of good tenants choosing to live on this tiny island, we took the decision to sell and invest elsewhere.

See it at: http://www.tbarclayrealestate.com/property/204.htm

Karragarra is widely acknowledged as the pick of the southern Moreton Bay islands with its sandy swimming/picnic area with free electric BBQ’s & facilities and quiet lifestyle. It also boasts some very colourful birdlife with many brightly hued parrots and lorikeets around, and Kookaburras plus other birds lining up on the deck rails to be fed.

Karra swimming enclosure and BBQ picnic area

Backyard at high tide

Rear view of Karra House

Air conditioned open plan interior

View from back deck

The days quickly spread into weeks as we worked to get the property ready for sale plus packing up and moving much of the house contents into storage beneath our suburban Brisbane home, which is also tenanted.

Moving out

Departing Karragarra Island

Interspersed with this was attending the needs of twin brother John who is slowly succumbing to the vagaries of early Alzheimer’s Disease, in his independent living unit at Brookfield Retirement Village.

Our return to Oz turned out to be a very busy working visit, mostly spent on 'Karra' and, with the island’s ‘bridge-less’ relative isolation, we were unable to catch up with many friends, for which we beg your understanding.

We returned to Malaysia on 1st. December, from where, ten days later “Envy” threw off her lines and sailed up to Phuket, Thailand for Christmas and the following 3 months.

Happy 2010 - from Bruce and Audrey

See you soon in H-17

Happenings 2009 Number 15

2010-01-26T11:51:00.037+08:00

“The Quiet Year?!”

Wow; for what was planned as a quiet year, all of a sudden 2009 became quite different!

It’s been another full year for the ‘Envy’ crew with mostly land travel and much less sailing. So here’s our story for 2009.

Having spent Christmas 2008 in Australia, January 2009 finds Bruce and Audrey visiting friends in QLD, NSW and VIC, then across to New Zealand before returning to the boat in Langkawi, Malaysia early March, as reported in “Happenings 14”.

Three weeks later we’re sailing, with very little wind, through Thailand’s southern islands up to Phuket, where we’ll spend just one short month mixing maintenance with leisure. Phuket boatyards offer the best marine services by far within this SE Asian area, so we had ‘Envy’s’ parquetry flooring totally refurbished to look like new.

‘Envy’ enroute to Thailand

We then take a ten day island hopping cruise back to Rebak Marina, Langkawi where, following a similar period layover, “Envy” moves on 70nm down to Penang.

Bruce had designed a new ‘NV’ boat logo and Penang offered the opportunity to have it drawn up professionally. For those who don’t know, ‘Envy’ derives from our names Napier (N) & Vidgen (V) – NV, with no connection to one of the “7 Cardinal Sins”.

New 'Envy' Logo and Boat Card

Exotic Penang offers much to tourists and is a favourite destination with its colourful cultural mix of Chinese, Indians and Malays, its excellent food and fine old architecture. Here we hire a car and stay in a friend’s vacant hillside unit with its sea views for three weeks while our Queensland expat author friend is away visiting Cambodia. His bright, airy unit is a welcome change from our less spacious boat, safely moored in the marina.

‘Yum Cha’ in Penang with Neil & Ley

Back in home-base Rebak Marina again we decide to circumnavigate Langkawi Island and spend time with yachtie friends in the lovely sandy northern anchorage at Tanjung Rhu, with its small fish farm incorporating a modest floating seafood restaurant. From here we went by dinghy for an exploratory day trip through the narrow tidal channels to the ‘Hole-in-the-Wall’, a protected ‘mangrove alley’ anchorage some 10 km distant.

Exploring ‘Hole in the Wall’

By now it’s July and the stormy SW monsoon ‘wet season’ is starting and we’re back in the marina for a quiet off-season, with no travel plans. But plans are prone to change.

We made a spur-of-the-moment decision to make a two month’s visit to Great Britain and departed Malaysia with Emirates on Sunday 26 July to Newcastle, England, via Dubai. We spent 52 wonderful days touring extensively through much of England and Scotland visiting relatives, friends, and attending Audrey’s cousin’s wedding in Gloucestershire.

Audrey hadn’t seen her aunt & uncle (Elspeth &Denbigh) and cousins in over 40 years and it was the “highlight of the decade” to catch up at last with these wonderfully lovely ‘rellies’; the whole clan had gathered together to celebrate Phoebe’s 21st birthday and Alex & Susannah’s wedding.

With Elspeth & Denbigh at the Wedding

Alex and Susannah

the Wright family – our hosts for the Wedding

During our seven weeks’ visit we enjoyed the luxury of having 3 vacant cottages/units to ourselves, all in superb tourist locations. Derek Brittain’s lovely cottage in Stockton, North Yorkshire (Captain Cook country), the Gregson’s hilltop ‘Rose Cottage’ in scenic Bradwell, Derbyshire and the Scott’s cosy unit overlooking a golf course in Edinburgh, in addition to staying with relatives and friends for the balance of our 51 nights, spending only a single night’s stay in a sea-front B&B in Kent; our total accommodation cost being ₤52 (A$ 104) for the entire seven weeks holiday.

Roman Baths – Bath

and View from ‘Rose Cottage’

Derbyshire Countryside

South-West England Farmaland

I can see you!!

Our new little red rented Nissan took us 4441mls (7400km) from the English Channel up through much of southern, western and northern England, including the Lakes District, and on up to the Isle of Skye off Scotland’s west coast; the Edinburgh unit was a great base, from which we both retraced our Scottish lowlands heritage as well as touring up the east coast for some distance, including a visit to famous St. Andrews Golf Club.

Highlights were multiple; they included the charm of old towns, thatched-roofed villages, picturesque country lanes, the history of Oxford and Bath, the English canal systems with their boats, the absolute splendour of the Derbyshire countryside, the scenic Cumbrian Lakes and Yorkshire moors, traditional fish and chips, visiting Capt Cook country, and the grandeur of the Scottish highlands to name a few.

Built 1434 - almost 600 years old and Whitby Harbour of Capt. Cook fame

Nelson’s Victory- Portsmouth and Heather in Bloom, Yorkshire Moors

Stunning Cumbrian Farmland and York minster Cathedral

one of several Vidgen Tombstones in New Romney

We visited “Kerfield” in Peebles, the splendid estate previously owned by Audrey’s Napier grandparents, the huge house since divided into two and both the lovely owners welcomed us in, showing us through this grand house. Everywhere we went the people we met made it all so very special.

"Kerfield", Peebles

Both the Napiers and Vidgens share interesting Scottish/English ancestry. Audrey’s great -great maternal grandfather, John Houlding, owned a Liverpool Brewery and played a leading role in establishing both the now famous Everton and Liverpool Football Clubs, and we were both treated like royalty when we visited the Liverpool Club and its great Museum. Audrey was the first descendent of their revered founder they had ever met!

At the Liverpool Football Club's Museum, John Houlding

We also had the pleasure of an overnight stay once again with my Jardine relatives, the newly appointed Clan Chief, young Sir William and his mother Lady Mary Jardine, and also visited two Jardine ancestral castles in their Lockerbie homelands.

Jardine’s ancestoral 'Spedlins Castle'

A special highlight was our trip driving up through the marvelously scenic Scottish highlands to visit our long-standing dear friend Sheena Scott at Kylerhea on the Isle of Skye, whom we hadn't seen in years, and in whose cosy Edinburgh unit we stayed; we've known Sheena since she and Audrey worked together in Brisbane 30 years ago.

Sadly, her author/photographer husband Alastair was away sailing back from Iceland, but we had four fabulous days of both recounting and making memories. A month more would still have been too short a visit.

with Sheena at Arroch Cottage, Kylerhea and Midge season in Skye

view from Arroch overlooking Sound of Sleat

The UK summer weather was quite good and all too soon we find ourselves returning to Langkawi, Malaysia, where we arrived back on “Envy” late at night on 17 September, ever grateful to Derek Brittain and Edith whose invitation to use his North Yorkshire cottage to visit "Capt. Cook country" was the catalyst that caused this most memorable and joyous event.

Farewell to Derek and Edith
our generous hosts for our ‘home base’ in Nth Yorkshire

Happening 14 - 2008/09 December to March

2009-05-18T13:18:00.026+08:00

Australian Holiday

Audrey hadn’t been back home in over a year and we were both chomping at the bit, keen to be back with family and friends, and the thought of a cooler climate, a large comfortable bed, western food plus plans for interstate travel all heightened our impatience. We needed a holiday from our job; the daily grind of simply messing about in boats.

December 1st 2008 finally arrived and early next morning our Air Asia flight landed at Coolangatta. Audrey’s mother Lavinia met us for we were staying at her suburban Kenmore, Brisbane house.

Back home again. Roast Lamb tonight!

Our little Pontiac ‘Fiero’ came out of storage and like headless chooks we raced about seeing friends, doing business, shopping, checked out our two rented houses at Karragarra Island and Cannon Hill, and the days raced by. But wherever we are our early morning daily walking exercise routine still continues, now for over fifteen years.

It was time to catch up with friends, so we drove to Yandaran just north of Bundaberg to spend a few days with fellow Rally cruising friends Wal and Robyn who, in their yacht ‘Annwn’, have since returned to Oz. They have five acres of lovely shaded parkland where bird life abounds and we marvelled at the brilliant red and green hues of the Australian Parrots and the blaze of colour of the Rainbow Lorikeets that came to the feeding station at their rear patio.

Rainbow Lorikeets

Wal recently bought a top-of-the-range zero turn ‘Fastrak Hustler’ ride-on mower for their five acres of lawn – told Bruce to give it a try; it was so much fun he spent the entire day mowing the whole property. Bruce is still puzzled how the ‘little boy’ in him got conned into a full day’s work!

The 'little boy' mowing

Worse still, Yandaran was suffering a caterpillar plague, as reported in the national media at the time, and for my joyful sins I spent the next week covered in itchy red rashes, removing invisible hairs from the pores of my bare arms and legs. Bugger!

Enroute home we called on Bruce’s Brisbane Boys College schooldays’ friend Ian MacLennan who, with wife Pam developed an old Burnett River cane farm at Wallaville, inland from Bundaberg, into one of Queensland’s bigger state-of-the-art Citrus Orchards, principally producing Mandarins and Oranges. It was a real treat to see them again after a few years, to reminisce the past and catch up on all that has happened since.

Before we knew it Christmas was upon us. Christmas Eve we feasted on seafood at Lavinia’s, the Napier clan joined us for breakfast next morning, followed by a traditional Christmas lunch with the Vidgen tribe at the Gold Coast.

Christmas Breakfast in Kenmore

During the week after Christmas, we had an overnight visit with long-time friends Ron and Margot Finney at their lovely Noosa Beach canal-front home, almost an annual occurrence which we greatly anticipate. New Year’s Eve was shared with old schooldays friends Peter and Barbara Eldred at their picturesque property adjacent to the scenic rim of Springbrook National Park, through part of which we enjoyed an early morning 4km trek that took us up hill, down dale and under waterfalls.

Trekking with the Eldreds - Springbrook National Park

Located high in the Gold Coast hinterland, with a clear mountain stream and fish ponds gurgling through it, their large acreage, in addition to natural bushland, comprises a productive well represented orchard and the grounds and gardens present as ‘open- house standard’; the stuff of many peoples dreams. Even the resident ‘vermin control’ officer, a robust carpet snake is a welcome guest sunning itself in the vegetable garden!

2 metres of 'vermin control'

Enroute home on New Year’s Day we lunched with other lifelong friends Anthony and Denise Goodwin at their brand new home in the newly developing, internationally acclaimed Currumbin Valley ‘Eco Village’ . Perhaps the largest house in the Village, it is attractively and intelligently designed - a beautifully built home with a difference, just so liveable, & no doubt the envy of many.

The Goodwins fantastic eco-house (we look forward to seeing it after landscapping)

Thus ended a truly marvellous whirlwind week that saw out the 2008 Festive Season.

We spent the next few days relaxing at Kenmore watching the South Africans whop the ‘invincible’ Aussies at Test Cricket, saw the movie ‘Australia’ at the cinema, mowed the lawn and other exciting things like that, and now it was time to travel farther afield.

So on 5 January 2009 Audrey and I headed out west on a six hour drive to visit my long time work colleague and our dear friend Margaret Neill at her ‘Newstead’, Surat cattle property. Our previous visit in June ’07 was during a serious drought but now the property was green following good rains, the river waterholes were full and running, the cattle were in good condition and the young calves were just superb. Following a working life career associated with it, ‘going bush’ nourishes my soul.

Marg then took us down to St. George to her sister Jo and husband John Knights’ huge Cotton farm. Cotton requires a lot of water and the extensive earthworks development in constructing above ground ring tanks, that hold 5000 mega-litres (five thousand million litres) of irrigation water, is quite mind-blowing (not to mention mega-bucks expensive).

Most people associate Pelicans with the seaside, and quite so. But many Pelicans fly to the outback to breed before returning to the coast. Here in the shallow backwaters of one of John Knights extensive dams we counted over 300 Pelicans in a single flock. Amazing! (Grab a book on early Australian verse and read Mary Hannah Foote’s poem ‘Where the Pelican Builds its Nest).

About one-third of the flock, St George, SW Qld

Four days later we were back on the road again, on a 1060 km run from Surat, SW Queensland to the old distinguished town of Bowral in the New South Wales southern highlands. We departed ‘Newstead’ at 4am, cautiously on the lookout for kangaroos ‘til daylight, travelling via St George, Moree, Scone, Putty and Penrith, arriving late afternoon at Audrey’s aunt June’s ‘Culreuch Cottage’ in Bowral. We spent four ever pleasant days with June, enjoying dinner parties there and with retired naval warship commander David Farthing and wife Judy in their nearby Mittagong home. Bruce also made a short day trip to Canberra for lunch with PNG days’ friend Roz Murray and Hector.

Aunt June's (2nd from left) Dinner Party

There’s not much fun having a seriously nippy sports car if you don’t give it a run occasionally, so on a quiet, flat, secondary road between Quirindi and Scone in central NSW I asked my Pontiac ‘Fiero’ to show me its stuff, which it did for a couple of kilometres – flying smoothly at 166 k/hr and still more squirt left in the tank. No doubt about it, the aero-dynamic rear spoiler keeps the car firmly on the road.

The Pontiac Fiero - our Lunch spot at Bermagui, NSW

Departing Bowral we took the scenic route through Kangaroo Valley down to Nowra, then along the New South Wales southern coast through the stunningly picturesque towns of Ulladulla, Bateman’s Bay, Moruya, beautiful Narooma and Bermagui, where they filmed that delightfully funny movie, ‘The Man Who Sued God’, and where we ate lunch on the knoll above the river mouth. On through Merimbula and stayed the night in Eden. As a parochial Banana-bender I readily accept the beauty of this southern coast.

Bermagui River - Scene of lightening strike in Film 'The Man Who Sued God'

An early start next morning finds us in Victoria travelling the Prince’s Highway through Cann River, Lakes Entrance, Sale, Leongatha, and into the Mornington Peninsular arriving at our new friends Geoff and Sandra Spinks’ lovely Mt Martha home, where we enjoyed four days of wonderful hospitality with them. They showed us all the local sights including the high peak of ‘Arthur’s Seat’, then we spent one day sight-seeing in Melbourne where we enjoyed the 88th floor view from the Eureka Tower, the highest viewing level in the Southern Hemisphere.

The Spink's lovely home and garden - Mt Martha

We farewell Mt Martha mid January and head for Sorrento to take the Car Ferry across Port Phillip Heads to historic Queenscliffe, from where we travel the coast road through Torquay to Lorne, then veered inland via quaint tiny Birregurra, (where we had a super hamburger lunch for $6), continuing on via Colac, Camperdown and Warrnambool, arriving at Port Fairy, south western Victoria, at 5pm. Along much of the way from the NSW/VIC border we remarked how dry the countryside was, not the usual lush green pastures one associates with Victoria, but very dry drought-stricken forests and grasslands.

We’d been invited to visit fellow 2006 Sail Indonesia Rally participants John and Joy Marwood, owners of the swift yacht ‘Touché’, by now good friends with whom we’ve cruised SE Asian waters, at their Port Fairy home. Named after an old sailing ship named ‘The Fairy’, this very pretty river-port town is bathed in both history and charm and the local hostellery, “The Stump”, boasts to being the longest continually licensed hotel in Australia, which was reason good enough for us to breast the Bar.

Charming Port Fairy - SW Victoria

The surrounding districts around Koroit were settled by Irish immigrants and still reflect their distinctive character, with much local industry centred on dairying. The area’s colourful history includes stories of bushrangers and illicit whiskey stills, and the Marwood’s son Tim, who makes high quality boutique ice cream, also runs a legal whiskey distillery in his nearby Timboon village restaurant. Fascinating!

With John and Joy Marwood in son Tim's Restuarant/Distillery, Timboon

Not far from Port Fairy is the western end of the well known scenic wonder, ‘The Great Ocean Road’. We’d purposely bypassed it coming down since John, who grew up there on a dairy farm quite close to the ocean frontage, suggested they accompany us on our return to point out all the best spots, which is exactly what happened --- spectacular picture postcard ocean coast scenery, culminating in the famous ‘Twelve Apostles’, spectacular limestone rock stacks that rise up to seventy metres from the sea.

Spectacular scenery along the Great Ocean Road

By the time we got to what is left of the 'Twelve Apostles', there was a southerly change and the mist rolled in from the Great Southern Ocean

We said farewell to John and Joy at Lavers Hill near Apollo Bay, then skirted around Melbourne and continued on up to the Yarra Valley to visit Gary and Sue Richmond, whom we met in 2006 on the Rally in Indonesia. They have a lovely hilltop home at Launching Place, were great company and generous hosts. The following day Susie took us sightseeing around much of the upper Yarra Valley, including the tranquil ‘Cement Creek’ Air Walk, a high boardwalk through the forest canopy with the clear running creek below, and we lunched at the upmarket Tokar Winery with its fine Rose Gardens.

Bruce with Sue Richmond, Yarra Valley

Tokar Vineyards and Rose Gardens

Like millions of others around the world, that evening we watched President Barack Obama’s inauguration ceremony, and wondered how Martin Luther King Jr. would have felt to be there!

Early next morning we bid the Richmond’s farewell and headed north for Bowral, driving through Healesville and other areas that two weeks later were to become the horrific scenes of this nation’s worst ever natural disaster, the February 7 ‘Black Saturday’ bushfires which claimed over 200 lives.

Three nights were spent in the garden town of Bowral with its leafy avenues and many stately old homes. Built on what was originally the grazing property of surveyor and explorer John Oxley until 1863, it is more readily identified through its most famous son. Though born in Cootamundra, (Sir) Donald Bradman spent most of his youth and played his first cricket here as a boy, and a visit to the local ‘Bradman Museum’ reveals a surprisingly in-depth history of the game of Cricket in Australia and England, together with fascinating memorabilia, and honours ‘The Don’s’ amazing career as the world’s greatest ever cricketer.

Vineyards and their Boutique Wineries are prevalent throughout the southern highlands, many with restaurants, so we lunched once more at Mittagong’s Buusaada Winery. My experience with many fledgling wineries is that their wine is both over rated and over priced.

Bruce with June and Lavinia - Buusaada Winery, Mittagong

Departed Aunt June’s Bowral home in the dark at 5am on Sunday 25 January and driving slowly through built-up nearby Mittagong in the early morning dewy mist, veered to avoid a kangaroo sitting on the street-lit road, which decided to about turn my way and subsequently bowled him over at about 2kph, fortuitously leaving neither party damaged.

We took the New England Highway back to Kenmore, Brisbane where we arrived late afternoon to conclude a most enjoyable 21 day three State tour.

The following three weeks were spent doing nothing in particular apart from visiting friends at Mooloolaba Beach for lunch, researching what government benefits I could expect upon turning 65 on 13 February, and celebrating that significant event with a dinner party at Kenmore with twin brother John (who attained this milestone 20 minutes before me) and twenty two close friends, mostly all from childhood days. Audrey and Lavinia catered magnificently and a great night was enjoyed by all!

65th Birthday Boys

A quick day trip across to Karragarra Island to leave my car (with Alan “Mr Fiero” McClelland who imports them from USA) for service during our impending absence in New Zealand, to where we flew on 18 February to visit our good friends Ralph and Yvonne de Gruyter, sailing friends whom we met in Brisbane on their world circumnavigation some years ago.

Ralph and Yvonne with dinner on the super-yacht

Ralph was there to meet our mid afternoon Qantas flight and, after collecting Yvonne from her office we went for cocktails on the luxury yacht of which Ralph is paid skipper. It is reputedly the second largest mega-yacht in Auckland and Ralph’s job as Master is to cruise her with owner and guests around the Pacific. We had the privilege of meeting the (local) owner who joined us for Sundowners. This USA built beauty is luxury plus, with large cabins and all the trimmings, and the engine room is awesome – appliances of every sort everywhere, a million wires, pipes and tubes, and so clinically clean you could eat your food off the floor.

Caught 6 Snapper

We spent only one week in New Zealand but packed each day full, including a weekend ‘down the Bay’ on Ralph and Yvonne’s sailing yacht “Aureo”, where we caught and ate Snapper fish and met up with another kiwi couple, Bill and Josia Whall, with whom we cruised the Pacific in 2003. Some days we took Ralph’s car and drove all around Auckland, recalling memories from our stay there in 2002, and revisited the Australian Gannet colony at Muriwai Beach on the west coast from Auckland.

From left: Bill, Josie, Ralph, Yvonne and Audrey

Gannet Colony, Muriwai Beach, NZ

Most nights we ate out at restaurants or with their families, other than when we cooked BBQ’s on the deck of their superb hilltop home with its commanding views overlooking Maraetai Beach and Waitemata Harbour. Since this home was undergoing extensive renovations Audrey and I stayed in their other Maraetai house nearby, having it all to ourselves, just as we did back in 2002/03.

Maraetai Beach and Waiheke Island - view from Deck

The New Zealand week was over in a flash and we were back at Kenmore where we spent the next ten days leisurely preparing for our return to ‘Envy’.

After 14 weeks back in Australia, on Friday 6 March we spent a happy last night with Anthony and Denise Goodwin in their modern spacious and airy Currumbin Eco-Village home, and they drove us to Coolangatta Airport for our 9am Air Asia return flight to Langkawi, Malaysia next morning.

We now have our cruising hats on once again, living our other life, and working hard at losing the extra weight we put on Down Under.

(PS: We have each lost over 10kg since returning here 10 weeks ago!!)

Cheers til we meet again in ‘H-15’.

Happenings 13 - 2008 June to December

2009-05-16T09:37:00.045+08:00

Australia, Borneo & South China Seas

Mid June 2008, only five days after our return to Sebana Cove Marina from land travels in Thailand, Laos and Cambodia (reported in ‘H-12’), Bruce flies out of Singapore for Thursday Island to help twin brother John pack and relocate back to Brisbane.

Thursday Island Panorama

John’s career with Q’ld Health had been medically terminated following assessment of his suffering early Alzheimer’s, so I went to help out. Six days later we departed this beautiful little island which was home to my parents during their earlier life, and flew to Brisbane, where it took a further five weeks to find suitable accommodation for John in a retirement village, and unpack his 270 cartons!

Meanwhile Audrey sailed with other cruising friends to Kuching in Sarawak, Borneo to attend the annual ‘Rain Forrest Music Festival’, which we’d planned and prepaid weeks before. ‘Muso’s’ from all around the globe are invited to perform their unique ‘ethno-music’ over this popular three day outdoor event. Audrey then flew back to ‘Envy’ at Sebana Cove Marina in Malaysia, just across the strait from Singapore, to where I returned on 3 August 2008.

On the foredeck of Muscat, Audrey, Sue from Court Jester and Alison from Muscat on the Santabong River, Kuching, Sarawak.

One week later ‘Envy’ departs on our 640 n/mile non-stop South China Sea passage to Borneo and that first afternoon we got caught in a so-called “Sumatra”, gale-force winds of 30/45 kts (mostly above 40kts) and totally unrelenting for half an hour. Then on day three, just about half way across this vast sea, we copped another belting where it howled a strong gale to 46 kts for an hour, and bucketed down rain as well. On both occasions we just held ‘Envy’ head to wind and rode it out – some days at sea are just soooo much fun!

We quickly prepare Envy for the storm coming from behind

Then shortly after midnight on day four, sailing under a waxing three-quarter moon, a huge flying fish (alias - missile) landed in the cockpit narrowly missing Audrey who was standing watch, and by daylight the wind had died so we were motoring on an oily smooth sea. Passed downwind of two very smelly fishing boats during the morning and that afternoon had a pod of nine playful Dolphins frolicking at the bow; and for as long as we stayed and watched, they continued their skylarking performance of dives, rolls and flips.

One of the playful dolphins

The sea was a lovely mid blue colour and as clear as crystal, though we did have close shaves with two large floating logs and a truly huge tree root-bulb floating close by; we shudder to think of what goes silently floating by unseen in the darkness, though on more than one occasion we have felt a bump in the middle of the night, and ‘Envy’s’ bow has a few waterline chips as testament to this. Borneo waters are notorious for large logs that flow down jungle streams into the open sea, and navigating log strewn inland rivers is a daytime job - not for the feint hearted.

Floating log off the Borneo Coast

At 0800 hrs on day six we arrive at our destination, Miri Marina in Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo, after 120 hours non-stop at sea, having averaged 5.3kts. Many of our close cruising friends were already there and we celebrated our arrival with a get-together that evening in a carnival spirit that extended for the next ten days.

Cruisers 'get-together' at Miri Marina, Sarawak

A couple of days later we were off again, heading north to Labuan Island, to participate in the 5th annual Borneo International Yachting Challenge, http://www.borneorace.com/ a regatta series of sailboat races held both at Labuan in Sabah state and Miri in adjoining Sarawak state. There is an additional 110 nm overnight passage race between the two cities, which are separated by the tiny, fabulously oil-rich nation/state of Brunei, with its many brightly lit oil-rig platforms which clutter its coastal seas, together with those of neighbouring Sarawak.

We were happy to pass this Oil Rig Platform during the day

Since Brunei's sandy coastline is about 120km of straight exposed beach, the Sultan spent $millions building a protected artificial harbour large enough for multi-qquatic activities, complete with 'Disneyland' type entertainment claimed to be the biggest in the world, as a gift to his people. The Facility is called Jerudong Park, and we stopped there in perfectly calm conditions enroute to Labuan, but didn't see any aquatic or on-shore activity whatever. The sandy beach of its island entrance was a perfect spot to relax and share 'sundowners' watching the colourful sunset.

Sunset at Jerudong Park

But not everything is beer and skittles in wealthy Brunei. We've heard talk, some visiting Aussie yachts have recently got a hard time from Brunei officials when entering. The story has it that the Sultan’s brother Prince Geoffrey, who owns a large cattle station in the NT, was in the habit of casually jetting in and out of Oz in his private plane without clearing Customs or Quarantine, and took exception to having this practice stopped. So it’s official ‘un-official’ payback for Aussies.

Another Gala Dinner

To boost participation and massage tourism, all competitors are paid US$400 and given two nights’ free accommodation at 5 star hotels in both Labuan and Miri, plus gala dinners and entertainment at no cost; it is certainly an incentive to lure cruising yachties away from peninsular Malaysia to out-of-the-way Borneo.

Welcome to the Labuan Gala Dinner

Traditional Dancer at the Labuan Welcome

Trophy Presentation at Labuan

About 25 cruising yachties were competing and we were delighted to get a 2nd and two 3rd placings in our division for the three events. Aud's mum Lavinia was on board as crew, having flown in from Brisbane to join us for a two weeks’ visit, and we spread the ‘word’ that we had imported a special octogenarian international racing tactician from Australia!

Start of the Overnight Race from Labuan to Miri

At the trophy Presentation Dinner upon conclusion of the Regatta in Miri, I was asked, with little forewarning, to offer official thanks to the Minister for Tourism and his delegates, Trophy Sponsors and Race Officials, as spokensman on behalf of the competitors. The total surprise of this got my heartbeat going, my blood alcohol count plummeting and my meal abandoned as I scribbled thoughts on my table napkin, but miraculously it all went off OK, with a standing ovation to the officials.

Bruce thanking the Officials and Sponsors on behalf of the Competitors

Trophy Presentation at Miri

Now that the Regatta was over, Lavinia, Audrey and I left 'Envy' at Miri Marina and flew down to Kuching, (Chinese for Cat) the capital of Malaysian Sarawak and widely considered ‘the pearl of the Orient’ with its well kept commons and general parkland appearance.

During our six days there we stayed in a very comfortable riverside high-rise hotel and visited every-thing worthwhile seeing around town, including their famous 'Cat Museum', entirely devoted to any-thing and everything feline. We even had another close encounter with Orangutans in the wild at a small reserve not far from the city. The red-haired residents were quite used to humans and would pass us very closely by with scarcely a second glance. By their standards, no doubt, they probably considered us quite ugly.

Cat Museum, Kuching

Who are all these people bothering me?!!!

Audrey and Lavinia, Riverfront Esplanade, Kuching

Streetscape, Kuching

Lavinia departed for Australia and we flew back to Miri on 5 September from where, a few days later, we commenced the 600nm passage back to 'duty free' Tioman Island off eastern peninsular Malaysia. The night sky, under a fine full moon, was ablaze with light from the many offshore oil-rig platforms, and the following day (#2) several large copper banded sea snakes, two logs and three dolphins passed us closely by.

A strange phenomenon also occurred that same day about 200 km offshore; four Swallows paid us a visit, circling the boat then stopping for a rest. Two birds sat on the radar tower for several hours, but one Swallow sat on Bruce’s shoulder and another in Audrey’s lap where they remained for some minutes before seeking quieter refuge elsewhere. They appeared exhausted and beyond fear or caring.

Our theory is they hitch-hike a ride out to sea on fishing boats and then for whatever reason decide to return to land but find the distance too much for their small wings; they are unable to rest in the water as sea birds do, so continually fly til they’re worn out. Two were missing next morning and two were found dead on the boat.

Half way across the South China Sea drama began when ‘Envy’s’ alternator died and with it our electrical generating capacity, which meant no power for lights, ship’s radio, radar, electronic navigational and other safety equipment, so for the next three days our 2kva Honda auxiliary petrol generator sat strapped to the deck providing the essential power requirements.

We made landfall after a five day passage just after midnight in a small bay at Aur Island where our cruising companions ‘Court Jester’ and ‘Jaraman’ had arrived two hours earlier. Noted for its good diving, we spent two days at Aur Island snorkelling and recovering from our sleep deprived crossing, then moved on the 35nm to Tioman Island.

Can’t imagine why Tioman Island is ‘duty free’ – it’s a tiny little unremarkable island with a small new marina; it boasts little more than modest backpacker accommodation and a handful of very basic cafes and souvenir shops. But it’s a pretty little place, with a good marina, and a two hour ($25 return) ferry service to the reasonable sized mainland town of Mersing for shopping, supplies and spare parts. There were very few tourists to be seen on Tioman, and its ‘duty free’ shopping was not very cheap.

Quiet Main Street of Tioman Island

After one week at Tioman Island, which included two visits to Mersing for alternator repairs, ‘Envy’ then island hopped in company with ‘Court Jester’ and ‘Muscat’. On the way we were puzzled by some dark spots coming over the horizon ahead, which looked like distant tiny islands but none were shown on our chart and upon closer approach turned out to be buildings sitting on posts, many kilometres off the coast, in seas of 15/20 metres depth. We think they are fishing holiday complexes.

'Sea Building' off the East Coast of Malaysia

For seven days we headed southwards through the Tioman group, visiting North Sribuat, Tingi, and the Rimba Resort on Sibu Island, plus an overnight stop at Lompat Point enroute back to Sebana Cove Marina where we stayed for only a short three day stopover. On this passage one of our group suffered engine problems and, with the little breeze to sail, was towed for much of the way.

'Court Jester' preparing to tow 'Muscat'

Then we went upmarket, moving ‘Envy’ across to the flash ‘Oneº 15’ Marina at Singapore’s exclusive Sentosa Island where we spent two weeks doing maintenance and shopped til we dropped! After several visits over two plus years, we’re getting to know our way around the island pretty well.

One Degree 15 Marina - Behind 'Envy' the new Residential Towers on Sentosa Island

A further 14 days were spent sailing easy day-hops up Malaysia’s now familiar west coast to Penang, where we purchased a new air-conditioner for the boat. In this climate you can’t live without it. Bruce is having dental ‘implant’ work done here for less than half the cost back home.

Ten days later we departed exciting Penang, the ‘culinary capital’ of Malaysia, for the final two day hop back up to our Rebak Marina 'home base' at Langkawi. Audrey’s birthday was celebrated enroute with a swim and beach BBQ at our favourite, small and cosy Lovers Bay, in company with our two cruising yacht friends.

We spent two weeks in Rebak Marina preparing ‘Envy’ and ourselves for our imminent departure back to Australia for three months holiday, where we arrived on an Air Asia flight at Coolangatta early morning on December 2nd 2008.

'Envy' de-commissioned at Rebak Marina for our return to Australia

Like Jekyll & Hyde, we’d left one lifestyle behind in SE Asia and were returning to our other in Oz.

The adventure continues soon in ‘H-14’.

Happenings 12 - 2008 March to July

2009-02-12T15:55:00.094+08:00

Land and Sea Gypsies

Many months ago around last Easter, the ongoing odyssey of the retirement sailing explorer “Envy” finds us island hopping south from Thailand, (where ‘Envy’ spent the past three months as reported in ‘H-11”), back to Langkawi Island, our wonderful inexpensive and duty-free paradise off the top western coast of Malaysia.

We’d suffered a worrying passage of recurring engine alarms and burning smells, which took yours truly some time to pinpoint as an electrical problem caused by continuing demand on the ship’s electrical supply - too many new gadgets were overloading the system. It is now eight years since “Envy” was totally refurbished so system failures and breakdowns can be expected.

We cleared back ‘in’ at Telaga Harbour Park, one of the area’s three marinas, then on to our ‘home base’ at nearby Rebak Island Resort Marina a couple of kilometres away where we spent two weeks doing reprovisioning and maintenance, preparing for the continuing voyage south to Sebana Cove Marina at the bottom end of Malaysia across from Singapore.

That passage took three weeks in the mostly light airs, motor-sailing in day hops, with several stopovers enroute at Penang and Port Dickson marinas, which are always a welcome haven after sitting in the cockpit on ‘anchor watch’ in the middle of the night as wild thunderstorms and lightning rage about, or dodging seriously dangerous waterspouts too close for comfort.

The tail end of a dangerous much larger water-spout

Landlocked in the middle of nowhere five miles up a muddy river, Sebana Marina is hot, still and humid, causing everything to turn green after a while. But a saving grace is that it's safe, secure, inexpensive, and provides a daily passenger ferry service to nearby Singapore, mecca for spare parts and shopping, of which we regularly partook during our two weeks there.

By mid May the ‘Envy’ sea gypsies become land gypsies with full backpacks at Singapore Airport headed for Bangkok to join our good cruising friends Trevor and Joan, off Brisbane yacht 'Been-a-long', for 32 days of land travel through Thailand, Laos and Cambodia.

After an interesting day and night in Sukumvit, Bangkok’s seedy and colourful nightclub district, we took a 2 hour bus trip to Kanchanaburi, a busy tourist village of WW2 history where we stayed for 3 days, and that afternoon we walked across the famous Bridge on the River Kwai.

The Bridge on the River Kwai

The next day we visited the ‘Tiger Temple’, started by a Monk who took in an orphaned cub a few years back, where the same Monk plus helpers walk fully grown tigers around like leashed pussycats. For an additional fee you can have photos taken nursing one in your lap. Wow!

Our favourite Cat at the Tiger Temple

Kanchanaburi - day 3 finds us in a small air-conditioned van doing a day tourist trip as follows. First stop was to a waterfall, then 1½ km down a shallow winding stream on a Bamboo raft, followed by an Elephant ride thru the countryside, saw basket weaving, and on to Hellfire Pass.

Basket Weaving

Preparing for our Elephant ride

Hellfire Pass

‘Hellfire Pass’ is the name given to the Konyu Cutting where allied POW’s hand dug a railway pass through a solid rock ridge on the infamous Burma Railway, resulting in many deaths. We then took a 25km train ride on an old ‘rattler’- together with scores of uniformed school kids, from nearby Krasee Railway Station (Where Lt.Col. ‘Weary’ Dunlop had his hospital and operating theatre in a cave beside the tracks) back to our waiting van further down the line.

Next morning we take a mini-bus from Kanchanaburi northwards to the old royal capital of Ayutthaya, travelling firstly through semi open cattle grazing country, past many sugar cane plantations and then quite extensive rice paddies, (Thailand is a significant exporter of high quality rice) arriving at historically scenic Ayutthaya at 1pm. Later that afternoon we booked train tickets for our trip to Chang Mai the following day, then took a ‘longtail’ boat ride down the river to explore three ancient WATS, one of which was quite superb.

Wat ruins in the old royal capital of Ayutthaya

At 10am next morning we board the air-conditioned express train, not nearly as flash as it sounds, and were unfortunately seated directly above the bogie wheels which made for a noisy, uncomfortable trip, arriving Chang Mai at 8:15pm. The countryside comprised mostly flat agricultural land cropped to rice, sugar and smallcrops, though we did encounter two slow winding, high-country passes, a pleasant change from the monotonous plain lands.

Almost all our Thai accommodation was in ‘Guest Houses’, whose rooms are similar to ground level motel units; clean, not always air conditioned, though often nicely landscaped but minus the car park out front. Cost was usually around Aust $20 per night.

The next day we arranged for a tour guide to drive us around Chang Mai’s several tourist spots, one of the highlights being the hilltop Buddhist Temple – Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep, both architecturally and historically interesting, dating back to 1355 AD. The National Museum featured early history artefacts and art, with little variety, and we found it uninteresting.

After five days exploring Chang Mai, mostly in Songthaews (pronounced song-tau) pick-up trucks with bench seats, we headed further north to Chang Rai, stopping enroute at the superb ‘White Temple’- nearing completion and absolutely awesome, featuring stunning meticulously fine craftsmanship - then on into the Golden Triangle, the infamous opium poppy growing area, where Thailand, Laos, Myanmar and China converge, hence the name Golden Triangle.

The White Temple

Village elder from Chiang Rai area

Next morning we took a local bus along a sealed but horribly pot-holed road to Thailand’s border town of Chiang Khong, situated beside the Mekong River, where we had to walk down through the sandy riverbank silt to board a small longtail ferry-boat to cross over to Laos.

Mekong River at Chiang Khong

Long tail ferry-boat across to Laos

Laos - poor, clean, friendly and a single-party communist state, achieved independence from France in 1949, only to be overthrown by the communist Pathet Lao in 1975. With a population of around 6.5 million, it is our first visit to this Socialist Republic.

A new country – another adventure. We loved it!

The people are Lao - the culture is Lao - and the language is Lao, but during the 1870’s, as a newly fledged French colony, some bureaucrat in Paris tacked an ‘s’ on the end, hence its adopted name Laos. (Pronounced ‘louse’ – not ‘layos’). Lao currency unit is called Kip, but US dollars are widely used and preferred. The mid 2008 exchange rate was 8650 Kip=US $1.

It was here in Houei Sai that we boarded our river boat for a two day, thrilling 200km one way ride down the fast-flowing mighty Mekong River, which was low and running at a brisk 5kts (about 8km/hr); we were on the very last scheduled run at the end of the season, when the river is too shallow in places to safely navigate, so they stop for a few months til the rains come.

This was to our benefit since there were only eight passengers on board and we were treated like royalty. Up here in Northern Laos, the Mekong traverses flat country for just a few kilometres where it forms the border with Thailand, then runs canyon-like through predominantly mountainous terrain for most of the two day journey to Luang Prabang.

The sensation of doing 25kts (40km/hr) through the many narrow channels of rock-bordered, white-water rapids was quite exhilarating, seated at the open bow as the 100ft-long narrow wooden boat sent the bow spray flying as it knifed through the murky brown waters.

Scooting down the Mekong at 25kt

We had a tourist stop at a ‘Hill Tribes’ mountain village of the Hmong people, who live in relative isolation with no roads through these inaccessible mountains, and only the river as their contact to the outside world. They live a life of mere subsistence, eating (dryland) ‘sticky rice’, scrawny half-starved poultry and whatever vegetables they are able to grow. A heavy rain shower whilst we were there made for a most difficult descent down the steep and very slippery firm-mud track back to the boat; something like walking on ice!!

Hmong hill tribes children

The overnight stop was near the village of Pak Beng, at the Luang Say Lodge, a collection of bungalows with thatched Bamboo Roofs, nestled 200 metres high above the Mekong, offering panoramic views both up and down the river and surrounding hills. Dinner was excellent Lao cuisine, the local brew was US$2 per can, we slept with open shutters and whirring fans, under mosquito nets, whilst it rained most of the night.

Welcome to Luang Say Lodge

The river boat viewed from our bungalow

Departed at 8am with rain all next morning, so opted not to stop at another slippery hillside village; we continued our race down the Mekong all day, occasionally passing other boats, a few riverside villages, and sped through more thrilling rapids, saw a few fishermen, other river tributaries that joined the Mekong, and enjoyed another good lunch underway.

Mekong River trading post

That afternoon we stopped at Tham Thing to visit ‘The Caves of 1000 Buddhas’ (which are right on the bank of the river and so named for the thousands of Buddha statues/ettes, of every size and type deposited there over the years), before arriving at our destination, the old royal city of Luang Prabang at 4pm after a most memorable and enjoyable two day Mekong River experience.

The Caves of 1000 Buddhas

Luang Prabang is World Heritage listed; a biggish country town with many of its old buildings historically valuable, two-story wooden structures with a decidedly French architectural style. The main two streets reflect an ambience of past grandeur, as does the wide tiered stairway down to the Mekong River. We stayed a kilometre out of town at the Haysoke Hotel (a two star guest house costing US$ 28 p/day including breakfast), with a scenic view over rice paddies.

In past history Luang Prabang was, for a period of time, the royal capital of Laos and the old Palace with its colourful though modest décor is now unoccupied and open to the public. It is located in the main street of this touristy town, around which we did a 3.5km walking tour, including the steep 400 step assent to the temple on Phou Si ‘mountain’, directly opposite the Palace, offering splendid panoramic views of Luang Prabang. Each night, the main street becomes a very colourful market offering a great variety of quality local arts, crafts, apparel and food, albeit expensively priced compared to the local economy.

Luang Prabang, Laos

Old Luang Prabang

Following our three day visit, we hired a private air-con mini-bus and departed southwards next morning for the small town of Phonsavan, a six hour drive in heavy rain through very mountainous country with deep valleys, on narrow winding roads. After a slow 4 hours we had a welcome stop at the tiny cross-roads village of Phou Khoun for lunch - chicken noodle soup was all they offered. Dinner that night in Phonsavan was the opposite; a truly huge meal for 15,000 Kip (A$1.90), then we walked the 1km back to our room at the Banna Guest House.

Planting new season rice

Our two day visit to Phonsavan was to see the mysterious ‘Plain of Jars’ where, at three separate locations, many ancient rock-hewn stone jars of varying sizes lay in small clusters in open fields, miles away from where they were quarried. Reputedly used for the storage of grain and liquids in times long passed. It continued to rain as we miserably visited all three sites, with one of them being accessed via a slippery track through rice paddies. The ‘on-site’ café again offered only chicken noodle soup at A$1.15 for the meal.

Our guide explains ‘The Plain of Jars’

Farm cultivator-cum-transport

The next day at 4pm we arrived in our private mini-bus at Vientiane, the largest and capital city of Laos, whose mix of old French and traditional Lao architecture makes for some very interesting streetscapes. Nestled on the eastern bank of the now much wider and shallow Mekong River, (most of which is dry sand channels until the wet comes) and which is the border with Thailand, Vientiane’s charming river boulevard is shaded by tall Teak trees, whose leafy canopies offer cooling shade from the tropical heat.

Old Teak Trees Vientiane

The city is clean, the people are friendly, the food is good, and the scenery is interesting - and we became instant ‘Laotian millionaires’ as the bank’s ATM handed over 1,000,000 Kip, approx A$116! We took the local currency to pay for meals and accommodation to conserve our dwindling reserve of US dollars.

Our room at the downtown Asian Pavilion Hotel was very good value at US25 p/day, and within walking distance of all the things to do and see. We had no trouble buying antibiotics, prescription free, at the pharmacy for our deep chest colds, and so inexpensive!

Vientiane offers the usual run of touristy things including museums, monuments, architecture, and all things cultural etc., including the Patuxay Monument, an Arc de Triomphe look-alike affectionately referred to as the ‘Vertical Concrete Runway’, so named after being built with USAID that was granted to fund construction of a new airport runway in the 1960’s.

“The vertical concrete runway”

Farewell to Laos - and to Trevor and Joan

After twelve busy days in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, six of them in lovely, tidy Vientiane, we farewelled Trevor and Joan and flew on a Vietnam Airlines A320 jet to Phnom Penh, capital of the Kingdom of Cambodia. It is a constitutional monarchy with parliamentary representative democracy. Our preferred Paragon Riverside Hotel was booked out so we took an excellent room at The Asia Hotel downtown, good value at US $22 incl breakfast.

Our hotel Phnom Penh - Cambodia

Having arrived before midday afforded us time to go exploring around Phnom Penh. We walked a few kilometres around this bustling city that afternoon, and more again the following day and decided it was the filthiest town in SE Asia with litter everywhere; traffic was totally bizarre with mad drivers out of control. It was generally more expensive than socialist Laos, though the big yellow-domed market close to our hotel offered many good bargains via barter.

View from Hotel

Street litter

Scrounging thru rubbish

Sadly, there were lots of street beggars, with missing limbs, ‘UXO’ victims - (UneXploded Ordinance) – the land mine legacy from the murderous Pol Pot regime. We took a city tour which included the infamous Khmer Rouge ‘Killing Fields’ where thousands of human skulls are on display at the Choeung Ek Memorial , then to Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, previously a school where Pol Pot incarcerated their mostly political victims prior to their deaths.

“The Killing Fields”

Pol Pot victims Memorial

One soon tires of the ubiquitous Wats, Temples, Museums and Markets ‘ad nauseam’, but we did enjoy our visit to the Silver Pagoda within the Royal Palace to view a magnificent 90 kg Solid Gold Buddha emblazoned with 2086 diamonds and precious gems, sculptured in 1902.

The Royal Palace, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Another memorable Cambodian event was having a haircut. I sat down in the chair at this modern Barber’s Shop in Phnom Penh and a grey haired barber gave me a haircut (what little I’ve got) with antique Hand Clippers – just blew me away! It is 55 years since my previous hand shearing; Ron the local Chinese Barber at Graceville had electric clippers 50+ years ago!

Then it was off to Siem Reap, a 6 hour bus ride away through all flat country with long straight roads where we had to negotiate a huge tree fallen across the highway, and plenty of mad, dangerous drivers in the very heavy rain.

At the roadside stop, on offer were large fried insects resembling crickets and even larger tarantula spiders!!!! Apparently a delicacy in rural Cambodia.

We spent the next day discovering Angkor Wat, the most famous and best preserved religious temple in Cambodia, and the nation’s leading drawcard attracting over 4 million visitors in 2007; these ancient ruins cover several hectares, surrounded by a man-made moat. The numerous buildings and passageways featured many superbly detailed reliefs depicting ancient Khmer culture and history, with much of it remaining originally intact. Our long day included visits to Angkor Thom, Bayon Temple, the Elephant Terrace and Royal Palace. Though ‘off season’, there were scores of tourists everywhere; very tiring but a worthwhile excellent day.

The Temples of Angkor Wat Temple Gallery Reliefs

Our final day was spent souvenir shopping in Siem Reap for (near) pure silver ornaments, for which local silversmiths are renowned. We flew back to Singapore next morning then caught the ferry across to Sebana Cove Marina, where “Envy” opened up well following our 32 day absence. All in all it was a wonderful experience and next year – who knows where?

Do you think you’d get away with this in Australia?
These are everyday scenes in SE Asia

Van

Motorbike

Truck

Utility

Bicycles

Four on a Motor Bike

Cheers ‘til Happenings 13 – Borneo and the South China Sea, coming soon.
Bruce and Audrey

Happenings in Brief

2008-11-18T11:45:00.010+08:00

Penang to Langkawi Island
November, 2008

This our last visit to Penang for 2008. Georgetown is now on the World Heritage Listing, and every time we visit we see more and more of the old buildings being renovated. This was only a short visit on our way through to Langkawi. We went to the movies and saw the latest James Bond movie "Quantom" lots of fast and furious action and very very loud, its been so long since we've been to the movies, that we're not sure if the loudness is Malaysian cinemas or the same everywhere, but even with the noise, a very enjoyable movie. We also hoped to see the Masters Tennis with McEnroe, Sampras etc being held in Penang, but time was against us.

So again our main enjoyment here was the food. We joined a couple of other cruisers for a buffet breakfast at the famously up-market E&O Hotel at a cost of $Rm35.00 well worth it with a great selection of food.

Breakfast at the E&O Hotel with Graham and Isabel 'Quiet Achiever'

Audrey's favourite - Japanese

Also enjoyed a couple of chinese breakfasts of 'Dim Sum' and not to be forgotten our favourite Tandoori Chicken at Kapitans, a highly considered Indian restaurant just a short walk from the Marina, where a Tandoori Set costs about $Rm7.50 ($Aus3.00).

Dim Sum, long lazy breakfasts

This is a Tikka Tandoori set, it is chicken breast only cooked kebab style

We are now back at Rebak Marina, bedding down 'Envy' for our 3 month visit back home. The Marina and Hardstand are as full as we've ever seen them, but still 'wet' births available as cruisers leave for Thailand and points west for the 2008/09 cruising season.

Happenings in Brief

2008-11-06T11:32:00.013+08:00

Port Dickson to Penang

Left Port Dickson at 0730 hrs and motored all day to Port Klang, with current assistance after a couple of hours. Had a quiet night opposite the shipping wharves. Next day motor sailed to Burnham River, anchored at 1815 hrs, the three cruising yachts causing great interest with the local fishing fleet.

Port Klang - very busy Port for Kuala Lumpur

Fishing boat having a close look at Court Jester

Next day we again motor sailed into head winds, arriving at Pangkor Island we went into the unfinished Marina at Mentangor Island, at this stage no staff or facilities available. The Marina fingers are very low and the surge coming in made the outside berths vey rolly (not well designed). We had a security guard come over later in the evening, stating 'no parking, no parking' although other yachts did not see anyone.

Court Jester in front of the yet to be opened Marina off Pangkor island

Envy departed at daybreak for Rimau Island, just south of Penang, arriving just on dark. We had a good night and after breakfast departed for Tanjung City Marina, Penang.

The marina is beside the ferry terminal and does not have a breakwater to protect it from the river traffic so it is beginning to deteriorate. It is at present being dredged in preparation for the Rally 2008 late in November and the Raja Muda Race arriving here 17th November.

Broken pontoons at the Ferry end of the Marina

Another of our favourite occupations in Penang,
is trying all the different eating places,
above is a Tandoori Set

Happenings in Brief

2008-10-26T18:33:00.020+08:00

Admiral Marina, Port Dickson. Malaysia
Contact Marina Office VHF14

October 26th, 2008; Envy has arrived at Admiral Marina, Port Dickson, after a very difficult passage from Pisang to the Water Islands taking over 20 hours to do a 70 nm passage, finally dropping anchor, wet and tired at 11.30pm. We had gale force head winds gusting over 40kt and a very short sharp 2 to 3 mtr swell with surf breaking on top.

Nothing life threatening, but very, very exhausting and uncomfortable.

And you guessed it, the weather forecast was for a benign 5 kts.

Our misery was further exacerbated through a hatch being left open half an inch through which buckets of sea water poured in. Bugger !!!

Admiral Marina at Port Dickson

We were invited by the Port Dickson Hotels Association and the Ports Authority to celebrate with them 'Deepa Valli' in a Village just outside Port Dickson. 'Deepa Valli' in brief is the Hindu 'Coming of the Light' their annual festival, like our Christmas.

Welcome Dance

We were collected in an air conditioned bus and shared with us local food, a couple of short speeches and some dancing, we were then shown through a couple of homes. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming, a delightful afternoon.

Some 'Cruisers' joining the dancing

Colourful local children

Happenings 2008 Number 11

2008-04-19T15:43:00.000+08:00

Thailand

“Envy’s” riding at anchor 200 metres offshore in a broad inlet that forms the mouth of the Pakchan River, which itself delineates Myanmar’s southern boundary with Thailand, 137 n/mls from Phuket. This is the extreme northern limit of Thailand’s west coast – the narrowest point of the Thai/Malaysian peninsular where the Isthmus of Kra narrows to a slim 32 km separating east from west - the Andaman Sea from the Gulf of Thailand.

Myanmar’s border town of Kawthoung is clearly visible across the inlet at the tip of Victoria Point; we’re intrigued with the huge volume of traffic- the never ending procession of un-muffled engines of longtail boats that ply their noisy way back and forth across the 3 km wide river mouth, all day long, never fewer than ten or more in any one window, doing whatever their business is with ‘old Burma’ – now the Socialist Republic of Myanmar.

Up a narrow channel, 1km behind our little facing island anchorage, lies the small but extremely busy port of Ranong, home to a huge fishing fleet, and we’ve just discovered the filthiest and smelliest place on earth! The stench is almost unbearable --- unbelievable!

Crowded along several hundred metres of old wharves with decaying buildings, a mix of more than 100 large and small fishing boats are rafted side-by-side several deep, intruding out into the narrow 100 mtr wide channel, which itself is the colour of dark chocolate and, my guess, the most toxic water on earth.

The port is alive with activity; people everywhere milling around talking, or watching the labours of bare chested lithe young men manually loading or unloading last night’s seafood catch, plastic barrels of ice, food stores, general cargo etc; the cacophony of the shouting workers blending deafeningly with the constant noise of the ubiquitous longtails speeding menacingly in the narrow channel. We live in fear of being splashed with this unctuously poisonous cocktail as our dinghies weave between them, bobbing up and down as we negotiate their threatening bow wash. The smell!!

We’ve come here in the company of two other yachts, in search of a restaurant to celebrate Bruce’s 64th birthday, amongst other things, but notwithstanding the prevalence of suitable venues, the Port stench sends us scurrying the 5 km into Ranong township where we enjoy a lovely birthday lunch, buy fresh stores at the open street market and search out an Internet Café.

By mid-afternoon we’re all back on our boats and making the most of the favourable current as the ebb tide carries us swiftly back the 22n/m to our sheltered anchorage off the sandy beach of tiny Luk Kam Klang Island, where we take a late afternoon swim to wash away the last smelly vestiges of Ranong, and enjoy a cool ‘Sundowner’ as another day in paradise slips away.

But this is February 2008 and we need to account for the passage of time since our last Happenings report (#10) many months ago back in 2007, following our return from India’s Andaman Islands, the principal topic of that report.

Not much cruising travel happened during the period in question, and since old news is stale news and boring, I shall quickly paint a broad brush account of events.

Clearing back into Thailand on March 1st 2007 upon our return from the Andaman Islands, “Envy” took a berth in Yacht Haven Marina at the top end of Phuket Island. We hired a car for a week and set out daily to discover this very touristy island, with its numerous bays, beaches, resorts, and thousands of tourists – mainly European, only now returning after two very quiet years following the devastating ’04 Boxing Day Tsunami.

At that time we met a lovely Aussie couple, Peter and Dorothy Hermit, ‘weekending’ aboard their yacht in the marina, who live and work in Bangkok. We ‘hit it off’ immediately so they invited us to visit and stay with them in their unit in the colourful suburb of Sukhumvit.

A few days later we took a V.I.P bus for the day-long trip up to ‘Bangers’, sight-seeing Thailand out the window along the way, then spent five action packed days and nights discovering this modern bustling city. Sukhumvit itself is one of Bangkok’s highlights being central to everything including its seedy nightlife.

Dorothy was our daily guide, taking us to all the most interesting sights, going by tuk-tuk, skyrail, river or canals, and we never wasted an hour deciding where to go or getting lost. It seems like we visited every palace, temple, shrine, museum, and open market in lively Bangkok.

The rest of March was spent cruising the sheltered waters of famous Phang Nga Bay, east of Phuket. Dotted with scores of tiny islands with their walls of interstitial limestone and sheer cliffs towering above caves, caverns and open ‘hongs’, this shallow protected area is itself a natural wonderland.

Karstic waterline caverns with their galleries of eroded limestone having a Stalactite appearance are a feature of this geologically karst area. It is simply exhilarating to dinghy into these large ‘open rooms’ through a cave-like entrance and marvel at nature’s handicraft within.

April Fools’ Day finds us checking back into Malaysia where we spent the next two weeks making ‘fun while the Sun shone’, visiting our favourite anchorages at Kuah town, Telaga pond and Lover’s Bay, before the onset of the imminent south-west monsoon season which arrived, predictively mid-month, bringing April showers almost every day. The ‘wet’ season is not pleasant for cruising with storm winds and rain, so by mid April “Envy” is snugly tucked up in Rebak Marina at Langkawi.

However, a few of us are determined to revisit exciting Penang Island before the monsoon really sets in, so in early May we sail the 65 nm south to the new Tanjung City Marina in Georgetown, Penang, where we spent the following three weeks indulging ourselves in the food, sights and culture of this wonderfully historic English birthplace of old Malaya, with its homogeneous mix of Chinese, Indian and Malays. One of its greatest attributes is that old Georgetown remains architecturally intact, and has escaped the downtown ‘modernization’ that raged through the rest of Malaysia in the booming 1980’s.

Street after street is lined with old two storey shophouses within this mainly Chinese commercial enclave, though colourful and noisy “Little India” shares several downtown blocks within this same area, much of which has been saved for posterity through Heritage legislation. And Penang is a gourmet’s paradise – excellent and inexpensive Malay, Indian and Chinese food, renowned throughout Malaysia. We never cook dinner on the boat.

The weather was becoming increasingly hot, steamy and wet, so a small air conditioner was purchased for the boat which significantly improved our daily comforts and sleeping at night. We also made some new friends who live there, their acquaintance being passed on by another yachtie. Colin is a retired Aussie married to Jacky, a Penang Chinese lady, and they took us to everything worth seeing, and to all the best local non-tourist eating places, all over the island. Magnificent!

However, not all Penang’s attributes are rosy; the Marina, which is so ideally located just a few minutes walk from the middle of town, has as its unfriendly neighbour the main ferry terminal, and the wash from those large vehicle ferries that ply to and fro from Butterworth has us rolling in our marina berths both day and night.

So after three wonderful weeks in Penang, and with the wet season building daily, early June finds ‘Envy’ returning to Rebak Marina in Langkawi, far northern Malaysia, where, on 20 June, we had her hauled out onto the hardstand for maintenance and a sparkling new paint job, whilst we returned to Australia for a visit (by air, of course – since nothing goes to windward like a 747!).

With its relative isolation, travel to or from Rebak Island Marina (off Langkawi Island), necessitates a little juggling, so we caught the water taxi across to nearby Langkasuka Beach Resort on Langkawi for the first overnighter, and took a small regional airline to Penang early next morning, where it was necessary to again stay overnight to catch the next day’s flight to Kuala Lumpur. Next morning, after a 1½ hour wait couped up in the 747 on the tarmac while engineers fixed its problem, we departed KL on our flight to Brisbane, via Sydney, arriving at midnight to be doubly greeted by Audrey’s mum and my lifelong friends Anthony and Denise Goodwin.

Looking out of the aircraft window about eight kilometres up, we saw wave after wave of endless sandhills, bathed in gold by the setting sun as we flew over the central Australian desert, and Sydney’s cool June night air was a pleasant change to the constant 30°+C of the tropics over the past 14 months.

During our nine weeks back in Australia, we spent much of that time away from Brisbane. Our rented home had just been vacated so time was devoted to its presentation, between catching up with family and friends around town, and also in the Sunshine and Gold Coast hinterlands. Bruce’s little Pontiac coupe had been thoroughly overhauled in preparation for this visit, so we were looking forward to giving its new engine a good run.

Another of the highlights of our return was to visit our dear friend Margaret Neill at her cattle property “Newstead Station” in the Surat district of south western Queensland. The overnight mid winter temperatures there dropped to well below freezing, as they often do ‘out west’, but it felt so good being back in the ‘bush’. With Audrey’s roots going back to farming and grazing in both Kenya and central Queensland, and Bruce’s lifetime career in rural marketing, we both enjoyed it all immensely.

Then it was off for a visit with our favourite Aunt June at Bowral in the southern highlands of NSW, which is something we always enjoy, and with it, a short trip to visit our long standing special friend Roz Murray in Canberra.

A visit to Sydney’s International Boat Show had been planned months before, to coincide with our time in Sydney, where we spent ten days visiting relatives and friends. We purchased an inflatable dinghy at the Boat Show and shipped it back to Malaysia, where we bought a new outboard motor for it much cheaper than in Oz.

6am one mid August morning found us departing Sydney to avoid the morning peak hour traffic as we drove to Lake Macquarie to drop in on friends there, enroute to Brisbane, where we arrived at 8pm. With so many jobs to do the following two weeks flew by and before we hardly knew it, we were on a September 2 flight back to Malaysia where we were reunited with “Envy” back at Rebak Marina in Langkawi.
It was still very much the ‘wet season’ there, but during non showery breaks over the next six weeks we managed to complete much of “Envy’s” work list. Then a quick 4 day trip by high speed ferry to Penang to collect the dinghy shipped up from Sydney, before returning to more maintenance on “Envy”. (The old saying is that cruising is really only about doing maintenance in exotic locations.)

During mid November Bruce returned to Brisbane for a 50 year School Reunion and at the same time Audrey’s mum Lavinia paid Audrey a surprise visit at Rebak, where they both ‘swaned it up’ in a deluxe luxury suite at the Resort that attaches to the Marina.

By late November the SW Monsoon season had pretty much petered out and with our Malaysian Visas also coming to an end, the week before Christmas “Envy” set sail for Thailand and we day-hopped via the islands of Khao Yai, Muk and Phi Phi Le the 140 n/miles to Chalong Bay at the bottom of Phuket Island where we cleared Customs & Immigration formalities on 22 December, for our 3 months visit.

The following day we motor-sailed the few miles around the bottom of the island to Nai Harn Bay with its picturesque sandy beach and joined a bunch of yachty friends there for a Christmas Eve buffet dinner at ‘Jungle Jims’, a basic waterfront restaurant right on the beach. Christmas Day was spent on our friends yacht ‘Jaraman’, and was an all-day affair! It started with ‘Bloody Mary’s’, smoked salmon and prawns, and BBQ vegetables with roast pork loin. … and the party continued for a few days at different anchorages.

New Year’s Eve was a wonderful experience for a group of us on the large foredeck of ‘Muscat’, a friend’s catamaran anchored 500 mtr offshore in Phuket’s popular Patong Bay, where many hundreds of candle lanterns floated seawards overhead, all night long, to commemorate those killed by the Tsunami. Simultaneously, (as if in serious competition with each other - as they probably were), most of the large expensive waterfront resorts put on spectacular fireworks displays of a most elaborate quality and quantity, for indeed not a single minute passed between 8pm and 1am that the sky wasn’t lit with fireworks, and for a half hour period either side of midnight, the 2km long stretch of Patong Beach was ablaze of pyrotechnic splendour, the extent of which I’ve almost never seen elsewhere.

Happenings 2007 Number 10

2007-04-19T15:40:00.000+08:00

Thailand Glimpses &
India’s Andaman Islands

We’d been told that India’s Andaman Islands, isolated in the Bay of Bengal some 400+ nautical miles N/W from Phuket, enjoyed a reputation for world-class beaches, coral and fishing, so with our ‘Rally’ cruising companions ‘Court Jester’ and ‘Jaraman’, we decided to see for ourselves.

Getting entry Visas in our Passports via post from the Indian High Commission in Kuala Lumpur was a week-long exercise that took a very, very frustrating 34 days as we waited their return in Langkawi, and which messed up our plan to spend New Year’s Eve in Thailand where, at Phuket’s Patong Beach, an awesome spectacle unfolds as thousands of balloon candles are released to slowly float skywards commemorating those lost in the 2004 Tsunami. Incidentally, the Passports/Visas finally returned on 8th January and, chomping at the bit, we cleared Customs ‘Out’ of Malaysia that same day.

Meanwhile, for those of you who wonder about the effects to this hard hit region, allow me a few words about that terrible event, partially quoting here from a Tsunami article I read. “It arrived unstoppable and unannounced just after 10:00 a.m. on Boxing Day when a series of ocean surges thrashed the west coasts of Malaysia and Thailand. About an hour earlier, one of the largest ocean-floor earthquakes ever recorded, off Sumatra’s N/W coast, shunted up over a thousand kilometres of fault line, dislodging billions of cubic tons of seawater at the surface”.

“This displaced energy sent a swift silent pulse through the deeper water that, at sea, went completely unnoticed, moving faster than a commercial aircraft. Approaching the coastline the swell crests slowed, drawing in unprecedented water volumes from the tidal shores; the ocean waters receded hundreds of metres out, then a few minutes later the boiling sea returned and just kept on coming and, within an hour miles and miles of ocean advanced ashore, getting deeper and more powerful as it spilled over the land.”

There were varying amounts of Tsunami destruction along the west coasts of Malaysia, Thailand and in the Andamans, but most of the structural damage has now been repaired, the remaining evidence being some scarred beaches where severe sand and soil erosion has left huge trees with their artistic skeletal root systems lying dead at the water’s edge. At least one entire Marina complex was washed off the top of its piles with all the boats still tied to their mooring fingers - a huge swirling, crushing ‘washing machine’ effect, with many boats lost as the three successive tidal waves raged their powerful havoc surging in and out through the narrow marina Foreshore Tsunami damage – Andaman Island entrance.

The following two seasons, 2005/6 saw mostly empty resorts and deserted beaches throughout Thailand and Malaysia’s affected areas, but the magnetism of Phuket’s superb beaches and Phang Nga (pronounced Fang Nar) Bay’s fame and appeal as a world-class holiday destination - with its more than 100 islands and spectacular karst outcrops - has seen tourist numbers booming back again this year, most of whom come from Europe.

Thailand’s southern Islands lie only a short distance north of Langkawi, Malaysia, so our first stop was a visit to Koh Lipe, the only inhabited island in the Butang group, a casual 25 nm sail away. Lipe Island is inexpensive and very scenic with clear water and white sand beaches, in perpetual holiday mode, since it is a popular haven for Backpackers and has a reasonably rare, large Sea Gypsy village, where these fishermen and their families live their entire lives on the water. The anchorage was deep at 70ft (23 mtrs) with little swinging room between the boats, so we stayed only overnight, keen to make up lost time.

Timing our month’s visit to the Andaman Islands during January/February, while the N/E monsoon season still prevailed was paramount, so we spent just two weeks cruising southern Thailand, with short overnight stops at Rok Nok (island), and Maya Bay at Phi Phi Le (island) enroute to Phuket. Maya Bay was the location for the 1999 blockbuster cult film “The Beach” and is a spectacularly scenic lagoon, surrounded by soaring limestone cliffs, and harbours three sandy beaches. Scores of passenger ferries and fast noisy speed-boats start arriving around 10am ever day and disgorge tourists in their thousands until around 4pm when it finally quietens down for the night. Peace - perfect peace at last!

The next day we sailed up to Ao Chalong (bay) at the bottom of Phuket Island, where we cleared ‘In’ to Thailand, and enjoyed the culinary tastes of Thai food at the inexpensive shoreline restaurants of this very touristy village. Here we caught up with our Pacific cruising friends off ‘Crystal Blues’ at the Lighthouse Restaurant, who shared their local cruising experience with us.

Much to Chalong’s credit however is its open-air Sunday market – by far the biggest and best we’ve yet seen, with a simply superb array of the fresh vegetables, fruit, meats, seafood and poultry at very reasonable prices; it’s so popular and jam-packed full, with barely standing room around some stalls and crowded laneways, seemed like a pick-pocket’s paradise to us – though we’re not aware of any cases.

‘Envy’ then enjoyed visiting a few of Phang Nga Bay’s more popular islands with their sheer cliffs towering above caves, caverns and open ‘hongs’ (enclosed roofless hollows) with their walls of interstitial limestone, that are a feature of this geologically karst area. It was a great experience to dinghy into these large ‘open rooms’ through a cave-like entrance and marvel at nature’s handicraft within.

Each morning local fishermen would come by the boat to sell us freshly caught prawns and fish, so we ate several meals of beautiful big prawns, but gone are the days of bargain price seafood in this touristy area.

But we were keen to depart for distant shores so after quick one day visits to Koh (island) Yao Yai, Koh Hong, Koh Roi, Koh Chong Lat and Koh Wa Yai, we returned to Chalong Bay to top up diesel and water, clear Customs ‘Out’, and in company with fellow Australians ‘Court Jester’ and ‘Jaraman’ we departed Phuket’s Nai Harn Bay on 24 January bound for Koh Miang in the Similan Islands group some 60 nm distant, where we overnighted, being the first leg of our 420nm Andaman Sea crossing.

We departed the Similans next morning for the non-stop 3 day passage to the Andamans, running wing-to-wing before a light N/E breeze which freshened to 20kts throughout the night, giving us good sailing. Next morning we had dolphins at the bow and lots of startled Flying Fish doing their 100 mtr dashes, but no seabirds whatsoever. There were also many areas of tidal races and overfalls where strong surface currents converge in a whirlpool effect making the sea mildly rough and very confused.

Then just after daybreak on our fourth morning out from Koh Miang, having sighted only one ship enroute, the hazy hills of South Andaman Island climbed up over the horizon to reveal the solitary beam of the Port Blair Lighthouse, beckoning us onwards to our next cultural adventure – a step back in time - welcome to Port Blair, principal town and entry port of India’s Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

The Andamans are very bureaucratic and even the simplest thing requires reams of paperwork with multiple carbon-paper copies. We were lucky to have taken only two days to ‘clear in’, some yachts take up to a week, and India allows only a 30 day visit. Security is a big issue here. All visiting yachts are inspected by the Navy when clearing in, have to submit their planned cruising itinerary for approval, and are required to report their location twice daily. We were occasionally overflown by naval coastguard helicopters verifying our locations.

This is not a general tourist destination, with few tourists and fewer yachts, and the Nicobar Islands to their south are closed to all but a few Indian nationals, supposedly to protect the culture and lifestyle of some primitive hunter–gatherer tribes said to still exist there in relative isolation.

The Andamans comprise literally hundreds of uninhabited islands, most of which are quite hilly and heavily wooded, with some magnificently pristine beaches, a live volcano and supposedly some of the best diving and fishing in the world, though on this latter score we were sadly disappointed. The Andamans were badly hit by the Tsunami, with many deaths in some parts. The maritime landscape was mostly hazy during our month-long visit which somewhat took the shine off it all (if you’ll forgive the pun), but being ashore opened up a whole new world full of fascinating experiences.

Port Blair is a quaint, dirty, crowded and friendly Indian town that looks as though it has been ripped out of the colonial 1930’s and dropped into the 21st century. Both vehicular and pedestrian traffic is chaotic, mangy dogs and goats scrounge food amongst filthy rubbish that litters the narrow streets and (holy Hindu) cattle rule supreme as they stroll along and across the busy roads oblivious to traffic and people alike.

There’s no way you’ll buy a beef steak anywhere in the Andamans! However, food was cheap, especially eggs and green vegetables at the market, but finding unsweetened ‘normal’ bread was a challenge; clothing was also very inexpensive and 1000 Rupees (A$ 32) seemed to stretch forever.

The market centre of Port Blair is known as Aberdeen Bazaar, a bustling kaleidoscope of movement, colour, smells, sights and sounds, where women in bright saris contrast paupers in rags and blend in with the colourful small shophouses whose wares spill out upon the narrow broken footpaths, upon which tradesmen sit cross-legged bent over their work. New Indian-made 1950’s Austin taxis and three-wheel Tuk Tuk’s, all painted in their ‘hornet livery’ of black and gold, race busily around adding further ambience to the cluttered street-scene. Whilst the fishing and coral were below expectations, we thoroughly enjoyed the people and their culture.

Back in his heyday we think ‘Slim’ Dusty must have visited the Andamans. In his immortal classic he complains having ‘trudged 50 flaming miles to a pub with no beer’ – well, we sailed 400 miles to a pub with no beer! We were astounded when lunching at Port Blair’s flashy up-market Bay Island Hotel to learn they had run out of beer, and subsequently discovered that the entire country was ‘dry’ since the supply ship from Mumbai (Bombay) was long overdue. Thankfully we three yachts all carried sufficient ‘ship’s stores’ to be unaffected by this otherwise most serious dilemma.

So we set off to discover the islands. Our 3 boat flotilla loitered slowly southwards to explore the spectacular beaches of the Cinque Islands, 35 nm from Port Blair, stopping over along the way at Chiriyatapu with its heavily eroded timber foreshores (which we named Tsunami Bay), then on to Rutland Island’s Wood-Mason Bay with its turquoise anchorage and wide sandy beach where we all took our deck chairs ashore to luxuriate in its splendour, enjoying another beach BBQ of prawns, freshly caught fish and hot home-baked bread, while playing Petanque on the beach with our steel boules.

A couple of days were spent at very picturesque anchorages at South Cinque and Middle Cinque Islands where you could watch the anchor hitting the sand in this ‘Gin clear’ water, then go ashore and see spotted deer and monitor lizards. Meanwhile John off ‘Jaraman’ speared a nice big Parrot Fish which necessitated another beach BBQ ashore.

With much to see in our short month, we kept moving and headed back northwards to Havelock Island which some travel mags claim has the 7th best beach in the world, with tropical shade down to the beach, along which a mahout walks his elephant each afternoon.

Next day we visited the main village on Havelock Island, about 7km inland from our anchorage. It was only a few hundred metres long with small modest shops, crudely built, lining the narrow bitumen strip, but plenty of commercial activity by the locals and the 20 or so back-packers, mostly young Israeli girls who have somehow discovered this remote location. While here we were all visited on our yachts by the Police looking for Martin, a German backpacker missing for some weeks; he was the ‘talk of the island’, with locals suggesting foul play and a drugs connection? (Weeks later we heard he was still missing).

Overnight stops were made at John Lawrence Island where different Police approached us still looking for mysterious Martin, then on to Henry Lawrence Island (have no idea who the Lawrence’s were) where Bruce celebrated his 63rd birthday catching a large Spotted Trevally trolling the nearby reef at our creek-mouth anchorage. No fish beats freshly caught and cooked fish – it was superb eating!

The weather continues very hot and humid as it has for months - which is the dry season ‘norm’ here in the tropics- with a daily swimming ritual giving only temporary relief. Our cabin fans run all night long, the only aid to a good night’s sleep.

On St Valentine’s Day ‘Envy’ motored northward in windless conditions to tiny Middle Button Island, noted for its idyllic deserted beaches and stunning underwater life, and we thought it the best coral seen so far. But the anchorage was unprotected so we continued on to Guitar Island, which was not on our approved travel itinerary, but looked a better spot, and where we were deluged with a heavy tropical downpour that evening. Sure enough the following afternoon a boat approached us from which an army officer told us it was an out-of-bounds area, so next morning our flotilla moved on up to Rangat Bay.

We took two Tuk Tuk’s the 8km into Rangat town, another impoverished typical Indian village where we needed to replenish our Rupees and have lunch. We saw no other westerners here, and by the attention we attracted, seems tourists could be a rare commodity. The six of us walked up and down the main street checking it out but the rough dirt-floored cafes looked decidedly uninviting and since we then discovered there are no ATM’s outside Port Blair and the two tiny local Banks would not cash US dollars, our appetites quickly vanished.

Upon returning to the anchorage we were dismayed to see the low tide had left our dinghies stranded on the filthiest, soft mudflats imaginable littered with wood, metal and plastic trash; but a score of young locals came to our aid and, amid beaming smiles and peals of laughter, helped carry the dinghies, while sinking in slimy mud up to our knees, the slow 150 metres out to the waters edge. No cut feet – amazing!

It was time to start returning southwards so we sailed down the 15 nm to explore Homfray Strait, a 10 nm narrow passage separating Middle Andaman and Barantang Islands, and whose depths were not marked on any of our charts. The entrance started at a scary, shallow 4 metres deep - our draft is 2 mtrs, but we ever-so-slowly nosed onwards to happily discover it got deeper all the way, with the narrow waterway dwarfed by the towering jungle trees on either bank. However, we were baulked by overhead power lines 5nm in, so retraced our steps, only to later discover there is mast height clearance below them and we missed out on discovering the scenic north western Andamans, an area very rarely visited by other than the locals. Maybe next year.

We all continued to dawdle southwards with return stops at Henry Lawrence (more fish) and Havelock Islands, and the following day got enough breeze for a change to sail into Port Blair. Three days were spent here soaking up the culture, and a taste at last of Indian ‘Kingfisher’ beer; we took the 500 mtr ferry ride across to visit tiny Ross Island, the original British administrational settlement in the Andamans, and marvelled at the size and complexity of the original brick buildings, though now in ruins and partially overgrown.

Our last night in town found us at the old Cellular Prison in Port Blair where a Light and Sound Show traced the prisons history, again a huge complex (circa-1910) catering for long term prisoners from the mainland. We then walked the short distance back to and around Aberdeen Bazaar, the 8pm night-scape buzzing with light, colour and sound with all shops open and people everywhere blocking both footpaths and roadway, as busy as daytime, as the crowd went about their business, whatever that may be.

So our all too short visit was over, and the next morning saw the three yachts depart India’s Andaman Islands on February 24, sailing in 15kts of breeze at the start our the 346 nm return passage to Thailand’s North Similan Island. As usual the breeze faded away and we motored in fine and sunny skies for most of the 3 day passage back, sighting five ships during the 72 hour trip, averaging 4.9 knots.

Anchored in ‘Donald Duck’ Bay – there’s a large natural rock ashore whose profile is so like Donald D, complete with duck bill, hence the nickname – we dined ashore that evening in a beach restaurant, enjoying a good meal of prawns, fried rice and beer for A$5 p/head. We departed North Similan Island in total darkness just before 3am next morning for our final 68 nm run back to Phuket, where we cleared Customs back ‘in’ to Thailand the following morning, happy to be back, but full of great memories to recall of our Andaman’s cultural experience.

Happenings 2007 Number 9

2007-01-19T16:36:00.000+08:00

Malaysia

Malaysia took us by surprise!

Following on from a languid Indonesia and clockwork Singapore, Malaysia bustles with energy, fueled by government ambition for the country to be a fully developed nation by 2020.

With its significantly proportioned mix of Malays, Chinese and Indians whose 23 millions approximate Australia’s population, Malaysia seems well on the way to achieving that goal. As was equally evident with Singapore, (which was part of Malaysia until 1965), an undercurrent of core values and orderly business acumen, to my mind, reflects its time of British colonialism. In places, it’s as modern as tomorrow - in others, bathed in antiquity, while retaining its own strong cultural identity.

Recalcitrant maybe – though undeniably controversial and staunchly Muslim, retired Prime Minister Mahathir (a qualified medical doctor though lifelong politician) did much for Malaysia during his 22 years as leader, taking it from a rubber, tin and timber economy to its present manufacturing sector dominance.

2007 sees Malaysia celebrate 50 years of nationhood, the country is awash with tourism promotion, and many grand events are scheduled right throughout the country during the year. The people are openly friendly, unlike many Singaporeans, and far more affluent than Indonesians.

However, let’s not get carried away here so soon, but rather, as all good stories should - let me start at the beginning.

We left you last on 3rd November with ‘Envy’ drifting around in windless conditions in Johore Strait, the Singapore – Malaysian boundary, just off Raffles Marina at the start on the ‘Sail Asia’ segment of the 2006 Rally.

Almost daily thunderstorms had cleared the ubiquitous smoke haze, so the hot sunshine cooked the humidity into another typical tropical day as we motored on a flat glassy sea heading north up the Malacca Strait. For centuries past and up to and including modern times these waters have been infamous for piracy. Fortunately for us, statistics show small yachts are seldom involved in this area, (none these past 4 years), with large ships being the favoured prey, though attacks there are also on the decline.

100 nautical miles northwards from Singapore lies tiny Besar Island, where there is a large, magnificent Tuscany style tourist resort that would have cost many $ millions to build; though completed, it never opened for business, the first of many such commercial abnormalities we came across throughout Malaysia. Failed, unfinished and/or deserted mega projects are a sad flipside legacy of the sudden economic boom that swept Malaysia in the 1990’s and, we’re told, an associated commercial psyche that often dispenses with market research.

The following day, three days out of Singapore, we arrived at Port Dickson’s Admiral Marina, where we cleared Customs into the country, and which, like most marinas in SE Asia, are part of a holiday resort complex, with swimming pools, restaurants and accommodation, etc. But with very few tourists about, we had the pools to ourselves most places we went. ‘5 Stars’ all the way!

Port Dickson hosted the first of the Malaysian Rally functions. It was a hectic few days with more free dinners and bus tours. Day 1; we visited an Army Museum, Ostrich Farm, the King’s Palace, and a Village ‘open house’ hosting a traditional Malay dinner.. Next, day 2 we toured the intriguing port city of Malacca, with its distinctive Portuguese and especially Dutch architecture, including St Paul’s Church built in 1600, during its heady days as a major Straits trading port, and walking through some of its streets gives one a fascinating feeling of a bygone era.

Then on day 3 it was off to Kuala Lumpur, a westernised Asian capital whose modern skyline is crowned by the twin Petronas Towers, the world’s tallest building. With mostly new motor cars everywhere and its new US$8 billion federal government administration centre - similar to Canberra or Washington DC, KL’s affluence is obvious. Old colonial buildings contrast modern Islamic masterpieces, with a vibrant Chinatown and bustling Little India adding a rich heritage of colour and character to this modern metropolis.

Following one busy but interesting week, ‘Envy’ departed Port Dickson for a day’s run up a quite unattractive and shallow coastline, dodging many fishing boats and nets all the way to Port Klang, (the main seaport for KL), where we anchored in the vast but shallow river mouth, only to be rocked all night long by the wash of the busy river traffic and many fishing boats. We high-tailed it out of there in the pre-dawn darkness next morning with no wind, but plenty of storm clouds, thunder and lightning – though no rain, for the 67 nm trip to the Berman River, a very ordinary and inauspicious November 13 birthday day for ‘young’Audrey!

However that was all to change 24 hours later when our flotilla of six yachts anchored in a beautiful little hidden sandy cove on Pangkor Laut Island, where we treated Audrey to an absolutely splendid ‘Beach BBQ Bash’ of swimming, food, drink and chatter she’ll long remember in this idyllic picturesque place we dubbed “Birthday Bay”.

Three day hops later we arrived at Georgetown, the capital of Penang (and often generally referred to as ‘Penang’), an Island 3 km offshore connected to Butterworth on the mainland by SE Asia’s longest bridge. Penang was the first of the British Straits settlements even prior to Singapore, is now Malaysia’s second largest city after KL, and remarkably still retains much of its charm and old-fashioned character, seemingly having missed the development boom that swept the rest of Malaysia. Whilst KL has ‘gone modern’, central Georgetown is a largely Chinese city whose appearance has changed little retaining most of its original architecture, albeit many of the colourful old Chinese shophouses are starting to crumble through neglect.

We berthed “Envy” at Tanjung City Marina conveniently located right on the waterfront doorstep of Georgetown (Penang), from where a free shuttle bus service took us winding through narrow streets to the town centre, returning via the other half of its circle route providing a wonderful tour of the inner city. The marina was another Rally destination, with yet another official BBQ dinner.

Apart from inevitable boat maintenance, our all too few 6 days in Penang were spent sightseeing Chinese and Buddhist Shrines, Temples, Pagodas and Gardens, old Fort Cornwallis, the centre of many impressive old buildings of colonial architecture, and the maze of Bazaar style street shops full of bargains for those who choose to barter. We walked, looked and shopped til we dropped, and most evenings we dined at local cafes where good meals including drinks cost about A-$7 total for us both. An excellent variety of good inexpensive cuisine is a highlight of Penang.
Although there are a couple of modern new shopping malls, central Penang’s charm effuses from its multitude of colourful old Chinese shops, colonial buildings, merchants and Trishaws as one strolls down Penang Road, and its side alleys. The sights, sounds, colours, smells and aura surrounding this fascinating place easily made it our favourite destination in Malaysia.

Having missed the experience of savouring a visit to the famous upmarket Raffles Hotel in Singapore, we determined not to miss the venerable Eastern & Oriental (E&O) Hotel here in Penang, a charming old waterfront colonial hotel built in 1884 by the same Sarkies brothers who later founded Raffles. With its grand lobby, colonial opulence, and expansive sea-front aspect, having Tiffin there was quite a buzz.

With ‘Envy’s’ fuel and water tanks topped up, we paid the exorbitantly cheap Marina berthing charge of RM 21.60 p/day (A$7.70 - less than 25% of Brisbane marina costs), and headed north all day to anchor that evening between two high sided islands whose narrow calm passage was steeply walled resembling a Fiord. Just on sunset there were about 20 eagles soaring on the thermals above us, and next morning we awoke to the chatter of monkeys on the nearby rocks.

After a leisurely breakfast there at Dayang Bunting Island, studying the antics of our ancient forbears on the rocks, we motored in windless conditions the 2 hours’ run to Langkawi Island, the principal of 104 islands scattered 30km off the coast at the northern end of peninsular Malaysia, bordering Thailand. With a jungle clad interior and some stunning beaches around the coast, and a Duty Free Port as well, it is a cruising haven.

Langkawi Island’s Telaga Harbour was our final Malaysian and ‘Sail Asia Rally’ destination, and also the venue for the Langkawi International Boat Exhibition (LIBEX), the 2006 event being staged simultaneously, with our arrival, at the adjacent Telaga Marina.

We arrived late morning in good time to patronise, with other yachties, a little dockside Indian café for an excellent lunch (A$4 for 2 meals + 2 Cokes), then cleared in with the Harbour Master, a time wasting requirement at every Malaysian port. The following day we visited LIBEX, bought ‘Croc’ beach shoes (the latest footwear fad out of the USA), and attended the official dockside Rally Dinner hosted by Malaysia’s Deputy Prime Minister that night.

Over the next few days we enjoyed the last of the official rally functions – free day-long Bus Tours to Kuah, the main town, then a cable car ride up the mountain for spectacular panoramic views, a very interesting Rice Museum, the ‘Atma Alam’ Batik Art Village with its superb silk paintings, lunch at an upmarket Thai Restaurant, and then to Galeria Perdana, an outstanding collection of gifts received by past President Dr. Mahathir over 22 years – from countries all around the world, an amazing variety of hundreds of some significantly breathtaking items.

Then a memorable night of song and dance aboard the traditional Indonesian Penisi sailing ship “Silolona” as the ‘Rally’ came to an end. I can’t recall any earlier mention of our ‘resident’ entertainer, a fellow rally sailor of our vintage, one Johnny “Boney” Mahoney, a (previously) part- time professional musician with full accompanying electronic equipment. You’d never pick him as such, a tall, skinny ex plumber, but with a voice equal to any. A simply wonderful finale.

The combined ‘Sail Indonesia’ and ‘Sail Asia’ segments covered 4 months and 5 days since our departure from Darwin on Saturday, 22nd July 2006, ‘Envy’ having sailed 3177 “Rally” nautical miles through Indonesia, Borneo, Singapore and Malaysia and 5420 nm (or 10,038 kilometres) in total under the keel since leaving Brisbane. At no stage whatsoever did we, or anyone we’ve spoken with, every feel threatened or unsafe at sea or in any of those countries. There were always land touts ready to relieve the careless of their money, but that’s the lot of any tourist in this area.
So it was over, the ‘keep moving’ pressure gone – time to relax, but we still never stopped. Then a week later we moved ‘Envy’ the 16 nm from Telaga Harbour around to Bass Harbour, outside Kuah, Langkawi’s principal town. We walked all around its busy little streets discovering the duty free shops, bought a Honda 2Kva portable generator, box fans and a bread maker, duty free liquor at less than one third normal cost, and toured the island’s 478 sq km in inexpensive rental cars.

Nine days later, on 8th December 2006 we dragged ourselves away from the soft comforts and easy pleasures of ‘town living’ to join our friends at a island anchorage 12 nm distant, in a snug and pretty little sandy cove which we named ‘Lover’s Bay’, having just witnessed from our yachts at anchor close by, the very amorous behaviour of a lone young Muslim couple on the beach. It’s a lovely private beach, barely 100 mtrs long, framed by rocky headlands, with a clear sandy bottom; we stayed a few days and later returned, for it became our favourite beach BBQ venue.

We needed fresh water and diesel fuel, so on 11th December ‘Envy’ took a berth in nearby Rebak Island Marina Resort, one of Langkawi’s three marinas, which entirely occupies a tiny satellite island a stone’s throw off Langkawi; the Marina was totally destroyed by the Tsunami and newly rebuilt, as were others in Malaysia. Along with several other Rally boats we stayed at Rebak for more than two weeks, doing boat maintenance and other jobs in the mornings and then enjoying a swim in the Resort Pool late afternoons, with an occasional water-taxi trip across to Langkawi for duty free shopping in Kuah town, or rental car touring around.

Rebak Marina incorporates a large hard-stand work area running back to a densely wooded hillside, from where, we’re told, monkeys come and raid boats stealing food, etc. Most evenings we all dined ashore at the Marina café where the meals were so inexpensive that it was arguably cheaper than cooking aboard! The Koran forbids Muslims to drink alcohol and the café was accordingly ‘dry’ which suited us to a tee since we bought our own cheap duty-free drinks to dinner.

By this time, we had farewelled several of our fellow Rally friends, including Trevor and Joan Long off ‘Been-A-Long’, our special sailing companions all the way from Brisbane, who were returning back to OZ for Christmas, by air of course, ‘cause nothing goes to windward like a 747!

By mid December “Envy’ looked resplendent in her Christmas decorations; and in no time at all it was Christmas Eve with 45 Rally yachties having our own private bash in the Marina café. Then on Christmas Day we had a superb smorgasbord lunch at the main Resort restaurant, after which we took over the beautiful tropically un-walled open entertainment lounge for three hours of non-stop entertainment by our ‘own’ Johnny ‘Boney’ Mahoney. A great Christmas never to be forgotten, followed by a quiet New Year’s Eve in company with others having another BBQ back at ‘Lovers Bay’.

A few days later anchored in the harbour outside Kuah town, whilst getting into my dinghy beside ‘Envy’, I dropped my mobile phone overboard and, in a knee-jerk reaction trying to catch it, overbalanced the dinghy and into the water goes I, and lost my spectacles to boot! You would have cried with laughter – but too deep and murky to try and dive for them, so I was up for a new mobile phone and spectacles, thankfully much cheaper than in Oz, and I was due for new specs.

After a couple of (rare) rainy days resulting from a low depression in the South China Sea east of the peninsular, Monday 8th January saw us depart Malaysia after nine wonderful weeks for the short step across the unseen maritime border into Thailand, where we spent our first night anchored at the tiny resort island of Koh Lipe. We’ll tell you about that soon.

Happenings 2006 Number 8

2006-11-19T16:32:00.000+08:00

Singapore

It’s a hot and sultry Sunday morning on 22nd October as ‘Envy’ motors out of Nongsa Point Marina, on Indonesia’s far northern Batam Island, into a haze shrouded Singapore Strait; this busy waterway is infamous among cruising yachties who have to weave their way through the huge amount of traffic that plies these narrow shipping lanes, reputedly half the world’s shipping.

We started our crossing in smoke haze and finished in a thunderstorm downpour, but had to dodge only three large ships, (well that’s all we saw in the rain and haze) before reaching the sanctuary of Singapore’s highly rated ‘Raffles’ Marina, with its restaurants, bars, hotel, swimming pool, gym, chandlery etc, situated at the western end of the island.

After the first two days catching up on never ending boat jobs, it was time to rediscover Singapore. The Marina offers a free bus service to the railway station, from where quick clean electric trains can deliver one to most places of interest around Singapore. Often referred to as a garden city, this modern, bustling island is like a big lushly verdant, manicured parkland. Greenery and shops are everywhere, and the city-state is famous for its smooth efficiency.

Most afternoons bought thunder and heavy rain, and a cooling respite from the tropical heat. But the weather didn’t dampen our exploration of Singapore, mostly using the modern MRT rail system, as we shopped ‘til we dropped in all the marvellous malls and stores, visited their world famous Zoo, got seduced by a variety of Asian food, indulged in the sights, colours and smells of Little India and Chinatown, or simply relaxed in the pool and spa at the Marina.

Raffles is a name synonymous with Singapore since founded by Sir Thomas Raffles in 1819, and the top-class Raffles Hotel is not only a local icon but a timeless symbol of colonial luxury. Regrettably, we never did make it in for one of their well known ‘Singapore Slings’, but that’s something to look forward to next time around.

Then Audrey’s mother, Lavinia, flew in from Brisbane for a hectic week’s visit, as we tried to make the most of every day. She and Audrey had a good time electronics shopping in Sim Lim Tower and Sim Lim Square, and window-shopped much of the town, while Lavinia visited some Art Galleries as well and generally soaked up the sights, shapes and colours of Singapore as future subject material for her painting and other works of art.

We were impressed to see the extent of government backed modern high-rise housing development and were told that by the mid-1990’s Singapore had the world’s highest rate of home ownership. Other local observations were the extent of mobile phone usage – it seemed every second person had one, and every third person had a cold, of which malady we also became participants.

Following three months in Indonesia it was a real treat to find supermarkets with a larger range of product, systems that ran like clockwork, order and cleanliness that, by comparison, bordered on sterility, drinkable water straight from the tap, clean crisp paper banknotes, and the widest range of state-of-the-art electronics anywhere, several items of which found a new home aboard ‘Envy’.

Singapore was the starting point of the associated “Sail Asia” rally, a continuation of “Sail Indonesia”, with the fleet sailing and sightseeing its way up through Malaysia to Langkawi Island, just below the Thailand border. Following the usual Rally dinner and briefings, the 3rd November marked the start of this section of the Rally as participating yachts headed out of the Johore Strait, in windless conditions, for the cruise northward up Malaysia’s west coast.

Happenings 2006 Number 7

2006-10-19T15:28:00.000+08:00

Indonesia - Farewell

For reasons not understood even by ourselves, but certainly unrelated to the bombings or personal safety, we’d been indifferent about visiting Bali, but having now spent 12 exciting days there, our feelings perfectly epitomized the old adage ‘we came to jeer – but remained to cheer’! With a hire car at our disposal we travelled extensively all over this small but beautiful island, enjoying the scenery, the people, the ambience, the food, the shopping – ‘the everything’ – simply wonderful!

The early post-dawn twilight of 26 September finds “Envy’ departing Bali’s Serangan Island anchorage and hugging the shoreline with its favourable counter current up through Lombok Strait, enroute to the Kumai River in southern Kalimantan on Borneo. Two ‘day-sails’ and three ‘overnighters’ in good winds, with stops at Raas and Bawean Islands, comprise our eight day 494 nm return crossing of the Java Sea.

On coming ashore during our two day stopover on Bawean Island, a tiny isolated spec in the Java Sea, we met a 32 yo local, Supaji, who teaches English at the local High School. Supaji was eager to practise his limited English so took me island touring on his small motorcycle, then to his house to meet his wife Yayun and baby twin sons. They were poor, generous and lovely, so after my crab soup lunch (they didn’t eat since it was during Ramadan fasting) we invited Supaji aboard ‘Envy’ – he’d never seen a yacht before – and sent him off home with gifts of clothes, books and other treasures, including baby clothes, for which they Supaji and the twins were so grateful.

With pork taboo for Muslims, and beef’s availability and affordability beyond most, fish is the staple protein throughout Indonesia. Accordingly, coastal waters everywhere host an abundance of small fishing boats, fishing nets a km long, floating long-lines of similar length, floating fish traps, bamboo fishing platforms, mostly all unlit at night, and a sailor’s nightmare. We were forever dodging this plethora of floating fishing paraphernalia, (except during one moonless nightwatch when I saw a 5 m² bamboo platform rub down the side of the boat - Oops!). One of the main subjects of radio chatter amongst the fleet was the regular warnings of this paraphernalia and general flotsam.

Having survived for weeks’ previous, and within striking distance of the Kumai River, yours truly relaxed his vigilance and was amply rewarded with his biggest fishing strike yet – a kilometre long floating fish net caught in the small gap between keel and rudder. It’s 0800hrs, sails full with both wind and current from astern, a shallow 15 feet deep choppy sea, and I don’t know whether I’ve caught it or it’s caught me, but we’re jerked to a sudden halt like a jet on an aircraft carrier, and we’re not going anywhere ---- Bugger!!

After a tense hour or more of futile free diving attempts, I finally donned my scuba gear and, in water with visibility of less than an arm’s length fuelling my fear of getting snagged in the nearly invisible nylon net, I finally cut and freed it from where floats had jammed tight on either side of the gap! I shudder at the thought of the scenario had it happened at night.

With nerve and pride shaken we motored 17 miles up the Kumai River in Indonesia’s Kalimantan Province, southern Borneo. I recall tales as a small child about the deep jungles of Borneo, and here we were, in the little impoverished village of Kumai, 2½° (160 km) south of the Equator, to where we’ve come especially to see Orangutans (Malay word meaning “forest people”) in Tanjung Putting National Park, 60 km from Kumai. Orangutans are found only in Borneo and Sumatra and are suffering from habitat loss like so many other wild animals. The jungle here looks very similar to any tropical Qld rainforest, but with a few more thick vines.

Slash and burn land clearing practices for Oil Palm plantations are the primary cause of habitat loss, and every dry season, as it is now, a smoke haze extends hundreds of kilometres from Borneo to Singapore and Malaysia, both of which governments complain bitterly to Indonesia without apparent success to curb or control this annual practice. Most mornings until 9 or 10 am we couldn’t see yachts 100 metres away, and even as the smoke partly dispersed during the day, we sailed continuously in hazy conditions for the next month all the way to Singapore, seeing virtually nothing of the coastlines that we passed close by, (or whatever else was out there that we couldn’t/didn’t see!)

Arrangements were made for our trip to visit ‘Camp Leakey Orangutan Reserve’ situated within the Nat Park, and the next morning we are collected from ‘Envy’ in the 8am haze by a speedboat with a driver and guide that will take us on the 2½ hour fast ride up the Kumai, Sekonyer and Camp Leakey Rivers to the Reserve. The ride itself was a thrill worth the money alone, as we sped through the narrow upper reaches of the river, hardly wide enough for two speed boats to pass in places, seemingly daring fate around every tight blind bend, as we brushed aside tall reeds only a metre from the banks.

We arrived at the Reserve around midday. Structurally, Camp Leakey’s dozen or so modest buildings reflect their age, dating back to 1971 when a 24 year old Canadian girl anthropologist commenced her primate studies there alone in totally primitive conditions. The basic though very well illustrated and informative Museum excellently chronicles its history, by way of background and development over the years, to its current status as the premier Orangutan authority of the world.

Momentarily, I can’t recall the lady’s name, but she subsequently married and the front cover of a 1980 National Geographic shows her baby son sharing a wash basin bath with a 2 year old baby female Orangutan, named ‘Princess’. Now 26 years later we’d heard that the beloved “Princess” was a mum again and often came in to the feeding platform, so we hoped to make her acquaintance.

As we approached the 2pm feeding station following a 1½ km walk ‘deep in the Borneo jungle’, there was ‘Princess’ and her baby ambling along in front of us. Perhaps 12 or 15 Orangutans came in swinging through the jungle canopy to the elevated feeding platform for a treat of bananas and sweetened powdered milk; During our hour or so there, they moved around and about us, sometimes as close as at arm’s length, until big’ Tom’ the alpha male arrived – no one got too close to him. It was a really wonderful ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ experience, and for us well worth the A$125 cost. And on the river ride home to ‘Envy’, we capped it all off with a couple of “G & T’s”. Cheers!

The next day we’re off again with a nice breeze on a 3 day 250 nm non-stop passage to Serutu Island, with much smoke haze all the way, arriving in the 2am darkness. After a day’s rest we depart Serutu in company with three other boats on another 145 nm overnight sail; the next morning, at 0915 hours October 11th, we watch our GPS count down to 0°.00.000 as ‘Envy’ crosses the Equator into the Northern Hemisphere. Seven miles north lay Pejantan Island, where we all stopped to celebrate the occasion with the customary ‘equator crossing party’, which raged on all afternoon, and continued ashore the next day with a beach BBQ. King Neptune was totally appeased!

We left there at 3am next morning motor-sailing in the dark on another 170 nm overnight passage, through the ever present smoke haze, with barely a mile’s visibility, up to Batam Island, enjoying the thrilling entertainment of 15 dolphins performing their aquatic opera around the bow of the boat.

Batam Island is at the top of the Indonesian archipelago, only a stone’s throw across the Straits from Singapore, and would mark the end of the Indonesian component of the rally. We stayed here in the Nongsa Point Marina, our one and only marina experience during the 2653 nautical mile (or 4913 km) voyage through this extensive chain of islands. (Indonesia has only 2 marinas, here & at Bali.) What a pleasure to have water and 240v power at the boat, plus its wonderful swimming pool, easy access to town and shopping, and the camaraderie associated with meeting old friends or making new ones.

In summary, Indonesia proved bigger and better than we’d imagined. People everywhere were so very friendly – never did we feel unsafe; the lack of wind meant more motoring but gave us smoother seas and calm restful anchorages; distances were vast, though diesel fuel and the cost of living quite cheap. Our time in Indonesia was during the ‘dry season’ up here, and dry it was. There were only 6 partly wet days during the 93 days between Darwin and Singapore.

On the flipside, we noted pelagic fish were few and far between, safe drinking water comes only in plastic bottles, and the myriad of plastic bags, flotsam, jetsam and rubbish everywhere, both on land and in the seas, is a sad reflection on the culture. Nevertheless, the organized Rally functions gave us quick and easy exposure to the people, their traditions, culture, and some excellent cuisine and, though the pace was ‘full on’ for much of the time, it was certainly the way to go.

After many weeks of hanging on the anchor, we enjoyed marina living too much as most yachties do, but did catch up on many boat maintenance jobs, before ‘clearing out’ with Customs and motor sailing 40 nm across the shipping lanes of the Singapore Straits to a new and vastly different experience.

Happenings 2006 Number 6

2006-10-19T15:25:00.000+08:00

Central Indonesia

Rally destination #5 was the old trading port of Makassar in southern Sulawesi (formerly the Celebes) 290nm north of Riung. We island hoped there over five days, making landfall at Tana Beru, centre of the largest wooden shipbuilding community in eastern Indonesia, where we saw more than 20 boats from 8 to 40 metres being made right on the sandy beach, supported by flimsy bamboo scaffolding.

Makassar’s a large city of 2 million, and the venue for the annual Sandeq Race Rally of large outrigger sailing canoes, which come from all over Sulawesi, and which coincided with our rally itinerary. The city also has a history dating back over 600 years to when it was the hub of the far eastern Spice Trade, and one of the most important trading ports of the world in those times. Substitute the word Spice for Oil in current times and you’ll get an understanding of its then trade value and importance, and why the Portuguese, Dutch and English fought bitterly over the centuries for its control.

The Indonesian Navy invited rally boats to berth at their Makassar Naval Base and, for a small daily fee, we had access to electricity and water, plus the privacy and security offered within the compound. When doing routine maintenance on the anchor winch here I discovered some nylon bushes were broken. Getting them sent from Oz would be time consuming and costly, so I took the broken pieces to the naval workshop and had new replacements that afternoon for less cost than Oz postage. The Navy also provided several free courtesy cars with drivers and guides every day to take us shopping, sightseeing, etc anywhere around the city for our week there. Absolutely great!

Following a chance meeting in a supermarket, Noel, an ex-pat Victorian businessman married to a local lady, invited 20 of us Aussies to his home for Sunday cocktails round the pool. What an eye opener! The recently built place more resembled a palace with its marble construction and grand sweeping staircase, exquisite floors and luxury appointments. It all went so well that cocktails progressed to a BBQ that evening, followed by return visits by Noel to our yachts during the week.

Dating from 1545, Fort Rotterdam is a well preserved, harbour-side historical site of numerous buildings within its high stone walls, providing fortification for Makassa during the spice trade skirmishes through the centuries. We sailors attended a Seafood Festival there, as guests of the Mayor, culminating in a feast of magnificent lobster, fish, prawns, shellfish etc; what a treat!

On the outskirts of the city is a failed tourist attraction known as ‘Old Makassar’. Built about 15 years ago but now closed, the complex comprises a variety of architecturally old, traditionally styled and built houses, a few of which are privately occupied with the remainder lying idle. A German expat associated with ‘Sail Indonesia’ and the Sandec Race, Horst Liebner, rents the large “King’s House”, and he gave a few of us a private tour through his house and the complex, including its old clothing and artefacts museum. So many superb buildings sadly going to waste.

It was now time to start off towards the next rally destination at Bali so in the company of two other yachts we headed south westerly for Lombok, day hopping 312 nm in the Flores Sea between tiny islands that are too small to be shown on most charts, anchoring nightly behind a pinprick island, a coral reef, a sand cay and in a lagoon before reaching the comfort of Gili Aer Island, one of three satellite islands just off the NW coast of Lombok.

Everyone loves Gili Air (as it’s commonly spelt). This tiny island with its scenic waters and white sand beaches is only about 2km around, and totally tourist oriented with inexpensive cabin accommodation and restaurants, pretty much aimed at the backpacker market, all very low key. There are no motor vehicles, only ‘Tuk-tuk’ pony carts for transportation. Like all of Indonesia, Gili Air people are very friendly, but severely feeling the effects of low tourist numbers. The so called restaurants are a collection of beachfront shaded platforms with bamboo slatted floors covered in cushions, where one can relax and enjoy the sea breeze and view over a meal and cool drink, and view the wares of the numerous hawkers selling jewellery and clothing.

We spent seven lovely restful days at Gili Air before sailing down to Bali’s Serangan Island anchorage, doing the 56nm in record time with assistance from the strong current that runs down Lombok Strait.

Bali is a totally different cultural experience. It’s quite ‘westernised’, wealthy and modern by comparison to the rest of Indonesia that we’ve visited, and being predominantly Hindu as opposed to the sombre Moslem majority elsewhere, has a totally different architectural style and holiday atmosphere. Tourism ranks a close second after agriculture in the local economy but it has suffered significantly since the bombings. In addition to it being the next Rally destination, we needed to extend our Tourist Visas for a further 30 days, and Bali is the place to do that.

So here we are in Bali where Bruce revisited Kuta Beach again after a 33 year interval, and didn’t recognize any of it. Even the long sweeping surf beach seemed different, and most of the buildings new since then. By comparison with other places Kuta Beach seemed full of tourists, but aggressively competitive deals in accommodation, souvenirs, clothing etc were everywhere to be had. The locals tell us that tourist numbers are again on the upturn.

We hired a 4 door Toyota Kijang (small Landcruiser) very cheaply at A$15 p/day and shared a 3 day trip with another sailing couple up through central Bali seeing silver jewellery being made, wood carving, weaving, art galleries, and more, in Celuk, Gianyar, Mas, Ubud and the wonderful lake and mountain scenery around Kintamani and Bangli in the North.

We decided to take advantage of the heavily discounted accommodation market and treat ourselves to some unusual luxury (for us) for a change, so stayed the first night at Ubud’s upmarket Sahadewa Hotel with its grand appointments and four poster beds at only US$50 per room. The following night we moved up into the foothills to the even more exclusive La Subak Villa Resort where the 4 of us took an enclosed twin villa with own pool etc for US$145 p/day, reduced from US$400! Simply grand, as was the one hour guided exercise trek around the surrounding picturesque rice paddies before breakfast the next morning.

During the last seven days we’ve seen a lot of this island, but you could spend months here seeing something new every day. Last night we went to Jimbaren Beach just south of Kuta to eat Bar-b-que seafood at one of the several open air, candle lit restaurants that spread for a km along the sandy beach. Superb fish, prawns, etc for A$12 each.

Today we return the hire car, then go on the last free Rally sightseeing trip culminating with its farewell dinner tonight, before departing tomorrow (Tuesday) morning for the 5 day Java Sea passage North again to Kalimantan (Borneo) to see Orang-utans in the wild up the Kumai River. We’ll keep you posted. Until ‘H-7’ ex Singapore.

Happenings 2006 Number 5

2006-09-19T15:23:00.000+08:00

Eastern Indonesia

As Audrey and me continue our Indonesian odyssey I’ve become aware that 3616 nautical miles (that’s about 6700 km) have slipped under ‘Envy’s’ keel since departing Brisbane mid May, with 1000 nm already in Indonesian waters. At six weeks we’re now halfway through our 90 day visitor’s permit, but not yet halfway distance-wise through this sprawling country, with plenty of sailing before us.

Being of volcanic origin, and some islands with still actively smoking volcanoes, the land is mostly steep to, dropping away sharply to unanchorable depths only metres from the shore, raising stress levels when seeking an overnight anchorage late in the afternoon. But the seas generally are much calmer than Oz and, with the wind and swell generally fading away at night, we often anchored in very exposed areas and found ‘sleepable’ conditions.

Following our entry at Timor, ‘Envy’ sailed northwards (or more often motor-sailed in the ever prevailing light wind conditions that are synonymous with near equatorial latitudes) to reach the islands of the main archipelago.

Two days and nights later we arrived at Pantar Island, anchoring in the small Moslem village of Balangmerang where a local fisherman, Abdul, paddled his little canoe to ‘Envy’ and sold us 3 mud crabs for 8 Aussie dollars. We went ashore to the overwhelmingly friendly welcome of both adults and masses of noisy children, all of whom begged to be photographed and shrieked enjoyment at viewing their digital images, a practice that proving consistent everywhere we went. The village comprises predominantly small, single level slab base dwellings of bricks and mortar, set in swept, bare dirt grounds. Grass lawns simply don’t exist in any of the villages we’ve visited, so being a lawnmower salesman anywhere in the eastern archipelago would be a fast-track road to ruin.

However, an interesting insight of Balangmerang ingenuity was our observation of the locals making Popcorn. Sitting in the dirt of a front yard, a group of young boys were hand turning a crudely made airtight cylinder inside of which corn was popping whilst being heated with a blowtorch, and which let out a thunderous explosive roar when opened, bringing peals of laughter from the children as it spewed its contents into a sack, but the popcorn was good!

Next day we moved on 32nm to Kawula Island where we stealthily negotiated its fringing reefs before anchoring in 70ft water in front of Balurin village. From our anchorage we enjoyed the imposing view of nearby Mt. Wariran, a sky scraping 4754ft active volcano smoking its head off, as it has done for the past thirty years. Out came the usual horde of inquisitive children in their leaky dugout canoes, one to paddle, one to bail water out, and the customary one or two ‘observers’.

There are eight formal Rally venues associated with ‘Sail Indonesia 2006’, with each destination endeavouring to out perform the others, not only for the prestige and associated tourism and financial rewards, but also to ‘sure up’ their hosting status again next year, for these eight venue appointments are most coveted and hotly sought by several other destinations. So it’s a mixed pleasure situation for we participants; we enjoy the various performances, but at the expense of endless speeches by every local official, spoken in native Bahasan none of which we understand, and an overloaded schedule which allows insufficient time to smell the roses along the way.

There’s no rest for the weary since we have timing obligations to meet for the next scheduled ‘Rally’ function at Lembata, 30nm away in Lebaleba Bay on Kawula Island, where we arrive the following afternoon. The next morning we attended the Governor’s Welcome at his downtown Regency Office.

We had thought we were going to see a procession but as it turned out, we yachties were the procession as a cavalcade of 10 Becaks (bicycle pedicabs) and 80 motorcycles took us from the anchorage on a 5 km tour of the small town to the welcoming venue. The streets were lined with friendly waving locals - made one feel like royalty, returning their waves and greetings as we slowly becaked there and motorcycled home, all at slow bicycle pace. It was a very memorable introduction to Lewoleba City, and one of the highlights to date.

A bunch of us (16) walked around the small town that night and ate traditional food at a roadside café; our dinner incl beer was only A$ 4 each.

The next day we topped up Envy’s fuel tanks with diesel purchased from the local fuel depot. No pumps here; both diesel and petrol poured out from pipes thru the wall into separate drums on the floor where men ladled it into our jerrycans with 1 or 2 litre used jam tins! At 4650 Rupiah/ltr (A.80¢), the cheapest fuel we’ve found in Indonesia. That evening there was another be-costumed traditional dancing concert at the waterfront stage, followed by another free Gala Dinner after the usual obligatory speeches.

Our fourth day at Lembata finds us on a bus tour to Kolontobo Village with its attractive beachfront location. Traditionally dressed dancers meet us in the street and, after a ceremonial welcome of slashing the palm frond “gate”, we are led by the dancing troupe down to the shaded beach where a huge buffet banquet from several cooking stations has been laid out for us. After more traditional dancing by individual groups of men, women and children, we enjoy a marvellous lunch of local meats, fish, vegetables, fruit and cakes; then we went swimming and cooled off with a few local beers. A wonderful mixture of food, culture and friendship - it doesn’t come much better.

In Indonesia clean drinking water doesn’t come out of taps as it does back home, and in the current dry season there’s no rainfall to catch so many yachties, including us, have to buy treated water in 19 ltr plastic bottles, costing about A$1 per bottle.

Five busy days and a few hundred photographs later sees ‘Envy’ depart Lembata for Sagu Bay on Adonara, the next island westward, where we drop the anchor after a short 20 nm hop and take advantage of a few free afternoon hours to passage plan our route ahead.

Onwards ever onwards - we’re up next morning at 0545 hours for a 42 nm eight hour crossing to Hading Bay on adjacent Flores Island. We anchor in a pretty, unnamed cove over a shallow sandy bottom with a few of our friends, and all gather on the small sandy beach late afternoon for drinks, then a Barbeque, followed by a sing-along around a large bonfire near the water’s edge. Again, it doesn’t get much better!

As I’ve previously mentioned motor-sailing is common in these light wind Latitudes but for a while the next morning we have better than 30 knots gusting across the deck with ‘Envy’ smoking along at 7 and 8 knots, but then it died as quickly as it came and the ‘iron sail’ is again doing its unwelcome job.

Mid afternoon we are anchored with more than 30 other rally yachts outside Sea World, a Dive Resort midway along the top of Flores Island, where we plan to rest for a few days. The resort comprises a number of thatched roof bures of traditional design, and like most holiday places we’ve visited, very low on tourist numbers. We’re told it’s presently the ‘off season’ but general opinion points to the aftermath of Bali 2002.

Nevertheless we enjoy Sea World’s friendly laidback ambience, its attractive sandy beach location and its convenience as our stepping stone to the large commercial town of Maumere 15 km away, with its ATM machine, from which we drew a few million Rupiah. A million Rp is about Aust $155 and most of our money is spent buying Diesel fuel… (and Bintang beer) oops!

Further westward along Flores north coast is the small, non-wealthy village of Riung, the next (unlikely) official Rally destination, but whose praises were sung by all of last year’s fleet and where, after an uncomfortable roly night between two reefs in Nangarujong Bay, we arrived in its well protected anchorage two days later. One immediate benefit was a floating pontoon which made dinghying ashore a pleasure, and so Riung was again off to a good start.

Thursday 17 August, the day after our arrival at Riung, is Indonesian Independence Day (1945), so the village was colourfully dressed with flags, banners and bunting (as were Maumere and all other places recently visited) which added some aura to these otherwise austere Muslim areas.

The next surprise attraction was not simply the presence of a large local ‘Phinisi’ sailing ship laying at anchor amongst us, resplendently dressed in the national colours of red and white, her flags and pennants flying, but that an open invitation was extended to all rally yachties to go aboard that evening for an Independence Day celebration party, food, drinks, music and outdoor movie all ‘on the house’ (eh-boat). “Silolona” is a newly constructed 50 mtr replica of a traditional Phinisi, beautifully made and luxuriously appointed, with opulence everywhere, five king size cabins, and works the top end of the charter market out of Bali with a crew of 15 locals. It is owned by Ms. Patti Seery, a Bali resident of 20+ years, and formerly of the USA.

In like fashion to the other venues, Riung offered an organised tour at A$24 each which combined both sea and land transportation to include visits by boat to an huge flying fox colony, a Komodo Dragon enclosure, and pre lunch swim at a picture postcard turquoise sandy island, and then to two villages, one for lunch and the other for – you guessed it, more traditional dancing. Believe me, by now we’re just about danced out!!

That night Riung hosted its gala dinner, which was excellent both in content and variety. Whole grilled fish, beef dishes, shellfish and other seafood, chicken dishes, excellent vegetables, rice, soups, sweets and other local delicacies and, being self serve buffet, one could choose precisely what suited one’s palate. Then each of us was presented with a traditional hand woven Ikat scarf by, and with compliments of the Governor. It was a wonderful night with excellent musical entertainment, both local and western. Riung’s good reputation lives on.

Happenings 2006 Number 4

2006-09-19T15:20:00.000+08:00

Timor - Indonesia

Greetings from the ‘Envy’ crew here at the doorstep to the Orient, and the start of our real S/E Asian adventure, where every day brings a whole new cultural world of sights, smiles, sounds and smells.

As one of the participants in the 2006 "Sail Indonesia Rally”, ‘Envy’ crossed the start line in Darwin’s Fannie Bay at 11am Saturday 22 July, one of 98 yachts, a blaze of colour and action - some with spinnakers flying, finally departing Australia and heading out to sea, destination Timor, Indonesia, some 472 nautical miles away, where we arrived at Kupang, West Timor after a slowish but trouble free four day passage.

The highlight of this otherwise uneventful crossing was the sighting of a very large cattle transport ship overtaking us all on the same course, and the antics on the VHF radio as several yachts took evasive measures to avoid being passed downwind of this very, very smelly ship. Apart from the ship and two huge, well lit offshore oil platforms, passed in the distance at night, the Timor Sea was ours alone.

Initially Indonesian entry formalities and now organized rally activities keep us going non-stop both day and night, so we've played truant from all of that this ‘arvo to stay aboard and make a start on this ‘H-4’ report. Both boat and crew are well, but a 'day off' would be most welcome.

Sorry about the silence over recent weeks, but indeed "Happenings" 2 and 3, complete with photos had both been written for some time, but my 9 year old laptop sadly died enroute to Darwin, and having finally retrieved its hard drive, we hope we've been successful in sending 'H-2' and 'H-3' from an Internet Cafe in Kupang. These articles are much too large for our onboard Sailmail (email) capability, and furthermore, Sailmail connections have been quite difficult since leaving T.I., often going several days between contacts.

Kupang, in the southwest corner of West Timor is the capital of East Nusa Tenggara Province which comprises much of Indonesia’s far eastern archipelago, and is home to about K300 people; it is very friendly, very old, very dirty, very interesting and generally very poor, and our Aussie dollars go a long way here. A good basic meal can be got for A$4, so not much cooking on 'Envy' at the moment, and we were guests at 2 ‘Gala Dinners’ hosted by the Governor and the Major. Excellent food, and plenty of it.

A huge temporary stage on the beachfront beside Teddy’s Bar entertains us nightly with unbelievably loud music performed by talented artists from Jakarta, even as we lay in bed late at night, willing sleep!

Teddy's Bar occupies the prime beachfront position where all the rally yachts are anchored, and where local boys look after our dinghies day and night for $2, while a couple of hundred yachties from about 15 different countries chat boat talk over quite inexpensive local ‘Bintang’ beer. Teddy is a very friendly part Chinese local who spent 15 years in the Sydney Taxi business, then returned to Kupang where he owns the waterfront Bar, a Hotel behind it, plus Buses and Taxis, so he’s quite a big shot around here.

Kupang's streets are tight and narrow in the old downtown area; traffic is totally chaotic day and night, there are no traffic lights or pedestrian crossings whatsoever, just millions of small motorbikes and colourful mini buses, the ubiquitous ‘Bemo’, somewhat of a discotheque ‘on wheels’ blasting out deafening pop music as it runs its set route around town, but not many cars.

Both bikes and Bemos speed excessively with horns blasting continually as they ‘dare al’ in modern traffic jams, and merely crossing the road is akin to playing Russian roulette! But they are skilful drivers with good traffic manners, and drive on the left here, same as in Oz. Far more women ride these low powered motorcycles here than in more advanced countries since motor cars are far beyond their economic lifestyles.

Timor is one of the few Christian enclaves (over 80 percent) within Indonesia, a Portuguese legacy, and the people are both friendly and welcoming, though only a few speak English, so our language phrase books get much use. The countryside around Kupang comprises mainly undulating rocky volcanic soils with odd pockets of fertile farmland, growing vegetables and rice, and becomes steeply hilly away from the coast. It is currently the 'dry season' throughout all these sub-equatorial regions so daily humidity and temperatures are pleasant, and nights quite 'sleepable'.

The coast around Kupang is predominantly steeply rising rock face of volcanic origin, interspersed with sandy areas, and quickly falling to deep water very close to shore.

Both housing and commercial buildings are of concrete construction, mostly unpainted and drab, quite modest by western standards and simply built, and the old buildings along the town's rocky waterfront rise sharply up 3 or 4 storeys from the water's edge in Mediterranean style. Electricity serves almost all, but town water is sparse or non existent. Local food is typical Asian style rice or noodle based with vegetables, fish and most meats, very tasty and inexpensive to us.

Kupang is not generally considered a 'tourist destination' and few western tourists visit here, so the arrival of over 300 visiting sailors is quite a inquisitive novelty and a boost to the economy. In this land of ‘Haves and Have Nots’, the locals see all tourists as wealthy ‘haves’, so there are often two prices for goods and services, one for ‘haves’ and a lessor one for the locals. Nevertheless they are very approachable, friendly, happy and full of smiles, living life to the fullest. The children delight in greeting you with “Hello Mister”, their total English vocabulary, and love to be photographed.

English speaking university students were arranged as our guides & interpreters, so it was a win/win situation as they relished the opportunity to practise their English and we got to understand more about Timor customs and culture. The rally fleet collected 10 million rupiah to start a university scholarship foundation for exceptionally bright but financially underprivileged students in appreciation of their friendly services.

We enjoyed visiting the (late) last King’s Castle, a grand old Dutch style residence still occupied by his widow, which supports an ‘Ikat’ textile weaving group who make the colourful fabric synonymous with this region, and much of Indonesia. They hand spin locally grown cotton, hand dye it with natural dyes, then weave it by hand on small, complicated looms. Audrey purchased a nice piece.

Then on to a traditional musical instrument maker, where we enjoyed hearing a recital by these instruments, an artefacts & carvings museum, and town tours in the little ‘Bemos’.
In keeping with the Rally schedule we departed Kupang after 6 hectic days and motor sailed in little breeze to an anchorage up the Timor coast, where sandy coconut lined beaches rose very steeply up a few thousand metres to jagged tops, and only 100 metres off the beach the bottom plummetered straight down over 200 metres.

Envy is now at 8° South and being close to the Equator there is little breeze so we have to motor-sail everywhere, which is a slow, expensive pain in the butt, but it’s all part of the experience.

It’s been a hectic but most interesting introduction to Indonesia, and every day brings something new. We are still eating our way of discovery through the local culinary delights of the many locations along our route, enjoying the friendliness of the people, and trying to learn a little of their language. It’s all part of ‘the big adventure’.

Happenings 2006 Number 3

2006-07-19T15:17:00.000+08:00

Gove to Darwin

Around 50 miles west of Cape York there is a convergence zone of currents in the Gulf of Carpentaria where the Coral and Arafura Seas met and mix in what is succinctly know as ‘the washing machine’; these rough confused seas extend for many miles across the top of the Gulf, and are cautiously respected by all cruising yachties, bar none!

We got tossed around in the usual manner and the autopilot had difficulty maintaining its course, but on the positive side the 20/25 kt breeze made for a fast passage and at 0715 hrs on day two, ‘Envy’ achieved her fastest ever speed of which I’m aware, an amazing 12.3 kts surfing down a swell. Man - we’re smoking!!

By late day 2 with 165 nm to Gove, averaging 6+ kts, the washing machine has eased somewhat but still blowing a light gale, and day 3 sees our arrival having averaged 6.3 kt for the 358 nm passage in 56 hours. We had another “sleep of the dead” that night after two sleepless nights in the uncomfortable conditions and the usual sleep deprivation of the first few nights of a sea passage.

Gove is in eastern Arnhem Land on the western fringe of the Gulf. The Canadian company Alcan operates a large open cut Bauxite mine there, and together with its support township of Nhulunbuy also established in the early 1970’s, both are thriving oases in an otherwise red wilderness. They are extremely isolated from everywhere, with 700 km of dirt road which is impassable during ‘the wet’, and everything comes in by sea or air. Since Ansett’s demise, Qantas is the only carrier and airfares are reputed to be astronomical.

Alcan Gove runs a free mine tour of which we partook, and we were interested to hear about the wages and conditions of employees. Virtually any unskilled worker earns $800+ p/week, many others much more, and many get free return air flights home Australia-wide every 5 weeks for 10 days’ leave. Alcan is always short of staff, and we mused about how much money could be earned and saved if one worked there for a few years and stayed off the booze and smokes. You’d be set for life after a few years investing.

The Gove Yacht Club has a picture postcard setting amid its lawns and palms running down to the sandy beach, and is renowned for its hospitality to cruising yachties. During our 4 days here, in addition to the Mine visit, we caught up on chores, had BBQ’s ashore, and were introduced to the famous ‘Darwin Stubbie’, a very large bottle of Beer. Fresh provisions and a la carte dining were had at Nhulunbuy, 15km away, to where everyone hitchhiked and usually got a lift with the first vehicle along. After 4 days’ rest in Gove it was time to get back to sea and on our way again.

The next bit of excitement was to be our passage through the Gugari Rip, a deep, fast running narrow passage at Raragala Island in the southern Wessels Group. More infamously known as the “Hole in the Wall”, it’s a geological fault only a few boat widths’ wide and 25 metres deep where the tide races through at 6 to 7 knots, and which can only be safely negotiated running with the tide and having enough additional hull speed to maintain steerage. ‘Envy’ zipped through it at 11 kts, feeling somewhat like a roller coaster ride sideshow alley.

Across the top of Arnhem Land are scattered several aboriginal communities which require individual permits to visit, and which we applied for in Nhulunbuy (Gove). We were to collect them the next day, but since the aboriginal lady in the Land Council Office had won a $14,000 jackpot at the Club ‘pokies’ the previous lunchtime, she and her winnings went ‘walkabout’ and we never did get our permits.

Nevertheless, after a long 156nm overnight passage and two more nice Mackerel in the fridge, our small squadron of four yachts anchored at South Goulburn Island, another closed aboriginal community. We all voted on taking ‘a sickie’ from our daily work of sailing, so our party of five dinghied ashore to check out the locals.

Equipped with a litre bottle of outboard motor fuel in our backpack (the local kids steal outboard fuel for petrol sniffing), we hiked 4 km up a dirt road to the community and, though permit-less, no one challenged us at all as we walked around the few blocks of the settlement, which contains about 240 aboriginals and three permanent whites.

But the filth did! The locals live in quite modern lowset houses with town water and sewerage connected, that appear totally neglected and/or abused; the unkempt yards, footpaths and streets are a maze of filth, littered with plastic, paper, bottles, cans, broken glass, tins, bags, rags, discarded clothes, kids and scrawny malnourished half-dead dogs. Little wonder access is made difficult to us outsiders.

But you can’t blame the dreaded booze, as this and many other Northern Territory aboriginal communities are ‘dry’, since alcohol was banned some 10 years ago, and Fijian Kava was introduced in its place. The NT government bought Fijians out to teach the locals how to mix this gritty, mildly intoxicating brew made from powdered kava roots and water, and still oversees its importation and controlled distribution within Arnhem Land communities.

Happy Hour that evening was aboard ‘Envy’ where, after a few ‘Sundowners’, we enjoyed Pork Stir fry with fresh Cabbage purchased that day from the Community store on Goulburn, and acknowledged the comment “to enjoy” since we wouldn’t see too much pork in Muslim Indonesia!

It’s back to work again next morning as we sail off to our next island anchorage, each day inching closer to Darwin. But it was a double whammy sad day; I caught and lost two more fish off the troll line, and my beloved laptop computer, which runs our electronic charting at sea, finally succumbed to old age after 9 faithful years since its purchase in Florida in ’97. Fortunately we have two more laptops aboard.

Another 53 nm passage (and another big Queenfish shared and eaten fresh that night) finds ‘Envy’ at anchor in Port Essington, with its large Stone Monument at the entrance which helped those long ago navigators identify the port when it was the Territory’s first European settlement prior to Darwin.

Subsequent nightly anchorages at Alcaro Bay and Cape Hotham followed, before our 3am start to catch the all important tide into Darwin, where we arrived safe and sound, with only minor breakages, on Wednesday 5 July, after 54 days and 2240 nautical miles out from Brisbane. A fast trip with fresh following winds all the way, saw ‘Envy’ averaging around 6 knots, with mostly clear sunny skies. All in all, a very good passage - the stuff memories are made of.

Ninety six yachts had entered the “Sail Indonesia Rally – 2006” and with limited space available in Darwin’s three Marinas, berths were at a premium and only the early birds got their worms. Fortunately we were one of them and got an excellent berth at Darwin’s best marina at Cullen Bay, from which it was easy and convenient to explore the town, do maintenance, reprovision etc. whilst most boats rocked at anchor wherever they could find shelter, and had to dinghy ashore.

‘Envy’ spent 16 wonderful days in Darwin, our first visit, and both Aud and I are singing its praises. We never got to see Darwin pre cyclone Tracy, but whilst much of its old charm and character (so we’re told) was lost that 1974 Christmas Eve, the new Darwin is modern, vibrant and most attractive, and still very much on the move.

It has great maritime environs, and notwithstanding the humid ‘wet’, the present ‘dry’ season is cool and very comfortable. With no water restrictions everything is nice and green, and densely planted tropical gardens are popular.

In shades of colonial USA, you could do much worse than “Go West young man, to Gove, make your quick-(ish) fortune, and invest it in Darwin”. What’s this talk about unemployment and the ‘dole’!

We have good N.Z. yachtie friends now living in Darwin, who spoilt us nicely with fine dinners, laundry and shopping transportation, so to Bruce & Kate we say many thanks.

Between sail re-stitching and other urgent boat repairs and maintenance, the usual requirements of clearing Australian Customs, obtaining Indonesian Visas and Cruising Permits, (which all take ‘Indo’ time), Rally briefings, information sessions and socialising, doing Tax Returns, arranging Offshore Insurance, the usual obligatory shopping, writing this ‘Happenings’ Report and taking a couple of “work day sickies”, we just haven’t stopped, so now I will, until we met again, hopefully soon, in “H-4”.

Darwin, July 2006

Happenings 2006 Number 2

2006-07-19T15:12:00.000+08:00

Escape River to Gove

The jewellery world has long had a romantic obsession with Pearls; indeed they are one of the primary reasons for early European settlement of the top of Cape York & the Torres Strait, and with depletion of the original natural beds, a cultured pearl industry now flourishes throughout this area.

It’s late afternoon after a blowy 70 nautical mile passage as ‘Envy’ enters the Escape River, a day’s sail from the ‘tip’, and the river’s muddy coloured waters appear totally covered with thousands of seemingly impenetrable round black floats. Caught in the late afternoon glare we cautiously edge ‘Envy’ through this maze of floating balls several hundred metres wide and obscuring the narrow channel, our first of many Pearl Farm experiences, to seek the sanctuary of a sheltered anchorage 2½ miles upstream. Each float suspends a wire cage holding six pearl shells which have been artificially seeded to grow a pearl, harvested after 2, 4, or 6 years depending on the size of pearl required.

Since the morrow will see us past the tip of Cape York, Audrey and I reflect over a ‘Sundowner’ what we’ve seen cruising this vast Queensland coast. The Great Dividing Range influences much of the coast south of Cooktown, with some wonderful mountainous skylines interspersed with lower rolling hills & valleys, and savannah grasslands; the Peninsular then offers the contrast of mostly lower undulating country with extensive areas of coastal sandhills, much of it covered in low scrubs.

On the other hand are the scores of islands, a mixture of sandy cays or the peak tops of a long since buried continental shelf with their odd and sometimes spectacular mix of scenic bays, beaches and rugged rock escarpments. North of Cairns the Great Barrier Reef sweeps in to claim some of the action adding additional beauty and navigational challenges, though the channels are well marked, and offers somewhat protected waters which make for pleasant sailing.

The following day would see the culmination of a wish since early childhood. Less than 20 miles northward lay the site of old Somerset, in Albany Passage almost at ‘the tip’, to where my pioneering great-grandfather Frank Jardine, led the first European overland expedition to reach the tip of Cape York in 1864/65, and had the Jardine River named in his honour.

With the tide in our favour ‘Envy’ scooted into narrow Albany Passage and all of a sudden we were in Somerset Bay, a very lovely sandy beached inlet with steep rocky headlands at either end. As a child I studied the large old oil painting, which hung on the lounge wall at Chelmer, of Somerset Homestead atop the hill overlooking this very same spot where ‘Envy’ now rested at anchor, out of the tidal race.

My first reaction is that this snug little bay, perhaps 400 metres wide, was much smaller than I had imagined from the painting and numerous family photos, but far more tropical and attractive. It had taken me 62 years to get here, so with pride, anticipation and excitement Aud & I dinghied the 100 metres ashore leaving ‘Pea Green’ under a shady coconut palm on this tropical sandy beach where once had stood the boardwalk to a substantial boatshed and jetty, while we set about exploring my family’s roots.

In its heyday Somerset settlement held a small garrison of English Redcoat Soldiers, in addition to administration personnel, the government residency, hospital and barracks, plus other buildings, and was fully surveyed as a township. When the government relocated its FNQ administration centre from Somerset to Thursday Island in the late 1870’s, Frank Jardine, who had been the Government Magistrate, purchased the property and made Somerset his home.

Steeped in a colourful history for those times, including Jardine’s Samoan Princess wife Sana, his seabed discovery of silver coinage subsequently made into engraved sterling cutlery, his pearling and grazing exploits and their gentry lifestyle notwithstanding such isolation, Somerset today sadly lies overgrown and neglected.

Little remains since the old homestead burnt down 40 odd years ago, other than Frank and Sana Jardines’ beach-side graves, plus two others, and a monumental cairn with its brass plaque honouring my father, which stands over a metre tall beside the two ship’s cannons and flagpole at the historic hilltop site of the old residency, some 7 minutes walk up through the rain forest from the beach. The extensively cleared residency site offered 180° views across to Albany Island and the fast flowing 500 metre passage between.

My grandfather H.G. Vidgen, another true son of the North, married Jardine’s eldest daughter, Alice in 1899. My father was born at Somerset in 1901 and subsequently purchased the property in 1925 following Frank Jardine’s death and it became our family home until 1948, when father sold the property back to the government. The rest of the Vidgens of that era lived either at adjoining Muddy Bay, or on Thursday Island (affectionately known as T.I.), where my parents also had a ‘town house’, which still stands today.

So that’s today’s history lesson folks, my apologies to those of you who have suffered it all before.

We could afford only a short visit at Somerset, since we needed to work the tide to our favour for the 25 nm run to Thursday Island, where ‘Envy’ subsequently dropped anchor at neighbouring Horn Island, 1km across the channel from T.I., which is exposed to southerly winds. Since strong weather was forecast for the next several days we wanted to be comfortably tucked up, in the company of eight other yachts, with T.I. a $9 ferry ride away.

Bruce’s twin brother John lives at Thursday Island where his work takes him through upper Cape York and the islands of the Torres Strait. Four days were spent with John in his hillside apartment with its panoramic maritime views, while it blew 30/35kts and rained a lot, an unusual occurrence during the North’s ‘dry season’. He tells us there are no privately owned rental residences on T.I., with all rental accommodation owned by the government and in short supply.

Together with cruising friends Trevor & Joan Long off ‘Been-A-Long’, we got comprehensive tours of the Island, and enjoyed meals together, including some yummy BBQ’d fish out of ‘Envy’s’ freezer. Thursday Island is only 2½ km long, has a very picturesque waterfront Esplanade, and two dominant hills, one at either end of this small northern outpost. ‘Millman Hill’ has a wind farm with two huge wind generators that are seen from miles away, while ‘Green Hill’ overlooks the main shipping channel and has an old military Fort, now an interesting Museum.

The wide main street still has a few old colonial buildings, it’s far from modern, and most housing, being government owned, is of a good standard. Local Torres Strait Island people far outnumber all others, and many commute daily in their small aluminium dinghys from several neighbouring islands.

Horn is a significantly larger island but much smaller township; it has the local airport, a very good Museum reflecting Horn’s major WW2 war effort, and Vidgen Creek which ran through Uncle Gordon’s butchery holding paddocks back in the old days.

It’s a long way from Cape York to Darwin, starting point for the “Sail Indonesia Rally 2006”, and it was time to go, so ‘Envy’ and ‘Been-A-Long’ returned an energetic farewell to John as he waved to us close by from the Hospital grounds right there at Vivienne Point, after seven exciting days at Thursday Island, as we raced close by the point doing 9.6 knots with the swift current.

We gave historic Booby Island Lighthouse a safe margin (where early sailing ships left and collected mail from ‘post office’ cave), as we headed out into the shallow and rough Gulf of Carpentaria to commence our ‘over the top’ passage.

Next landfall will be in Arnhem Land at Gove, a hard three day passage away, and as “Envy’ settled into its sea going rhythm I reflected on the previous ten days of excitement, pleasure and discovery as Audrey and I at long last retraced my family roots up here at the top end of Australia.

Remember, a bad day’s sailing (almost always) beats a good day at the office!
Gove, June 2006

Happenings 2006 Number 1

2006-06-19T15:07:00.000+08:00

Brisbane to Cape York

Saturday, May 13, twenty nine days ago, Audrey and I left Brisbane to commence our 2006 cruise to S/E Asia, and for 19 of those days “ENVY” has been screaming up Queensland’s stunning island dotted and reef studded coast, with hardly a spare moment to stop and smell the roses.

Hotly pursued by brisk Southeasterly trades for most of the trip so far, it certainly has been a dream run, sailing ‘wing to wing’ (with a sail poled out either side of the mast) achieving seldom seen daily averages (for our cruising yacht) of 6 & 7 nautical miles per hour, though not surprising considering some gale force gusts over 35 knots at times. But it hasn’t all been beer & skittles, with some hard work heavy-weather sailing, middle of the night sail changes, and associated sleep deprivation.

Leaving Brisbane, we made non-stop overnight ocean passages until we reached more protected Barrier Reef waters, from whence “ENVY” commenced day hopping between sheltered island anchorages, with most of these ‘day sails’ being fairly long hops of from 50 to 80 N/Mls, so it’s a full days work, with some early pre-dawn starts.

Time off rest days were enjoyed at Great Keppel Island, The Whitsundays, Magnetic Island, and then four days in Cairns. There’s just enough of ‘old Cairns’ left to show what an interesting old frontier town it was, but now it bustles with young foreign backpackers here to discover the reef. “Rusty’s”, the local fresh food and crafts market is one of the best we’ve seen anywhere, with its excellent, well priced produce. Both fruit and vegetables were awesome, so we stocked up.

Next rest stop was 2 nights at Lizard Island, one of the prettiest and best anchorages anywhere in Queensland, but more historically famous for its hilltop site to which Cptn Cook climbed to search for a passage out through the Barrier Reef, after repairs to the “Endeavour” at Cooktown. He gave the island its name because “All I saw here were lizards”, and they are all that we saw too.

We made the pilgrimage up 1100 ft high rocky hill to enjoy the great 360º views from the summit. The climb is no Sunday stroll in the park, having to often scale large boulders, wet rock face and slippery granite paths. There is a 3 metre rock pile at Cook’s Lookout, where traditionally each new visitor places another rock, which we did. The view back down to Watson’s Bay beach and the Resort in the next bay is picture postcard stuff.

Lizard was also the home base of beche-de-mere fisherman Robert Watson, whose young wife Mary, in his working absence, escaped attacking aboriginals with her baby and Chinese servant Ah Sam, in a steel ship’s tank in 1881, only to perish from thirst on a nearby island.

Today, Lizard Island boasts one of the more exclusive Tourist Resorts of the GBR, and a young employee we met up on Cook’s Look told us rates ranged from $700 to $3000 per night. (Bloody expensive sleep as far as I’m concerned).

We also had a great day with other yachtie friends at the “Cod Hole” 14 miles from Lizard at the outer Barrier edge, snorkeling amongst the coral and a myriad of colourful schools of fish. We’ve seen it a zillion times before, but never tire of its beauty.

Once you leave Lizard you find yourself in true far north tropical waters and even though its winter, days, nights and sea temperatures here are all noticeably warmer, with boat fans running all night as we sleep.

Another place of interest is Cape Melville, where the land is comprised totally of huge round stones and boulders, and where the wind reputably ricochets off the hills in frightfully strong bullets, so we had been warned; but it was OK when we went round.

Today is Saturday 10 June as I write this note at sea just north of Cape Grenville, from where we and 6 other yachts departed in pre-dawn darkness this morning enroute to the Escape River, a 71n/m run to the north. Another large southbound ship is about to pass us, one of several we’ve had to dodge in these narrow shipping lanes between the reefs, and the radio is crackling with traffic as yachts and the ship’s bridge discuss dodg’em tactics. Audrey’s in control so we’re in good hands!

For a sailor come fisherman, who absolutely loves eating fish, I’m a strange animal indeed. Even though fish is a favourite, I seldom troll a line because, well, frankly, I’m scared I might catch one!!

They only ever seem to strike a lure when it’s blowing a clacker, the yachts heeling heavily and if you’re lucky enough to get the writhing, slippery thing on board, thrashing wildly to escape from the hook in its mouth, then as you fillet and skin it there’s blood and guts all over the ship; ugh, where’s the nearest fish shop please!

Anyway, our mates Trevor and Joan Long on ‘Been-A-Long’ caught a nice mackerel recently and, being the good friends they are, gave us half the fillets, enough for two large meals. We devoured them with delight and, like a busted alcoholic, that was it. I had to have more! So out came the trolling gear with a bright coloured lure, and that afternoon in came a big Tuna. Being late in the day and red fleshed Tuna not one of our favourites, it happily returned to the deep, after being photographed, very much alive and unhurt.

The next day bang on noon, with a bright new silver spoon lure following at 6 knots, my trolling reel sang as it flew out at great speed. What a strike! It was big, and very hard work reeling in the line, but finally a truly magnificent 1½ mtr+ Spanish mackerel was on my gaff, the biggest and best fish I’ve ever caught. As Audrey bent down to lasso his tail, he gave one almighty flick and was gone, without even a photo to show you ‘doubting Thomas’s’. I don’t think there are enough tissues on board to mop up my tears!

But this morning at 0700 I proved there is a God when, in light airs and friendly seas, at 11º 43 S x 143º 04 E the Alvey trolling reel sang its sweet song again and in came another brilliant Spaniard. Though not as big as the previous Houdini, a fine mackerel nevertheless, and already in the freezer.

There’s anticipation & excitement in the air for us these past few days as ‘Envy’ edges northwards.

We’re only a tad of a day’s sail away from the tip of Cape York, 20 miles tomorrow, to the Vidgen and Jardine families Australian roots at Somerset… my middle name… and I’ve never been there yet in all my 62 years. A monumental cairn to our parent’s memory sits at the old Jardine residency hilltop site, overlooking Somerset Bay and Albany Passage. My father purchased Somerset from his uncle Chum Jardine, and lived there until he sold it in 1948.

Twin brother John now lives and works on Thursday Island, so it will be good to see him again also. But they are other stories for another day.

"Happenings" Number 12 - 2004

2004-11-19T16:04:00.000+08:00

‘Envy’ Discovers More Missing Links

Following ‘Envy’s’ cruise through the South Pacific during the past two seasons, we cleared Customs and departed for New Caledonia and Vanuatu last August after long and protracted delays, but an Alternator malfunction forced our return before we’d hardly started. By the time the problem was remedied, it was imprudently late to head off into northern latitudes across the Coral Sea, so we opted for plan ‘B’ instead, a return cruise to the Whitsundays.

Though we’d cruised the Coral Coast several times before, there were still numerous places un-visited, so we decided that our 2004 route would take ‘Envy’ to places new to us, to discover some of our ‘missing links’ along the central Queensland coast, and the new anchorages they offered.

Our previous pattern had us bolting up the coast from Moreton Bay around the outside of Fraser Island, non-stop to Lady Musgrave Island, then on to the Capricorn Coast with barely enough time to stop and smell the roses along the way.

Mid September was a late start as we sailed to Mooloolaba for an overnighter in ‘the pond’ and off again next morning beating into a 15kt N/E as a whale put on a diving display for us off Coolum Beach. But the breeze died during the night to very light E/NE, as it continued for most of the next two weeks, with ‘Envy’ motor sailing most of the time.

Arriving in Lady Musgrave lagoon, we were disappointed to see a newly placed line of zoning buoys prohibiting anchoring within 1km from the island, supposedly to prevent boats lights from spooking the hundreds of turtles that seasonally lay in the dunes. There is talk the zone may be relocated to 500 metres from shore. Being the breeding season, there was much turtle activity all through the Bunker Group.

Following eight good days at Musgrave we moved on to Fitzroy Reef, a few hours’ sail further up the Bunkers, and another ‘first visit’. We almost don’t want to talk about it for fear of spreading the word, for it is indeed a very attractive lagoon with fewer visitors, good anchorages, excellent coral and fish, and we enjoyed continuing perfect light weather for our 3 days there.

With only 2/3kts of E/NE breeze ‘Envy’ motor-sailed on to Heron Island, another ‘missing link’ where we anchored in 15 mtr beside the island resort. Being within a totally protected ‘no fish’ zone, we marvelled at the size and quantity of marine life in the small man made boat harbour, counting numerous large fish and 29 Stingrays, all quite undisturbed by our dinghy’s presence. Heron Island is a most attractive coral cay with a Marine Parks Office and UQ Research facility in addition to the Resort. The M/Parks living coral and reef fish displays are well worth a visit.

Then we headed for North West Island, another ‘first’, a very popular fishing and camping destination four hours north of Heron. We again anchored in light airs adjacent to the reef on the SW corner, went ashore to reef walk at low tide, and were rewarded with some of the best coral varieties around, with numerous live baby Clam Shells so amazingly beautiful with their bright colour combinations of orange, brown, green, purple, blue, turquoise, yellow and white.

The next day we arrived at Great Keppel Island early after noon, having sadly lost two strikes on our trolling line, so we changed the lure in the hope of future success. The continuing E/N/E breeze made Monkey Bay an ideal anchorage for a couple of days before a N/W change sent us around the corner to Long Beach where we spent time happily reminiscing with cruising friends from our 2001 Louisiades trip. We went ashore and walked the airfield track to the resort for the usual newspapers, bread, emails and ice creams, enjoying a pleasant 4-day stay.

After constant light northerly sector headwinds and much motor-sailing since the start of our trip nearly three weeks before, at last a S/E change was forecast. We departed Long Beach GKI in early morning pre-dawn darkness and had a marvellous day’s run sailing wing to wing, doing 6’s & 7’s in the 15/20kt S/E breeze, along this most picturesque, island dotted coast with its picture postcard small sandy coves, and entered Island Head Creek by the southern channel to join the sixteen boats already there.

Island Head is a large, attractive sandy anchorage with good holding, and apart from a sandfly or two, our stay here was wonderful, and all the better for the oysters and fish that we feasted on, and the new yachtie friends made during our three days of perfect weather here.

Then it was off to Hunter Island in the Duke Group, where we spent the day hiking all over this relatively small island whose grassy ridge tops offer scenically stunning panoramic views over the surrounding islands.

After another lovely quiet night at Hunter, ‘Envy’ moved on to Curlew Island where we came upon the heart-wrenching sight of a yacht high and dry up on the western coast rocks, having been lost there just a few days previously.

We heard it dragged anchor when the wind changed direction & strength during the night, putting it onto a lee shore. During evasive action to motor off, a loose trailing line caught and fouled the propeller, immobilising the small yacht and causing it to be swept onto the rocks. Being steel, it was salvaged a few days later, slightly broken and dented, though engine, electrics and contents were all thoroughly immersed, no doubt resulting in considerable loss.

On our way to Mackay, we sailed through 33 bulk coal ships anchored in the greater roadstead off Hay Point coal loading facility, awaiting their turn, and reflected on the costs associated with this idleness. Nevertheless, this mammoth display of tonnage and variety was very interesting.

Mackay Harbour Marina was home for three days for laundry and watering requirements, and the obligatory visit to town for provisions. With a fresh Northerly blowing, our marina outer edge berth proved to be more rolly and less comfortable than most of our island anchorages, and furthermore, we had to pay for the (dis) pleasure.

‘Envy’ enjoyed another good day’s sail as we ran at seven knots up to the Whitsundays, where we arrived mid October, 33 days since departing Brisbane, and having crossed many yachts already heading south on their way home.

We spent the next two weeks cruising around various anchorages, some of which we had not visited previously, including Macona Inlet, where we enjoyed beach BBQ’s, playing Petanque, and ‘Club Margarita’, with other CCCA members. Dugong Beach, Daydream Island and Shute Harbour were others, before turning our bow southward for the 500+ nautical mile trip home.

Following overnighters at beautiful Thomas and Curlew Islands, our next destination was Middle Percy’s West Bay, considered by many as a ‘must see’ stop on the Whitsundays run. After a nostalgic look-a-round checking out our earlier signature plaques in the beach ‘A’-frame and Woolshed we retired around to White’s Bay, a beautiful picture postcard anchorage, from where we walked the track up to the homestead to visit Mick, who purchased the lease from Andy Martin for $10 a few years ago. The walk from White’s to the old homestead is more interesting than that from West Bay, and the panoramic vistas it offers to the south are music to the soul.

With a 30 kt S/E change forecast, everyone headed for protected anchorages, and we bolted out of the Percys for the refuge offered at the extreme top end of Island Head Creek where ‘Envy’ spent the next several days in comfortable solitude, before heading southwards once more.
On the run to Great Keppel we caught another of the several School Mackerel that our new spoon lure lured along the coast, which compensated the losses of our blue Rapala lure that took many large strikes but couldn’t hold the catch. It’s now tooth scared all over with a broken tail.

Around this time it occurred to us what a splendid entrepreneurial opportunity presented itself for weather forecasters to have equity in Marinas, as the VHF crackled out with request after request for berths immediately following a storm or strong wind forecast. Five days were happily spent socialising with other yachties at GKI, avoiding afternoon storms, whilst awaiting tide conditions to suit our run through the Curtis Island Narrows and visit Gladstone, both of which we’d never done during previous years’ long day’s runs from GKI to Pancake Creek.

Badger and Graham Creeks were both excellent anchorages before and after the buzz of the strong tidal race on our first negotiation of the Cattle Crossing, enroute to a very hot Gladstone, where we found the Marina well deserving of the many acclamations of other yachties. After four days here visiting friends and the surrounding district, it was again time to move on, topped up with water and diesel.

A light N/E breeze found us motor sailing again, dropping anchor in busy Pancake Creek during mid-afternoon amongst several old friends. Next morning we walked up to Bustard Head Lighthouse to meet Stuart & Shirley Buchanan and Dudley Fulton, both ex lightkeepers who’ve recently superbly restored the vandalised houses at this, Queensland’s historic first lightstation.

Then off to Bundaberg where being land gypsies with ‘rellies’, playing golf, going to the movies, touring the district and some boat maintenance, followed by four days of 25/30 kt S/E winds, kept us domiciled there for a pleasant ten days, meeting and making new friends.

Finally, conditions improved to the point that we could scamper out of Burnett Heads and head south to Hervey Bay. A favourable windy start soon petered out, necessitating the ‘iron sail’ again til mid afternoon when a very fresh sea breeze started to build, soon after which we tucked in behind Big Woody Island, which proved to be another (first) excellent overnight anchorage.

For some time now we’d been keeping an eye on the tide times to run through the Sandy Straits which, with their several shallow spots, require some navigational prudence, as does the crossing of Wide Bay Bar, and decided to do both given suitable conditions the following day.

Departing Big Woody anchorage, we ran with the morning flood to pass through Boonlye Point shallows where the Straits tides merge, towards the top of the tide, then continued on with the south bound ebb to for a quick and easy run to Elbow Point at the bottom of Fraser Island, where we anchored mid afternoon to await the tide for our passage across the Wide Bay Bar that night. Weighing anchor about an hour before high water, the notorious I mile ‘washing machine’ was not working at all, and we motor sailed across a relatively smooth bar at 2200 hrs in company with others, enjoying a pleasant easy overnight sail to Mooloolaba. Five days were spent here catching up with overseas yachtie friends and visiting the Eumundi Market, whilst awaiting the next weather window through some showery weather.

Light breezes found us making a slow passage down into the Bay, anchoring off the Sandhills at Moreton Island, where a N/E breeze developed overnight. Next morning the N/E’er was blowing 25kts against the strong ebb flow which, together with very heavy rain extended a dubious wet–n-wild welcome back into home waters, and a quick run down to our Karragarra Island mooring.

Whilst our 2004 cruise was only 1100 miles over four months, ‘Envy’ visited many new islands and anchorages, discovering more of our ‘missing links’.

"Happenings" Number 11 - 2004

2004-05-19T15:03:00.000+08:00

Canberra Crawl

Nothing of much excitement has been happening around here of late, but that’s all about to change as we start to crank up preparations for our 2004 cruise. It’s getting closer every day to ‘sail-away time’ once again, but the boat’s had little use or attention since our return last November, so we’re a long way from being ready for our next offshore episode.

Plans are to depart Brisbane in July and sail to New Caledonia, then on up through the several islands that comprise Vanuatu, as we discover this highly rated destination, before returning home late November. It’s quite a long way to travel for the relatively short period of 4 months, but we don’t want to miss a season in the Pacific by getting bogged down on Karra through the never ending list of demands consistent with setting up home and grounds here.

Audrey has just commenced (a month ago) another temporary job in suburban Brisbane, which runs through until June 30; this will no doubt benefit both our coffers and preparation time, as we delay our departure this season to help celebrate Audrey’s mothers 80th birthday in July.

We’ve just had a 12 day holiday sojourn driving to Sydney, Bowral and Canberra to try out our newly acquired, rebuilt and R/H converted 1986 Pontiac ‘Fiero’ sports car, and we had a very enjoyable time visiting both friends and relations along the way, whilst discovering the new car.
I’m not surprised a ‘Fiero’ was used as the starting vehicle at the famous ‘Indianapolis 500’ for a couple of years – they are America’s only mid-engined sports car, and go like a rocket! We did over 165 K/hr on two occasions to ‘try it out’, and it just stuck to the road beautifully! Seems that someone is suffering from a bit of late middle-age crisis behaviour.

Sydney certainly is to us a very interesting place to visit, but to our dismay, Taronga Park Zoo was a disappointment with several exhibits closed, as several extensive refurbishment projects are under way. Many of the animals were unable to be seen, but no doubt it will be a very worthwhile experience following completion in a couple of years’ time.

Bowral (and adjacent areas) arguably comprise one of NSW’s elite rural districts, not to overlook this town as the birthplace of Sir Donald Bradman, and our stay with Audrey’s aunt there proved to be just as auspicious, as we discovered both the scenic beauty and historical significance of this early settled area; and some of the local aristocracy as well, at a lovely welcoming cocktail party hosted by Aunt June. A lot of ‘old pastoral money’, and ‘retired prominent Sydneysiders’ make their homes on acreage in this toffy district. It’s almost as pretty as New Zealand.

Canberra (an aboriginal name for meeting place) is a wonderfully interesting place to visit, and we had no trouble packing our few days here full of memories. The Australian War Memorial Museum is universally acknowledged as being the most complete and all encompassing, combined warfare exhibit in the world. The recently opened extensive extension featuring WW2 fighter aircraft and bombers further expands its appeal, and the museum’s multitude of displays which seek to honour war, not glorify it - cover every conflict in Australia’s warfare history, from the Sudan and Boer Wars to our involvement in Iraq today. It is certainly very well done.

Another morning we sat in the gallery of The High Court of Australia with its five Presiding Justices during a working trial, and also enjoyed a boisterous and noisy afternoon in the House of Representatives during a Question Time session. We took tours of both the New and Old Parliament Houses, and Audrey took Bruce’s photo sitting in the Prime Minister’s Chair in the PM’s old office. Powerful stuff, eh!!

ENVY is now at Manly Boat Harbour where she’ll remain until departure as Bruce prepares her for our off shore cruising this season. Regards from us both.

"Happenings" Number 10 - 2003

2003-11-19T15:59:00.000+08:00

Homeward Bound – 2003

It is now almost 400 days since Envy commenced her South Seas odyssey, and with the cyclone season fast approaching, our thoughts are homeward turned as we prepare the ship and ourselves for our last ocean passage back across the Tasman from New Caledonia to Brisbane later this week.

Since our last contact via ‘H-8’ from Fiji’s Malolo Islands a few weeks ago, we have made two more land visits to Nadi (Nandi) and one more to Lautoka, enjoying more of the sights, culture, food and shopping experiences that add to this country’s charm, and of course, took a few hundred more photos on the digital camera to add to our book of memories. Audrey and I really enjoyed ‘the differences’ of Fiji, and would readily return and recommend it as a cruising destination.

Even though Fiji has both the most challenging navigation, with its multitude of coral reefs, sand cays and tiny islets, and the most petty crime of stealing from yachts throughout the South Pacific, we gratefully avoided all of this and safely took our leave after 43 wonderful days there, clearing from Lautoka on 16 October with the forecast of a favourable 15/20 knot breeze to commence our passage to New Caledonia.

But there was a localized stationary front just west of Fiji that was not mentioned in the forecast and so we battled strong winds and a rough sea all that first night, and indeed most of the way, and arrived in New Caledonia 6 days later after having spent the last 36 hours tacking into a strong westerly wind to cover the last 50 miles. Shades of the New Zealand to Tonga passage. But as usual Envy handled it well, whilst we got a bit more experience in heavy weather sailing!

We ducked into the first sheltered bay we came to after negotiating the dreaded Havannah Pass at the southeast corner of New Caledonia and, though strictly improper, dropped anchor and took a well-earned rest overnight, before continuing on the 40 miles to Noumea. Arriving there late in the afternoon, we anchored out in Port Moselle and ‘cleared in’ with Customs the following morning.

It all proceeded very efficiently with Quarantine and then Immigration, but a misunderstanding between the three very busy Customs teams led to us being overlooked and after waiting many hours before we initiated our concern, we had a quick visit from four senior officers who apologised profusely and cleared us in without so much as a look!

Wow!! What a great place Noumea is. We’ve neither of us have been here before and had no idea what to expect. After the lesser developed and poorer places we’d seen, New Caledonia is rich, modern, well developed, expensive, and French. Everything runs like clockwork here, though they still indulge the French colonial habit of closing for 2 hours or more in the middle of the day, and the Parisian syndrome of driving their mostly new Peugeots, Citroens, and Renaults at hair-raising speeds around the town.

The main island, Grand Terre, was discovered and named by Caption Cook in 1774, is 400km long by 50km wide, has been a French possession since 1853 and a penal settlement (as were most French colonies) from 1872 to 1913. Its successful economic background is principally due to mining with its hilly red volcanic country being rich in nickel, (the worlds third largest producer after Canada and Russia), cobalt, chromium, and iron, and together with coffee production, all add to the coffers of this nation’s economy.

Around Noumea and the mainland’s southern end, the coastline, with its several adjacent islands, is a continual jigsaw of bays, coves and headlands, running back to quite parched though scenic high hills of volcanic country, intermittently clothed in stunted green shrubbery, offering a stark vista of the contrasting monotones of red and green alone, quite striking and very unusual.

The capital, Noumea, is a modern city of over 70,000 people, principally native Melanesian Kanaks and French Europeans; the national population is 180,000 and comprises a racial mixture that additionally includes Asians, neighbouring islanders and West Indians.

After spending a few days being ‘townies’, we bolted out of expensive, bustling Noumea and sailed down to Baie de Prony for an overnight stay enroute to ‘the jewel of the Pacific’, New Caledonia’s famous Ile des Pins (the Isle of Pines).

Located 40 miles (65km) south of the main island, but still within the huge lagoon that surrounds New Cal with 1600 nm of barrier reef, the Isle of Pines is picture postcard pretty with its clear water, fine white sand, countless coral reefs and little sand cay beaches. Also discovered by Cook and named for the native pines which are indigenous to this island alone, these trees are tall and more needle shaped than Norfolk Island Pines, though they share a similar type leaf or frond.

The island is quite small – you can drive around it in half an hour – but steeped in New Cal’s early history, for it was here that 3000 deportees were incarcerated following the Paris Rebellion of 1871, thus commencing its period of penal servitude, and the numerous stone buildings of the prison infrastructure and many other public works, together with the well kept cemetery, speak to the misery of hard labour that no doubt proliferated here.

Envy was anchored 200 mtr off the main sandy beach at Baie de Kuto which, together with the adjoining Baie de Kanumera, separated only by a 200 metre wide isthmus, are two of the most beautiful places we have seen. Our anchorage here afforded us a view of the old penal era colonial residences of the governor and the doctor with their privileged waterfront locations, contrasting the adjacent new public wharf and huge offshore catamaran that spews out hundreds of tourists three days per week, bound for the many modern tourist resorts which occupy the Isle of Pines.

New Caledonians boast the sand here is the finest in the world, and that claim may well be true, for it is very clean and talcum like, though perhaps not as white as the silica sand of Whitehaven Beach in Queensland’s Whitsunday Islands. Nevertheless, the clean sandy bottom could be clearly seen 4 metres below us, as could the fish and turtles that chose to keep us company.

With no public transport, we hitchhiked the 6km of good bitumen road to check out the principal village of Vao. Its lovely old cathedral features numerous carved statuettes and an ornate ceiling comprised of many different species of timber and, high on the hilltop beyond it, up to which we climbed, is a tiny chapel containing a statue of the weeping Madonna. Peopled principally with local Kanaks, this little village comprised a mixture of small western and traditional grass-roofed houses in well-kept grounds, but as in French Wallis Island, its few shops were not close together.

Other highlights of our time here included our 3km round-trip daily walk from Kuto Bay to the only bakery for excellent baguettes (French bread sticks), we enjoyed local cuisine for lunch, and one fine windy morning struggled up a very steep stony track to the islands highest peak at 262mtr, then hiked along its narrow bare ridge for several kilometres being rewarded at every step with continual magnificent views over the entire island and its fringing turquoise reefs, sandy beaches and islands.
Fortunately (for us) there’s been very little rain anywhere we’ve been these past few months, which is good for we tourists and our camera but has left village gardens quite bereft.

Each late afternoon we played Petanque (French style bowls) on the beach with our new friends and fellow CCCA members Neil and Ley, “Crystal Blues”, usually to the inquisitive observations of the Japanese tourists who strolled by. As a result of this daily idleness we now have our own set of steel Petanque balls, to hone our skills and continue our enjoyment with visiting friends on the little sandy beach back home on Karragarra Island.

We were told by Jean Paul, a French expatriate living in Noumea and fellow yachtsman whom we met at Kuto, that New Caledonia is too distant to attract many tourists from France and that most tourists are Japanese, followed by Aussies and Kiwis.

We had a marvellous sail back the 40 n miles from the Pines and spent another couple of days in Baie du Carenage, at the top end of Baie de Prony, enroute back to Noumea. It is all red soil country around there, which clings to shoes and feet and tends to stain everything red and, with rain showers about, we shied away from the walking tracks, but we did get to enjoy a visit by dinghy to the ‘hot springs’ pool in the eastern Carenage, though it wasn’t flowing. Then it was back to Noumea.

Today is Armistice Day, a public holiday in New Caledonia, and we’re hoping to find an Internet Café that’s open to send this off.

Meanwhile, Envy rides at anchor in Noumea’s windy and overcast Port Moselle harbour as we attend final preparations and maintenance prior to ‘clearing out’ and departing later this week on the 800 nautical mile (1483 km) trip back to Brisbane, which we estimate will be a 7 to 8 day passage. At the moment our weather faxes suggest fairly good conditions of 20+ knot easterly following winds, so here’s hoping for a favourable run.

Most of this season’s Pacific cruising fleet have already arrived at, or are in transit to their summer (cyclone season) stopover destinations of Fiji, Australia or New Zealand, with not many of us stragglers yet to depart, but with a bit of luck, Envy will be back safely at home soon after a simply wonderful year in Paradise.

"Happenings" Number 9 - 2003

2003-10-19T14:55:00.000+08:00

More Landfalls in Paradise - 2003

‘Envy’ didn’t leave Samoa for Fiji “in a few day’s time”, as per our assumption in concluding ‘H-7’; indeed, we stayed a further 2 ½ weeks, principally researching Bruce’s Samoan ancestry, and what a revealing and exciting pastime for us that turned out to be. As brief as possible, here is the story.

With no intention of being pretentious, some of you may be unaware that Bruce’s paternal great-grandfather, Australian explorer and pioneer of Cape York and Somerset, Frank Jardine, met and married there, in 1872, a Samoan Princess, Sana Solia Sofala, niece of Malietoa the ruling Suzerain of Samoa from around that time.

Those details have long been historically documented, but not much was known concerning her family and background, so our visit to Samoa provided the opportunity for genealogical research. As the result of a frustrating morning pouring over complicated and confusing mid-eighteenth century local historical records at the Apia library, I decided the best approach was to go public, so contacted the major ‘Samoan Observer’ newspaper, who thought it newsworthy enough to initially run a full page story with photos, then followed that up with a further four articles over the ensuing two weeks, which got the telephones ringing, and an offer of research by a local consultancy agency free of charge. (They were newly established and wanted the associated press exposure and publicity).

Acting on a suggestion to contact an 80+ years old retired Minister who was writing the early history of The London Missionary Society in Samoa, he gave me, a few days later, a letter that his wife had since discovered in an old church magazine from an aging Sana Solia sent from Somerset in 1907 seeking news of her family in Samoa, with whom she’d had no contact for 37 years. It documented her family history, which I won’t bore you with, and that they came from Falelatai Village on Upolu, to which we have now visited twice. For us, it was a very interesting and exciting couple of weeks.

The harbour at Apia, Samoa’s capital, must be one of the busiest in the South Pacific, for frequency of shipping arrivals was one every other day, not to overlook the 30 yachts which were anchored all around the harbour there as well. The most interesting of the large ships was the up-market cruise liner “Tahitian Princess”, with almost as many crew as passengers (who oozed wealth), though a large Oil Tanker was the biggest by far, discharging its bulk fuel cargo through an underwater pipeline from the centre of the harbour.

We had intended to visit only the main Samoan island, Upolu, then sail down to Fiji, but somewhere along the way plans changed to include a visit to the tiny French possession of Wallis Island, so we stopped off for a few days at Samoa’s other major island, Savai’i (sar-vie-e), enroute. It has the reputation of being the most scenic of Samoa’s islands, and we spent six very pleasant days discovering Savai’i by bus, totally circumnavigating the island and passing through all its main villages.

Savai’i is very different to anything we’d seen; though volcanic like much of the South Pacific, it differed with its considerable areas of jet-black lava rock bare of any vegetation, including an extensive flat barren area running to precipitous cliffs on the north shore known as the Lava Fields. This coastline featured some stunning coastal cliffs and maritime scenery, plus picturesque sandy beaches with backpacker resorts. Asau Village on the northwestern end of Savai’i is a small, clean and pretty place with modest western style housing scattered throughout the undulating, hot, black lava rock terrain, skirted with sandy coves and turquoise waters. It has an excellent harbour with a large concrete wharf, and a small but modern all-weather airport, but neither ships nor aircraft call here any more. Such a waste of valuable resources in a country lacking in them both.

But it’s a South Pacific story of repeated regularity. With limited employment opportunities and little else to keep them there, Asau’s younger generation, as have many Samoans, gravitated to the cities and/or overseas, and we often heard the claim that there are more Samoans living abroad, principally in New Zealand, the USA, and Australia, than reside within their homeland.

Nevertheless, here as elsewhere, the locals were very friendly, and we had several children come aboard Envy for a drink of cordial, a biscuit and a ‘look-see’, which they absolutely love to do. They would hail us continuously from the shore until we went in to collect them in the dinghy, or if ignored, sometimes even swim out to the yacht.

We departed Asau Harbour late one afternoon with Envy scorching along at 8.6 knots (15km/hr), an exhilarating buzz from our usual 5 to 6 kts, having the benefit of a strong ocean current along the top of Savai’i Island, heading for Ile Uvea, the main island in the small Wallis Group, a tiny speck surrounded by its huge lagoon, lost in the middle of the Pacific. Its narrow entrance channel has large tidal ‘overfalls’ during mid-tide runs, so it must be negotiated at slack water, hence our late afternoon departure from Samoa, but that passage was quicker than anticipated and we found ourselves ‘hove-to’ for an hour at 4am about 20 miles offshore awaiting daylight and the tide to make our entry into the lagoon.

Wallis and Futuna Islands are a French possession lying west of Samoa and northeast of Fiji and, at 13 º south marked the northernmost extent of our cruising. The main island of Wallis, Ile Uvea, is only 12km long by 6km wide, peopled by French speaking Polynesians, and you’re hard pressed to find many who understand any English. The pace is pretty much laid back, with all shops and businesses closing at noon to re-open sometime after 2pm. Surprisingly, the island has no tourist industry at all, nor is tourism sought or encouraged. There is not one single Taxi on the island, nor any public transport whatsoever, though there is no shortage of motor vehicles. We hitchhiked or walked everywhere, and almost always got a ride with the first vehicle that came along and though everyone was friendly, communication was difficult since our French is sadly lacking.

We were fortunate to share Uvea’s only protected anchorage at Gahi (Nar-hee) with another ‘cruising yachtie’ from England who’d been there for 3 weeks and who spoke French fluently, so Chris Smith gave us a good introduction to the local scene and customs. We also met a few French expatriate professionals there on 2-year postings who informed us that Wallis Island has no domestic product or export income at all, being entirely dependent on French handouts of total aid and support. Medical, dental and hospital care are all free to the locals, and imported food lines are subsidised. Even so, the cost of everything in the provincial centre of Mata Utu except bread and some cheap French red wine was quite expensive, but the baguettes were the best bread we’ve tasted since leaving Australia.

After six wonderful days there soaking up the local culture, touring around and visiting some sights of interest including the little known but immaculately preserved ancient stone fort dating back many centuries, we departed this exciting landfall on the afternoon tide to clear the lagoon, with a nostalgic farewell to Polynesia, and commenced our 3 day passage to Fiji filled with exciting anticipation of what lay ahead.

Our destination there was Savusavu, on the southwestern corner of Vanua Levu, Fiji’s second large island, where we arrived 72 hours later after a pleasant passage, though we motor-sailed for part of it due to a lack of wind. Sometimes when the wind dies away in the ocean the sea swell continues to roll on through, resulting in a most unpleasant motion as the boat rolls from side to side with sails loudly slatting, so in these circumstances we run the engine and motor sail to ease the discomfort.

Our ‘clearing in’ at Savusavu reminded us of Fiji’s colonial heritage with the copious paperwork, all in loose carbon paper triplicate, of Customs, Health, Immigration and Quarantine requirements standing proudly as a legacy of old Britain, and far outdoing any other entry experience. The annual cost of ink and paper must be staggering, but it no doubt benefits Fiji’s employment situation.

For us, Fiji is different again to the rest of the South Pacific of our travels, and in a nutshell, the following ‘thumbnails’ are our observations to date.

New Zealand is a developed cosmopolitan society and its Maori are Polynesian. Tonga is also Polynesian, comparatively poor and pretty much embraces a subsistence lifestyle; we found it mainly a ‘sailing experience’ of wonderful tropical island cruising. Samoa is Polynesian, bustling, clean and progressive with a higher standard of living, and for us, an excellent ‘on-land’ experience, somewhat determined by its relatively few suitable cruising destinations. Wallis Island was again mainly a ‘people and land’ thing; Polynesian, French, expensive, and ‘un-touristy’, yet so very interestingly different and unusual.

Fiji is pretty much a combination of it all; lying west of 180º longitude, it is Melanesian, but has an absorbing mix of ethnic Fijian and Indian Fijian cultures. Comprising over 300 islands (only 1/3 inhabited) it offers great inter-island cruising comparable to any, but is also very much a ‘land and people’ experience and, away from the main tourist areas, comparatively inexpensive.

Vanua Levu has never shared the glitzy tourist reputation of Viti Levu, Fiji’s main island, and this made it all the more appealing to us. Having only the two towns of Lambasa and Savusavu on the entire island, (but numerous villages), with a large Indian community, many sugar cane plantations, and a character reminiscent of ‘old Fiji’ in so many ways, we generally immersed ourselves in both ethnic and Indian experiences and enjoyed our ten days there immensely. The municipal market in Savusavu offered the best vegetables since NZ, cost of living ‘across the board’ was comparatively cheap, and the unpretentious Indian Curry Cafes served unbelievably good dishes at Aust$3.00 per meal. You couldn’t cook a similar meal any cheaper!

We took a local bus over the 80km of rough bitumen road, through farms of drought-stricken sugar cane, up to the main town of Lambasa with its majority Indian population, where we fortuitously arrived in time to witness a major annual religious procession down the main street, honouring a Hindu deity. About thirty men all clad in white physically towed a very ornate float garlanded with leis & flowers, and featuring a mural of an elephant-trunked female deity, no doubt the subject of this colourful celebration, which contained a very serious, young looking priest who was having a lovely time playing with fire and blowing flames everywhere. All this excitement, together with the crowds of women dressed in their bright multi-hued saris, made this a most memorable spectacle of colour and mystery indeed.

Departing Savusavu, Envy sailed west through narrow coral reef passes and boisterous Nasonisoni Passage with its mile-long 2 to 3 metre high standing tidal surge, for overnight stays at Nambouwalu and Mbau Bay before leaving Vanua Levu for Yandua Island. Now somewhat off the beaten track, our three days in this splendid anchorage offered the best reef snorkelling so far, and our digital camera, safe and dry in its underwater housing, worked overtime among the pretty tropical fish and the coral gardens. Most small tropical fish maintain a ‘comfort zone’ of a metre or more but here, with much less human contact, they inquisitively checked us out at a much closer range than that. The long hot climb up to the top of the narrow isthmus ridge behind the anchorage rewarded the hardy with some truly awesome views of either side of the island, a panorama of several idyllic coves whose multi-hued blues, turquoise and green waters lapped shallow coral giving way to palm lined beaches. Real postcard stuff, and very pretty.

It was time to see something of the main island, Viti Levu, so we sailed south into a 15/20 kt south-easterly averaging 6 knots for the thirty miles across notoriously rough and windy Bligh Water to the reef strewn entrance to small Nananu-I-Ra Island, where we anchored in a long sweeping bay that fronted a lovely sandy beach lined with several up-market homes, which we later learned were the property of international absentee landlords, and that foreign holiday home ownership is a growing trend in several areas of Fiji.

The entire northern coast of Viti Levu is fringed by almost continuous barrier reefs, as well as many more lying further offshore, and Envy cautiously picked her way in short day hops around the top of the island inside these reefs, to Lautoka, our home for the next five days, and where we had to again ‘clear in’ with Customs. So much bureaucracy!

Being now the sugar-harvesting season, each night in our anchorages around this coast we were treated to the spectacular vision of cane fires illuminating the night sky as nearby farmers burnt their fields preparatory to hand harvesting the next morning, but this spectacle was not without cost. Since all the mills were crushing daily and non-stop, our anchorage in Lautoka, Fiji’s ‘sugar capital’ and second largest town, for both Customs and sightseeing requirements, had all the yachts there clothed in a blanket of fine black ash, which floated down day and night and covered everything with soot.

But Lautoka was otherwise a great experience with its colourful busy street scenes with their mix of multi-cultures, the buzz of the large municipal market, the aromas of the cafes and fragrances of the Indian shops, and better still, perhaps even less expensive than Vanua Levu. The government’s Public Service Information Week and the Annual Sugar Festival added further appeal to our time there, as did our indulgence in their culinary delights plus the occasional ice cream or two. Here, as elsewhere, we almost always shared our visits ashore in the company of other cruising yachties.

We also took the one hour bus trip to Nadi (Nandi) for a look around this touristy gateway to the nation, and were pleasantly surprised to discover our visit coincided with day 1 of a four day ‘town-wide’ “sale”, in which most of the shops were participating, with much merchandise reduced to half price; what good fortune, for we had intended to shop anyway! That afternoon we visited the nearby up-market Denarau Island Resort and Marina, a 20-minute trip from Nadi, which in addition to its pristine maritime environment and beachfront, features superb resort accommodation, championship golf and tennis facilities, and two new residential estates. Having been shown around these facilities and the modern Marina, which are both still ongoing developments, we are very impressed and decided that we could quite easily live there, being only a 2 hour fight from Brisbane.

Finally, the bagasse ash from the sugar mill got the better of us so we moved a few miles down the coast for an overnighter at Saweni Bay, another popular anchorage, before moving on to refuel and take water at Vuda Point Marina, enroute to the well-known yachties haunt at Musket Cove Resort and Marina on Malolo Lailai Island, about 20 miles distant, where F$1 secures life membership of the Musket Cove Yacht Club, for whatever it’s worth. In order to qualify you must have sailed to or from a foreign port to Musket Cove, and by all accounts, it seems very few yachties do not sign up.

Envy is currently cruising Fiji’s highly regarded Yasawa Islands, having spent the past nine days visiting the islands of Navandra, Vanua Levu, Waya, Naviti, and Matacawa Levu and as we were writing this at anchor in The Blue Lagoon yesterday, snugly enclosed by four islands and famous for the film of the same name, we watched a film crew in action shooting another movie, much to the pride and delight of Var, Kara, Bill, Bei, and Semi, residents of this tiny island with its million dollar location and views across the lagoon. The night before Semi built us a fire on the beach for another memorable BBQ and sing-a-long with guitar and banjo accompaniment, with our Fijian friends joining in. Thanks again for the memories.

This morning we commenced our move twelve miles southwards down the chain as we slowly make our way back to Lautoka in preparation for our ultimate departure from Fiji later in October. Today finds us in a rolly anchorage at Naviti Island’s lovely ‘One Dollar Beach’, reputedly so named since it featured on the old Fijian one dollar note. On the way up here off Waya Island we were approached by some local fishermen in a small open boat offering us the two largest crayfish we’ve ever, ever seen for $45 each, which we reluctantly declined. This afternoon here in One Dollar Beach we purchased two large Crays for their asking price of $10 each, not quite as big as the others, from a boat full of young boys who just dive for fun. Yummy, yummy, guess what’s for dinner tonight!

Perhaps we’ve mentioned it previously, but one of our biggest surprises and laments has been the scarcity of marine life we’ve encountered during our cruising since leaving Australia. One whale, one sea snake, comparatively few ocean birds and not a single porpoise until a few days ago when a pod of around 12 of them put on a great show for our camera as we cruised along in the Yasawas.

It’s a couple of days later and Envy sits at rest back in Musket Cove as we plan our last few days here in Fiji before sailing off to New Caledonia next week. Tomorrow marks 1 year to the day since leaving Australia, so we’ll probably pop a celebratory bottle of Champers then.

The annual ‘Cyclone Season’ is fast approaching, so we must turn our thoughts towards home. Regrettably, we’ve run out of time to visit Vanuatu this season, but perhaps that is something to think about for next year. Nevertheless, we are looking forward to discovering French New Caledonia on our way back to Oz, and hope the weather favours a trip down to its spectacular cruising grounds in the Isle of Pines.

Malolo Lailai, Fiji. 12-Oct-03

"Happenings" Number 8 - 2003

2003-08-20T14:38:00.000+08:00

Landfalls in Paradise

‘Races to the swift, Fortunes to the brave’ - goes an old ‘saw’ (adage) to which one might add, certainly in our recent experience, ‘Paradise to the seekers’, for wandering about and going the extra mile off the beaten track brought us its rewards in northern Tonga. But I’ll come to that presently.

Continuing on from our last report, ‘Envy’ spent a further two weeks moseying about more of Vava’u’s sheltered island anchorages, indulging the marvellous scenery of small secluded bays with their palm lined beaches, whilst enjoying making the acquaintance of both the local village peoples and some newly met fellow cruising yachties. However, not every day is a Valhalla in paradise, for we must admit to some yucky unseasonal wet weather, and a few horrible windy days as well, which kept us holed up in snug anchorages.

Captain Cook named Tonga ‘the friendly islands’ (although unbeknown to him the local chiefs were planning to kill him) and that moniker holds true today, for we met such friendly people everywhere we went. Whilst village lifestyle, away from the towns, is basically one of subsistence, these Polynesian peoples are a picture of beaming health and happiness, and their smiles, so pleasing in themselves, are further enhanced by the nicest pearly white teeth you’d ever hope to see. Such a contrast to their beetle nut chewing Melanesian ‘cousins’ with their orange and black stained teeth.

After 35 days of sailing around the many islands of the Vava’u group, we departed these excellent cruising grounds sailing out from Port Mourelle (not a port at all – just another lovely small sandy palm lined cove) on a moonless night at 2:30am to arrive in daylight the following afternoon 177 n/miles away at Niuatoputapu Island, the administrative centre of Tonga’s isolated far northern Niuan Islands group, and whose unlit dogs-leg entry through the reef is a ‘daylight only’ exercise.

The 33 hour trip was good sailing until mid morning the following day, just 15 miles out from our destination, when we entered the ever moving Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) and it rained so heavily out of almost black clouds that we couldn’t see 100 metres ahead (on and off) for the next two hours and, fearing it may not stop in time, we took the decision to abort Niuatoputapu if necessary and sail on the further 180 nm to Samoa, but then the rain cleared 5 miles out and we had lovely sunshine and light airs to negotiate the narrow channel into the lagoon.

What a magic place this turned out to be. Very few yachties, or anyone else, bothers to go to Niuatoputapu, in their hurry to reach Vava’u or Fiji. It’s so small, so undeveloped, and so well off the ‘tourist track’ that almost no one’s ever heard of it, but little do they know what they’ve missed. Mind you, not much really, since there is not much here – no Bars, Restaurants, shopping opportunities or Hotels, etc. other than the small Palm Tree Island Resort, which seldom has many, if any guests, on tiny adjoining Hunganga Island, to which we waded across at low tide and were towed home in a motor-less dinghy at high tide, with the resort employee walking across the 200 mtr wide clear sandy channel with water covering his shoulders and only his head showing above it!

But what Niuatoputapu does have is a superb lagoon surrounded by a tropical island with a most excellent anchorage that looks across royal blue water to the perfectly conical volcanic island of Tafahi five miles away. It’s an absolute picture postcard setting and the perfect epitome of what our romantic “South Pacific” fantasy is all about.

Niuatoputapu has no sealed roads, indeed most are just 2 wheel grassy tracks, but then there are only about 1000 people on this small 9km by 4km Island, and very few vehicles. We walked 4.5 km each way from our lagoon anchorage at Falehau village, past Vaipoa village and on into the principal village of Hihifo to ‘clear in’ with Customs, and saw only four cars the whole time.

The few official government administration offices are located in old single level timber buildings, sorely in need of maintenance, paint, and ground works, but they ooze charm and character like something out of a Mitchener novel. Hihifo, with its grassy wheel-track streets, just wouldn’t have the same ambience if the place were ‘tarted up’!

The attractions here are nature and people, and especially the people, who were so ‘down-to-earth’ friendly that it was a pleasure to be with them. We noticed very few domestic pigs running around here, in contrast to the rest of Tonga, nor is there any television or internet cafes, but you can ‘phone anywhere in the world from the local TCC office.

The tropical scenery matches the beauty of the lagoon, with a high hill a little back from the sandy beach offering magnificent views of it all if one can survive the steep climb up. These three villages are the only places we saw in all four Tonga Island groups where traditional housing of bush material construction dominates. We felt privileged to be here in this wonderful ‘out-of-the –way’ part of old traditional Tonga.

But time and a good weather window beckoned us on, so after an all too short a stay, we sailed on a further 185 nm Northeasterly arriving in Apia, capital of Independent (Western) Samoa 40 hrs later, having lost a day enroute as we crossed the International Dateline into the Western Hemisphere. It was exciting to see all the village lights as we traversed the northwest coast of Upolu Island at night, and to arrive at Apia just after sunrise.

And what a surprising difference we found here. Clean, bright and on the move is the way we see Samoa, a nation that has reversed its fortunes in the past decade from having one of the Pacific’s poorest economies to being one of its success stories, and in that respect such a contrast to Tonga. Apia is buzzing with commercial activity, has numerous new buildings, mostly newish vehicles and a smartly dressed business community. And, of course, there’s a McDonald here, which Tonga doesn’t have, so we figure that’s another economic barometer as well.

Soon after arriving we visited ‘Vailima’, the former residence of Robert Louis Stevenson, located 4km out of Apia, and it took an hour to climb up Mt.Vaea to Stevenson’s tomb with its magnificent hill top vista overlooking Apia and the sea. Stevenson was a small framed sickly man most of his life, dying at 49. We’ve all heard his requiem inscribed on his tomb, but it warrants repeating here.

“Under the wide and starry sky
Dig the grave and let me lie
Glad did I live, and gladly die
And I laid me down with a will.”

“This be the verse you grave for me
Here he lies where he longed to be
Home is the sailor, home from the sea
And the hunter home from the hill”.

That evening we went to the weekly ‘Samoan Cultural Dance & Fire Show’ at Aggie Grey’s Hotel, a famous institution in its own right throughout the South Pacific, dating back to WW2 when Aggie ran a burger joint here for US GI’s. It is now a new, modern up-market ‘5*’establishment.

Then we rented a small 4WD Suzuki and spent a day driving around the eastern end of this main island of Upolu. Stopping to chat at a few of the numerous coastal villages along the way, we came across some very interesting places and met some interesting people. All roads are bitumen sealed, and many villages have clean, white painted rocks lining both sides of the road, which looks quite striking, supported by their well kept lawns and colourful gardens.

All the waterfront land is privately owned either by individuals or the village, there are no public beaches as such, and you have to pay to go onto any nice white sandy beach. The usual rate is 10 Tala each (Aust$6), and by the time you’ve got out of the car, there’ll be a local telling you that if you stay more than 2 minutes then you’ll have to pay.

Other highlights included swimming in waterfront ‘cave pools’, where fresh water springs bubbled up into crystal clear rock pools at such a rate as to prevent salt seawater from flowing into them. We visited two different waterfalls up in the hills, sat and chatted with village chiefs, and inspected a large church three years under construction by local village tradesmen.

The villages comprised a mixture of both traditional and western style housing, but spotlessly clean and often painted in bright colours. The traditional Samoan houses were totally open, with no fixed walls, and a large overhanging thatched roof. There is little furniture in them for the people sit, eat and sleep on woven Pandanus mats on the floor, though some do have wooden easy chairs.

Each village has its own privately run bus service, and there are scores of them around Upolu. What these (tray-back truck) buses lack in their modest design and construction, is more than compensated for in their livery. Like the taxis in Manilla, Samoan buses are a blaze of colour, with no two the same, and the central terminal beside the seafront fish market is a kaleidoscope of colour and design as the buses constantly come and go, on the right hand side of the road, as in the USA. We rode one back the 4km to town following our visit to R.L. Stevenson’s ‘Vailima’ house, and they sure look better than their hard seat ride.

This time of year is known as the Dry Season here, rather than winter, since it’s always warm to hot in these latitudes (13º S), with daytime temperatures of 30º+C reducing to a warm 26ºC overnight. Thank goodness we have fans in the yacht. There have been a few showers but generally the weather has been favourable.

We plan to depart this vibrant South Pacific jewel in a few days time and, hopefully, from here onwards it’s the downhill, mainly downwind run back to Oz, albeit over 2000 miles of ocean sailing.

Our next stop will be at Savusavu, in Fiji’s northern island of Vanua Levu, and we expect the 580nm passage will take five days. We will probably spend several weeks cruising Fiji, so we’ll tell you about that later on.

"Happenings" Number 7 - 2003

2003-06-19T14:36:00.000+08:00

Into The South Pacific - 2003

April 23, coincidentally six months to the day of ‘Envy’s’ arrival in New Zealand, finds us departing Auckland and heading the 50 nm to Great Barrier Island, and the beginning of the next phase of our South Pacific adventure. A few days there at the Barrier resulted in 32 fillets, mostly Snapper, going into the freezer before sailing overnight back up to The Bay of Islands where we relaxed and slowly re-adjusted back into ‘sea mode’ for two weeks, prior to clearing New Zealand Customs at Opua.

Light breezes were forecast for the following few days as we farewelled New Zealand from The Bay of Islands on May 13, in brilliant sunshine and friendly seas bound for Tonga 1080 nautical miles away, concluding a wonderful 203 day ‘kiwi experience.

By noon the next day ‘Envy’ was close hauled and bashing into squally 30kt headwinds, which blew continuously for the next 36 hours (so much for the forecast), after which they turned gale force E/NE gusting 40 knots (74 km / hr) ‘on the nose’ for the following two days, so we ‘hove to’ with tiny storm sails up (as did other yachts), drifting at 2 knots in the wrong direction going nowhere, but at least it was more comfortable than taking a pasting, and we caught up on some sleep.

And so it was to be, beating close hauled all the way to Tonga, 16 days and nights at sea with mostly strong headwinds and sailing zigzag more than 1300 nautical miles to get there. Merely balancing on the toilet took the strength and agility of a gymnast, to say nothing of Audrey’s balance skills whilst strapped into the galley reheating prepared meals, and having to hang on to avoid being thrown about with the boat’s constant pitching during the worst of it. By now we’d become accustomed to the ship’s noise and movement so sleeping wasn’t too difficult, and the only time of any decent relaxation.

Crossing the notorious Tasman last year was child’s play by comparison. Fortunately we don’t suffer seasickness to any extent, we ate well and slept well, and I hasten to say that at no time did we or the yacht feel compromised from a safety point of view; indeed “Envy” handled it very well – t’was just the crew that found the going tedious and uncomfortable.

The one highlight of the passage was on day 12 at sea when we stopped overnight in the large lagoon of North Minerva Reef, out in the middle of nowhere in the ocean and the only passage break on our entire route. We treated ourselves to a roast beef dinner that night, and 9 hours of ‘watch-free’ deep uninterrupted sleep!

We sailed into Nuku’alofa, capital of the Kingdom of Tonga, refreshed and happy on Wednesday 28 May, the passage taking 5 days longer than expected. By the time we were ready to ‘Clear In’ with Customs later that afternoon, seems like all three government officials wanted to finish early, so they all just stamped our entry papers ashore, without even coming aboard to check our quarantine items!

We’d been told Nuku’alofa, on Tongatapu Island, was a fairly ordinary place that many yachties don’t bother to visit but since it’s the first landfall coming from New Zealand and a Custom’s entry port as well, it seemed a logical stop for us. The town appears old, tired and dirty, like so many developing countries, yet offers the contradiction of a well-maintained causeway along the scenic reef strewn waterfront, and isolated pockets of civic pride.

The King’s Palace is an attractive 19th century, architecturally grand three-storied iron roofed timber complex, occupying extensive open lawns on the beachfront at the edge of town. Nuku’alofa’s business centre comprises a half dozen blocks of one and two storey mostly old poorly maintained shops, cafes and government buildings, interspersed with large shade trees, with the focal point of the large central market where locals sell a good variety of fresh produce, including fruit, green and salad vegetables, eggs, clothing, arts & crafts, woven baskets, mats, carvings and all sorts of local cultural artefacts.

Nuku’alofa’s topography is quite flat, town streets are basic bitumen sealed, there is a general profusion of broad leafed tropical green trees and colourful variegated flora with small grassy-lawned house blocks neatly aligned, and domestic pigs, scrawny half-starved dogs and happy, smiling children are everywhere. Several large churches dominate the town area, whose size and grandeur by comparison with all other town buildings reflect the importance of religion to this pious nation.

The Tongan people, though quite conservative but very friendly, and often big framed, are keen Rugby fans, live in small modest western style houses, drive mostly old Japanese wrecks of cars and enjoy a fairly easy-going lifestyle; they are very devout with church the only thing that happens throughout the nation on a Sunday, and though they sing with gusto and superb harmony, by all accounts many embrace an indifferent work ethic with a commercial culture frustratingly ‘laid back’, not that there’s any depth or variety of business activity here beyond the basic necessities.

In order to keep the country’s economy viable and competitive, the Tongan Pa’anga (dollar) is well over-valued, being pegged close to the ‘Kiwi’ dollar, resulting in a not so cheap cost of living other than for those fortunate enough to have strong currencies like the US dollar or UK pounds to spend.

Our second day in Nuku’alofa fortuitously coincided with the annual ‘Opening of Parliament’ by the King. This occasion is celebrated with a public holiday and a large Procession through the town streets, led by the 85 year old King’s motorcade and Foreign Dignitaries, followed by several marching Brass Bands with the Armed Services, hundreds of colourfully uniformed school children, church groups and other civic bodies marching in the one and a half hour long procession through waving crowds. What an interesting introduction to Tonga, their culture, customs and traditional dress.

Next job was to find someone to re-sew our Genoa headsail that suffered some stitching failure during the gale enroute from NZ, but since there’s no sailmakers here, we settled for a Pakistani shirtmaker who did a good job on it. While ‘Med moored’ in the tiny Nuku’alofa boat basin we discovered a bunch of nylon fishing line wrapped tightly around the propeller and shaft and, believe me, the half hour it took diving down in that filthy water to clear it was excessive punishment for all my past sins. Yuk!

One evening we joined several other yachties and went to The Tongan Cultural Centre in Nuku’alofa for a traditional feast and cultural night where we were treated to a great meal of local Tongan dishes followed by traditional dancing. Another interesting experience for T$ 20 per person, incl taxi fare.

After 10 interesting days in the capital, it was time to move on and see ‘the real Tonga’ – the multitude of islands that make up the four main groups, Tongatapu, Ha’apai, Vava’u and Niuatoputapu, as they stretch some 320 n/miles northwards, in that order, to comprise The Kingdom of Tonga.

The central cluster of Tongan Islands known as the Ha’apai (Har/pie) Group are interspersed with numerous coral reefs and unchartered shoals, so many cruising yachties bypass them for the safer, less hazardous Vava’u islands farther north. However, we joined two other yachts, ‘Dream Catcher’ and ‘Paula’, heading northwards from Tongatapu and day sailed up through the coral to tiny uninhabited Tau Island (15 nm away) where we anchored off overnight, then another 35nm on to Kelefesia Island, (uninhabited & 3km around) where we stayed two nights, followed by a lovely sail 20nm to Nomuka Iki Island, uninhabited site of an abandoned prison, once again going ashore to look around as usual.

Next morning found us sailing 15nm in a gentle 15kt breeze to O’ua Island, with its ‘S’ bend entry 1km long through the coral reef, where we stayed 2 days. Going ashore to meet the locals the following morning, we found a team of men building an 8 metre wooden fishing boat out of ‘scrap’ wood, which they assured us would give at least 15 years of service. Amazing! Their village covered about half a sq./km and was completely boundary fenced to contain the scores of domestic pigs that freely roamed the village. We were invited to visit the primary school here, much to the enjoyment of the children, who gazed in amazement at instantly seeing their photograph on the screen of our digital camera.

Sailing at six knots the 19 nm to Tofanga Island the next morning, ‘Paula’s’ trolling line caught a Wahoo, a game fish of international repute. A powerful swimmer, it took a lot of time and effort to land this over 4ft. specimen, and we all enjoyed its high quality, fine-grained white flesh.

Word got around on ship’s radio one of the several yachties sailing ‘loosely together’ through the Ha’apai was celebrating his birthday with a beach BBQ, bonfire and sing-a-long on the magnificent palm-lined sandy beach at Uoleva Island (they’re all like that over here), about nine miles northwards, so several boats gravitated there for a night to remember. There were perhaps 40 yachties there from Sweden, Canada, USA, NZ, Australia and Switzerland, and it was a night to remember.

After three days there soaking up this sandy, turquoise part of paradise ‘Envy’ headed a further eight miles north to Pangai township, the administrative centre of the Ha’apai Group, on Lifuka Island. We anchored 300 metres off shore in 4 mtr of crystal clear water on a sandy bottom. Pangai’s an attractive small village with a grassy waterfront shaded by large fig trees, surrounding clusters of romantic old timber government buildings with shaded courtyards where women swept leaves off the well-kept lawns. Churches were again the dominant feature of the landscape, and the people always so friendly. Big brawny Tonga football players were warming up for a game as we passed by, and I mentally cringed at the thought of playing against them.

Then it was on to Ofolanga Island, a short 15-mile sail from Lifuka, and our last Ha’apai destination, where we spent two days. This is another typical tropical small sandy coral island with a fringing reef around which we walked in 90 minutes, and an ideal departure point for our next leg, a 63-mile sail overnight up to the Vava’u Group. Here again, as in much of Tonga with its volcanic origins, many anchorages are quite deep, 15 to 25 metres not uncommon. We weighed anchor just before midnight so as to arrive at the Vava’u group in daylight to negotiate the many small islands and reefs enroute, and enjoyed a perfect overnight sail arriving at the cosy anchorage of Port Mourelle around noon. Our anchorage here was 14 mtr deep (45ft) but you could clearly see the sandy bottom, and we slept well that night after the previous overnight passage.

Next morning we motored the five miles or so around to Neiafu, the administrative centre of these northern Vava’u islands, where we again had to clear in with Customs. Unlike most places in the world, even though one doesn’t leave the country, it is necessary to ‘clear in’ and ‘clear out’ with Customs as you travel between each of the 4 Tonga Island groups.

The harbour at Neiafu is considered one of the pick anchorages of the south Pacific, and it’s not difficult to understand why. It is very scenically attractive, deep, safe, and wonderfully sheltered from all directions; kidney shaped and about 2km long by 600 mtr wide, its clear waters are surrounded by low hills all around with the township built into them on one side, offering magnificent panoramas overlooking the clean harbour and across to a verdant landscape of coconut palms interspersed with various tropical trees on the other side.

Vava’u (Var-var-oo) is a Mecca for international yachties and, for most cruisers, Vava’u is Tonga. There are perhaps 35 yachts here at the moment, of which four are mega-yachts - two huge motor yachts and two huge sailing yachts, one of the latter being larger than any we saw in Auckland during the America’s Cup, more than twenty times the volume of ‘Envy’, and more than twenty million $$’s I’ll bet. How our heart goes out to those troubled people, we feel terribly sorry for them; so much to go wrong, so much to look after, so much to worry about !! We’re blessed to be poor!

Accompanying the food, fun and facilities of Neiafu, with its waterfront bars and restaurants, are over 40 anchorages just hours or less away. The nearby ones are situated amongst the fjords of the main island, whilst the others are small islands surrounded by reef. Vava’u is considered one of the worlds best viewing spots for Humpback Whales, and its hills and shorelines are riddled with caves and crevices. Most are little more than shallow holes, but two of them are unique enough to have obtained near legendary status, and we enjoyed the exhilarating experience to swim in both of them

Swallows Cave near Port Mourelle on Kapa Island is large enough to take several dinghies into. It is a very attractive cave, particularly when its eroded limestone walls and high cathedral like ceiling are lit by the afternoon sun, which shines down through its quiet crystal clear waters to the floor 10 mtrs below. Many thousands of baby fish make the cave their home, and their extensive schools all but hide the bottom from view.

Mariner’s Cave is the most famous of the Vava’u caves, and also the most difficult to find and get into. The cave entrance is about 2 metres underwater and, to get inside, requires a dive similar to swimming from one side of a yacht to the other, passing under the keel. Entering Mariner’s is mentally difficult as what to expect is unknown, and there’s little light inside until ones eyes adjust to the dimness. But it certainly is a buzz to achieve it.

As I write this we’ve now been in Vava’u two weeks, spending most of the time around several of the island anchorages in picturesque, sandy palm-lined bays, and have experienced a couple more Tongan feasts. Yesterday one of the other yachties went trolling and caught a 3 metre Sailfish, looks similar to a Marlin with its ‘sword’ bill, but generally fishing for table fish is not so rewarding.

We’ll depart here for Samoa in about 10 days’ time.

"Happenings" Number 6 - 2003

2003-05-19T14:30:00.000+08:00

Farewell ‘Aotearoa’ New Zealand- 2003

Autumn is here and its warm bronzing hues remind us that ‘cruising yachties’ are very much seasonal people and that change is in the wind for us as well. Soon “Envy” will depart this beautiful country, with both the land and its people indelibly in our hearts.

It’s late in the day as we enjoy a BBQ on the deck taking in another glorious crimson sunset from our privileged vantage overlooking extinct Rangitoto and Auckland’s other satellite islands in their postcard setting nestled in the Hauraki Gulf, just a kilometre or so across from our special friends’ Maraetai Beach home.

Last weekend we sailed “Envy” down the 20 nm from Auckland’s West Harbour to Pine Harbour Marina at Beachlands to be near Ralph and Yvonne for our last 10 days here in Auckland, as we prepare for departure.

Today is Good Friday and this Easter celebration pretty well marks the end of our New Zealand adventure as we attend final preparations and provisioning of “Envy” in nearby Pine Harbour, making ready for our departure on April 22, back up the coast to The Bay of Islands, where we will clear Customs out of NZ enroute to Tonga around 12 May 2003.

What a wonderful experience we’ve had here in ‘Aotearoa’, happily surpassing our greatest expectations, and since neither of us had been to NZ before, every day was excitingly new.

Now we have many happy memories, some wonderful new ‘Kiwi mates’, as well as hundreds of digital photos to share with family and friends, and also enable us to re-live those memories as we view them on our large screen TV during the years ahead.

Buying the old van was undoubtedly the best move we made, providing total independence, freedom and ‘free’ accommodation those 4+ months of ownership, whilst taking us 13,000km over much of this great country discovering both the North & South Islands and Stewart Island as well. It doesn’t come much better than this, but you need mobility to visit all the pick tourist spots and time to smell the roses along the way.

Fortunately we had both and saw a tremendous amount of NZ, at a surprisingly low cost, though no doubt, some friends may fairly question the lack of comfort associated with our travels.

We have a ‘buy back’ agreement with the man who sold us the van, at a small monthly rental cost to us, and arrangements are in hand to return it to him on Easter Monday, prior to “Envy’s” departure the next morning. Can’t get a more convenient deal than that!

Now our sights are set on putting as many Snapper fillets as possible into the ship’s freezer from the waters of Great Barrier Island enroute back up to Opua, (even we can catch fish over here!), as we settle down to sea life and get used to hanging on the anchor once again.

Then it’s all go with passage plans, course navigation and radio ‘skeds’ for our continuing cruising adventure into the South Pacific. It is almost the same distance to Tonga from here as it is to Brisbane, around 1100 nautical miles (2200 km), and we hope to cover the distance in 12 days of non-stop sailing, similar to our passage across the Tasman.

Final plans will depend on many factors of wind, weather, comfort, time and convenience but for the moment, we’re considering the following, and look forward to all the challenges and interest that Polynesia and Melanesia offer, though email contacts during the months ahead may be few and far between. We’ll keep you posted.

“Envy” Itinerary 2003

May 12 depart New Zealand at Opua

May 24 arrive Tonga

July 22 depart Tonga

July 25 arrive Samoa

Aug 5 depart Samoa

Aug 10 arrive Fiji

Oct 10 depart Fiji

Oct 15 arrive Vanuatu

Nov 3 depart Vanuatu

“ 6 arrive New Caledonia

“ 20 depart New Caledonia

Dec 1 arrive Australia
(Either Bundaberg or Brisbane depending on wind & weather)

"Happenings" Number 5 - 2003

2003-04-19T14:28:00.000+08:00

Touring New Zealand 2002/03

For more than a century at least, according to our historical gleanings, this nation’s people have referred to New Zealand as ‘GOD'S OWN COUNTRY’, and frankly, the more we see of ‘Aotearoa’ the more we’re inclined to understand where they’re coming from.

New Zealand is scientifically acknowledged as being the only country in the world that experiences all climatic conditions. It’s simply awash with scenic beauty, has no snakes or other ‘dangerous bighties’ whatsoever (other than one venomous spider species rarely ever seen), and with a multitude of rivers, forests and year round snow capped peaks, plus it’s an angler’s paradise to boot, with a fascinating history and culture, we can readily accept why ‘the land of the long white cloud’ has been selected by the authoritative travel guide group ‘Lonely Planet’ as the world’s No. 1 tourist destination.

It all sounds so long ago now, but we spent a lovely Christmas festive season in Auckland sharing it with our local friends, and around the same time purchased a used Mazda panel van which we converted to a Campervan, complete with refrigeration, gas stove, queen size bed, hidden storage, a tent fly awning and 2 canvass fold-up easy chairs & camp-table. Though hardly luxurious, it is quite eminently suited to both budget and requirements.

Come early January we were doing 2 and 3 day discovery tours out of Auckland in all directions to places of interest around the North Island, including the orchard belt, several historical towns and places of special interest, rich sheep and cattle grazing country and the famous giant Kauri forests with some huge 2000 yr old trees whose size belies imagination; and all of it very scenic.

Two of our early observations involved flora and fauna. The North Island should be renamed Agapanthus-land to acknowledge the overwhelming saturation of these plants which grow just about everywhere along the roads, countryside and domestically. Australian Possums, protected by law in OZ, were introduced to NZ many years ago and have thrived alarmingly, to the extent that they are a serious pest to native flora here and considered public enemy #1, and their high road kill numbers are indicative of their abundance.

One thing we have learnt here has to do with weather, or more specifically, its unpredictability. We now very much understand the old adage – ‘If you don’t like the weather, just wait an hour or two’; from sunshine to rain and back again, and again, and sometimes rain all day, often with big heaps of wind thrown in for good measure, day or night makes little difference. Not a cloud in the sky and next moment it’s raining. Such is a maritime climate as opposed to the continental climate that we in Australia are used to. (Here endeth the lesson in meteorology).

By late January we were ‘chomping at the bit’ to commence our South Island experience, so, with an inter-island vehicle ferry booking confirmed, “Envy’s” two intrepid adventurers departed their floating home in Auckland’s West Park Marina to become land gypsies for the next couple of months.

Saturday afternoon 1st. February 2003 found us crossing boisterous Cook Strait, notoriously one of the rougher ferry crossings of the world, but we arrived cool and unruffled at Picton 3 hours
later and $190 poorer. Neptune smiled on us that day for it had been blowing 115km/hr (70mph) in ‘windy Wellington’ all the previous day, and that wind (speed) against tide would have resulted in a very rough crossing a day earlier.

We had agreed that as part of our South Island adventure we would not stop overnight in ‘paid’ campgrounds unless we wanted to, but rather ‘freedom camp’ in most places, we hoped, tucked away in a variety of scenic nooks beside streams, at ocean foreshores, or along wooded tracks, which is quite the done thing with campervans on the laid-back South Island. So our first night was spent beside the sea near Kaikoura, in company with other vans, and awoke next morning to discover a colony of fur seals sunning themselves on the rocks only metres away.

Then on to Christchurch, New Zealand’s third largest metropolis, a lovely garden city with its expansive town square, superb Cathedral and renowned private schools, with the lovely clear Avon River flowing through it. Here we enjoyed the hospitality of wonderful friends before heading west below snow capped peaks of the Southern Alps through Arthur’s Pass, across the stunningly deep Otira Gorge viaduct, and free camped that night at Hokitika Beach, facing the Tasman Sea. To our amazement the 200 metre wide beach was considerably covered with old driftwood, a phenomenon we were to discover all along the west coast, where trees are washed down rivers and out to sea and eventually end up as smooth bleached driftwood on the beaches.

Continuing southwards we explored the old gold mining town of Ross, now a sleepy village steeped in history, then visited both the Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers and marvelled at their magnitude and frozen beauty right there at the ice face.

The South Island’s mountainous west coast runs back to distant snow capped peaks of the Southern Alps and offers a montage of scenic beauty in its clear, fast flowing rivers, high cascading waterfalls, steep winding roads through gorges and mountain passes opening onto fertile highland valleys with wildflowers including the attractive orange blossomed Montretia, and the commonly called ‘red hot poker’, a striking orange and yellow wild flower of bulrush appearance. We enjoyed some excellent freedom campsites along this coast at beaches and alongside clear running streams, though the sandflies were always quite active around sundown wherever we went.

Leaving the coast we ventured inland through the Haast Pass, alongside beautiful Lake Wanaka and on to Lake Hawea where we had a perfect lakeside campsite, and swam in its surprisingly warm, pristine clear fresh water, before continuing on over the scenic Crown Range Road which has the highest elevation of any road in NZ, past the isolated Cardrona Hotel (famously, the nations oldest existing hotel), before negotiating a seriously steep razor-back descent into the stunningly attractive resort hub of Queenstown.

Here we took the Gondola cable car up to the mountaintop overlooking Queenstown and its Lake Wakatipu, a view that is truly awesome and one of the most attractive sights we’ve ever seen. Little wonder it features so often in international Kiwi tourism promotions. Then Bruce, ever the big kid thrill seeker, took the ski chair lift even higher up the peak and rode ‘The Luge’, (it’s like a small one person ‘go-cart’) flying back down the winding mountain track, similar to its namesake in the winter Olympics. Great fun! But not as big a thrill as our next little escapade, when, the following day, we rode the rapids through the canyons of the famous Shotover River in a seriously fast Jet Boat, purposefully screaming along just a hair’s breadth away from the entombing rock canyon walls, and only centimetres above stony shallow rapids, then doing full-speed 360 degree ‘thrill spins’ that took your breath away and showered you with ice-cold spray, and of which we’ve got photos to relive it! Some people never grow up…

Our 110th day since arriving in NZ (late October) finds us on the uninhabited 121km long, slow, winding, mountainous, isolated road into Milford Sound on a cold, grey, drizzling day with snow capped peaks all around and driving in and out through low cloud cover, and we’re about to experience what will undoubtedly become one of our absolute ‘life-long memories’, the ‘Saga of Milford Sound’.

It’s around 5pm and time to call it a day, so we drive up a two-wheel track for half a km along Cascade Creek looking for a suitable overnight camp site, stop, then decide to look elsewhere, but the Van won’t start! When it does finally go, we (and our stress levels) decide to continue on to the safety of a Milford Sound garage, along the remaining very slow, totally mountainous 45km, which includes the 1.25km long Homer Tunnel high up in the cloudy Southern Alps.

Up the steep incline and into the Homer Tunnel we go, perhaps 50 metres or so in, and whooa !!, can’t see a thing, slam on the brakes and out shoots the van in reverse! We check that the headlights are working OK, and all the time concerned the engine’s going to conk out in the dark, unlit tunnel, but back in we go again. Still can’t see a thing; bloody frightening!! Stress levels rising! Wham..! On go the brakes and back out we shoot once again, just like a cartoon at a kid’s movie matinee! (Thankfully no other traffic around). Bruce then discovers he’s wearing his sunglasses, so off they come and, with lights on and wipers going, back in we go for round 3.

No one told us the tunnel was rough hewn, unlined, unlit, barely wide enough for two vehicles to pass and that at the entrance it continues to rise upwards for a short way before its steady decline for over a kilometre in the dark. But the main problem was that the tunnel was full of cloud, which the headlights could barely penetrate, as with thick fog we could barely see past our noses; there was water dripping through the rocky roof veins overhead almost like rain in places, it was eerily dark & gloomy and a long, slow 2nd gear downhill grind for those 1250 metres, and all this virtually in the dark, underscored by an engine that would not idle and much preferred to stop dead at the first unattended opportunity and cause an Autobahn style pile-up in the wet, cloudy tunnel. Thankfully there was no one behind us through the tunnel and we shot out the other end like pilgrims to the Promised Land! Phew!!

To our dismay we discovered there is no garage in tiny spectacular Milford Sound and the inclement weather added little to the whole affair, so after a restless sleep wondering whether the motor would start and how many millions of $$’s it would cost to fix, (the van’s done 329,000 km) a somewhat surprisingly better natured engine started next morning and had us retracing our steps of the evening before, and we were delighted to find the Homer Tunnel clear as crystal in the fresh morning air. Later that morning, 10 minutes and $15 after arrival at a Te Anau garage, the problem caused by incorrect points gap in the distributor was fixed, and we were back on the road again.

The ‘deep south’ lured us on and we discovered Riverton on the far south coast, a production centre for Paua Shells, which are NZ Abalone shells ground and polished to reveal their striking natural hues of blue, green, silver and turquoise and which, together with carved and polished greenstone (jade - prized by early Maori above gold) and white (bovine) bone, comprise the three most popular ornament items in the country. We had been gifted a number of ‘raw’ Paua shells by a coastal farmer and had them polished in Riverton. This whole area east of the Fiordlands and right down to the coast, including the greater Invercargill district, is quite fertile undulating farmland, used for dairying and crops, and has a most interesting coast of cliffs and sandy beaches.

After a look around Invercargill, an attractive big country town whose city centre streets were still festooned with Santa Claus and Christmas Decorations in mid February, we left our van in Bluff and took a high speed catamaran ferry 22km across the Foveaux Strait to picturesque Stewart Island with its pretty bays and scenic walks, staying 3 days at Jo & Andy’s quaint Bed & Breakfast in Oban, and also celebrated Bruce’s 59th birthday with a great local seafood dinner in the Boardwalk Restaurant above the wharf at Oban’s Halfmoon Bay, while Penguins swam around outside. Down here at 47º South, only Cape Horn and Antarctica are below us, but if you kept out of the wind, the days were quite hot in the sun.

Returning to Bluff and Invercargill, we took the Catlins scenic route across the Island’s south- eastern corner to the staunchly Scottish city of Dunedin, imposingly set in the hills around Otago Harbour, with its stately stone buildings and grand architecture which are arguably amongst the finest in the nation. Unfortunately the good weather we’d been enjoying turned otherwise, but it didn’t dampen our appreciation of this striking city, which like so many other southern towns, boasts magnificently colourful and well kept flower gardens that evidence and credit civic pride.

We then headed inland through the high country past Raes Junction to the Roxburgh Hydroelectric Station, going as far as Cromwell, then back through the open beef cattle grazing country of Ranfurly to the coast beyond Palmerston, where we saw the Moeraki Boulders, man-size spherical stone marbles on the beach, whose pre-historic origins are of world geological acclaim. Continuing on up the coast, Oamaru offered much interest with its many well-preserved late 1800’s limestone buildings around the old port area. Limestone was mined locally and comparatively inexpensive during that era, hence its widespread use within the south-eastern towns between Invercargill and Timaru, with their strongly Scottish character.

Our itinerary called for a return to the snow capped Southern Alps, but on the eastern side to visit famous Mt. Cook, so we headed up the mighty Waitaki River valley stopping to gaze in awe at the huge Hydroelectric Stations at Aviemore and Benmore Dams with their extensive colourful lakes, the latter having the second largest rock fill dam wall in the southern hemisphere. As we passed through Omarama and Twizel, steadily gaining altitude all the way, we watched very black storm clouds build, then down came heavy hail clattering on roof and windscreen while buffeting winds shook the van around. The storm quickly passed but misty rain and light snow took its place as we arrived at Mt. Cook, somewhat limiting our views of the nations highest peak, and easily being the coldest we’d felt in NZ. Glacial sediment colours the waters of the lakes and hydro canals a most brilliant turquoise hue, and both Lakes Pukaki and Tekapo are simply stunningly attractive. The historic small stone ‘Church of The Good Shepherd’, built on the shore of Lake Tekapo with its total clear glass wall behind the altar, offers a post card vista to equal almost anything, anywhere.

Having purchased some smoked salmon from the Mt. Cook Salmon Farm on Tekapo’s hydro channel, we returned to the coast at Timaru and drove up to Christchurch to again stay with friends and rediscover real beds! After a few days ‘holiday’, and the opportunity to organize hundreds of digital photos on the laptop, it was back on the road again.

This time we took in the hot thermal village of Hanmer Springs enroute across the Alps through Lewis Pass, another very scenic route of mountains and river valleys, through the old gold town of Reefton, the first town in the southern hemisphere to have electric street lighting in 1888, which they boast, was even before London or New York. We visited coastal Greymouth, stocked up with the nation’s best venison salamis in tiny Blackball, and inspected the nearby infamous Brunner Coal Mine, site of NZ’s worst mining disaster, killing 63 men and boys in 1896.

Further up the coast we watched the Tasman Sea at play in the blowholes at Punataiki’s Pancake Rocks, on our way to Westport, before our road took us away from the coast and back up into the mountains once again, where we shared the Lyell D.O.C. campground with several other foreign campers and several million sandflies. Next day found us continuing through the mountains with all the scenic panoramas of clear stony streams and rapids of the Buller River, plus its two gorges, and half tunnels gouged out of the cliff face. Throughout the Alps, almost every corner offered a striking new vista, and no doubt the slower travelling cyclists enjoyed the greatest views.

No matter where we went, the number of touring cyclists, and their stamina, never ceased to amaze us, especially here in the South Island (or ‘the mainland’ as they love to call it with their good humoured parochialism); we would come upon couples pedalling their bicycles, sometimes in the rain, laden with heavy saddlebags and packs up the steepest mountain roads that our van groaned up in 2nd gear out of 5! Girls and guys, mostly Germans by their flags, but Brits, Yanks and others as well, some on two, and three wheeled laid back ‘reclining’ bikes, others towing young children in little trailers, couples on tandem bikes, but mostly traditional custom made touring bicycles, usually with 27 gears. ‘Me dips me lid to ‘em!

We drove up the fertile Motueka River valley with its mixture of dairying, sheep, beef cattle and deer to the coastal town of the same name, then took a look at beautiful Kaiteriteri Beach, by far the nicest seaside spot in the South Island, with its golden sands and very attractive setting. Then came the seriously high and winding road from the Riwaka Valley through to Upper Takaka, which offered more lovely views and no doubt considerable brake wear, but we made it alright and continued our way up to Puponga at the western tip of the Island adjacent to Cape Farewell, enjoying an excellent beach front campsite at Pohara’s Ligar Bay enroute, with its natural stone archway covering the roadway, and hilltop ‘Abel Tasman’ monument, partly supplied by the Dutch Royal Family to acknowledge this famous son of the Netherlands and commemorate his discovery of New Zealand.

Our South Island adventure was in its last few days as we skirted around Tasman Bay zipping past orchards of mainly apples, sizable vineyards and hop fields on their high wire trellises, as we travelled on towards Nelson, another pretty downtown area full of multi-coloured hanging flower baskets suspended from the footpath awnings, with the magnificent Cathedral above ‘The Town Steps’ imposingly overlooking Trafalgar Street and the city heart. New Zealand’s first game of Rugby was played here in 1870 and the hilltop behind this acclaimed rugby field officially marks the North/South centre of the nation. (How’s that for trivia!)

So we moved on to Blenheim and up the coast road to isolated White’s Bay, where the historic old Cable House still stands from its heady days of 1867 when it was the end of the first submarine cable which linked NZ’s North and South Islands. That evening we stayed with new friends on their Marlborough farm near Blenheim, where they are establishing a vineyard, and have a variety of olives trees from which they press olive oil. Fascinating.

On our last day we took a trip up the somewhat remote and rugged Queen Charlotte Peninsular to the pretty little landlocked bay at Portage, before returning to our departure point in Picton at the head of Queen Charlotte Sound, to await our departure back to Wellington on the big Cook Strait vehicle ferry early next morning.

There were so many highlights during our five weeks’ South Island adventure that to mention some at the expense of others would seem almost impolitic, but for us ‘banana benders’ from the flattest, driest and almost hottest place on earth, the majesty of the snow capped Alps contrasting the tranquillity of turquoise lakes, cloud shrouded Milford Sound and the rugged grandeur of the ice glaciers were all spectacular for us, as was Mt. Cook with its cold sleety snowfall, and the serenity of sparkling Queenstown with our high eagle’s eye view from the Gondola. The myriad of well maintained walking tracks rate a special mention, as does sleepy, picturesque Stewart Island tucked away down below, and the beautifully colourful inner city flower gardens of most S/E coastal towns add a further dimension to their outstanding old stone architecture. But people make the country, and the easy going southern Kiwis certainly uphold this tradition. They were simply great to us.

Now its back to Auckland for a few weeks of yacht preparation to get ready for further adventures.

"Happenings" Number 4 - 2002

2002-12-19T15:24:00.000+08:00

Christmas 2002 - New Zealand

How unusual it is for us to be away from Australia, and more specifically Brisbane, at this time of the year; it’s indeed a rare occurrence for both of us. But what a thrill to experience Christmas within a new environment and circumstances in a different country.

And talk about Christmas in a new country; from the day of arrival we got the feeling we were in Lapland it was so cold – even the locals were complaining about it, and as often as Audrey – but when we heard some time later that it was the coldest NZ Spring weather for 35 years, we understood. Fortunately that’s behind us now with summer on the way.

So here we are resting at anchor in scenic Bon Accord Harbour, (the ‘harbour’ moniker no doubt a legacy of the 1840/50’s when this was NZ’s first copper mine) at historical Kawau Island, a day’s sail north of Auckland, making an early start on this year’s Christmas ‘Happenings’ contact, for we realize it will be all go once “Envy” arrives at the marina in Auckland. So much to do and see, with Christmas and all that!

We arrived at Opua in New Zealand on 23 October after a ten day Tasman passage, being just one of the 460 plus international recreational yachties cleared through this entry port alone by NZ Customs to date this year, so you can see there’s plenty of us out there doing it! We spent 22 days discovering this beautiful ‘Bay of Islands’ area, in the country’s north-east, where there are numerous tiny islands all close by, offering perfect shelter in a multitude of snug anchorages surrounded by exceptional scenery.

Every other day offered a new anchorage with superb views. We tramped up steep hills and down, on hiking tracks around some of the most scenic country we’ve ever seen; Moturua Island is simply awesome and a photographers paradise, and our new digital camera has been really working overtime, recording several hundred snaps, which are all categorised on our computer and are already a source of ‘slide show’ viewing enjoyment. There’s no doubt that digital cameras are the way to go! We also have a colour printer on board and Audrey is compiling a great photo album of our NZ adventure as we go.

Another delight (for us) of this area was its Oysters. Never have we seen so many of a good size and easily accessible, and to date we have collected about 500, with 211 our best harvest in one 3-hour session. We eat them raw, or cooked Kilpatrick with bacon or as cooked oyster patties, and enjoyed another cooked meal of them for lunch today. Maybe oysters are not your ‘cup of tea’, but nevertheless, can you imagine what 500 oysters would cost in OZ or the USA? Either raw in the bottle or at a restaurant, $ 000’s!

The Bay of Islands is the birthplace of the nation, for it was here in 1840 that the Treaty of Waitangi was signed. It is where NZ was first settled and has a number of historically significant places, some of which we visited in the company of three different local people who befriended us during our time in the area; they also took us sightseeing on daylong excursions, as well as into their homes for overnight stays. One of these were the Logans, a local yachting couple out for the weekend, whom we had met at RQYS in 2000, and who happened upon ”Envy” in one of the anchorages, so they took us ‘under their wing’ and spoiled us, fortuitously, for it was Audrey’s Birthday. (39 again!!)

It was time to move on so we sailed out of The Bay of Islands and southward to the old whaling station ruins at Whangamumu, an excellent anchorage 14 miles down the coast where we went ashore and inspected the historic stone remains, dating from late last century to the early 1950’s. There were 5 yachts here the first night, one each from the USA, Holland, Germany, NZ and Australia (us), a typical anchorage mix, plus a local fishing boat. A rock pool at the base of a small waterfall 100 mtr in from the stony beach made for an excellent laundry facility, much needed, since we again tramped many hours, over two days, along steep walking tracks.

Meanwhile back on “Envy”, Bruce’s fishing enquiry to the solo professional fisherman anchored nearby resulted in an invitation to take him rod fishing close by for a short while that afternoon, which resulted in 5 good fish, all given to us, and an invitation to join Roy on his 30ft fishing boat early next morning for some ‘serious fishing’.

Away at 3am around to the next bay, and by 4.30am they had run out 2 ½ miles of long-line set with 720 hooks baited with squid. An hour after sunrise around 6.30am the lines were hydraulically retrieved together with the day’s haul of only about 40/50 ‘sale’ fish, mostly Snapper, though many hooks caught undersize fish, baby sharks, stingrays and starfish etc., which were all returned alive to the sea.

Two mornings later saw Bruce join Roy again at 3am and this time the catch was twice as big. The result of all this is that we ended up with the fillets of 17 very yummy fish in our freezer, and Bruce learning a bit more about fishing! No fish tastes better than freshly caught ones, so scrumptious, and the happy knowledge that several more meals await us!!

Next stop was another 15 miles south to the attractive coastal village of Whangaruru, for a couple of days then on across the Bay for six miles to isolated Mimiwhangata Beach with its grassy parklike hills running down to golden sands, and famous amongst the locals as the picturesque venue of a royal BBQ for HM The Queen during a 1960’s visit. We stayed here only one day and night, since its exposed situation cautioned prudence.

With absolutely no wind about, “Envy” motored on another 15 miles south to the slightly larger coastal village of Tutukaka which, surprisingly for its tiny size (1 corner store), has a new marina, but little else. Several international yachts shared this anchorage overnight.

We sailed out early next morning for the 55 mile run to Great Barrier Island, a lovely day’s sail, other than for our arrival during a heavy rain squall ‘whiteout’ when we couldn’t see anything and had to navigate blindly into the port on GPS co-ordinates for an uncomfortable, though short time.

Great Barrier Island is another picturesque place whose volcanic origins and relative isolation have endowed it fauna and flora not found elsewhere in NZ, a colourful history and remains of past Kauri logging glory, and some awesome hiking tracks that test ones stamina. We walked a few of these tracks, including one with steep grades and steep drop offs up to the old historical kauri dams which, when released, sent all the huge cut kauri logs cascading down the watercourse to the bay below for onward delivery to distant sawmills. Quite ingenious engineering. This mountainous densely timbered island offers many splendid anchorages in numerous small bays, several of which we visited, including Whangaparapara further down the coast, where we spent the night in company with the luxury superyacht ‘Persus’ being one of many here in NZ for the America’s Cup.

But the highlights of our eight days here were; surprise, surprise -- Bathing and Fishing!

At a small cove named Smokehouse Bay, there is a crude establishment privately donated for the benefit of all, which comprises a room for smoking fish (very popular here in NZ), and a tin shed bathhouse, together with the welcoming sign ‘Smoke and Soak here.’ A wood-fired donkey boiler provides abundant hot water to a big old clean bathtub, where Audrey soaked blissfully in seventh heaven.

Bruce, now fully qualified and an authority on the subject following the earlier reported 2 days experience with Roy, the professional fisherman, decided to have a go at drift fishing in 30/40 mtr deep waters across Port Abercrombie and was duly rewarded with a catch of 15 Snapper, of which three were quite good sized fish. Eight of them were cleaned and frozen whole for later baking, and the remainder were ‘taken into stock’ as fillets.

Favourable conditions on Tuesday 3 December saw us depart Great Barrier Island heading back 30 miles towards the mainland, to beautiful and historically significant Kawau Island, home of NZ’s first mining operation (copper), and the famed ‘Mansion House’ home of early New Zealand Governor Sir George Grey. We anchored in Lavinia Cove also known as Schoolhouse Bay, site of an 1860’s school for the miners’ children, provided by Grey.

Over the following 6 days we enjoyed discovering the island, walking several of Kawau’s tracks through tall forest trees, fern shaded paths and around pretty shingly bays to the old copper mine site and the stately Mansion House, whose park-like manicured grounds contain a long established (1860’s) arboreal mix from each of the world’s continents. The two storey Mansion House is now owned by the National Trust, open for public inspection, and is magnificently fully furnished in period style; it is simply stunning inside with its Kauri columns and wall panelling. Few people today, 140 years on, could boast such luxuriously grand accommodation.

So we returned again to the real world of our little floating home, and indulged ourselves once more with oysters for lunch and grilled Snapper for dinner. ‘Envy’ enjoyed two more different anchorages around Kawau before moving on to Auckland a few days later.

This city is alive with America’s Cup activity, & some of the visiting overseas mega yachts are just unbelievable. Absolute dream machines, both motor and sail, from America and Europe, which you only ever see as glossy photographs in upmarket boating magazines. On our way into Auckland Harbour we passed several of them heading out to watch the days Cup racing, and also several of the Cup contestant yachts as well. It’s one thing to see these boats on the telly but awesome to pass them a stone’s throw away on the water.

We arrived at Auckland’s West Park Marina, some 22km out from downtown, on Monday 8 December and rented a small car the following day. So here we are, catching up again on some boat maintenance jobs, as well as looking to buy a vehicle of some sort, as we try to find our way around a new city amidst all the usual pre-Christmas helter-skelter. What we’ve seen of NZ so far confirms all reports of its attractive natural beauty, and we hope to discover more of it soon.

That can be the subject of our next ‘Happenings’ contact. Meanwhile, from each of us to you go our best wishes for a

MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR