April 8 – 17, 2012 Mooloolaba – Our final Goodbye to Friends and the Familiar

Easter dinner for us was a feast at Thai Seasons, our favorite! We had contacted Kerri and Erwin Schlomm (Jan Meggitt's sister), and called Paul and Glor of Scallywag to let them know we are here.  We continued our jogging regime, but on Monday Frank confessed that he had been having knee pain that had now intensified to the point he could no longer run. I'd been telling him for ages that he needs new shoes, which to his ears is nagging, and so his response was generally a "yeah, yeah, yeah." accompanied by a wave off of the hand. He was in such pain, however, that he couldn't even go for walks with me so I tried not to pull the "I told you so" card; rather I insisted that he get new shoes before even attempting again. It took us a few days but we found an actual running store that fitted him out beautifully with a new pair of Asics.

The rest of our time in Mooloolaba was a treat. We hooked up with the Scallys for several meals. Kerri invited us for lunch one day at her daughter, Inga, and son in law, Todd's large and beautiful beach house at Kawana.  She arrived to pick us up, escorted by Erwin's parents, Doris and Egon, who wanted to see our beloved Destiny. We welcomed them aboard, gave them a quick tour and then piled into Kerri car heading for the beach house. Egon and Doris are German immigrants with whom we immediately fell in love. They live south of Sydney, having moved to Australia when Erwin was young. Egon is quite the German chef and both he and Doris are heavily involved in the Aussie-German community in Wollongong. Doris served us a snack plate of beef rolls that Egon had cooked for them the previous night. They were delicious! Todd, Inga and Erwin prepared a lovely barbequed calamari/prawn lunch. We ate and then spent the afternoon kicking back and enjoying one another's company. We never even went out to the beach we were having such a great visit.

A couple of days later Kerri and I had a girl-day, starting with coffee a short walk, then lunch and tea at her house followed by haircut appointments and a stroll through the Esplanade. It was a perfect day. Every day in Mooloolaba is a perfect day. Except when it rains. We had a few drizzly days when we would stroll along the covered walkways of the esplanade to seek out the best meal du jour. One night we rented the movie "Red Dog", that EVERYONE had told us is a must see. We thoroughly enjoyed that and highly recommend it to viewers young and old.

Gwynn, friend of most of our Kiwi cruising mates who now lives in Mooloolaba, joined the Scallys and us for one last dinner at Thai Seasons before our departure. Afterwards they all returned to Destiny for a cleansing ale that has now become ritual introduced to Frank by Mark Dent. And the rains poured down on our friends as they left that night.

Early to bed now for an early wakeup to catch that outgoing tide in the morning. This is the beginning of a new chapter of adventures for us. We will be cruising waters we have not known before, and that promise to offer the loveliest anchorages and best cruising in all of Oz.

April 6 – 7, 2012 – Onward to Tangalooma and Mooloolaba One Last Time

Wind, weather and tides looked good for heading over to Tangalooma, which we weren't keen on going to but needed to break up the trip to Mooloolaba. We had a sneaking feeling that, being Good Friday, we would not be the only people heading for beautiful Moreton Island.  On approach we noted the already filling anchorage with dismay. Water skiers, jet-boaters, jet-skiers, and the parachute boats we being heavily employed. Before sunset we'd made the decision to break away from here after breakfast.

Saturday morning we hurried away from Moreton Island, enjoying a nice sail up to Mooloolaba. As we neared the river entrance, Frank radioed the coast guard for instructions crossing the bar. We noted the entrance had been moved over significantly from the former coordinates, and in fact had us overshooting the former, then running back parallel to the beach and threading narrowly through the jetty. We were told that due to recent floods, the dredger was working 24/7 to keep the entrance passable but that we would not be able to enter until mid flood tide. So this must be why so many yachts are bobbing at anchor out here. We dropped the hook and waited the requisite 2 hours before attempting approach. We watched a few others navigate ahead of us and realized as one nearly buried rails in the water, he had not timed the waves of the incoming tide that were breaking over the bar. He got slammed not once but twice throwing the poor yacht into a painful to watch 45° roll.  Yikes! Frank and I continued to observe and to count until finally we found the sweet spot and revved our way through. Easy as.

Getting into the marina was yet another story. We'd been assigned a berth that appeared easy enough to get into, but with this incoming tide pushing at us perpendicular to our objective and a cardinal post marking a sandbar not 100 feet behind the berth we cut too short and ended up sitting on the sand bar. Thankfully the tide was so strong it helped us maneuver off quickly before we got thrown into the rock jetty on shore just adjacent to the berth. At about this time a man and woman motored up in their dinghy offering to give us a hand. Angels they were. Locals who knew the drill, they expertly helped us tie up and then jumped back into their dinghy and sped away wishing us a Happy Easter.

It's good to be back. We love this little beach town and all that it has to offer. We cleaned ourselves up and set off to the Mooloolaba Surf Club for dinner.

March 22 - April 6, 2012 – Brisbane, The Spencers, Frankie Valli, and The Gabba

Frank looked at me after breakfast and declared that today we would begin running to get ourselves in shape for running with the Hash. I laughed and said we certainly do not have to get in shape to run with the Hash House Harriers! But in his mind we do and he will not settle for walking or not being able to run the entire course next time. We designated the run/bike/walking trail from Dockside Marina, around the end of Kangaroo Point and down to Southbank as our training ground. Amazingly that first day I couldn't believe I ran (jogged) the entire way. We think it is approximately 5km. On completion we waded into the pool at Southbank rather I waded; Frank fully dunked himself. Then we had lunch at one of the local cafés before walking back. We made a circuitous route of it, walking the return, via Southbank trail as far as the steep stair climb up the climbing wall to The Cliffs café and then down to the Story Bridge and back over to Dockside. That night we realized we had pushed ourselves a bit much on this first attempt. Geez, I hadn't run since last July in Denver. We both popped a couple of Aleve's before going to bed. The next morning I stumbled out of bed and literally felt like I'd been clubbed from hip to toe. I could hardly move my legs. My motions were so herky-jerky I was immediately reminded of the scene from "Men in Black" of The Bug, who invaded the farmer's body. Oh my gosh, I was walking like him! Trying to walk just up the dock to the boardwalk was so painful and my legs so twitchy I looked like I'd never had legs attached to my body before.  All I could do was laugh at myself and wonder what other people must be thinking as they passed me by. Frank declared that the only way to deal with this is to run. So we set off again after breakfast, me jerking like I was having electro-shock therapy with every step. How could he just take off like that? He did. He set right off as though he hadn't a care in the world. I thought surely I was in better shape than him! Not in the legs, however, and so I jerked along behind him until, about 2/3 of the way I finally had to just try to walk for survival to the pools. This became our ritual for the next two weeks. I had to take a day off here and there to just walk, but we were getting our lard-asses moving which was the objective.

Saturday afternoon, Scott and Muriel picked us up for a big night out on the Gold Coast. We had tickets for the Frankie Valli show at the casino.  We arrived at the casino early for dinner before the show, and as we were standing around one of the foyers pondering our food choices, who walked right by us, but a tiny little man with big hair swept back from a tall forehead? Himself. I stood rooted staring at him gape-mouthed as Muriel said, "Well there's Frankie Valli, coming right at us!" I knew he was of small stature but never realized how frail he appeared at close range.  He had a spry step, however, as he passed me making direct eye contact probably wondering, "What's wrong with her mouth?"  We enjoyed an amazingly good show by him and his studly foursome of back-up singer dancers. Oh What a Night! He really got the crowd going, clever trick really so that he wouldn't have to hit the high notes, wink, wink. It was truly a memorable night and great fun to actually put on some heels and a black dress for a change.

The following week we met the Spencers and Will (Lauren's guy), for dinner at our new favorite Chinese place in West End. Then because we were planning to head out on Friday, we lunched with them again on Thursday.  During lunch, Frank and Muriel decided that because we had not yet seen a live Australian Rules Footy game at The Gabba, we had better stick around a little while longer to catch one. Muriel had gone online and found that Carlton would be playing the Brisbane Lions the following Thursday night. Although we are by nature of knowing these guys and the Wises, Collingwood fans we swallowed our pride to attend this match. It was worth the thrill of getting to be present at the Gabba, especially with these guys who are expert fans. Once again, although Carton just killed the Lions, we had such a wonderful time with Scott, Muriel and Lauren. When it was time to say goodbye and goodnight I choked up. We love them so, and seriously pray this is just "See you later".

On Good Friday, we departed Brisbane with deep sadness, and as we rode the ebbing tide out the Brisbane River we heard that faint click of yet another door closing behind us.

March 19 – 21, 2012 Brisbane and Scott’s final days with us

Monday afternoon we were all bushed but nothing could keep Frank and Scott from the Story Bridge Hotel for some ice-cold beer and sports on TV. They freshened up and set off within the hour. I phoned Deery's, the steak house at Story Bridge for a dinner booking and then settled in for some P's and Q's. At the appointed hour I walked up to Deery's to meet them for an astonishingly good steak dinner.

Tuesday we walked Scott half to death. We had one full day to show him the town, so of course we took him to our favorite highlights. First we hopped on the river ferry across to town for a stroll through CBD to Queen Street, and then over the bridge to Southbank. Frank introduced Scott to The Plough Inn. It was of course a big hit. The sun came out for a good bit of the day – thank you Mother Nature. We walked from Southbank to West End for a tasty Chinese lunch at West End Gardens, and then afterward the guys decided to bar-hop their way back via Southbank, so I went on ahead and left them to their last day of guy-time.

In spite of the return of intermittent rain, we donned our "going out to eat dinner" attire and walked to Spizzico that night for a good old-fashioned home cooked Italian meal. Scott left EARLY Wednesday morning to catch a cab to the airport. His return would be a flight to Sydney and then an afternoon flight back to the States.

March 15 – 19, 2012 Sailing Overnight to the Gold Coast and Visiting Gold Coast

Rock and roll as the story goes, from Coffs. We pitched and we rolled under gray skies out of the harbor heading offshore chasing the current and hoping to catch good wind. It was not our favorite overnighter. None of them are for me anyway. We were thankful to have Scott and the extra pair of eyes and a body to take the load off watches. We were all too keyed up, though to make an attempt at sticking to a schedule. I have been feeling somewhat under par, and after mid-morning I was down for the count, leaving the boys to take care of the day. It was like that on and off all day and into the evening. I felt somewhat guilty, but the exhaustion was nearly overwhelming. They both seemed to enjoy being up there together in the cockpit, alternatively reading and watching for obstacles. There wasn't much else to do. Into the night we dodged several large ships and fishing vessels. Daylight could not come soon enough, but as always it did and as always we made it through just fine. Winds were not cooperative, nor was weather but thankfully that is why we have an engine.  Our arrival at Gold Coast's Mariner's Cove was much easier this time as we hit it at nil tide around 2:34 in the afternoon.

The rain has remained with us but was now slowed to fits and bursts. We were all very tired from that journey and although we wanted a good meal, we settled for the mediocre Hogs Breath Saloon where we paid entirely too much for a sub-standard meal, but according to the boys the beer was cold and afterward, Scott enjoyed his wine so the evening had its successes.

Friday brought more rain. We wanted to take Scott to the beaches, which are so nice here and made it a short walk to the surf club. We took him on the bus to Surfer's Paradise so he could see what the Gold Coast hoopla is all about. He was fortunate to catch sight of two scantily gold-clad meter maids.

Saturday I needed to get to the Apple Store at Robina for some tutoring on my MacBook, and it was raining anyway so the boys came along. Little did we know this was the day they were rolling out the new iPad. The Apple Store was filled to overflowing and had a queue of hopeful patrons running halfway through the mall. We settled for lunch and a little shopping.

Sunday the guys went to a local bar to watch rugby and I managed to get my appointment at Apple.  The rain persisted.

Monday we left at 6:00 AM, heading for Brisbane. Time to get a move on so Scott could at least see a little of Brisbane before he left. We arrived at Dockside Marina at 3 PM. Guess what?! It was raining.

October 11 - 20, 2011 - Gold Coast, Storms and Frank’s Broken Toe

Tuesday, October 11, 2011
We left Dockside at around 9 AM, heading for Peel Island. We managed to sail for most of the journey over to Peel Island. My allergies are really giving me a hard time, so I had to hit the inhaler twice. After a while dizziness overcame me and so I went below for some rest hoping that would help me to feel better. I can tell Frank is suffering as well. We are both coughing a fair bit and he is sneezing while I am wheezing.  He finally woke me around 2 PM to tell me we were real close to the anchorage at Peel Island. There were numerous boats already here, in fact more than we have ever seen, possibly due to the northerlies, making it very calm here right now.  Still feeling very dizzy I managed to get the anchor set and returned to the cockpit where we sat to watch the various boats weave in and out. Eventually the day faded as we enjoyed a very colorful sunset – unlike any we have seen for a while. It was a beautiful evening and the most comfortable night we've ever spent at this anchorage.

Wednesday, October 12
We awoke at 5:15 AM, slurped some coffee into our systems and got underway by 6:00,  so that we could travel the Broadwater with the incoming tide. We needed to time our arrival at Jacob's Well at 10:00 – high tide. The ride was better than any other previous journey up or down this stretch of waterway. We spotted a couple of dredgers along the way, so perchance it is because they are keeping it well dredged or we timed the rising tide just right. Perhaps it was a little of both. We arrived at Mariner's Cove marina at mid-day. The current was fierce. 

Russell, the marina manager, stood ready to take our dock-lines and although he had assigned us a large unoccupied berth, Frank had a terrible fight getting Destiny into the slip. Just as I had tossed Russell the midship spring-line and was running for the bow, the current grabbed Destiny pushing our stern away and around up against the high bow of a huge motor yacht in the berth on the other side of the finger. Frank was laying on Destiny's bow thruster but the current was just too much for our full-keeled boat. We heard the crunch of our dinghy up against the anchor hanging off the bowsprit of a large yacht. Thank God the dinghy was up on the davit, acting as a fender protecting both our boat and the other one. At the same time Russell was trying to guide us in with the spring-line.  Despite our concerted efforts, the strong current forced our hull up against the outside corner of the slip. I watched in horror as it dug into the hull and continued to seemingly carve a deep gash just above our waterline as we moved forward. I leaned into the pylon at the end of the finger, trying to push us off but it was just no use. I doubt the Incredible Hulk could have been much help. While this is all happening, Russell is trying to guide us in with just one line; fighting the current, shouting directives to Frank with me pushing with all my might as Frank is calmly trying to keep us in one piece, a group of nosey onlookers stood around gawking. They attracted more onlookers as they commented and giggled at our struggles, apparently more interested in watching a possible catastrophe than offering to assist us. Not one of them offered a hand or even a kind word of encouragement. When we finally got safely tied in, the group disbanded. Destiny is not gouged, but we do have a rather ugly 8-10 foot scrape running along the hull. We are hoping on closer inspection to find that it can be buffed out.  We were exhausted and a little shaken from the effort. Russell told Frank to just take it easy and come by the office tomorrow to formally check in. 

It is a beautiful day and rather than sitting around to ruminate on this last debacle Frank wants to go for a walk I really wanted to as well especially because it is supposed to rain for the next few days but I am suffering again with this inability to breathe. I feel as though there is a huge band around my lungs that just won't let me get air into them. I don't think I can handle walking around breathing in all this pollen. Maybe the rain will do something to help.

Thursday, Oct 13th
We went for a walk to Australia Fair, bought some groceries and browsed the mall. Caught the bus back. My breathing is a little better today.

Friday, Oct 14^th
No rain yet so we spent the day applying wax to topside gelcoat and stainless, then took a walk out to the Surf Club. Pollen seems to have settled down.

Saturday, Oct 15^th
We continued with the waxing, then Frank stubbed his already bad toe – broke it – sticking straight out sideways. It immediately began turning various colors of green and black. I told him it now resembled a fat little gherkin! He told me to just pull it back into socket thinking it was just out of joint. I shuddered as I took hold of his toe and began to manipulate it back into place. It felt like mush. I stopped and told him there is no way it is out of joint; he has done a real number on it this time. A neighbor named Pete on a vessel called The Lady drove us to Gold Coast hospital. This place is as filthy and as derelict as the ER room in Noumea. I suppose this is what tax-payor dollars get for the public health care system. 

After 4 hours Frank was still awaiting x-ray of his foot. Outside we could hear a storm building as wind howled. It looked bad outside and realizing we had left hatches open, tops off cleaning solution bottles and all manner of cleaning/waxing materials out on the deck of Destiny in our rushed departure to the hospital, Frank sent me walking back to boat I didn't have my purse and no money for cab fare. I got about a kilometer away from the hospital when a twister kicked up out of nowhere throwing debris all about, nearly sweeping me away. I crab-walked to safety behind a building and then ran over to Australia Fair shopping center where I missed the bus by just two minutes. I ducked inside the large glass doors and watched the storm rage. The sky turned an eerie shade of green the storm continued to build for about 30 minutes. The buses must have stopped running because there was no traffic about. People continued to pour into the shopping center, terrified with crying children in tow. Eventually traffic reappeared and I managed to catch the 4:30 bus back to marina. I arrived at 5 and began closing hatches and tossing things into the cockpit that hadn't been blown away. Amazingly the jug of wax was still sitting uncovered and the top nearby. Frank called at about this time reporting he was done and on his way back.  All they did was x-ray, confirm it certainly was broken and then taped it to the next toe, handed him a bill to pay and sent him on his way. No care advice, no RX for pain meds, anti inflammatories or anti-infection. He caught the bus home and arrived by 6. I pulled out the remains of meds from my New Caledonia hospital visit handed them over to him and started to cook dinner.

Sunday, Oct 16^th
In the morning we strolled the local fresh market that was set up just in the marina parking lot. Although very small this is one of the best markets we have seen perhaps because it is not mingled with junk, it is simply stocked with local fresh foods. On return to the boat I ordered Frank off his foot and resumed my chores.

Monday, Oct 17^th
Scott and Muriel picked us up – took us for a drive to Byron Bay a beach community that is famous for being trendy, artsy and full of "hip new agers".  It was a rainy and dreary day so we were not afforded the opportunity to see what all the fuss was about but we did have a very good lunch and then drove down to lovely Ballina. Sunshine interspersed with the cloud cover allowing us to get off a few good snapshots. Being with Scott and Muriel is always good fun no matter what we are doing. Frank enjoyed a day away from the boat where I was holding him prisoner.

Tuesday, Oct 18^th 
Frank's toe was giving him less trouble and we resumed chores.

Wed., Oct 19^th
We took bus to Pacific Fair and then stopped for lunch at our favorite Chinese restaurant, Ming Palace. Afterward we tried for a short stroll but Frank's foot was really hurting so we came back to boat. To be fair he really broke that toe and should be moving around as he does especially in flip flops but he isn't one to just sit around.

Thursday, 20^th 

Rain, rain go away! It poured and poured. We watched movies, read books and played cards. When the weather breaks we are breaking out of here.

October 5 - 10, 2011 - A little of This and a Little of That Around Brisbane

Wednesday, October 5

Walked into town (via the Story Bridge) to the Queen Street Market. Ate our way through the market, stocked up on fresh baked breads, fruits, vegetables and fresh pastas and gnocchi from Enzo. Then Frank's toe is still taped up and was getting quite sore so he took the lion's share of groceries back with him on the ferry while I walked back over the Story Bridge.  I am loving this walk-er-size!

Thursday, Oct. 6
No walking for Frank today. His  toe was swollen so I re-taped it for him and nagged him to put his foot up. We didn't do too much but straighten up the boat.

Friday, October 7
Frank was feeling fit. We had a nice long walk from Kangaroo Point past the Gabba to the Norman Hotel for lunch. It boasts being Brisbane's worst vegetarian restaurant. We will attest that it is true. We shared a large eye fillet (filet mignon) dinner which left us absolutely stuffed. Definitely the best steak we have laid money on. We left The Norman, wandering about until we found out way over to Southbank, then crossed the bridge to Queen Street where we did a little shopping and then walked back through town to catch the ferry back across the river to Kangaroo Point. We put in a LOT of MILES this day.

Saturday, October 8. 2011
Awoke to rain – lots of rain. Frank spent much of the day perusing West Marine's catalogue for supplies and electronics that we need to upgrade and update our systems. I spent it cleaning the boat and cleaning out my emails, sent an update to the blog from last April. Gee am I behind or what?!

Sunday, October 9, 2011
Today we walked across the Story Bridge into China town, then out to Fortitude Valley for lunch at Tartufo (recommended by Enzo, our fresh pasta man). Our meal was outstanding. We shared a plate of homemade funghi tortelloni and a wild rocket salad with shaved parmesano and toasted pine nuts – yum! Afterward we needed to walk off the cream sauce so we set off straight down Ann St., all the way through town to the river. The Jacaranda trees and all species of other beauties are in full bloom painting our path as though we were in a Monet. It is such a beautiful time to be in Brisbane. I am so happy we are here early enough to enjoy this emergence of springtime! We crossed the river at the Queen St. Bridge. Frank sat for a beer and to watch rugby World Cup (Austalia vs S. Africa) at the Plough Inn while I browsed the Southbank market and took pictures. At halftime we walked back to Destiny and collapsed for a foot soak and to watch the end of the game. Wallabies beat the Springboks 11-9! We figure we walked about 10 miles. I am beginning to have some serious issues with allergies though.

Monday, October 10
 Bad allergies – difficulty breathing for me in spite of using the inhaler and taking antihistamines. Just not up to walking today. The Pollen count is very high right now. Too bad because it is our last day in Brisbane before we head south.

Sept. 21 - Oct. 4, 2011 - Mooloolaba - Tangalooma - Brisbane and Visits From Friends

We were excited to return to Mooloolaba and its upbeat trendy atmosphere. There is something magical about this place that just feels good. It doesn't hurt that the beaches are world-class and the eateries and shopping are good here. Scott and Muriel Spencer had driven up from Brisbane for a short holiday in Mooloolaba at the same time. We dined with them at the Surf Club and at Thai Seasons and then one day they drove us up to beautiful Noosa where we spent a few hours on the beach. They left a few days later and then on Sept. 28th, Jan and Russell Meggitt came to stay with us. We had arranged for them to sail with us back down to Brisbane.

Jan's sister Kerri Scholmm lives in nearby Buderim. Kerri and her husband Erwin joined us that first night for happy hour on Destiny and then Thai Seasons for dinner. Kerri and Jan are like a vaudeville act when together, and Erwin is full of life. Fortunately as in-laws the four of them get along famously making it a great evening of laughter and friendship. Jan and I met Kerri the next two mornings for an invigorating walk along the foreshore, followed by coffee at a local cafe and then either shopping or heading to the beach, or both. Frank and Russell made several trips to the hardware store and to the Mooloolaba Surf Club bar. We always knew where to find those two. Poor Erwin had to work. I'm sure is liver appreciated that. On October 1, we sailed back to Moreton Island, eager to share it with Jan and Russell.

As we entered the bay we joined the whales that we had been observing from shore moving along the coastline all week. This is the time of year they migrate into warmer waters with their young. Moreton Bay is not very deep between Moololaba and Moreton Island, so whale spotting was easy. Getting photos was not. They put on a real show stopper performance for us tossing their babies up into the air and pirouetting up out of the water, frolicking like children all through the bay. This must be a popular playground for them, it sure was a treat for us.

We arrived at Tangalooma with plenty of daylight to head to shore. Jan and I packed up books to read and beach paraphernalia. Frank and Russell went on their own hike to find a cool beer. That evening the anchorage became extremely rocky, and by the next morning winds had shifted around from the southwest bringing thunderheads and gray skies at mid morning. This is not good. The bay was chopping up such that we realized we had to get the heck out of there. Smaller craft were bobbing and tossing about violently. We weighed anchor and beat into the bay. It was not a good ride into Brisbane. The water churned, the grey sky turned black as thunderheads built into a storm that slammed us all the way to Brisbane River. Fortunately this is not Jan and Russell's first rodeo. They are power yacht owners and no strangers to this kind of boating. We happily snugged up to the berth at Dockside and breathed a huge sigh of relief that nothing and no-one was broken. 

Monday, October 3, we awoke leisurely, then strolled down to Southbank. Kerri's daughter, Inga lives in Brisbane. Jan phoned her, found that she was free for lunch so we invited her to join us at Frank's favorite pub The Plough Inn. After lunch Jan and I took a walk leaving the boys to their cold beer and Bloke talk. We walked through the lovely gardens and exhibits around Southbank then past the Maritime Museum where Jessica Watson's Pink Lady is now on permanent outdoor display. We eventually ended up back at Dockside and settled aboard thinking about what to do for dinner. They guys didn't show for a long while. It was dark when they returned so dinner was a casual affair.

Tuesday, October 4, we awoke at 4:35 AM to see Russell and Jan off. Frank stayed awake after that but I returned to bed until 8:00. We then tidied up and I mentioned going for a long walk, but Frank said that he had hit his toe the previous night while he and Russell were out and about visiting on another boat. It was very swollen and looked as though he had broken it this time. He could not possibly get a shoe on it so he taped it up and he took it easy for the rest of the day.

September 17 - 20, 2011 - Moreton Island & Tangalooma

Just across Moreton Bay from Brisbane lies Moreton Island, a sand island whose crystal blue waters and ivory colored sand beaches attract masses of day-trippers from the Brisbane area. They flock to the island in various forms of watercraft for either a day at the beach, a few days on the hook or for a veritable vacation. Large commercial motor cats ferry pedestrian and vehicle passengers over several times a day as well, pouring 4WD's onto the sand tracks and suitcase toting vacationers. There is a small settlement here called Tangalooma which hosts a resort, a very small convenience store and a couple of restaurants. The big attractions here are the towering sand dunes where those wishing to hike up the hill of soft cascading sand (too much effort four us old farts) can toboggan back down to the water's edge, and the Tangalooma Wrecks which form an artificial breakwater for the anchorage and diving opportunities for those wanting to drop several hundred dollars into the coffers of the tour operators. It is very beautiful, albeit very busy. If you can tolerate a rocky rolly anchorage, full of zipping little watercraft then it is a worthwhile trip out here.

We enjoyed a long walk far down the beach away from the hustle bustle to find ourselves a private spot to enjoy the sun and sand. I found a large plastic plate that had washed up onto the shore which I filled with pretty starfish that littered the beach. We spent 3-1/2 days swimming and lolling about here, witnessing spectacular sunsets and acting like locals before heading up to Mooloolaba.

September 4 - 16, 2011; Manly and Brisbane

Returning to Destiny, we unpacked our clothes outside in the cockpit because everything was covered in red dust. I spent the next day laundering to get the red out. The hiking shoes were another challenge altogether but eventually came clean. With the weather warming and while we were in a relatively calm marina we began a little bit of maintenance work on the boat. Waxing is always needed. Paul and Lei ellen on "Gato Go" were in one of the nearby marinas, so we met them a couple of times for dinner. Then one day, Scott and Muriel came by in their car to rescue us from our labors. They took us on a day trip down the coast. We love it when they get bored because they always want to drive somewhere with us.

On September 8th, weather and tides were right for us to move up the river to Dockside Marina in Brisbane. I've said before how much I love it there and was excited to be getting out of Manly. It's an all day trip and we knew that we would not be able to arrive at "nil tide". Fortunately there was an end berth available for us to tie to until 7 PM when the tide would go slack. As we passed the marina to make the turn back up river, I thought I was seeing an apparition. At the end of one of the arms sat a large St. Frances catamaran named O'Vive!  I yelled back at Frank to check it out - how could it be? Dave and Nathalie had shipped her back to Florida from New Zealand two years ago. Had they turned right around and sailed here??? As I was pointing at her, a man came out on deck, pointing his binoculars at us and then started waving his arms. My gosh it was Dave! He came over as we were just getting the dock lines looped to the  cleats. What a sight for sore eyes. He explained to us that after returning home he put O'Vive! on the market. An Aussie couple had come along and bought her. They somehow engaged Dave to deliver her to Brisbane. He did it in 4 months of hard sailing with a small crew. He had just arrived the day before us and now had the new owners on board. They were leaving soon for Yamba. Well, what do you know? We are constantly surprised by the twists and turns of destiny.

The Jacarandas were just coming into flowering season, lining Dockside's boardwalk with varying shades of lavender blooms. We enjoyed walking all over Brisbane nearly every day. As I have said it is an extremely walkable city. Several times we trekked over the Story Bridge into China town for a meal. Many days we strolled to South Bank just for the exercise or a dip in the beautiful pools. The weather is still very cool at night and not quite warm enough for shorts during the day (except for Frank who wears shorts year round). We spent lots of time with Scott and Muriel, meeting them and their daughter Lauren and her boyfriend Will for dinner. Wednesday we walked to the Queen Street market for fresh groceries, pasta and baked goods.  Being springtime, however, there was a lot of rain.

June 2 - June 13th, 2011 - Brisbane/RQYS

This marina is HUGE and yet we are happy to have been able to get a berth here for a three-month period. We will be flying "home" on June 14th.  Within the first couple of days, several people have come up to us to meet us, in the typically friendly Aussie fashion. They cannot seem to do enough for foreigners who have traveled this far (especially by yacht) to their amazing and far away country.

We spent a good bit of time cleaning up and then Frank made golf plans with his friend Dave while I did a bit of shopping. Scott and Muriel Spencer drove down to meet us for lunch one day at the local fish and chips that draws patrons from all over the area. We never could remember the name of the place because it just says "Fish and Chips" on the banner. Then on several other days, Scott and Muriel came by to drive us to local sights. What precious friends they are!

On days that we weren't exploring the area or Frank wasn't enjoying a bit of golf, we put our efforts into readying Destiny for a 3-month absence. Frank did "Bloke" jobs like maintaining engine, generator, watermaker, etc. I cleaned out lockers, gathered unused items from clothing, galley gadgets, recreational gizmos, books and the like, making a HUGE pile to take to the local Op-Shops in Wynnum. We donated huge duffel bags full of items, and then wondered why we still have no extra space. I also went through the pantry and tossed all of the out dated foods, scrubbed out lockers and freshened up the interior.  Frank did the same on the exterior and in the lazarette.

Finally on the 13th, we finished packing and it the sack ready for our big trip back home.

May 26 – June 1, 2011 Gold Coast - Brisbane

Good Grief! If Frank and I had known what a pain in the neck it would be to get back to Destiny from Mooloolaba we might have "rethunk" our strategy! The train ride was OK, but then we disembarked at Robina (a Gold Coast suburb), and not knowing the local transit system well ended up taking a series of buses and getting caught in peak hour traffic and road construction jams. The trip was long; from 8 AM to 7 PM. We were so tired when we arrived back on board.

The rain persisted for a few days, yet we went for long walks and enjoyed our surroundings as much as possible while awaiting the right weather window to resume our march toward Brisbane.

Finally a weather window opened and we shot down the coast, spending one very rocky and rolly night at Peel Island. Thank goodness we had a good journey the following day, putting us into Manly's Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron (RQYS) Marina at around 6 PM. 

Delivering Liberte to Mooloolabah with Paul and Gloria (from Scallywag)

Having been invited to sail with Paul and Gloria to deliver "Liberte" to Mooloolaba, we took the bus from our marina up to Sanctuary Cove on the evening of the 23rd. We joined the Scally's and some other skippers and employees of MultiHull solutions for a departure dinner at George's Seafood Restaurant. Frank and Paul got a little carried away and ended up ordering a seafood extravaganza feast for two that cost nearly $300! The platter took up the entire middle of our large round table and was spilling over with lobsters, Moreton Bay Bugs, prawns, calamari, oysters, clams,  mussels and accompaniments cooked various ways. It was almost embarrassing as we noticed people at other tables staring at those two gorging themselves and smiling wickedly. They couldn't possibly eat it all so  they began encouraging everyone else at the table to help them finish it off. I don't know if we did.  After dinner we spent the night on Liberte, setting out the next day for Mooloolaba intending to make it a two-day sail. We hit high winds on the nose as soon as we cleared the protection of land and hit the middle of the bay. Seas were choppy and as I'd never cruised on a catamaran this was a whole new experience for me. Liberte is a large (60 ft) cat. She can get up and go, but with these conditions we did an amazing amount of "slapping" like a rocking horse. I can only describe it as picturing your hand flat, palm down on the water...then you rock your hand heel-to slapping the water with the front of your had. That is what it felt like to me. At one point a rogue wave slammed us and we heard a loud crash inside. Glor and I went to investigate the crash to find shattered fragments of stemware all through the galley and saloon. This was very unusual since the glass was secured near centerline in a top shelf, but I guess the wave hit us just right - or wrong as the case may be.

We arrived at Pont Cartwright andgot a call from Gwyn, a Kiwi friend of the Scallys who now lives here, he was at the Point waving at us and snapping these photos. At approach to the Mooloolah River we dropped the sails.When we entered the calm waterway, Glor and I began putting out fenders and setting the docklines.

Once settled in to our berth, Gwyn joined us for a celebratory rest, then dinner at our favorite fish n chips. We spent the rest of the night visiting back on board Liberte.
Early the next morning, Gwen drove Frank and I to the train station for our return to Gold Coast.

May 19 - 23rd, 2011 The Gold Coast and the Sanctuary Cove Boat Show

Leaving Yamba for the Gold Coast we heard from our friend, Russell Meggitt that he and some of his mates were heading up for the big boat show at Sanctuary Cove. Within the same few hours we received a message from our friends Paul and Gloria (s/v Scallywag) that they would be flying over to Gold Coast from NZ to man the sales team of the Fontaine Pajot exhibit. They wanted us to meet up with them and offered us boat show passes. Having good times to look forward to at Gold Coast, we arrived abuzz with new energy.  Russell secured a berth for us through a friend of a friend's brother at the already full South Port Marina. It is the place to see and to be seen. As we were berthing, Russell phoned to tell us he and his mates were waiting for us in the bar while watching us try to get into the berth…thanks for the help, guys.  We joined the boys for happy hour, as one of his mates whispered into my ear that many famous locals were present in the yacht club this night. He seemed to know them all. We were introduced to Rob Mundle, an Australian journalist, sailor and author who has written several bestsellers relating primarily to life and adventure on the sea.  One of his most famous books is titled, "Fatal Storm", about the tragedy of the 1998 Sydney-Hobart Race. After visiting with Rob for a while, he introduced me to his dear friend, Kay Cottee. If you are not a sailor, you may not know of Kay. She is the first woman to sail singlehandedly, unassisted, nonstop around the world on her 37-foot sailing yacht Blackmore's First Lady. She accomplished this feat in 189 days at the age of 34, in the year of our Lord, 1988. Kay has my unbridled admiration. I was even further impressed when I learned that her journey ended on June 5, 1987, which happened to be my 30^th birthday. Having a quick think-back to who I was and what I was doing at that time of my own life I am further inspired to respect and adore her. She was asking me questions of our journey thus far, exclaiming how impressed she is at our daring and sense of adventure. I was astonished that she would find my life and exploits even mildly interesting much less impressive. I tossed dozens of questions to her that she very graciously answered and at the end of our visit she had a new #1 fan indeed.

Frank and I attended the boat show over the weekend thoroughly enjoying the precious time that we got to spend with Paul and Glor. Although they were working we found intermittent time to spend with them. We found ourselves seriously inspecting the cruising catamarans. FP and Leopard had some very attractive and impressive models that held our attention, and noticing this Paul managed to get us into the owners' party at the FP headquarters yacht. The weather was very uncooperative, throwing winds and rains at us yet we managed to make the most of this fabulous boat show. It far surpassed the Auckland Boast Show that we had attended in 2009 – blew it right out of the water, so to speak.

Our time in Gold Coast ended all too quickly, and before we knew it Paul and Glor made a proposal to Frank that we just could not refuse. He asked if we would like to join them on delivery of one of the FP's up to Mooloolaba on the 24^th. This would require us spending Monday night on the catamaran with them in order that we could cast off early the next morning. We merrily accepted and began packing our bags and planning provisions for the event. 

December 3 – 6, 2010 – Ah, Australia’s Famed Gold Coast

The day after Frank and I arrived, Rick and Robin from Endangered Species left but then Isabelle and Brian from Wasabi arrived.  Frank and I enjoyed the area, although the rain persisted nearly the entire time we were there.  We did some boat jobs and in between rainstorms, Isabelle and I went to the shopping district where there is a huge shopping mall.  I find the prices here abhorrent but managed to pick up a few sale items. I plan to do my shopping next time we go home. By the way, the USD is steadily losing its value since we arrived in Oz. It is now hovering around 102 (Aussie dollar) to $1 USD. But hey, we had a real good run while in Fiji for a few months so it evens out at the end of the day.

Nothing spectacular happened while at the Gold Coast except that we ate well and spent a lot of time looking around with our mouths hanging open; at the people, the homes and the very marina we berthed in – it had an upscale Rodeo Drive caliber shopping mall attached. We probably will not plan to spend much time here on the way back through other than to duck in for a night or so.  Of course that was the plan this time, however, weather rules the day and so we waited and watched for the right time to make a safe overnight run to Coffs Harbour.

Dec 2, 2010; A Very Tense Sail to the Gold Coast

Our Coral Coast Cruising Guide warns us: "Abandon all thoughts of peace and solitude when visiting the Gold Coast".  It is trendy, and bustling. Naturally we envisioned something like Cabo San Lucas in Mexico, so we left Brisbane with a combined sense of excitement and trepidation. We'll see. But we had to get there first.

We made a 6 AM departure back out the Brisbane River and when we hit the open water of the Coral Sea to venture south, the jolting reacquainted us with coastal cruising in Australia.  We did manage a great sail, however, when we hit the entrance to what is called The Broadwater we harbored concerns that we may not arrive at Mariner's Cove Marina in time to berth.

The Broadwater is a long inland waterway very much like our own Intercoastal Waterway but one that is like a minefield to traverse. It must be navigated very carefully because one particular area should only be approached at low tide in order (for the mast) to clear a cable that is stretched from shore to shore some 70 - 80 feet overhead (depending on real time depths), and then you have got to hit other areas at high tide because in some spots the depths are even too shallow for our draft. There are some schools of thought that dictate these waters should only be approached during Low low tides and High high tides that only occur about once a month. We felt confident because Destiny was built in Florida with these factors in mind for cruising the Florida waterways.  Nonetheless, Frank took the helm and hand steered much of the way while I manned the lookout for shallows & obstructions.  It made for an interesting journey as we passed by various levels of socio-economic areas of habitation and inhabitation.

The first developed part of shoreline we came to looked pretty scabby. The homes on shore and the watercraft moored about looked like a scene out of "Deliverance". We sure hoped we did not go to ground here.  We didn't, but a little while later we arrived at the dreaded cable.  It reached across a very wide part of the waterway with no support in the middle making it impossible to navigate the deeper mid section because the darn thing drooped dramatically.  Frank steered as close to the edge as he dared keeping a close eye on the depth gauge as I stood on the bow and watched for shallow spots.  Then he yelled to me to watch the mast and call out to him if it looked as though we would not clear the cable. I was running around like a little Mexican Jumping Bean! But, whew! We nudged the sandy bottom as we cleared it and had a few feet to spare at the top.  Calories were sweated during these tense minutes.

We then passed by areas of near desolation and isolation, decorated by the most beautiful beaches and the prettiest clear aquamarine water you could imagine.  This is where we hit ground the second time. The cruising guide had also forewarned of shifting bottoms and that sight navigation would reign superior to electronics.  The guide was correct. We had steered away from an area noted on the chart with shallow markings only to hit bottom at the area marked for clear passage.  We reversed, forwarded and bow-thrusted our way off the sand bar after just a few minutes, but became hyper alert now.  We were both so tense that I could feel the muscles in my jaw spasming, and knew that my TMJD was going to be giving me hell soon., so I could only imagine Frank's stress level.

Next came the high-rent district where the real estate can only be described as utter opulence. This told us we were getting close to the rumored sin city of the Gold Coast.  Large motor yachts were racing up and down the waterway, throwing us about and rocking us sideways like a little rubber duck in a bathtub. No consideration or sense of safety for others – rude, rude, rude. About this time, we hit bottom again! We had more trouble getting off the sandbar because of the #$*@*#G&%^! motor yachts throwing us further up onto the bar with their large wakes.  Finally, the tide rose just a little more, enabling us to break free and just then it began to pour down rain.  We made it the rest of the way into Mariner's Cove Marina, just catching the manager as he was locking up for the night.  We got tucked into our berth and then Frank grabbed a beer, sat back and said; "That is the hardest sailing I've done since we left the US!"  Time to de-stress! We were both bushed.  We sat, sighed and watched it just rain and rain, as I pondered what to do about dinner. Fate intervened when Robin from Endangered Species phoned us.  She told us that they figured we were pretty tired, because they had arrived the previous day and knew the drill. They were at the next marina over and wanted us to come join them for dinner at the yacht club. This is a real yacht club and tonight was "roast night" all U can eat for $15.  We jumped on it and so we sloshed over in the rain for a very nice dinner with our friends.  What a great way to end this day!

www.frankandbarbgladney.com

Nov 20 – Dec 1, 2010 – Loving Brisbane!

OK, I'm wayyyyyy behind in my journals.  We loved Brisbane!  Scott and Muriel were amazing hosts. 

After several days with Scott and Muriel, Frank and I returned to Destiny where we discovered Brisbane via train, water taxi and on foot. The city is laid out to be a walking, running, bicycling and climber's paradise! We felt a vibrant bond with Brissie!  Scott calls it Bris-vegas.  We only stayed two weeks and were quite saddened to leave but we are to be south of 30° by Dec. 1.  Since today is the deadline we obviously won't make that but will get close enough for government work.  We will return after cyclone season ends.

So off to the Gold Coast we go! 

Nov 17 – 19, 2010 – Exploring Brisbane, the Zoo and Rock-n-Roll!

We sailed down to Brisbane – great sail, and then a nice long 3-hour
cruise up the Brisbane River, past the major shipping port, meandering
along commercial and residential areas. We felt a certain excitement
and thrill at arriving here. Our destination was the Dockside Marina
just around the bend from CBD Brisbane. We were advised not to
attempt to dock until "nil tide", which on this day would be well
after dark. Fortunately the marina gave us a temporary berth at the
end of B-pier giving us the opportunity to slide right up and side-tie
for the night. We had been forewarned that this marina could be quite
uncomfortable because it is right out there on the river without a
breakwater of any kind, and is heavy with traffic. It is, however,
the absolute closest to downtown Brisbane, therefore we felt we could
tolerate the discomfort. We stayed for two weeks and YES it is
uncomfortable but quite tolerable.
There is something very important that happened to us at about this
time. Our young friend, Owen Topolnicki who is a second-grader in
Castle Rock, CO sent us a paper doll character that he made, named
Flat Stanley. We are to take Stanley around with us, show him some
important landmarks and then send this all back to Owen so he can
report it to his class. When we shared this information with the
Spencers they decided to help us show Stanley the sights of Brisbane.
We even set up a Facebook page for him. You are welcome to visit him
there. Just look for Flat Stanley.
Thursday morning, at 6:30 we moved into our berth, had breakfast and
then at 10:00, Scott and Muriel Spencer came to get us. It was a rainy
day, as most recent days have been but it did not deter us one bit.
They took us for a driving tour of the Brisbane area, which gave us a
good overview of what this lovely area has to offer. Our first stop
was the lookout at the top of Mount Coot-tha. Even on this dreary day
the panoramic view was spectacular. Next stop was a famous landmark
– The Breakfast Creek Hotel, affectionately known as Brekky Creek.
Built in the late 1800's, it is not only a beautiful landmark but also
a famous steakhouse and watering hole. We had a delicious steak
lunch, basked in the lively ambience for a bit while the boys enjoyed
some ice cold brews and then as the rains threatened to soak us to the
bone we ran for the car to continue our get-to-know Brisbane tour.
The next morning we packed our bags for a long weekend with the
Spencers. When they picked us up we set off directly for the
Australia Zoo, which was the pet project of Steve Irwin, The Crocodile
Hunter. This zoo is absolutely amazing! We had an opportunity to
actually interact (touch) koalas, kangaroos and wombats. Of course we
saw lots of crocs and snakes and lizards. The birds here in Australia
are amazing as well, and it is so shocking for us to see varieties of
cockatoos, parrots and macaws flying around wild. This is where I got
to hold a koala and get my picture taken. It was most assuredly the
highlight of my visit to OZ so far! Of course we took Stanley who
also got to touch the animals and watch the croc show, the bird show
and the elephant show.
Friday night we gussied up for a night at the theater. We went to see
"The Ultimate Rock 'n' Roll Jam Session", featuring music from Elvis,
Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis on a historic date:
December 4, 1956, when these four men met at Sun Record Studios in
Memphis for an impromptu jam session. It starred four famous Aussie
musicians. We had front row seats. It was incredible! What a great
end to a wonderful day.

Nov 15, 16 – Scarborough Marina

Arriving at Scarborough Marina was a challenge! The waves had been
big and the winds high during our trip down, but getting into the
marina is just as challenging. With the local swell and
countercurrents we struggled to get into the berth. There are
cruisers who do not care for this marina and then there are many who
like this marina for various personal reasons. Do not count us among
them. It is laid out in such a fashion that the walk up to the office
and facilities is annoyingly long. Other than the marina office and
amenities, a local seafood shop and a high-end restaurant, there isn't
much here. Unless you own or rent a car you pretty much feel like you
are out in the boonies. There were a couple of redeeming attractions.
Foremost was that our friends Laura and Mark Pitt were here on their
yacht, "Sabbatical III". We had last seen them in Noumea, New
Caledonia last October. The second positive aspect for us is the
amazing hiking/walking trail that goes on forever. It is very nicely
maintained and is equipped with lots and lots of exercise equipment,
picnic tables and state-of-the-art BBQ grills all along the path. We
spent two nights here. Both nights we took food over to the picnic
area and BBQ'd with Laura and Mark. The first night was just the 4 of
us. The next night, Bob and Belle on "Bichou", and Mike and Mary on
"Carpe Vita" also joined us. We enjoyed visiting with our friends,
but were anxious to get going, so on Wednesday we set off for Brisbane
which is just 30 or so miles up the coast.

Nov 11 – 15th Mooloolaba

We anchored for one night in the river, and then moved to the marina where we felt incredibly humbled, surrounded by very large yachts.  After getting Destiny snugged in to her berth we took a stroll down the boardwalk and along the beach into the surf club where we ordered lunch and watched Tiger Woods play golf at a tournament somewhere in Australia on the big screen.  Even here, the cameras follow him as though he is the only one on the golf course.

Afterward, we walked further along the boardwalk passing trendy shops, attractive restaurants and hotels, constantly commenting that it reminded us of a mini Miami. Yes, this is definitely a very nice, and expensive place to play.  The beaches are beautiful and inviting and although the surf looked frighteningly powerful, the water was chock full of swimmers and surfers.  There were warnings on the message boards to watch for "bluebottles", which are little jellyfish type creatures that are referred to as the Pacific Man-o-war.  The beach was littered with them but it didn't stop the bathers.  It did stop us.  So we walked and enjoyed the lovely weather and sights.

That night Endangered Species and Wind Pony arrived as I was getting some laundry done.  We agreed to meet them at the yacht club for sundowners and then meet for dinner at – of all places – the Hogs Breath Saloon.  They wanted a little flavor from home and we got it as we dined on succulent prime rib.

Saturday, Scott and Muriel Spencer drove up from Brisbane to visit us for a night.  They took us to an awesome café called Thai Seasons.  The tables are set up on an outdoor slab, which was once home to a shop that burned to the ground and the empty space is now used as additional dining area for Thai Seasons. It is rumored that the café had something to do with the fire – hmmm. The café itself is tiny but there must have been 100 diners packed into tables and chairs and a long queue to get in, with another long line of people awaiting take-out.  The food is incredibly good and moderately priced. This place is definitely the spot!

Sunday morning we took Scott and Muriel out for a dinghy ride along the river, through the canals where opulent homes and sprawling waterfront estates sat like lonely monuments.  Scott grew up here and told us that as a boy this was his playground, but back then it was primarily comprised of mangroves and sand beaches.  The river and canals were his swimming holes, but are now swimming with bull sharks. Even since moving to Brisbane, this continues to be their family vacation playground.  It was nice to be here with friends who know the lay of the land. Afterward we had a nice day at the beach, took a long walk, lunched at the surf club and then they left to return home.

Monday, Frank and I said goodbye to lovely Mooloolaba and continued south on a long one-day sail to Scarborough.