Sunday 10 August - Cid Harbour -Hamilton Island - Home!

Sunday 10 August - Cid a Harbour -Hamilton Island - Home

Well, the weather closed in yesterday afternoon so we didn't motor around to Gulnar Inlet, instead we stayed in Cid Harbour. We had some rain and squally winds but we were safe and dry.  We watched a few movies including "Grease", "The Way" - a wonderful movie portraying the Pilgrims Walk, a journey from France to the west coast of Spain (that Louise, Robert's wife), did a couple of years ago. and "Four Weddings and a Funeral" a favourite of mine.

John cooked a chicken stir fry for dinner and after a movie it was off to bed. I sat up on top of the yacht for some time thinking of my niece, Sonia, who passed away from that dreaded disease, cancer on Thursday. What a loss of a gorgeous young woman and such a tragedy that she's gone and left behind baby Reuben, just 2 1/2 years old.  I cried for most of the three hour trip back to Melbourne; Sonia's death has hit me in a way I didn't expect.

We headed off early this morning, bound for Hamilton Island and the airport for our flight back to Melbourne. The boat ride wasn't under sail unfortunately, we had to motor into the marina and it was a rough ride.  I sailed the yacht (or rather steered the yacht under motor again) and I felt good, until the swell started getting HUGE!!!  Robert took over, then John, while Robert took the tender up a bit higher so she didn't get drowned in the wake of the huge waves. He winds were gusting to around 26 knots and we reckoned the seas got up to ~2 metres and I was a touch anxious but all was well.  We got to the fuel dock at HI ok, and John and I grabbed our gear and flung ourselves off the boat, hugged Robert and gave thanks for a wonderful six days and headed off to find a nice hot shower - our first in three days!

Safe and sound back in Melbourne, we're so thankful for a week's break away from the dramas of 'the house' and to have got some warmth into our bones. What a fun time we've had.  Many thanks, Robert. X

Saturday 9 August - Cid Harbour

Saturday 9th August

We had some rain last night and winds that made for some interesting noises under the "V-berth". It was just the anchor chain moving around on the sea bed as the winds pushed  Breezly around. The rocking and movement put us all off to sleep like babies in a crib.

The skies are overcast today and the temperature is cooler than the past five days so we've decided not to go for the big climb up Whitsunday Peak as we'd only see grey skies and clouds. Next time!

Robert received a text message from Julie and Peter, some fellow sailors Robert has known from down at Urangan.  They are also anchored in Cid Harbour and invited us over for morning tea today.  But, lowering the tender and making our way over there will be cold and wet so Robert's decided yo rain check their kind offer.

We watched "Much Ado About Nothing" in between trying to get some internet and mobile phone connections.

Lunch and another attempt at a connection with a little success so I'll post this blog now as we're heading out shortly once the tide rises a bit more and we'll motor to Gulnar Inlet and  I'm not sure if we'll have any connection there.

Trust everyone at home is well.

Friday 8 August - Nara Inlet

Friday 8 August

Robert took us out on the tender to visit the part of the Whitsunday National Park that lies within Nara Inlet. We climbed up to view the Ngaro indigenous peoples cave paintings and thanks to some fabulous information boards and interactive push-button boards we learnt about their way of life here some 9000 years ago up until probably the 1950-60's when the children were forcibly removed from their parents (Stolen Generation).

We climbed back down and took some pictures of the amazingly spectacular turquoise coloured ocean spread out in front of us.

We set sail - or rather motored - out of Nara Inlet just before lunchtime. We decided to wait to have lunch in case the ride was as choppy as yesterday but the winds were much kinder today ~20 knots - and we just hobby-horsed across Whitsunday Passage to Cid Harbour, our anchorage for tonight.

We watched the Glenn Close movie, "Mr Nobbs" and thoroughly enjoyed the production. This was then followed by a Carey Grant and Sophia Loren movie, "Houseboat". The movie was made in 1958, so it was a very young Sophia Loren - and her name was pronounced "Lorren" - with the more sophisticated name, "Lo-renn" coming about later.  They were two very different films but both were very enjoyable.

A lamb roast dinner tonight followed the movie session, with strawberries and clotted cream for dessert - ah the life of a sailor for me!

"Master and Commander" with Russell Crowe was a terrific sailing film that we watched  after dinner and then it was a relatively early night for us all.

Thursday 7 August - Airlie Beach - Nara Inlet

Thursday 7th August

I woke to read on Facebook that my niece, Sonia had passed away after an 18 month struggle with breast cancer. This bloody disease has taken way too many of my friends and family - enough!

Such sadness amidst this beauty up here in the Whitsundays.

After hot showers and brekky, we motored out of the marina at 10.30 am and Robert set the sails to make our way due east heading for Nara Inlet. We sailed across the Whitsunday Passage before the wind started whipping up from 15 knots to 25-30 knots. The sails were dropped and we hobby-horsed and rolled our way across the Passage for three hours. We were keen to see some whales but it was probably too rough for them to come out to play. We did however see some huge turtles but when they saw us, they promptly took a dive down to the depths of the sea.

After lunch we watched "Dived at Dawn" an old English war movie that Robert picked up for $5 at Airlie a Beach Woolies, then we enjoyed a delish fish meal with veggies and salad - no such thing as roughing it on board this boat!

John and I watched "Bridesmaids" after our aborted attempt on Tuesday night. We had a few laughs and a fairly late night.

Wednesday 6 August - Airlie Beach

Wednesday 6th August

After showers and brekky and a refill of the water tank we headed north by bus to Centro shopping centre for some diesel oil and a few supplies. Amazingly our Victorian Seniors cards were accepted and we paid the bus driver in cash - and got change from him - and one paper ticket that accounted for the thereof us.  How can that be so simple yet our transport in Victoria can't accommodate that system?

The weather is overcast again today, but at least we're warm and able to walk around in shorts and t-shirts.

We are surrounded by glorious mountains (except for the ocean of course) and it is wonderful to see the lush greenery and magnificent homes, some perched on top of the hills and others interspersed throughout the hills and valleys.  Any tradies who are short of work should head here - there is so much going on in the way of new builds and renos and stone works - beautiful stone walls and timber walkways are going up all along the coast.

We're on the north arm of the marina and there is truly some serious money in the boats here - some are worth millions and millions of dollars and it costs them $18,000 just to moor their yacht here for one year.

Mercantile bought the marina here for $70,000,000 ten years ago from three solicitors. They got into financial difficulties and the current owners bought the marina from Mercantile three years ago for $25,000,000. They have poured loads of money into it and they're apparently reaping the rewards.

Loaded up with a couple of five litre containers of oil, a ladder for easier access to the yacht, and some supplies we caught a bus back south however it didn't come back to the marina! We offloaded in Airlie a Beach township, bought some rolls for lunch and a bun for afternoon tea and walked back 'home'.

The sun has decided to shine on us and the winds have blown the grey and white clouds away to reveal the most gorgeous blue sky.  We've just heard on ABC telly that it's currently 15C in Melbourne so we're making the most of this glorious afternoon lying on the bench seats on the back of Breezly in shorts and t-shirts. Bliss!

Tuesday 5 August - Hamilton Island to Airlie Beach

Tuesday 5th August

After brekky we got set to sail and headed out of the Hamilton Island Marina past the spectacular HIYacht Club with the magnificent whale shape that sits atop a yacht-shape base.

Robert sailed for a while then John skippered for a while. It was a three hour sail to Airlie Beach, past Plum Pudding Island, across the blowy Whitsunday Passage toward the south end of South Molle Island, and onward to Airlie Beach. We arrived around 1 o'clock in time to make some sangers and a cuppa before heading out to explore the township and provisioning the boat for the next few days.

We headed to the marina bar for some late afternoon refreshments before heading upstairs to the restaurant for dinner. The meals were absolutely fantastic - the rack of lamb for Robert, steak for John and chicken stuffed with semi dried tomatoes on a bed of risotto for me. Delish! We attempted to watch 'The Bridesmaids' - a funny uplifting movie I think, but it was too much of a chick flick for the boys so we gave up and had an early night.

Monday 4 August - Arriving in the Whitsundays - Hamilton Island

Monday 4th August

After an early start we flew from Melbourne into Hamilton Island.  Hamilton Island is the largest inhabited island of the Whitsunday Islands in Queensland, Australia. It is the only island in the Great Barrier Reef with its own commercial airport. Hamilton Island, like most in the Whitsunday group, was formed as sea levels rose creating numerous drowned mountains that are situated close to the east coast of Queensland.

Robert sailed into the marina and walked around to the airport to meet us.  We took a short walk back to the marina, got our stuff settled in to the yacht and then headed out for a HUGE walk around the island.  The roads are very, very steep and having not worked out for several years, we both found it a challenge.  Back to the gym for us!  I did hear of someone this past week who refers to her toilet, not as 'The John', but 'The Jim' ... "I went to the Jim (gym) this morning"! I like it!!!

We headed to the pub for dinner and a Trivia night. We came equal 2nd but if Mel and Mike or Trav been with us we would have blitzed it ... Or had we known the earlier clues for Coldplay ...