Saturday 24th
June 2017
Hamilton Island
marina
Whitsundays
Queensland
20 degrees 21.291S
148 degrees
57.229E
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| 2XS safely tied up behind the speedboats |
Yes! We got
here!
We left Townsville very early in the morning, after a
great evening out with three McHenrys – Lindy, John, Sharon.
A memorable evening at a normal-looking restaurant in
the city centre. It wasn’t very normal at
all…
It seemed to be run by children; mummy and daddy nowhere
to be seen. There was red wine on the
menu but…they only had one bottle, which we got at a discounted price. The food was very nice but it arrived at a glacial
pace.
 |
| Mary and Carlotta |
Everyone was totally cheerful and delightful and it didn’t
really matter that they didn’t really know what they were doing. Lindy had a discount voucher book, and when she
went to pay, dear Mary, aged 12, discounted $45 from the bill. Lindy, who is an honest and honourable
person, pointed out that the maximum discount is $25 and Mary looked a bit
crestfallen…”I have been doing it wrong for weeks!” she said. Not everyone is honest and honourable…
2XS was waiting
on the fuel dock, full to the brim with diesel, and looking very fetching in
the light of the McHenry car.
So…off we went, battling
grimly against wind and wave. We arrived
at Cape Upstart with just enough light to see, more or less, where we were
dropping the anchor. Up again at 4.30 to
head towards the Whitsundays.
It was very cold…
 |
| Pete at sunset |
We wore all of
our warmest clothing.
Plus I had my mohair
blanket wrapped around my legs.
We arrived – well
done Captain Pete – at sunset with enough light to snag a mooring at Blue Pearl
Bay (Hayman Island.) I have never tried
to hook a mooring in the dark but I am sure it would be very difficult and very
frustrating so I was extremely thankful.
 |
| Another Colleen & Tom photo from the Philippines - I don't think there are seahorses in Blue Pearl Bay... |
We thought it
would take us five hours to get to Hamilton Island because all the rest of the trip
had been such a slog but somehow we caught a benign current and we rocketed
along at 8 knots and arrived in a bit over two hours. Once again #grateful!!
I have had a
shower, which has improved my health and temper. Pete has been fixing one of the nets which
was flapping gaily in the breeze while I have been…lying on the couch sipping
tea and Aspro Clear…
Hamilton Island
looks a bit better than when we were here 14 weeks ago. A bit more greenery, not such a post-napalm
look. But it is quite cold! I talked to one of the bakery staff in the ablutions
block and she said this is the coldest June they have ever known. When I say “cold” … it is 22, not freezing. But definitely jeans and long sleeves weather. Six Thomases are arriving at midday, from
Hobart. I have warned them to wear warm
clothes, and to bring wetsuits!!
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| On their way!! |
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