Tuesday 7th February

Happy 6^th birthday to darling Leo Thomas.  He is about to become Big Brother again, and he recently said to his mother, Katy, “Oh Mum, how will I manage next year, going to school full time, and having to look after three little sisters!”  Katy hastened to reassure him that the onus would not fall entirely upon him…

Last night we had drinks on Plan Four, with some other yachties, anchored in Camden Haven, from Hervey bay.  Nick and Erica are about to set forth on a five year voyage on their boat, Jepeda (JeffPetaDavid) IV.  Nice people.  Erica had a heavily strapped-up knee, a result of walking DOWN from the five kilometer walk to the look-out.  Oh deary me…down is worse than up…

We came back to 2XS for dinner Pete had cooked – silverside with many veggies and a particularly delicious mustard sauce.  Not your usual summer fare but…all very nice.  And filling…

We had a leisurely morning and then at 10.30 went – to the movies!  As you do!  We haven’t been to the movies for about twelve months.  Laurieton is home to the Plaza Movie Theatre, built in 1959 and quite recently renovated and re-opened by what Peter Newman describes as “some happy boys from the city.”  It is just beautiful, full of urns and statuettes and blue curtains.  There are movies nearly every day, new releases, two at a time, in the main theatre and, behind the lolly counter, the Deluxe.  We went, by happy chance, to Descendants, a most delightful movie starring wonderful George Clooney, with a cameo role by equally wonderful Beau Bridges.  We liked everything about this movie – the story, the acting, the scenery.  Life, love, drama, pathos, humour.

When we came out it was time to meet Peter and Leanne for lunch at the RSL Club.  James Miedecke drove down from Port Macquarie to join us and to pick up his bathers and towels languishing, unused and forgotten, on the deck of 2XS.  After lunch, which involved much laughter and chat, he drove us up to the lookout so we too could enjoy the fabulous view.  Well umm no we couldn’t… As we wound our way up the 5 kilometre climb the cloud came down…and down… By the time we got to the top we could see precisely…nothing!

At 6.30 we are planning on going to see another movie, The Ides of March, also starring George Clooney (well one can never have too much of George Clooney…)

Pete has been out in the tender, poking around with a broomstick on a nearby sandbar to see where we can strand 2XS once again for another poke around the bottom of the boat.

There is a lot of thunder in the background.  At lunch time we talked about the dangers of lightning – much more scary, really than crocodiles, sharks or irukanji jellyfish!  We heard about some intrepid sailors, ready to make the journey of their lives.  The hero of this story – I will call him Arthur – built his boat, carefully and precisely, over a period of years, and then discovered, just before it was finished, that he had bowel cancer.  Oh well better fix that, then.  He got sorted, and continued with his building, only to find his sore shoulder wasn’t RSI, it was the symptom of a heart attack.  Fix that then!  They did get that fixed, and they set out on their journey, only to be stopped, short, by a lightning storm which blew out all of their electricals.  Third time lucky!  By the time they finally did leave Devonport, the riverfront was lined with well-wishers, saying, “Get on your way!!”