Tuesday
2nd July
Yesterday we left North Goulburn Island
with the aim of getting to Valentia Island, maybe five hours away. The sea was huge and with the wind steadily
between 20-30 knots. Whoosh!
With such a big swell it was impossible
to use the autopilot so we had to be at the helm all the way.
Pete was cold – it was a bit below 28
degrees…
I didn’t quite wear a jumper…
and I enjoyed my few hours at the
helm. This required total concentration
as the boat was thrown wildly off course with very gust of wind and every big
rolling wave. I found a helpful little
cloud just above the horizon; it stayed put for a long time and I was able to
steer towards it – much easier than trying to look at the instruments all the
time.
I asked Pete to take this photo for two
reasons. One to prove that I can drive
the boat in BIG sea, just in case you were wondering. And the other reason…to see if I look quite
as green as I felt… It was very annoying, to feel queasy, when I was actually
enjoying our sailing day very much.
Beautiful seascape, beautiful landscape, perfect weather. And a churning gut… It wasn’t too bad,
really, but it is always vey tiring, to feel even just a bit ill. (And disappointing…)
As we came closer to our destination, we
decided just to keep going – wind, tide, current were with us – seize the
day! This made it a very long day – we
didn’t arrive in lovely calm Raffles Bay until 6.00, nearly dark. It was just beautiful going through Bowen
Passage, with an island on one side and the Mainland coast on the other, with
low ochre cliffs and random sand dunes.
Attenborough Moments – one lone sea
turtle, bobbing about on the high swell.
And – best – a pod of dolphins happy to play with 2XS! Four of them sped ahead of the bow, diving
and turning. There was an old one with a
half-chewed dorsal fin, and some younger teenage ones, having a wonderful
time. For a brief but wonderful time
four of the other dolphins in the pod surfed in the swell right behind the boat
– this meant they were at eye level. (I
didn’t take any photos…sometimes it is better to enjoy the experience rather
than looking at it through the viewfinder…)
Wednesday
3rd July
We are anchored in a bay maybe called
Black Bay, in Port Essington, a huge great bay off the north coast of
Australia. Maybe we are no longer in
Arnhem Land?
Within sight, tantalisingly, is a lovely
little Telstra tower. But…our computers
and phones, in chorus, say NO!
We had a much more leisurely day than
yesterday. I slept in – unusual – and
Pete made a big cooked breakfast, very wonderful, with poached eggs etc
etc.
Andrew, from Settlement, anchored
nearby, with Backchat, came over for coffee in the mid morning and stayed for
AGES being EXTREMELY helpful.
At midday we left, off to Port
Essington, where, we were told, there is a shop, a resort, a jetty. But…we haven’t gone far enough into the bay
so there is nothing at all. Just a nice
peaceful anchorage.
I have lost track of day a bit…in fact there
is a WHOLE day missing…
Never mind because right now we are in a
very heavenly place – Seven Spirit Bay Resort.
Sheer blissikins!
There is a POOL – so beautiful…
And yes Pete did swim!
So did I – I am looking a bit
apprehensive because…Pete is h water again after so long.
We are here for a swim, a shower, dinner
and – WiFi!!
Tomorrow we are leaving for Darwin; it will
probably be a day or so till we get there.
Maybe an overnighter…I will have to crank out the Scopatches…
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