Author Archives: lj431

We had a whole day at the Beauty Point marina and guests notwithstanding, that meant what it usually meant – jobs!! Harj and I grabbed a lift into town with Luke, the marina caretaker, stocking up on fresh food at the supermarket and exchanging a gas bottle at the servo. Meanwhile, Matt and Dylan hosedContinue reading “Launceston and the Tamar River”

It was calm and still in the little cove as we motored out, once again marveling at the imposing formations of the towering granite cliffs. Deal Island was such a special little place, and we felt very fortunate to be among the relatively few people to ever visit this remote island. In contrast, our nextContinue reading “Flinders Island to Mainland Tasmania”

Lying in northern Bass Strait, Deal Island is beloved by yachties for its safe anchorages and spectacular scenery. It also allows the trip across the potentially hazardous strait to be turned into day sails, and was our next destination. We’d spent several days here at the beginning of our trip in 2020 and were lookingContinue reading “A Little Slice of Paradise in Bass Strait – Deal Island”

Well, here we are again. Standing on Cool Change, waving farewell to our families and preparing to set sail on another adventure. But the feeling is somewhat different this time than in 2020. Instead of heading out into the great unknown, uncertain and unsure, this time we had two and a half years and overContinue reading “Back on the Boat and Bound for Tassie”

During the night, while anchored at Antechamber Bay on the east coast of Kangaroo Island, an annoying little roll developed, and so we were awake early. Unwilling to wait any longer in the uncomfortable conditions, we pulled our anchor and set off. We were headed to Robe, our last stop in South Australia. I hadContinue reading “Homeward Bound – The Final Stretch!”

Our trip home was one of mixed emotions. Both of us were absolutely busting to see our family and friends. I couldn’t believe how excited I was. And what a wonderful time we had! The absolute joy of hugging my niece and nephews, of squeezing them tight and seeing how they’d grown. Meeting Matt’s newContinue reading “South Australian Sailing: The Sir Joseph Banks Group and Kangaroo Island”

Crossing the Great Australian Bight and entering South Australia was one of the biggest milestones of our journey. We were now in the final state of our circumnavigation of the mainland of Australia. We were almost home! Being in South Australia was particularly exciting for another reason. It meant that we could finally fly backContinue reading “South Australian Sailing: Ceduna to Port Lincoln”

The day was finally here. We were actually going to do this. Sail our yacht across the Great Australian Bight. On our own, just the two of us. I wasn’t nervous, instead a strange mixture of excitement and calm had descended upon me. I knew we could do this. We woke to grey skies andContinue reading “Sailing Across the Great Australian Bight”

Esperance is pretty much the most easterly town on the south coast of Western Australia. Heading east from here, the next major town is Ceduna in South Australia, almost 1200 kilometres away. The vast expanse of the Nullarbor Plain stretches along the coast, flat and almost treeless. It’s a long slog through the arid plains,Continue reading “Preparing to Cross the Bight…. at Middle Island and Cape Arid”

We left King George Sound at first light, motoring out of the harbour before setting the sails. Fifteen to twenty knot southerlies had us absolutely flying along, averaging 7 to 8 knots, very fast for us. The swell was about two metres and it was from the side, making for a fairly uncomfortable motion asContinue reading “Esperance”