 |
| waiting for the wind |
After I went down by bus to Noumea ‘pour
les formalités’ (the checking out process, going to three different places:
customs, immigration and Capitainerie), we set off from Koumac.
Officially we had 3 days to leave the country
after checking out, but the wind wasn’t quite right, so we waited in a little
bay.
And waited.
For nearly a week.
As we set off, the wind was mild but soon
enough it was stronger and on the nose and we were both feeling seasick, so we
hove-to for the night and had a good night sleep.
 |
| Leaving New Caledonia |
 |
| stowaway for the night |
The rest of the crossing was easy, mostly good
wind or no wind, and it was an eventless crossing. No boat to be seen until the
last day, and hardly any wildlife except for a seabird that spent the night
perched on our boom, and a couple of pods of unidentified big dolphins or small
whales.
Crossing an ocean is quite an experience.
You are on your own, surrounded by total wilderness. Even with radios and sat
phone and EPIRB, you feel alone in the world with no one else but yourself to
count on.
 |
| washing on arrival |
After a week at sea, we arrived in freezing
Bundaberg in the middle of the night and anchored in the river till the morning.
Going through customs was quick, but immigration was, as expected, a rather
long story. We were however lucky to avoid to compulsory white ants inspection
that all boats have to go through if they’ve been in some specific countries
(including New Caledonia) for more than 3 months. We were just below the 90
days!
 |
| Steve and Heidi, Narama |
 |
| Miff and John, Sorcerer |
Meeting with Miff and John from Sorcerer was a great pleasure. Hopefully
we will see them again on their way down the coast. In Bundaberg we also met
Heidi and Steven from Narama, which
we had met in Baie des Citrons in New Caledonia. The friendships you formed
while cruising is definitively part of the experience.
After a week in Bundaberg (washing,
shopping, resting), we crossed Hervey Bay to Fraser Island. Right at the end of
the day, ‘there she blows!’ I spotted whales miles away! How excited we were! Little
did we know that it was not the end of our whale experience…
The next day, as we were sailing slowly, we had the incredible pleasure of two whales staying with us for a good hour. Such big beasts they are, and they were so close, alongside the boat, underneath the boat, one of them even nudged the hull with its nose. What an experience that was!! Then the wind dropped and the boat slowed down and we supposed the whales got a bit bored with us. One of them then did this magnificent jump and breach about 20 metres from the boat (“as high as your mast”, said another yachtie on a boat nearby) and then they left. We were overwhelmed with the fantastic experience we just had. The humpbacks are big and heavy, but so gentle and non-agressive, it is really incredible.
The next morning, we got woken up at dawn by a loud snorting. A whale was lying by the boat, and for the next 40 minutes moved from one side to the next, diving and reappearing, looking at us, and us at it. We were anchored, but the whale seemed very interested. At one point, Jim put his hand out and the whale lifted up its nose as if to touch it.
So that was our whale experience!! We also
had some great walks on Fraser Island, delightful place where we intend to
return one day. Urungan for one night, where we went out
for a meal, refilled with water and groceries. Down the Great Sandy Strait is quite an
experience, as it is very shallow in places. One night in Maloolaba, then down
to Moreton Bay and eventually up the river to Brisbane.
 |
| sunset on Hervey Bay |
 |
| Pelicans |
We arrived in Brisbane last Friday, and we
love it so much that we have decided to leave the boat here for a couple of
months. We are tied up on the piles, right in the centre of town, near the
Botanical Gardens. Five minutes walk from the CBD. It is a fantastic location.
After a great time in the wilderness, we are now enjoying the city life!
Brisbane is one of the best cities we’ve been in. Very attractive for the
pedestrians with its numerous walkways and its mild tropical climate. Making
most of the public bicycle service ($2 a day for unlimited use of bicycles which
you pick up and drop at stations everywhere), we went to free music at the
Powerhouse, to free wireless at the State Library where I also saw a free movie,
and to a couple of markets. There is also a free bus service and a free ferry
service! People are very friendly and there are so many people walking,
running, cycling, skating, skate boarding, jet skiing, climbing, it seems everyone
is outdoor! It is true that at the moment the weather is ideal, springtime,
warm during the day and cool in the evening.
We will leave next Tuesday for home, by
train. We intend to come back on the boat and enjoy Brisbane, starting at the
end of September for the Brisbane Festival. From the boat, we will be in a
prime position for the fireworks!
 |
| market Bundaberg |
 |
| New Caledonia |
Officially we had 3 days to leave the country
after checking out, but the wind wasn’t quite right, so we waited in a little
bay. 
After a week at sea, we arrived in freezing
Bundaberg in the middle of the night and anchored in the river till the morning.
Going through customs was quick, but immigration was, as expected, a rather
long story. We were however lucky to avoid to compulsory white ants inspection
that all boats have to go through if they’ve been in some specific countries
(including New Caledonia) for more than 3 months. We were just below the 90
days!
The next day, as we were sailing slowly, we had the incredible pleasure of two whales staying with us for a good hour. Such big beasts they are, and they were so close, alongside the boat, underneath the boat, one of them even nudged the hull with its nose. What an experience that was!! Then the wind dropped and the boat slowed down and we supposed the whales got a bit bored with us. One of them then did this magnificent jump and breach about 20 metres from the boat (“as high as your mast”, said another yachtie on a boat nearby) and then they left. We were overwhelmed with the fantastic experience we just had. The humpbacks are big and heavy, but so gentle and non-agressive, it is really incredible.
The next morning, we got woken up at dawn by a loud snorting. A whale was lying by the boat, and for the next 40 minutes moved from one side to the next, diving and reappearing, looking at us, and us at it. We were anchored, but the whale seemed very interested. At one point, Jim put his hand out and the whale lifted up its nose as if to touch it.
