Brisbane

After deciding to bypass Yamba and continue to Brisbane, we picked up some fresh northeasterlies..yeah...sails up. These took us up the rest of the NSW coast.
Cape Byron came into view not long after leaving Yamba and we passed it at 8.00pm.

After mentioning the East Coast Current, we finally met it just short of Byron...wasn't too strong but noticeable. As we moved into QLD, it definitely got stronger getting up to 3+ kts just short of the Gold Coast.
We crossed the Southport bar at 06.30 and as the tides were right we continued up the inside passage to Moreton Bay. The shoals at Jacobs Well had been recently dredged, so even being 2 hours before high tide, we still had 20cm under the keel...yes 20cm!

Our AIS tracked path

For those folks in Sydney, you may be interested in the Queensland version of a 'mooring minder'. This was sighted (if you can call it that!) just north of Jacobs Well -

Arrived at Manly Harbour at 1.30pm.

Queensland here we come

We spent last night in Coffs Harbour anchored in the outer area, close to the old jetty. Bit rolly but otherwise ok. We were going to take a berth at the marina as Cath wanted to catch up with a work colleague (Rowena) who was holidaying there. Unfortunately, the marina had no spaces due to a fishing comp and residual damage from storms earlier in the year. About 1 hour before the getogether, a massive thunderstorm was hovering over Coffs. Not wanting to leave Kittani unattended we decided to return ....sorry Ro.

The original plan was to go to Iluka (Yamba), but timings and weather have allowed us to push onto to the Gold Coast.

Clear skies, gentle northeasterlies and reasonably flat seas with no apparent East Coast Current (yet) should make it a nice but engine driven passage.

Forster Tuncurry

After leaving Pitwater we headed into Newcastle for the night....very nice marina and the loooong hot showers were very welcome.
The next morning after a leisurely start in mild southerlies we eventually reached the end of Stockton Beach....like Moreton and Fraser Islands, the beaches seem to go on for ever. As the weather was headed in the same direction, we decided to bypass Port Stephens and anchored overnight at Broughton Island in Coal Shaft Bay, on the south side of the island. We were expecting norther lies to come up during the night - they didn't - so spent a rolly night with the remnants of a southerly swell.

Coal Shaft Bay, Broughton Island

Cathy enjoying day 2!

2 days later and we are are holed up in a delightful little place called Forster Tuncurry, actually two towns either side of a small (very) natural cove at the entrance to the Wallis Lakes. The entrance has a bar, but permanent leads show the correct path through a narrow breakwater into an even narrower channel.
We are currently anchored in 2 metres of water listening to the sound of 35 knots passing over us. The only issue we have is that this area has a huge quantity of fresh water exiting the entrance to the harbour and on an ebb tide we have wind against tide so makes the boat do crazy things...not nice in a narrow channel with a 7 metre high bridge close by.
This is the first time I have secured a second anchor to our chain to minimise the pivot circle...sand bar on one side, bridge on the other and a rock wall on the third...talk about a sleepless night ! 
Based on weather predictions, we may leave here on Saturday morning and push on to Coffs Harbour.

Pittwater

Finally the umbillical cords (mooring lines) have been cut!
We had farewell drinks with some of the Cammeray marina locals last night. Very enjoyable and thanks to all for making it a special night.
We left the marina at 08.00 for the 08.30 Spit bridge and picked up a mooring at Balmoral......no not nerves...just a final check of the boat and a precationary Kwell before setting off into 30 - 35 knots of southerly with a 3metre swell and  2 metre waves....the kwells did their duty, Cathy handled the conditions very well, even breaking into a smile after surfing down a big wave and hitting 12 knots. Who says Kittani is fat and slow!

3 hours from Balmoral to Pittwater.. A record for us, normally 5

We are currently enjoying a sheltered spot called Coasters Retreat and will head off early tomorrow for either Newcastle or Port Stephens..weather depending. We still have to come to terms with neither of us working and time is really our own so maybe lots of stops in lovely locations (maybe except Newcastle) on the way north.

3 years in Sydney have flown past and we will always have fond memories of some of the great people we have met and worked with.

The other side of Belitung

Sad to be leaving the lovely people of East Belitung, it is a short day trip across to the other side of the  island for the next rally stop. As we approach the anchorage, we are being chased down by another storm. We know now we are really getting into the storm season and it will only get worse for the next month or so. We don't mind so much being at anchor when they hit - we don't like being out to sea. Finally anchored with the storm going around us, it was a pretty spot with huge granite boulders along the shoreline and crops of them off the beach. The locals have illuminated them with floodlights and in the evening they are quite a spectacle. Rusty's is the place ashore for the best meals and the man himself who organises water, fuel, transport and anything else you may require. It was also the spot for sundowners each evening. Up the beach were containers of baby turtles where for $5 you could catch one and release it into the ocean to fend for itself - they were so cute. A bus trip into town to the local markets for the final supplies before Singapore. The mid afternoon downpour had the market owners rushing for plastic covers and tarps only to pull them off 30mins later and back to business. They must get so used to doing this.


Due to the storm activity, we have decided to do day hops only for the last 150nms to the end. Day 2 saw us watching the latitude count down to 00*00.00 at the equator. We had planned to stop and swim across, but the winds and the current were quite strong so instead as we crossed, we gave Neptune some coins and a nip of Bourbon to thank him for safe sailing in the Southern Hemisphere and ask the same for the top side. Our official equator party would happen that evening at Kentar Island, .3nm north. It was a great night with 14 of us on the back of Alleykat with a pot luck dinner. We did it is style with bottle of Veuve and Moët saved especially for the occasion. Off the next day and headed to the island of Bintan where we had our last rally stop and cleared out of Indonesia. Good strong winds pushed us all the way nearly to the top of the island, anchoring late  afternoon near an oil refinery. The next day it was a short hop into Bintan where we anchored off the Nirwana Resort. First thing was to get papers in to Sam and start the clearing out procedure with Customs and Immigration. Then we could sit back and enjoy the pool and the amenities of the resort. Fresh water becomes such a novelty at time at sea. The gala dinner was fabulous, held in the grounds of the resort, the lay out similar to a wedding reception. The food and entertainment was amazing and a great night was had by all. However, it had to be an early evening as we were to be away by 5.00am if we wanted to make it across to Malaysia in one day. First light say many of us heading off towards the west, motoring past Nongsa Point marina and wondering where to cross the Singapore Strait. This is the part I had been dreading, hearing stories of AIS showing 800 - 900 targets at any one given time, some anchored but many underway With Tintin not far behind us, we watched with fascination the lines of ships - bulk cargo carriers, cruise liners, tankers, tug boats, patrol boats, navy craft, yachts, fishing boats and more making their way up or down the channels. And we have to cut across them all!!! We kept heading west until Pete decided it was time and could see a break in the lines, so we went for it. Slotting in behind one then pushing Kittani harder than she has ever gone before we powered on, eased off to fall in behind another liner then full throttle again, till we were finally across the other side and into Singapore waters. Then hugging the coast line and dodging tankers at anchor, we headed up the Straits of Johor making good time and arriving into Danga Bay marina mid afternoon, our home for the next 3 weeks. So that was it and what a day. Safely crossing the Singapore Strait and the end of Sail Indonesia. About 40 rally yachts are continuing on with us to do Sail Malaysia, others we may see some time next year as many of them will stay around this SE Asia corner for a few years. Such is the life of a cruiser. To sum up the last 3 months, it has been all and more than we expected. Travelling through a 3rd world country has its issues but being patient and smiling goes a long way. Some cruisers have found this difficult, expecting everything to run like  clockwork and when it doesn't, they grumble. For those who keep an open mind, Indonesia has been a remarkable experience and we will definitely return again. The beauty of these islands has made us want to see more. The Indonesian people, who often had so little have given us so much and treated us like rock stars, memories we will never forget. Also the friends we have made on this trip have made the rally for us. The sundowners on the back of boats, the  times of emergencies when we've needed help, the yacht lights in the darkness on those night sails - knowing there has been someone there has been peace of mind for me - the reluctant sailor. To me that's what joining a rally is all about.