Australia: G’day, mate! How you goin?

The passage from Nouméa, New Caledonia was 840 nautical miles, and took 7 full days. We experienced 2 days with winds of 25 knots, 2 days of calms, and one day of a full gale (35 knots) as a low developed right beside us on the 5^th day. The rest of the days were great sailing.  As the seventh day dawned, the Australian coast appeared on the horizon! A new country, and a new continent!

Arriving in Australia, with South Solitary Island Lighthouse in sight, and on course for Coffs Harbour!

Our course from Nouméa, New Caledonia (Green Dot) to Coffs Harbour, Australia (Red Dot).

We entered Australia at Coffs Harbour, formerly a small fishing village, but now a small city full of amenities we will need after having emptied our cupboards to adhere to Australia’s strict quarantine rules. Clearing in was completed by two armed Border Protection Officers (who are on a full cost recovery plan and charge $30 AUD for each 15 minutes spent with you), and was quick, efficient and straight forward. Karen was complimented by them for the organisation of the vessel, items needed to present, and the cleanliness of the vessel.  Indeed an honour, after hearing stories of the difficulties boaters were having entering the country.

The marina at Coffs Harbour, a "port of entry" for Australia, and the pedestrian walk-way (left) to Muttonbird Island Bird Sanctuary (foreground), and the Great Dividing Range mountains in the distance.

Coffs still has an active fishing fleet.

As first-time visitors, we knew little about the country, other than what we saw on movies like the Thornbirds, Man from Snowy River, and Crocodile Dundee, or on National Geographic.  We caught a bus into the city’s core where we found a modern, clean but very busy urban scene, with all kinds of shops and a large Woolworths grocery store, where among other things, we found wine on sale (3, 5 litre boxes for $39.00: hooray!) and beer, $4.00 per can: ouch! Welcome to Australia!

Australia has Aboriginal people who lived here when the first Europeans arrived. In this area, the Gumbaynggirr people were the original custodians of the land.  Early European settlement brought disease, displaced many Gumbaynggirr people and devastated an ancient culture. Sadly, a familiar story. Through fierce resilience and determination, however, the Australian Aborigines have the oldest Indigenous culture on Earth.  There are numerous opportunities to learn of this culture through tours, cultural centres, Bush Tucker Cafés, art galleries and other programs.

Aboriginal art representing the Solitary Islands, offshore from Coffs Harbour.

Early during our stay at Coffs Harbour, we called a local whom we met in Nouméa, who said he would show us a few of the sights. Scott Jackson came good, and drove us around one morning to see scenic lookouts, kangaroos, wallabies the Giant Banana, and talked about the history of the area. It was a lot of fun!

The Forest Sky Pier overlooking the coastal lands around Coffs Harbour.

Scott and Karen at the Forest Sky Pier.

The view back to Coffs Harbour from the lookout at Forest Sky Pier.

Kangaroos grazing in a subdivision in the outskirts, formerly their domain alone. Now they are seen as a pest by some residents, especially if they become aggressive.

One of Australia's thousands of beautiful beaches, here south of Woolgoolga, New South Wales.

Tim and Karen posing with Kangaroos at Woolgoolga Headland.

Camel rides on the beach south of Coffs Harbour

Continuing sailing south, we stopped in Port Stephens, a large inlet approximately halfway to Sydney. It has become a huge recreational area for New South Wales, and large tracts are protected land, while other areas are already heavily developed.

An enormous portion of fish n' chips in Nelson Bay.  We should have shared an order, but it was delicious!

Some of the development near Nelson Bay.

A beautiful sunset in the wilderness at Fame Cove, Port Stephens.

A free "courtesy mooring, placed in beautiful spots by the New South Wales government. They must be vacated after 24 hours.

Sydney is a city of approximately 5 million on one of the finest natural harbours in the world, and is in the territory of the Gadigal of the Eora Nation, who were the traditional custodians of this part of Australia. We arrived 5 hours ahead of schedule due to a strong East Australian Current together with 30 knot tail winds, at 1:30 in the morning!  Fortunately, Sydney harbour is very well lit, and we dropped the hook in the prettiest anchorage in the entire harbour in Farm Cove, right beside the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge!  Did you know that the Opera House is a UNESCO World Heritage Site?

The iconic Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge from our anchorage in Farm Cove!

Sydney's Central Business District seen from our anchorage in Farm Cove.

In the morning, we launched the dinghy, and set off to explore.  There was a floating dock beside the Opera House that we tied to. In front of the Opera House, workers were busy setting up a stage for the 2018 Invictus Games ceremonies. (A few days later we would be advised that we must leave Farm Cove, because it would be used for sailing races for the games, and we would lose access to the dock due to tightened security while Price Harry and Meghan Markle who would arrive by boat at this same dock.)

The roof of the Opera house is made up of thousands of ceramic tiles, keeping it very clean.

Karen and Tim at the Sydney Opera House.

Designing the Opera House was a problem, until the architect came up with this solution, allowing mathematical solutions for the precise engineering of the structure.

Australians love their pastries!

Aboriginal crafts, art and instruments are avaliable at specialty shops.

The Sydney Opera House seen from the east side of Farm Cove in the Botanical Gardens, with Vata anchored nearby.

Sydney has a nice mix of old an new architecture.

One day we visited the Opal Museum, where they explain how Opals are formed and mined.

The food court between the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge, the day Prince Harry climbed the bridge.

Fireworks were spectacular, but not what they do here on New Year's Eve!

The new Bellevue Cottage by Antoine, on Leichardt Street had an open house to increase awareness of their re-opening under new management.

Bellevue Cottage by Antoine interior

Wonderful hors-d'ouvres at Bellevue Cottage by Antoine!

Beautiful houses in the Glebe district of Sydney

Karen waiting at the bus stop on Glebe Point Road, Sydney.

More delicious pastries...

The Sydney Fish Market on Blackwattle Bay, where everyone finds inexpensive fresh and cooked seafood.

More pretty homes in the Glebe district in Sydney

Sydney was a fascinating city, and one could spend many years here and never get bored. There is just too much to see in this beautiful city, full of a wide range of architecture and parks!  To get around, we obtained OPAL transportation cards, like a debit card, where you add $ at kiosks or convenience stores, and tap on a bus, train or tram, and later tap off, and an appropriate fare is debited based on distance traveled – very easy to use. We used public transportation for groceries, and visiting areas like Chinatown, and took a two-hour train ride to the “Three Sisters” in the Blue Mountains, another UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Sydney Central Railway Station

The Three Sisters in the Blue Mountains

We were anchored beside the Botanical Gardens, and took a tour. Among other very interesting things, they have two specimens of one of the rarest trees on Earth: Wollemi pine, it was presumed extinct and was seen in fossil records, hence nicknamed the dinosaur tree, when a whole grove was found in a canyon by a bush walker in Woolemi National Park just outside Sydney! It is still a protected species, and is classified as critically endangered.

The critically endangered Woolemi Pine

According to Aboriginal legends, this was the "wishing tree"

This tree from Queensland stress extra water in its swollen trunk to survive extended droughts.

One day we were at the iconic Bondi Beach, and visited the Sculptures by the Sea exhibition – 22 years running, it is the world’s largest free open-air sculpture display, one mile along the waterfront to Bronte.  Of course, there’s a sampling of what we saw below:

Tim and Karen on Bondi Beach, on a cool and windy spring day.

Gulls on Bondi Beach

Bondi wouldn't be Bondi without surfers

Bondi Beach from the south end.

The Bondi Beach Baths, refreshed with every ocean wave with fresh saltwater.

The Sculptures by the Sea between Bondi and Bronte.

Sculptures of all sorts were placed along the walk

And there were more sculptures...

And More...

This sculpture made of nylon cloth moved with every breeze

These figures virtually disappeared at certain angles

Nature carves this sandstone into an interesting shape

We sailed north to Broken Bay/Pittwater, touted as one of the World’s best cruising grounds. We saw giant Humpback whales breaching as they worked their way south for the summer!  As we entered the Hawkesbury River, we passed Lion Island, a nature reserve, and home to the Australia’s most northerly penguin rookery. We picked up a free mooring in Refuge Bay, reportedly one of the best anchorages on Australia’s entire east coast. There, we were surrounded by forested hills, cliffs and within sight of one of the two waterfalls in the bay, listening to the hilarious sounds of Kookaburras echoing from the hills! There were another 25 boats moored here, but we occupied only a small fraction of the moorings here.  It must get very crowded in the summer months.

The waterfall at Refuge Bay

Beautiful sandstone boulders showing thousands of years of erosion below the Refuge Bay waterfall.

The next day we visited the Refuge Bay waterfall, which dropped about 30 metres off a sandstone cliff.  Families were having picnics on the beach and swimming in the water.  We also toured around America Bay and saw the waterfall there.  By sunset on Saturday, there were 50 boats in the moorings here, still most of the moorings were empty. Ahhh, spring in Australia!

We visited Pittwater Bay, and anchored off Palm Beach and in Morning Bay.  One day Karen yelled: “there’s an animal on the beach!” and we saw a wallaby slowly feeding on something at the top of the beach.  It was in Morning Bay that we met a famous Australian, Rod Waterhouse, the world champion for many years running sailing the Hobie 16.  He even sailed for a Labatt’s commercial, flying off a wave! What a blast!  We ended up in the end of Pittwater Bay on a mooring beside the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club in Newport, NSW.

A wallaby feeding on the beach in Morning Bay, Pittwater, NSW.

Gnarly trees on the protected shoreline of Morning Bay, in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park

Every evening there's a sailboat race!

Boats in Pittwater at marinas, private docks, or moorings as far as the eye can see.

Pittwater bay is a very popular boater's paradise.

Beautiful birds are everywhere, here is a cockatoo that is common in this area.

Karen sitting in the cockpit, ready to go to town.

Jacaranda tree flowering while we were here, sending a heavy perfume aroma throughout the community.

Newport Beach, on the ocean side.

Entrance of the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club in Newport, where we can get fuel, pumpouts and do laundry.

We went back to Sydney and went to the Taronga Zoo, and saw some animals we didn't get to see in the wild. amd several we were glad we didn't see.

A cuddky Koala, napping high in a tree

A gigantic Monitor Lizzard

View of the Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge from the Taronga Zoo.

A Saltwater Crocodile, an apex preditor

Giraffes snacking on a bag of carrots

Meerkat Village

Shopping in Australia at this time of year is odd, because its spring, so they're selling spring/summer fashions, camping gear, and Christmas decorations and wrapping paper. They sell a lot of solar-powered Christmas decorations, which work well here with the lengthening day.  We were told that Christmas is the beginning of the hot summer, and everyone starts taking their summer vacations and heads for the beaches.

Where do we go from here?  Well by now you must know that "cruisers plans are written in the sand at low tide". Only time will tell!