Aloha, Australia! Aloha, Whitsunday Islands

We arrived in Mackay, Australia after rounding Swain Reef and beating our way up Capricorn Channel. The industrial port of Hay Point, with all the bulk carrier ships offshore at anchor, kept us busy at 3am as wind gust were approaching +25 knots SW. At 4:30am, Friday October 12, 2012, we finally entered the channel of Mackay, Australia, and with the help of the Mackay Harbor Master, we found the Q-dock and tied up for a few hours of much needed rest. After clearing into Australia with super friendly bio-security & border customs agents, we had finally arrived in Mackay, Australia. 1100 miles after departing Dumbea Pass, New Caledonia, and 5 1/2 days later, we entered our next foreign country. Australia, with all her vastness, awaited our discovery of islands and coastlines that Sea Child has yet to explore.

We victualed at the Coles Market in Mackay Town, across the Pioneer River from the Marina at Mackay. The Pioneer River is interesting in that it totally dries at low tide, and as we rode in the taxi toward the market, we noticed the vessels scattered here and there, high and dry. We found the market at Coles to be quite complete, with everything from fresh organic fruits and vegetables to a complete selection of tofu & vegetarian items to choose from. We stocked up on everything, as all fresh items on Sea Child were confiscated by the bio-security agent. We bought fresh red, yellow & green peppers, fresh eggplant, fresh apples, oranges & bananas, tofu, chili peppers and soy cream, along with a myriad of items. After about 2 hours of shopping, and $400 later (a weeks provisions for 4 passengers), we returned to Sea Child at Mackay Marina, and again, as we crossed the Pioneer River, took notice that those high and dry vessels were now floating. It was very apparent why Mackay built the outer marina, as the tides may have been drastic, but the marina never went dry.

After one night in the marina, we bid farewell to Mackay and headed NW, toward the islands & bays of the Whitsunday Islands. We sailed along for 6 hours or so yesterday, to our first anchorage at Thomas Island. Of course celebration beers were in order, and after a grilled eggplant sandwich lunch, we headed ashore to Naked Lady Beach on Thomas Island. A rugged island of scrub and eucalyptus trees, we followed the dry riverbed along a trail toward the SE side of the little island. There, we found a beautiful vista of the surrounding islands, and nosed around the driftwood and rock-strewn beach. The islands of the Whitsundays remind us so far of a cross between the Bay of Islands in New Zealand, and the San Juan Islands of the Pacific Northwest. Beautiful seascapes surround us now, as we continue to sail NW to Whitsunday Island, where Buddy & Nancy will inquire about their return flight options to Sydney. Its wonderful for us to have such great guests come and join a discovery leg on Sea Child. Their company has been a gift to us, and we expect to miss them greatly once they take their leave back to the USA.

In the next few days, Sea Child will locate some spectacular dive sites on Hook Island, just NE of Whitsunday Island. A day trip out to Great Barrier Reef, from Hook Island, is in the plans for next week.


Current location:

20 DEGREES, 31.813 SOUTH
149 DEGREES, 02.238 EAST


Please see this link for google earth position of Sea Child:

www.sailblogs.com/member/seachild

Australia on our port side

Sea Child is nearing Mackay, Australia, our arrival port of entry after the Coral Sea Crossing (eta 0400 Friday October 12, 2012). Please see this link to read more and also view our google earth position:

www.sailblogs.com/member/seachild


21 degrees 50.164 minutes SOUTH
150 degrees 57.420 minutes EAST

Au Revoir New Caledonia

Sea Child has departed New Caledonia and is now sailing to Great Barrier Reef, Australia. For more information and Google Earth position, please see this link:

www.sailblogs.com/member/seachild

23 degrees 10 minutes SOUTH
163 degrees, 40 minutes EAST

Noumea to Isle of Pines, New Caledonia

After spending several months and many miles crossing the Pacific Ocean, we really had not read much regarding New Caledonia. We had heard about the country mostly in New Zealand, where many yachties were either planning their journey back to the NE countries of Fiji & Tonga, Niue or back to French Polynesia. Other yachties would mention New Caledonia as a "beat upwind" but worth the visit. When we bought Sea Child back in Trinidad, the previous owner had told us that he wished to sail her into New Caledonia, across the Pacific. And so New Caledonia remained on our list of countries to visit, though maybe not for very long. Here we are now, however, with fresh eyes and a change in seasons. New Caledonia is at our fingertips to be discovered, welcoming and comfortable and unique.

We had hired Noumea Yacht Services to keep a keen eye on Sea Child while we were away in the USA. Their bi-monthly emails informed us as to her condition and location, since they had to move her twice. When we returned to Noumea in late September, we found Sea Child clean and well cared for. Her decks were white and polished, her interior without a trace of mold or smell. A welcome back, or home as we like to think, Sea Child tended to by the watchful eyes of Chloe, our NYS rep who hails from Vanuatu but now resides in Noumea. Given our constant communication with Chloe, and ease of entry on a one way ticket, we highly recommend NYS to any yachtie headed to New Caledonia. If you need to leave your yacht here, our advice is to use Noumea Yacht Services. You will be glad you did.

After a few days provisioning and adjusting to the time change, we bid a fond farewell to Port du Sud Marina in Noumea. We found that Noumea, on a holiday weekend such as the one we landed in (New Caledonia day), is quite desolate and closed up. The main downtown near Port Moselle was like a ghost town; no shops open, not a soul around. Thankfully the fresh market near the marina was open on Sunday until noon, as we continued our reprovisioning quest. However,when we needed to skype the USA we found that the internet cafes that we knew about were all closed. We ended up driving into the tourist area of Baie de Citron, where a string of restaurants lined the main beach drive. Any one of them offered free internet with purchase of drinks, so as we enjoyed our lunch and cold drinks, we placed that much needed call back to Maui, all the while thankful for our IPhone with Skype. What did we ever do without technology??

Today we are sailing toward the Isle of Pines, the most SE islands of New Caledonia. We heard the diving there is spectacular, and the biking around the island a highlight. After a brief visit to Ouen Island, where the holding ground is fabulous, as is the morning SUP sessions, we were underway to the Isle of Pines. Waters are flat, winds light & variable, 4 knots boatspeed. And lots of sunshine on a perfect day, temp around 80 degrees.

For google maps position, please see:
www.sailblogs.com/member/seachild

22 degrees, 29.735 minutes SOUTH
155 degrees, 50.918 minutes EAST

Sailing to new territory

For details on Mt. Yasur Volcano on Tanna Island, Vanuatu and our crossing to Lifou, Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia, please see this link:

www.sailblogs.com/member/seachild

Marina De We, Lifou, Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia
Wednesday, June 6, 2012

20 DEGREES 55.061 SOUTH
167 DEGREES 16.701 EAST


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Vanuatu Land Jumping

For details and google maps tracking of Sea Child's visit to Pentecost Island and the incredible sailing across to Santo, Vanuatu, please see this site:

www.sailblogs.com/member/seachild

Luganville, Santo Island, Vanuatu

Fiji to Vanuatu

For details and google maps tracking of Sea Child's crossing to Vanuatu, please see this site:

www.sailblogs.com/member/seachild

Port Vila, Vanuatu