As mentioned in the last post, I arrived back in Sydney about 8.30pm on Sunday May 1. I head for the boat at the CYCA from the airport and hope that there is no one in the bar as I have a very unsailing like suitcase with me. It is small but you just don’t take a suitcase on wheels onto a boat....eek! The problem is that as I have my yoga mat, all I need to sail and then spend two weeks in QLD, it just wont fit in one bag, so whats a girl to do! I arrive to meet Phil who is also joining Mark and Di for this leg. Phil is gracious, despite the fact that I have had the second cabin booked for some time and he has to sleep in the saloon! The weather is cool, a shock to my sensitive warm climate self, but there has been no rain today, the first time for 10 days, rah! The heater is on down below and the motoGP is on the television. I stake my claim on the cabin and then we watch the start and then hit the sack in readiness to head for Pittwater tomorrow. I have been secretly hoping that the weather is not as cruisy as is acceptable to those who cruise and that we stay an extra day! My reason for this is that one of my favourite comedians, Danny Bhoy is doing a show in Sydney Monday night. Having arrived back in Melbourne at the end of the Comedy Festival I missed out on his show. He didnt come last year so I was keen to see him but alas, it was not to be! But the alternative, heading out into the ocean to cruise up the coast wasnt half bad, right??
Mark and Di have their own blog and if any of you are interested it can be found at markanddicruising.blogspot.com. Di is a much more avid blogger than me and actually updates their site every 3-4 days, imagine that...:)! There will be a lot of crossover with this site and theirs for the time I am with them but I still want to include that part of my adventure in this blog.
Sydney to Pittwater – Monday 2 May (25nm)
We are up about 7.30am (me after meditating) with the intention of leaving around 9am. All are eagerly awaiting me getting up...mainly as the new gas bottle is in my room and the gas had just run out the night before and it was required for the coffee. Instead we decide to head to the cafe in the park near CYCA for breakfast which is always good. Their ham, cheese and tomato toasties always do the trick and the coffee is good. Entertainment is provided by the local dogs that frequent the park and the cafe (with their owners of course). We head off about 9.30am and it is only a short trip, about 25 miles to Pittwater. We motorsail as there is a bit of breeze and a 3-4ft swell. The day is cloudy and quite cool, but despite it threatening to, it doesn’t rain.
We head to Refuge Bay where we have lunch next to a beautiful waterfall setting. Lunch is pies and sausage rolls. The pies are because we didn’t have any at the football on Friday night.....too excited to eat at the footy, although I did attempt a hot dog but didn’t get through much of it. From here we went further down Cowan Creek to Smiths Creek where we moored for the night in a beautifully quiet spot. Cocktail hour started about 5pm. While sitting out on deck once it got dark, we heard a tree crash down in the forest on the hills. It was quite eerie to hear and not be able to see what happened. Dinner of steak, corn and salad was served about 7pm. Most of the worlds problems were discussed and solved over a few glasses of red and then we all hit our bunks around 10pm.
The plan was to rise at whatever time the next day and move to a bay closer to the entrance for a quick getaway on Wednesday morning, destination Newcastle. When we got up this morning there was mist in the trees and the reflection of the scenery in the water was magnificent. I was last up (or out anyway) as I meditated again. Of course I got stick for that...:)! I had my first lesson with the boats espresso pot so Im learning all the important skills!! On the way to our new bay, the Basin within Coasters Retreat, we stopped off at Cottage Point Kiosk for coffee. Coffee was good and the location was lovely. I baulked though at $10.50 for a piece of carrot cake! Once moored, the day was spent relaxing....reading, Sudoku, writing etc. Di continues to hone her fisherwoman skills and caught a little yellow tail something on cheese after ham and bread didn’t work!! She decided not to keep this one for bait and let it go. Life is good!
No comments:
Post a Comment