Duration: 15th December – 21st December 2020
It had been wet and windy for a couple of days prior to our departure from the Boatworks and the sea state was, to put it mildly, rough, too rough for us to cross the Gold Coast seaway. So with no time pressures we decided to back track northward along our previous route mooring overnight in Deanbilla Bay North Stradbroke Island (near Dunwich). NB These moorings are ‘owned and managed’ by the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron and their use is subject to current RQYS membership and availability. When we arrived there was only one other boat in place, and as current RQYS members we rang RQYS reception and got sorted and settled for the night.
The next morning, we had an easy sail along the coast of North Stradbroke and then headed for the top of Morton Island connecting one last time with some of our favourite spots …. the Big Sands and Tangalooma. Once we got to the top end of Moreton Island we could see the breakers and knew it was going to be rough. We headed North West as the sea appeared to be a bit calmer but that was an illusion as we had a crappy couple of hours heading directly into a 2 metre choppy swell coupled with 30+ knot winds on the nose. As such it took a solid couple of hours to get around the top end of Moreton Island. Peter was on his own, because at this stage Sandra was incredibly sea sick. After a straight 14 hour shift, Sandra was able to relieve Peter and we returned to a 4 hour watch schedule.
The next day brought little respite as the sea state remained rocky with a decent chop. Then things got really interesting off Sydney as the N – NW wind swung round to a south easterly at 28 knots, a port beam current running, and we were surrounded by thunderstorm activity including lightening. Winds remained in the 20 – 27 knot range for the most part with no let up in sight and we were both exhausted so we made the decision to head straight for Sydney Harbour.
At 1000 hours on Saturday 19th December we approached the Heads. For us going through the Heads was quite surreal. All those years watching the Sydney to Hobart yacht races on the tellie, and here we were in our own boat passing through that same route. Once we passed the Heads we were like, OMG, this is crazy! There were ferries, small motor craft, sailing craft, kayakers, windsurfers, kite surfers … all going every which way. In a word, it was manic! Peter knew there were public moorings available on our starboard side, and after dodging the sea traffic we managed to score one at Quarantine Beach. We were surrounded by boats having onboard Christmas parties, but we were both too exhausted to notice any of the noise and after a quick bite to eat slept hard overnight.
We were woken at 0700 the next morning by our eldest daughter, the conversation went something like this:
S: Where are you?
Us: Sydney, just inside the heads.
S: Well Gladys is likely to make an announcement re a COVID lock down at 11 this morning. Are you anywhere near the North Shore? If you are you better get out of there asap.
From that point on it was all go … kettle on for an enroute cup of tea and pre departure checks completed we were off the mooring and heading seaward through the heads. We were comfortable with this decision as we hadn’t been off the boat, nor had we directly interacted with anyone for a good couple of weeks. However, we were disappointed that we hadn’t ticked off a harbour sail or going under the Harbour Bridge from our bucket list. Guess we’ll just have to arrange a return trip at some point in the future.
We sailed all that day, heading south dodging a couple of squalls followed by a comfortable sail overnight. Though we kept a close watch on a yacht sailing parallel with us closer to shore with no nav lights on and not showing on the AIS. We also discussed, Where to next? We considered all our options and agreed there was a high risk that COVID lockdowns would continue to impact on our movements. So, we parked the idea of ‘cruising’ down the east coast with an Adelaide ETA of April 2021. Instead, we would head direct to Adelaide, stopping only for rest breaks and shelter if required. With that in mind, our next planned stop would be Eden.
Thirty hours after leaving Quarantine Beach Sydney, we picked up a public mooring close to the shoreline at Eden. NB There are two public moorings in this area, available for a 24 hour period only. Be aware that the local police monitor these moorings and fines apply if you overstay.
We moved the next day and anchored in Nullica Bay. A beautiful horseshoe bay with easy access via dinghy to the Seahorse Inn and Discovery Caravan and Camping Park. Surrounded by rose gardens The Inn has been beautifully restored and is frequently used for weddings, conferences, and the like. We popped in for a glass of wine one evening and given the price per glass it was a one off visit! The caravan park was a great find …. $5.00 each per day to use their laundry and bathroom facilities. The onsite office and shop has a range of grocery items and a refrigerated van calls in selling fresh fish. We spent four days here, including most of Christmas Day before upping anchor at 1500 hours to continue our journey south.
