Please avoid eye strain..

This is the mother of all Blog entries.....make sure you have a drink and a wee first, that you have eaten or at least have a couple of Tim Tams handy, that all your children are in bed, that your phone is turned off, that you have a comfortable seat, that your laptop is charged, or you have plenty of paper in the printer and that the day is young....because this is a doozey!! And will be our last written entry offshore. Well, until the debriefing entry hopefully from our home berth at Dockside sometime in the near future, before the end of October hopefully. Okay are you ready?

Noumea capital of New Caledonia is a very well protected harbour with bustling town on the waterfront. Population of around 95000 made up of Melanesians, European (French mostly and 34% of the total population of New Caledonia!) Polynesian, Indonesian, Vietnamese, Japanese and Chinese. It has so much to offer for a yachtie if you can afford the prices: a great market right on the water's edge that sells everything from fresh fruit and veggies, trinkets, pearls, clothes, fish, bakery and patisserie items and a cafe sitting right in the middle of it all. Banks, supermarkets, pharmacies, computer shops, chandlery, chocolatiers and restaurants. It has a bit of a rubbish problem in the inner harbour area and a homeless problem which detracts from the feel of the potential pacific paradise. The town is just a block back and the big cruise line dock is also right in town. When those ships dump their 2000 passages and 700 crew ashore for the day, the town hums. The marina is right in the hub of it and there is also a Cafe/Bar/Restaurant right next to the Marina office, way too close for our Bank balance!! We spent three nights at the Port Moselle Marina when we first arrived.

Two of those days hanging out with John and Frances from Palmask, another Aussie boat purchased in the USA! And this of course saw us drinking the really nice “Number One” (local New Caledonian beer brewed by a Belgium were told). Even I liked it! We spent a few too many Franc's on beer that night, but Geoff reckons the espresso I had was what caused it to be expensive!! We spent the days here wandering about town, checking out the markets, buying some provisions and enjoying the free water on tap at our marina berth!!

We took off from Noumea on Monday and motored down to a bay just south of the main town. Ile Ue're' and where we could still see the lights of the suburbs and the planes taking off. But it was quiet and calm. The night got overcast and cool with a few light rain squalls coming through. Little did we know that we would suffer this weather for the next six days!! On Tuesday we motored south and back towards our inbound course via Woodin Canal. A very protected narrow canal with the typical southern New Caledonian scenery of layers of mountains, red soil erosion's and dark green water. A very dramatic scenery and very different to what we have seen anywhere else in the pacific. We anchored in Baie Ire' on the big island of Ile Ouen. It was another incredibly calm night tucked into the red mud. The water is clear, but it doesn't feel that, due to the red mud bottom. We went ashore to the red sand beach and I looked for shells while Geoff fished with his spinning lure. No luck, except for the fish that took it under a bommie and then spat it out there....so the next thing I see is Geoff snorkeling down to rescue his favourite wonder wobbler lure!!! Pretty funny stuff.

On Wednesday we motored off for the 7 mile journey through the canal to Baie de Prony...in the pouring rain!!! I mean bucketing down, torrential stuff! Bloody hell we haven't seen much sunshine here yet? Baie de Prony has many fantastic anchorages to offer, but we chose the scenic Ile Casy and picked up a free mooring. A little sandy island with clear water, great reefs and red clay hills. A small resort is supposed to be at the end of the jetty, but when we went ashore it seemed under refurbishment and no one was around except for a friendly dog who kept us company on our walk. We walked up the hill for the views of Baie de Prony and Sea Otter moored below. It was an exceptionally calm night, but the cloudy skies remained.
Thursday was a big day. It is 45 miles south to the Ile de Pins, the most famous and most photographed place in New Caledonia. It was going to be a hard run as the wind was ESE-E-ENE. Around 15 knots. We left just after sunrise at 5.30 am and Sea Otter spent the next 8 hours hard on the wind, sailing at about 6.5 – 7.2 knots to windward. Pounding into the short steep seas that washed the decks with water. We were exhausted by the time we anchored in the beautiful Baie de Kuto. 16' of white white sand and only 30 metres from the fabulous long curving beach. Very protected and very very pretty. It continued to rain, Friday, Saturday and Sunday morning was overcast but dry. By lunchtime Sunday it was blue skies and blowing 15 -20 from the SE.

Ahhh that's better we thought, but then we got worried on Friday evening when the winds started picking up again. We sent a text to Ian that night worried that we were going to get some westerlies and this would certainly not be a good anchorage for that! But he confirmed that what we had got was a high pressure ridge and no westerlies predicted. He was spot on again, Geoff was woken up at 1am Saturday morning with the wind howling in the rigging. Blowing 35 knots plus!! Poor Sea Otter was swinging around on her anchor in the gusts, luckily we were well dug in. The sand is not only very white here it is very fine and like a beautiful mud. The rain was torrential and poured off the decks like a hundred hoses were aimed at us from above. It lasted for a couple of hours then settled back, by morning it was looking like it was improving and going to clear. It didn't but at least it was just overcast and the odd showers now.

I can tell you we got serious cabin fever in those few days! The rain is great for me to run around on deck catching water and washing my hair and clothes....but it wears off after a day or two. We went ashore and did our on foot sightseeing in the rain, we had a great espresso at a little beach hut Cafe in the rain. We walked up to the boulangerie to buy our baguettes in the rain. We started to grow mold or it felt like it!! Our beautiful leather bound helm wheel is moldy. We kept asking people is this what it is normally like here? It's not what we've seen in the brochures! Ah but thankfully Sunday redeemed it all. Warm and sunny enough for me to go for my first snorkel here. And it what a snorkel as I got to swim with a very large turtle for about 5 minutes, I think it was a big green turtle! The bay is full of them and if you sit on deck for about 5 minutes one will pop up for air with a big gasp. They look about 5' plus long, pretty big turtles. And are usually followed by a entourage of sucker fish, and smaller fish. I've swum with them a couple times now and once they see you, those big flippers kick in and they are gone in a flash!
Monday and Tuesday turned on the showcase of weather we had been hoping for. It was just beautiful. Monday we motored about 7 miles to the little island of Moro. Sand and reef surrounded about 80% of the island with little gaps in the reef so you can sneak inside and anchor in about 12'. It is pretty daunting to go into these places unless you have a good clear sky with lots of sun, that you wait till about 10 am and there is some wind to ripple the water. Then you can see the reefs underwater. We spent the day till about 2.30 pm snorkeling, fishing and shelling. Geoff even thought he may get a surf of the little break to the south of the island, but when we got out there it was too small and only happened once every 5 minutes.

Without being able to get a weather forecast in English or pick up any broadcasts on our SSB radio for weather in the area, it is a bit too scary heading out to these reef crusted islets. They are mostly day anchorages only and the closest one that could offer protected anchorages in both easterly and westerlies is 26 miles away. So, with the day being beautiful, clear and warm....we stayed put and forced ourselves to just swim, read and relax. Tough stuff hey. Ahhh before you send me bad envy vibes.... just hold off until we are at sea again with 770 miles of ocean to cross before we get home. Trust me it is likely to be karmic payback time! Owww I hope I have been a good Buddhist???

Ile de Pins was found by good old Captain Cook in 1774...busy boy Captain Cook, he seems to have been everywhere in the Pacific. However, he couldn't get ashore here and named the island for the indigenous colonial pines growing everywhere....hence Isle of Pines. They are tall pencil shaped pines and give many of the islands the look of a scrubbing brush when seen from a distance. In 1853 France took possession of these islands, the local Kunie islanders then became hosts to a penal colony 1872. Just like British the French obviously were happy to send there unwanted crim's very far away and about 3000 of them!! The ruins of that time and the prisons are everywhere and you can walk into one just opposite the Boulangerie. It is quite amazing to see the remains of the settlements still standing in fairly good order. However Baie de Kuto and Kanumera is a very quiet under developed place. A couple of low key resorts, a craft shop, a gendarme station, a boulangerie, a small corner store, a Rotisserie and a beach snack hut. Very laid back and very simple lifestyle. But it was time to move on...

Wednesday the 1st of October was a big day for many reasons....one, we had to sail 46 miles back to Baie de Prony (a tough decision to miss out on the other islands down in the southern lagoon-but a safer call). We were hoping for a reasonable tailwind to get us there dry and fast, and it did 46 miles in 6 hours!! Two, it was our adored, wonderful sister-in-law Louise's Birthday (a big important one) Louise kindly and professionally has been looking after all our business and private finances, accounts, mail, personal favours, etc....just the only way we could have ever done this trip is with Louise and Peters efforts. Finally, we found out the next day...about the arrival of our good friends Ian and Michelle's little girl “Lillian Rose” 12 days early!! We did toy with the idea of trying be back by the 13th of October to be on hand for the arrival, but obviously Lillian Rose could not wait any longer to meet her wonderful parents and beautiful sister Brenna. Anyway, as you can see the 1st of October was a good day! :-))

Since then we spent two nights in tucked away anchorages deep in the Baie de Prony. Where we found thermal springs and waterfalls (for a refreshing nudie bath and shampoo for us both) Even Geoff, though he was highly nervous and agitated the whole time in case someone came by, which would be odd as we were in a totally remote place. Then on Friday we headed through the Canal Woodin with a lovely 15 knot SE behind us, then turned north towards Noumea. We were going to anchor the last night off Ile Maitre just 5 nm west of Noumea a lovely sandy atoll....but of course the weather played it's hand again and what we got when we turned north was 20 knots, increasing to 25, then 30 then by the time we got to Ile Maitre it was blowing a constant 35 knots with higher gusts and the little atoll was not providing much protection from the wind chop. The seas were literally white with spray and white horses. So we turned east and had a fast and scary sail into Noumea. Noumea was packed with yachts, no vacancies at the two marina's, boats anchored tightly all over the allowable areas, it was chaos. Very hair raising to anchor in 35 knots between boats that seemed just a tad too close together. But we pulled it off and had a relaxing drink as the gusts leaned Sea Otter over, again and again. It blew a hooley, so we didn't want to leave the boat. We moved to a berth at the Marina de Sud in the next bay south, on Sunday. We will stay here and get FREE Internet on board so we can watch the weather patterns. And of course do our Blog, emails etc....We want to try and pick a good friendly window of weather systems to leave for Brisbane on. Cross your fingers for us.

We are pretty keen to get home now and see the new baby and of course see how much our other adorable nieces, nephews have grown up while we've been away. Hmmm sorry Bek and Margaret at 18 and 19 you probably have done your growing up! So we just want to see how hot and gorgeous you are!! ;) And of course the other favourite little munchkins in our lives, Thomas Darke, Skye Hill, Skye Plenderleith and the new babies of the Murphy's and the O'Donnell/Texler's. Ahhh so many babies happening in the Paragliding community!! What has been going on??? hmmmmm maybe not enough flying, bad weather perhaps?! It is a good thing such oldies as us who didn't have their own children – have been lucky enough to be surrounded with 10 adorable, wonderful and gorgeous nieces and nephews ranging from 2 and half years to 19 years old. And enough friends in the paragliding community who are in their baby making thirties, to keep us supplied with adorable wee ones to cuddle and play with!!

Okay, oh dear I wandered off into melancholy there, that's what happens when you are away from your loved ones. It's just one of the things that has been good for us by doing this little adventure. Your appreciation of the people who matter in your life. Another thing is how well we have got on together while we are cruising. Now not that we didn't get on back in suburbia! But out here we well....are very close. Whether it is less work stress, more real life danger and demanded team effort that brings you closer together or just the sense of adventure, the water, the sunshine and the freedom....but I can honestly say it suits us (well me particularly) Geoff would clearly state that he has been a nervous wreck most of the time, that he hasn't exercised as much as he normally does-therefor he has put on weight, that we are going to go belly up financially, that he is a hopeless sailor, engine repairman, etc but most of you who know and love Geoff.....have heard all that before!! I think he's amazing and that his ability in sailing is similar to his ability in paragliding and surfing. Well above average. My I have got all soppy.....

6th October. 24 years ago.....a hunk of a young guy with a full head of hair in a pale grey suit is being made to smile over and over again. He complains that his jaw hurts. People keep talking to him, some of them he doesn't recognise? His worst nightmare. Beside him is a slim, short young girl in white fitting bodice with a big hooped skirt. Her curly hair styled more fancy than she has ever had it before, she's smiling all the time, chatting to everyone including the wait staff, whom she knows. Photo after photo is being taken of them, people stand around and stare at them and smile....again his worst nightmare. They are standing in the courtyard of an Italian restaurant, wonderful nibbles are being walked around for the 80 guests, it's dusk and the sky is clear and lilac. The stars start to come out and the crowd retires to the lush interior of the restaurant. He's exhausted already and just wants to go, head off to Mooloolabah for the week. She's beaming, her eyes sparkle, the room is full of people she loves and knows, the tables are a picture of fine glassware and good cutlery. Devine food is making it's way via waiters in black and whites to the well dressed guests....ahhhh she could spend forever here!

6th October. Today. A hunk of an older guy has just come back from a jog, his semi balding head is gleaming with perspiration. He's lean, not as lean as he used to be, but still fit. He's brown, he looks relaxed and he settles in to read a book, nothing much else on his agenda today......a dream come true!! Across from him, behind the computer is a short, chubby tanned woman. Greys mixed in amongst the bleached blond streaks in her messy out of control hair. She's still in love and looks at the cute butt on the guy as he comes back in from his jog. She smiles and chatters away about his jog, the day ahead and what they can do together all day.....her dream. The sit below on a lovely modern yacht, the sun is shining and the temperature is 24 degrees. Birds are singing and the slight clink of yacht rigging can be heard. The dappled light plays across the polished timber of the interior and they both look at each other and say....we could stay here forever!!!

Happy 24th Wedding Anniversary to us!!!!

Photos to come....