Archive for the ‘cruising’ Tag
A month on..
As I look at my previous post, I smile.
So far we have come,
Our dream in action…
Sunset at Seven Spirt Bay
A dip in the cool waters.
“follow the dream”
But before leaving the Top End we had to stop off to celebrate. Nestled within Carig Gunak Barlu National Park around the Colbourg Peninsula is a beautiful little resort.
A little bit of paradise in a vast vacant land.
Rudy walking the ruins at Port Essington
Hello from Port Essington
Glass relics, Port Essington
We Celebrated….
We had completed our goals in the direction of our dreams, 4 years we’d been at it.
Our goal was to set Tiata up for some long term and remote cruising.
Tiata sits behind a blanket of smoke in The Top End
Lounging in the water one morning…
Nature…
Lush and green,
cool and serene..
We are now sitting near the tip of Cape York in Seisia, Queensland.
Waiting for the winds to abate..
But we are in no hurry, we’ll just toddle around here…
Plotting the Journey…
It’s getting close now,
the final jobs are slipping away,
the time has come for us to start proposing a direction…
My lemons are preserving…
Reflection
Direction
Our first destination…
Cobourg Peninsula – Garig Gunak Barlu is a national park.
About 216 km northeast of Darwin by road.
Our sailing route 120nm..
It was established by joining the former Gurig National Park and the Cobourg Marine Park…
Vast and beautiful
Deeply indented bays and coves cover some 4.500 km²..
Virtually uninhabited…
Darwin to Port Essington
Port Essington is an inlet and historic site located with in the park.
One of 2 failed attempts of early British settlement..
The ruins still remain…
(We were first through here June 2007 – en-route to the Kimberly’s)
Wuwudri Walk
looking through the ruins..
Blackpoint Wharf.
For this we will probably set sail with the bottom of the tide in the evening to catch the ingoing tide through the Vernon Islands.
and will ensure and outward tide around Cape Don..
With a hopeful lunchtime arrival…
Nestled deep…
Well that’s the loose plan.
mmm maybe one last gourmet treat before virtual wilderness…
We will be there till we are ready to go..
Desire Everything…
The final jobs are being done.
It won’t be long now..
Mere weeks…
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130.820842
It’s been a busy couple of days.
Out of one life..
Into another…
Today I have had time onboard.
Clearing and sorting..
It’s great to be home…
We have spent 4 years putting together the best systems for Tiata.
Power is proving itself so far today we have collected 130 Ah, we have used our inverter which allows us to use 240volt.!
We charged up all our electrics and I used my computer plugged in…
Tomorrow I will use my computer on internal power and charge early in the day…mmm see what happens
It’s great seeing everything work.
We are heading remote..
In the most comfortable surroundings…
So great to be me…
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130.820925
They say home is where the heart is,
then my home lays here.
Cruising Nara Inlet, Sept 2003
A decade after our first visits to Nara Inlet.
It feels we are heading..
Heading….
Home……..
Somewhere over the rainbow…
This beautiful Fjord-like inlet was once the ancient home of the Ngaro people.
This sea faring Aboriginal group inhabited the Whitsunday and coastal areas of Queensland from some 7000BC till 1870.
Eventually their society was destroyed by the inhabitation of colonists and those remaining were forcibly relocated to mission settlements on Palm Island…
Stillness
The Cradle of a People…
Comfortable
There are plenty of places to explore,
from ancient art work,
and waterfalls…
Beautiful in all light
We spent long languid days,
warm with gentle rains,
a beautiful place to call home, if only for a time…
looking south out the Inlet
Nestled
Sea Eagle
August 2013 we head East from Darwin in the Northern Territory after many years away.
We look forward to rediscovering this land..
Blessed to sit and to ponder this magnificent land…
being in nature…
Home, is wherever the heart lives….
The Berkley River
The Berkeley River is nestled SW of Joseph Bonaparte Gulf on Australia’s remote north Kimberly Coast.
The nearest town is Wyndham 150kms..
There are no roads…
Berkley River Map
Intense silence fills your ears,
alone in an ancient land.
The moon fills the setting sky,
miles from civilisation,
miles from anywhere.
We are able to cruise some 12 nm (approx. 22km) up the river.
Sandstone gorges soar over head at times completely encircling us..
There is a deep presence…
We are in old, old country…
The colours are amazing..
Carved by eons on time..
The afternoon glow is blinding gold…
There is a silence within the Berkley like nothing I’ve every experienced before.
It’s soundless..
Deafening…
Alone in the wilderness..
Mystical..
We lived by the falls..
This was to be our home for the next month.
We bathed under the waterfall looking out over the hushed grandness..
We explored, we climbed the above ridge and walked deep into the quiet land, we sat…
I showered under the falls..
No crocs here..
We had all the comforts of home…
We watched the Moon dance it’s cycle in the clear, clear skies.
We lay out on chilly nights lit by the millions of sparkling stars..
We watched the sun sink, finished for the day, whilst the full moon rose in all it’s glory…
Mt Casurina
Golden hue
lush and so green
We lived in nature,
self sufficient.
Collecting water..
Baking bread…
Freshly backed in the BBQ..
We caught the odd mud crab..
Collecting fresh water..
We ate well…
Rudy’s Chilli Mud Crab..
We walked the ancient land drawn into it’s quietness.
Sandstone rock caved into the guardian souls that resided this land..
There was a feeling of being in the presence of others,
they had left their creative mark.
We sat and looked out where others had sat for millennium ..
rock art up on a ledge,
The connection was strong…
walking along the rock bar, boats no further..
Berkley Bush..
Ancient ancestor…
We came across the odd Croc, we aways aware.
We swam in fresh water pools, watched by God’s creatures..
We played, safe above the falls…
We played…
Croc…
A sunning monitor…
We were totally and lovingly wrapped in nature.
Berkley blessings….
I am deeply blessed…
I am so grateful..
Thank you…
It’s the breeze on my face,
It’s the wind in the sail,
It’s the sky above,
It’s the sea below….
It’s the Sky above
It’s the Sea below…
It;s the breeze upon my face..
It’s the isolation,
It’s the freedom,
It’s the silence,
It’s the sounds…
It’s the silence…
It’s the Freedom…
It’s the Isolation…
It’s the connection,
It’s the light,
It’s the being,
It’s the doing…
It’s the doing…
It’s the connection…
It’s the light…
It’s the touching base with Nature…
No land in sight…
Flooded mangroves…
Exploring the flood tide…
It’s touching base with me….
Nature’s colours…
nature’s light…
and I get to live free…..
120 days or so and we’ll be back living on the Ocean,
free from the ties of society,
living in the world ruled by Nature,
Home…
Making Space..
Reflection of the Soul…
Morning Glow
‘Till then we enjoy the precious treasures of life,
and lavish ourselves in our love of the outdoors.
mangrove islands.
Fully accepting…
Gliding on currents..
Dinner at Crab Claw
The conditions for sailing in Darwin this time of year are beautiful. With big tides, flat water and light winds that glide one easily and briskly along the water.
Crab Claw under dawn moon..
A weekend treat for us is to sail to Bynoe. In a huge and very sparsely populated Harbour just south of Darwin and nestled deep in the upper reaches is Crab Claw Resort.
There’s a little balinese style fishing resort with elevated cabins and palm shaded walkways that lead to a wonderful ‘open style’ restaurant, that sits high over looking the water.
This is what I call 10 000 star dining…
Ready to go ashore..
Heading into the sunset…
Were off again next weekend, yeah.
This is living the Dream….
The view out…
ps. Our one thing today was we fitted new 12volt plugs on some electrics, Rudy did some soldering.
We really can feel the buzz of change..
We are returning to the water.
We have 4 months before we move back on Tiata…
We have been in Darwin 4 years.
She’s been treated to an upgrade…
dreams takes time….
Sanding….
Tiata being loved…
The finished job
a sweet time…
with big skies, intense storms and joyful birdlife..
Geese
Big Skies…
Great storms…
and now the time has come,
to shed what we no longer need,
and make room for our next adventure…
Pretty sigh….aaaaaaaah.
and so from now to then my motto is to do…
‘One thing.’
One thing a day towards the move.
To ensure we have the space to enjoy the riches of our time left in Darwin..
Awwww they’re leaving…
Margaret Bay
Near the tip of Queensland there is a beautiful Bay.
Where the sand is white and the water clear.
You won’t find many people here the nearest sealed road is 141 kms away.
Clear waters of Margaret Bay
Margaret Bay Low tide
Map of Margaret Bay
A place to stop, to explore and to play.
The tides are big…lucky we have wheels.
Walking the beach at Low Tide..
The tide came up higher then expected. Rudy I’ll watch for Crocs..
A great place to give Tiata a dry out and make sure all is a’ok.
giving Tiata a dry out
Watching the clear water wash away..
Tide receding…
Further up the beach past a creek
the sands are sprinkled with Star Fish
100’s of them..
Waiting for the croc to swim away before crossing the creek.
But first you have to wait for the resident croc to head out to sea…..
Important tip: Check your tides and always keep an eye out.
Start fish everywhere going about there business
In a little part of the bay is Starfish City..
Off to see friends..
“Catch a falling star…”
The ‘Stars’ of Margaret Bay
Blue, white and green…
Tiata
Just us and nature,
A lone Jabiru..
A distant Curlew
what a special treat…
A magical sunrise
Feeding Eagles.
Christmas in the Whitsunday’s
Most of the time on the east coast it’s blowing ‘south easterlies’ and Turtle Bay is buffeted by winds.
So it’s a treat to enjoy it’s beautiful clear waters.
We spent the afternoon feeding Eagles.
We fed them all our bacon…was worth it..
What a great way to spend the day
Eagles remind us to work smarter, not harder
Eagles remind us to not allow the illusion of limitation to ground us in our flight.
Freedom
King of the birds
I needed a dip after all that..
25th Dec 2006
Christmas at Turtle Bay, Whitsunday Island.
Christmas Morning…
It was a misty start to the day, still and quiet. After sunrise most of the boats moved on to there destinations for the day, we decided to stay put.
After my morning paddle we explored the area, we followed a dry waterfall up into the rain forest we were awarded a sublime view..
Looking back at Tiata
Some morning exercise…
Solider Crabs
We climbed high into the forest..
Rudy walking the dry river course..
keep on walking..
love our morning walks..
Rudy did a great roast on the Cobber
Followed by an afternoon swim
Tending lunch..
Cooking with a view..
it was a beautiful day and after lunch we “weighed anchor” and went for a sail around the Island…
Perfect…..
Flying the spinnaker…
Clear sailing
Christmas on Tiata..
Outside, out at Sea 