Back In The Town We Know
Trip Start
Unknown
1
7
20
Trip End
Ongoing
Batemans Bay, New South Wales, Australia
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Mid morning we enjoyed watching several whales playing not far from the boat. Non of them looked incredibly big but they hung around for a while, breaching and flapping their tails about. We were both excited with these. While I was trying to wash my hair up on deck, Daryl spotted a seal too. Missed seeing the seal, but finally have squeaky clean hair!! We are just about to go around the coast past Brush Island towards Bateman's Bay. Our ETA we called in as 6pm but again - think we might beat that time.
Alan and Lily are meeting us in Bateman's Bay - will be interesting to see what they say about our boat. I gave the boat bit of a tidy up this morning, but didn't bother washing windows or anything like that. Because we motored most of the morning and it was so calm, I made some potato salad and have tea almost ready to go. Finally our motors are off and the sails are full with wind - pushing us along at a nice tidy speed. If the wind picks up the way the weather reports say it should, we will be getting wash on them before the Bay anyway.
Nah... the wind did not last until Bateman's Bay and we had motor a fair way into the harbor. Again, dolphins led us into another harbor - but these were two massive sized fellas swimming to one side at the front. Makes you feel a bit special to be led in. Past all the big rock walls we spotted Alan and Lily, Lily in a pink polar fleece, Alan alongside her with binoculars waving madly. We were so excited!!!! It was another 1/4 hour before we docked alongside the jetty in the Bay. It was a long weekend in N.S.W. and every second person in Canberra was holidaying in the town. It totally reinforced why we left the area five years ago. I had called Jason, at the Marina and he had told me that it was ok to tie up at the Public Jetty for the night - the only condition being that there had to be someone on board at all times. No problems... we had no reason to want to go any where except to the shops to buy some more food. We welcomed Daryl's parents aboard and after transferring all the goodies and their luggage they had bought with them onto the boat, we sat down to a meal of roast pork, cooked to perfection in Wangaratta and the potato salad made earlier in the day.
Every one was really tired and after making up beds for Alan and Lily, we showered and thankfully fell into our beds.
Alan was first out of bed and it wasn't long before we were all busy with our own jobs. The sun was up, Bateman's Bay was buzzing and I could finally get my washing done. I HATE dirty washing around at anytime and was very happy to load it all up and trek down to the laundromat. What a disappointment!!! I was actually a bit dubious about putting our stuff in the machine - would it come out cleaner than what it was or not? The laundromat had just been sold and new owners were in the process of organizing a reno. In a few weeks time it would be a new. Now it was a dirty grimy place with 3 working machines and three big tumble dryers. A couple of the machines had already been pulled out and according to the owners - they hadn't moved for 25 years. Yucko! I had taken all our linen off the bed so that on our one remaining night we would sleep in the sheets and then they would be packed away until we return in a few weeks rather than taking every thing back to Coffins to wash. Three loads of washing later, it was all packed up and I was on my way back to the boat with some help from Daryl. We had to have the boat moved by 11 am so that the ferry could dock at the jetty we were berthed at. Much to the amusement of the cook at the Boathouse Restaurant, Daryl and Alan had pulled all the trailer bits off the boat and rebuilt it on the side of the jetty. They had never seen anything like it happen before. Except for some zip clips to tie down all the cables for the lights it was finished - and with no left over parts. To make it easier for the Caterina to get through Bass Strait when we do the trip around, we have decided it would be best not to do it with the new tinny on the back, so Alan and Lily are towing it back to Wangaratta and we will pick it up at a later date, so it was hooked on the back of their car ready for it's journey there.
Leisa and her two girls were on their way from Canberra!!! Coming to have lunch with us and catch up on some family time! BUT.... first we had to take the Caterina through the bridge to the other side where Daryl had decided he wanted to leave her while we return to Coffin Bay. The bridge only opens twice a day..... for the ferry and if taking a yacht through, you have to book with them for them to lift the middle of the bridge right up. We watched the middle of the road slide up.. up.. and up some more. Could we fit through? We called out to the man up on the bridge "Are we going to make it?" "Your Problem", was the answer. I could not believe it. To me, it just re-confirmed why we left the area - not a friendly environment as a general rule. Looking up and driving sooooooooo slowly we passed safely under the bridge and tied on to a buoy on the other side of the bridge.
Leisa and the girls were soon on their way over on the tinny and we all sat down to a great barby lunch together. Keira and Jessica were so well behaved. It must have been so hard for two such active little girls to sit so still and be so constricted as to where they were allowed to walk. Mid afternoon and our time together was over. We transported them back to shore, helped Leisa get them safely back through the horrendous holiday traffic and said our good byes to the girls. It had been a lovely family day. Lily and I then spent a couple of ours looking around the Bay shops before returning to Caterina for a light bacon and eggs dinner, some cards, shower and bed. Another great day. I have been wondering...... is there another way to say "another great day????"
