There's No Place Like Home

 

Moreton Bay sunset

Our most recent wanderings saw me enjoying a couple of days this week in our old home-town, Sydney.  One highpoint was a wonderful half day at the Art Gallery of New South Wales taking in the Archibald Prize exhibition, and a ‘highlights of the gallery’ guided tour.  Del Kathryn Barton won the 2013 Archibald Prize for the second time with her portrait of Hugo Weaving.  Photos don’t capture the beautiful colours and detail of this stunning portrait. 

In the warm and sunny weather we experienced, Sydney Harbour never disappoints.  A stroll around the Rocks area and the historic buildings at the southern (CBD) end of the Sydney Harbour Bridge soon gave way to a strenuous climb up many, many steps.  The effort was rewarded with outstanding views across the harbour.  An intriguing find was the plaque in memory of those who died during the construction of the bridge, and another commemorating the historic Bridge Walk for Reconciliation in May 2000, tucked away on the ballustrading of the steps.

As satisfying as it is to revisit old haunts and favourite cities, it’s always delightful to return to our 'backyard', in Brisbane's bayside.  As soon as our girl's new parts are fitted (see previous post) we hope to be out on the water again, enjoying more fabulous Moreton Bay sunsets.

We'd rather be Sailing

There’s an upside to owning a 30 year old boat.  (I’m a glass-half-full-type of person.)  Its seaworthiness and competiveness have been well and truly ‘tried and tested’ with racing over many years.  We enjoy the confidence of knowing our boat can handle the heaviest conditions.  But last week, we realised there’s also a downside to owning an ageing boat.  Like some baby boomers we know, our girl is starting to show the effects of her age.  The most recent evidence was fatigue to a chain plate. (Chain plates help secure the mast and rigging.) 

Fatigue in the chain plate

Fatigue cracks in yacht chain plates are apparently common in stainless, particularly where salt water is present.  The replacement of the chain plates with newly-fabricated, and heavier duty, stainless plates should be a straightforward task for TOH.  But with the four day Easter holiday almost upon us, it goes without saying that we’d rather be sailing.




The Footsteps of Charles Darwin

View from Bellerive across Kangaroo Bay and the River Derwent

Our recent walk in the footsteps of English naturalist, Charles Darwin, started at Bellerive boardwalk on Hobart’s eastern shore.  The views across Kangaroo Bay and the River Derwent are delightful.  The Charles Darwin Trail follows the route Darwin took as a young man on a visit to the area in 1836.

We were interested to discover that Darwin’s visit to Australia came almost four long years after he'd left England on his world voyage aboard the HMS Beagle.  There are great interpretive signs along the Charles Darwin Trail, which are based on Darwin’s notes and observations.  Unlike the bad weather Darwin encountered, which delayed the Beagle’s departure from Hobart by 12 days, we enjoyed glorious sunny weather.

Not Quite Hell

 

Returning to Macquarie Harbour Through Hell's Gates

Tasmania was the choice for our most recent wandering, a highlight being the wonderful cruise along the Gordon River in the Tasmanian wilderness.  Even shared with 200 tourists, a cruise on the stunning Gordon is not to be missed.  If you're lucky enough to strike fair weather, as we did, returning to Macquarie Harbour through Hell's Gates is a memorable experience for all the right reasons.

Journey into the Bloggersphere

Single-handed Sailing on Moreton Bay



We’re a baby boomer empty nester couple whose favourite pastimes are sailing and travelling. 

 

This is our first ever post, and we expect it will be an interesting learning curve for us, if not exactly a journey into the unknown.

 

Moreton Bay, off the coast of Brisbane in Queensland, Australia is our ‘backyard’ and is where we have enjoyed great sailing for over 25 years. 

 

The winds of Moreton Bay are relatively light and the waters protected.  Typically, one day on the bay can be more therapeutic than three days at a holiday resort.  When it all gets too relaxing, social and single-handed handed racing provides friendly competition.

 

It’s not all about relaxation.  We also endure the occasional wild storm.

Storm approaching on Moreton Bay

 

 

On our travels, no harbour, marina, river or lake escapes our attention for long. We look forward to sharing some of our waterline adventures and wanderings on jibsheetsandjourneys.