We arrived at the entrance to Port Stephens at dawn on a beautiful sunny day and dropped the anchor in a couple of metres at Winda Woppa on the northern side offering protection from the NE winds. Sadly these were also fanning a big bushfire near Buladelah which filled the air with smoke and dropped ash on the boat. A trivial irritant when we thought of those fighting the fires and the losing their properties.
The day became progressively hotter, so we decided to go ashore & walk across the sand dunes to the ‘Great Mermaid Beach’ – the ocean beach not far from Hawks Nest. Not the greatest decision in retrospect – burning our feet on the hot sand and arriving at a beach full of brown algae, (not that we could have predicted that). So we had to abort the attempt & return for a swim off the boat!
The following day we headed up to Fame Cove – a gorgeous anchorage with public moorings, situated just opposite Soldiers Point. It is wineglass shaped with its opening pointing west, so well protected from the prevailing winds in summer and offering lovely views of the sunset. A pod of dolphins visit daily and the anchorage is surrounded by native bush. The downside: it’s meant to be a breeding ground for bull sharks so a cooling dip lost its attraction.
We picked up Edward from Soldiers Point that evening, it’s only 1 nautical mile away so an easy trip in the dinghy if it’s not blowing too hard. We enjoyed a lovely evening together before both Edward & Alicia headed off in their camper seeking some adventure. The wind was howling from the south on this occasion, necessitating us taking Mowzel Cat over & finding a sheltered spot for Bill to drop the dinghy and take them ashore, whilst I held the boat steady in the lee of Soldier’s Point. There was no point venturing much further that day given the conditions, so we headed back to Fame Cove & explored the various creeks in the dinghy whilst the tide was up. Plenty of bird life including a flock of black swans which was a treat.
The wind changed direction yet again the following day, blowing hard from the NE. We managed to pick up a mooring which was tucked in just off Nelson Bay & near D’Albora marina where we could leave our dinghy. We wanted to visit Service NSW in Nelson Bay to arrange NSW registration now that the boat was back in the State. Despite Bill’s absolute diligence and attention to paperwork it could not be done – of course we’re dealing with bureaucracy again and needed some obscure certification that we had to attain. Nevertheless, we had a walk in the sunshine & bought a few provisions before up anchoring and seeking shelter in our original anchorage at Winda Woppa so that we were positioned for an early exit the following morning.
Pittwater is only 72nm from Port Stephens, so a very achievable day sail. It was a brilliantly sunny day with variable conditions as we headed down the coast, with some wonderful sailing intermingled with no wind at all! Still we made good progress and were very excited when we could visualise Barrenjoey headland! Home sweet home!
We were met by Piet on his boat once we entered Pittwater and together headed for the Basin to pick up a mooring for the evening. Gorgeous spot in the sunshine, surrounded by national park & so comforting to be back in familiar territory!
So we did as we said we would. Bought a boat in Tahiti and sailed it back home. We meandered around French Polynesia including an amazing trip through the Tuamotus to the Gambier Islands. Headed back through the Society Islands, then on to Tonga, Fiji and New Caledonia before the final hop to Bundaberg, Australia. 9000nm later here we are, feeling joyful and enriched by our experiences and encounters. So many stories to tell, so many unforgettable adventures and so many precious memories!
Now time to enjoy our home environment whilst staying aboard Mowzel Cat and catching up with family and friends over the Christmas period.