>
> WE MADE IT!!! And on 3rd September too as predicted! Fantastic to be
> back on dry land at last. Since our stop in Neiafa, Tonga quite a bit
> has happened.
>
> NEIAFA, VAVA'U, TONGA 39 Degrees south 174 degrees west (or the place
> where Chris appropriated my beer money)
>
> So lost half my birthday day due to crossing the International Date
> Line from East to West. At least I had a chance to celebrate it! Chris
> and I went on our trip to Mariner's Cave which was great. A localtook
> us out in a small speedboat which he anchored off a cliff face with
> clear tirquois blue water in which there was a black hole. We doned
> our snorkels and flippers and dived down, through the black hole and
> came out in a blue cave. A bit errie but great. Dont know where the
> light or air and oxygen came from. Even some fish seemed to know about
> its existance and were happily swimming around. That evening we had a
> burger and chips at the Sunset Cafe as wanted to have a big slap up
> meal and a few extra beers on our last night before we set off again.
> The next day we did our provision shopping and Chris was a bit short
> so I handed over my food and beer money on the strict understanding
> that Chris would have gone to the bank to replenish his cash resources
> by the evening which I admit he did. We started off from the boat
> stopping for a few sundowners at 3 pubs along the way. On our first
> night here we had ended up at a resturant/bar a way out of town run by
> an Englishman, Laurance, which was very good. Chris wanted to go back
> there for dinner so we took a strol out there to be welcommed as long
> lost friends and given personal service from Laurance who perswaded
> Chris, Chris says unbeknown to him, to have the most expensive item
> on the menu. Well this left just enough money for me to have a pizza,
> one of the cheapest things on the menu and not the best pizza I have
> had and no money for anymore beer! Chris says it was completely
> unintentional but I will leave you to draw your own conclusions. His
> apologies fell on deef ears. We left for New Caladonia early the next
> morning.
>
> PORT MOSELLE MARINA, NOUMEA, LA GRAND TERRA ISLAND NEW CALADONIA 22
> Degrees 17 minutes South 166 degrees 26 minutes East (or another place
> we almost did not see on Chris's mad dash across the Pacific)
>
> We left Tonga on Saturday morning ( no good sailor leaves port on a
> Friday) passed Marinors Cave enterance and out into the big Pacific
> Ocean. It was amazing how cold it became and we were all back in full
> foul weather gear to keep the cold out. The wind must haver come
> straight from the Antartic. We made good time and Chris cam up with
> the suggestion we go straight to Brisbane and changed course further
> south. Fortunately after a day we did some fuel usage calculations and
> fortunately agreed we would need to stop in at New Caladonia anyway.
> As we had to stay overnight it gave us the oppertunity to slip into
> town and then have a good meal and a few beers afterwards at the
> marina resturant. First pork had since Cape Town.
>
> RIVERGATE MARINA, BRISBANE 27 Degrees 30 Minutes South 153 degrees
> East - The last leg of a long trip
>
> On leaving Noumea we started up the engines and stopped them on our
> arrival in Brisbane motor sailing all the way. There were lots of
> reefs around the exit to Noumea which Chris directed us through passed
> the Amedee Lighthouse which is the tallest steel lighthouse in the
> world and then through the Passe de Boulars in the coral reef and we
> were out back in the ocean. The cold weather returned immediately and
> Joyce's loverly hot spicy meals went down very well keeping us warm
> using up the food on board as we expected the Aussie quarintinee guys
> to confiscate lots of things. We spent part of the voyage cleaning up
> the boat removing the sea weed and other strange growths and making it
> look more presentable. Taking into account that it was four and a half
> months it did not look to bad and was still going strong. Was on watch
> from 3 to 6 am on Monday 3rd September and it was still dark when I
> went to bed afterwards to wake a few hours later to see the Australian
> Coast in the distance at about 8am. It got bigger and bigger but it
> took us till 4pm to cross Moreton Bay and up the Brisbane River. Found
> the Immigration and Customs walf at Rivergate Mall. The fully armed
> immigration and customs guys arrived at the other side of the high
> gate in the fence keeping us out of Australia and the code for the
> lock must have been changed as they cou;ld not get in. After a few
> telephone calls it was sorted out and the filling in of forms and
> checking of the boat commenced. The seemed worried about drugs and
> fire arms and looked in some strange places I had not looked in during
> the time on board. Gave the OK and the quarintene guy appeared but
> after a few questions was quite happy and he did not converscate
> anything. Then Ian, the owner, Anthea and Jude were allowed on board.
> Great to see them!!! Had been waving to them across the quays. Gorge
> and Joyce said their goodbyes and were off to the airport to catch a
> plane to their daughter in Cains. Ian had brought a few bottles of
> Champane and we cellebrated our arrival. Jeremy joined us and took me
> back to their house for a super meal a bottle or two of red wine, a
> shower and a nice clean bed. Fantastic. Amazing it is all over. 145
> days simnce we left Cape Town on 12 April!!! Yesterday Anthea joined
> us and we moved the boat down to Hope Island where Ian lives. So now I
> can start my holiday in Aussie and New Zealand and hope to be back in
> Cape Town by the end of September. What a trip!!!! Would I do it
> again? Ask me in a few months time.
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