Queensland perfect - With friends in Dunwich - Sydney raining

There's something about being on a boat in a beautiful place with the sun shining that makes it easy to rub the sensory pleasure of it in to others less fortunate.......especially to someone stuck in the house who can't walk! 

Well......maybe that's a bit of an over reaction but Captain G seems to take great pleasure in keeping me well up to date with the sunshine in beautiful Queensland.  Unfortunately its dark and pouring rain here in Sydney.  I can't complain too much...we really needed the rain...and I'm so glad he's experiencing such lovely weather and, after all, he has to do this bit by himself.

Last night Cap G spent the night moored off the Little Ship Club in Dunwich, Qld.  Dunwich is the township and ferry landing for anyone visiting or living on North Stradbroke Island.  Our good friends Pip and his wife Kate live on the island.....and a few years ago Mr G and I had the great pleasure to attend their wedding over a wonderful and memorable family weekend.  So both of us were, without a doubt, looking forward to this part of the trip!

Ferry wharf in Dunwich.  From Flickr

Bar at the Little Ship Club.  From Flickr.

Map of "Straddie" & Dunwich
From Flickr

North Stradbroke is lovely and quite unspoiled - for a Queensland island.  Although the tourist information says the population of the island expands 5 fold for the school holidays and other 'short break' weekends, there simply isn't the hordes of people seen on the Gold or Sunshine Coasts.  Its only 30 minutes by ferry from Cleveland - an outer suburb of Brisbane - and, once there, it can seem like another world.  There are pristine beaches, 4WD tracks through forests with freshwater lakes, and the ocean wildlife offers dolphins, whales and manta rays.  Paradise!  The southern end of the island is closed to tourism due to sand mining.  More information about Straddie HERE - N. Stradbroke tourism

Mining is what brought Pip and Kate to the island.  Pip worked for the mines as a geologist.

Captain G had a great time visiting.  Kate is pregnant with their first child which is due any day now!  They had a wonderful catch up over - what Cap G described as delicious! - Kate's chicken tagnine.  Again ... wish I could have been there with them.....sounded like a great night.  Best wishes from both of us to Pip and Kate on the birth of their new baby any day now!!!!!

This morning Cap G and Southern Belle left on the high tide to move across Morton Bay to the township of Manly and the East Coast Marina.  G tried to navigate around the north end of Peel Island and then out into Morton Bay but the sand banks were way too shallow so he had to go back to where he started from then go around the bottom of Peel Island before entering Morton Bay.  He made it just fine and settled into the marina safe and sound.   He sounded very proud this morning when he told me, "I'm getting good at tieing up all by myself!".  "Don't get too used to it", I warned.

Over 5 years ago, when we were still looking for a cruising boat, G and I went to Manly to look at an Island Packet yacht we were interested in buying.  When we got there - as per all the rest - the boat was a disappointment....clearly past its youth and very well used.   Before we decided to build our dream boat we travelled around a lot in hopes of finding something that would be modern enough for me and sturdy enough for Captain G.  I'm glad we never found anything that met our criteria because Southern Belle is just what we both wanted and then more.

Captain G and Southern Belle are staying in the marina at Manly for a week.