July 2009 - Brisbane & Gold Coast (again)

Oh my is it almost a year since our last update?!! 

Since the August 2008 update our world has changed (nothing new there huh?) - We are still cruising but not to Indonesia as hoped this year.  But to bring you up to date with our lives ........We have had a BIG road trip. Two of our children decided to get married!  Not to each other, but to their respective partners. Departing Brisbane in October for Melbourne and Adelaide then back to Brisbane to check on the boat, we ventured up as far as Townsville in early December before heading back down to Melbourne and Adelaide AGAIN for Christmas, arriving home (at the boat) in January. Phew!

What great trip - we got to see a lot of this wonderful country.  Our little van was decked out with a bed, esky, and toilet, all that we needed to do some 'grey nomading' and that we did.  So you see, bit of cruising at sea, bit of cruising on land - great thanks!  While on the road we had the opportunity to meet some colourful characters from home and abroad.  One German couple were very taken with the Python that decided the Men's toilet/showers was the coolest option one night and then there's the possum who lost his footing on the branch above the van thanks to his pal who decided to join him on the said branch  - oops, landed on the windscreen, slid to the ground - shook himself and staggered off home bewildered.  Don't know what happened to his mate, have this vision of him sailing across the night sky from the branch recoiling - ha ha ha!  Ah but all that road roaming came to an abrupt end in January as Bluestone was sorely in need of maintenance.

Our little camper nicknamed: 'Minibago'

 A nice spot to camp  

The engine was well overdue for servicing, the generator too, the topsides and hull were due for painting so a trip to the slipway was necessary.  We arrived at the small slipway at Redland Bay and tied up to a very dubious-looking wharf which, at low tide, parted company from the pontoon that our aft end was tied to.  It seems they haven't had anything there quite as big as us for a while so had to tie a couple of bits together. The skipper and mechanic stripped the engine and the crew busied herself painting, painting, painting. Unfortunately, one chap who was also painting his boat decided to climb down his ladder only to discover someone hadn't secured it correctly and he landed on the concrete a little earlier than expected breaking his leg in the process.  Note to self:  ALWAYS check the ladder is tied on. With Bluestone freshly antifouled and the topsides (hull) repainted we made our way back to Brisbane to once again leave the ship and take yet another road trip down south, this time to welcome a new grandson.  Eventually we returned to the boat to be 'cruisers' again this time down to the Gold Coast to get married. Yep, we decided it was time.  We said farewell to Brisbane, its murky river and ferries and set sail for the beautiful Gold Coast again.  Well, we tried to sail - had wind on the nose all the way. Good thing the motor was overhauled, it never missed a beat.  And so, we sat at Wave Break Island watching storm after storm, wind and rain come in from the south hoping that by the Wedding day all this will have blown out and the sunshine will return.