| CAIRNS TO PORT DOUGLAS |
 |
| Cairns is a great cruising stopover because the city shops and services are easily accesible from the anchorage in Trinity Inlet. As it's very tidal anchoring is a bit hairy, with boats swinging in different directions, so we stayed on the Port Authority pile moorings having had good experience with the set up in Bundaberg, Bowen, and Townsville, and the rates are reasonable. The dinghy park is on the beach in front of Cairns Yacht Club which was hosting the Coral Sea Regatta, a race to PNG, so the place was humming with visiting yachts from Port Moresby we wouldn't have sailed outside Sydney Heads! The hastily assambled Trusty Rusties soon had us searching out local landmarks, laundromat, internet cafe, re-cycling depot [Mitre 11] supermarket, veggie market, chandlery, to name the most important. Funny how your priorities change! |
| There were several yachts in town we'd met before, so a get together was organised at the casino, where by joining the "Reef Club" free, you got a half-priced buffet meal. We took over a corner of the restaurant and made pigs of ourselves. It's amazing how much trifle, cheese cake and ice-cream you can get on one plate! On the dinghy run back to Destiny we got caught in a downpour and woke up in the morning with sore throats and sneezes. So much for the HEALTHY lifestyle! However the networking was very productive as we were able to "pick up" some fax and nav software which Duck spent the next 3 days interfacing with the HF and GPS, Which saw the PC come within a hairs breath of getting the floatation test, many times! Now he loves it! |
 |
| Jude wanted to re-visit Yorkies Knob golf course where she'd played with her visiting Dad, 12 years ago. Here she's putting out with the Yorkies Knob Marina in the background. DUCK WON |
 |
| Left for PORT DOUGLAS at 2.00am with a nice little sea breeze which died at dawn, so motored in on a glassy sea and high tide to berth in front of the Sailing Club. Top spot, loved PD, great mix of old village charm, and tasteful development. Scooted all over the place on the bikes, and caught up with some yachties at Marina Mirage, a swank development loosely based on Pier 39. [Aren't they all?] |
| Sunday saw us scouring the local market trading for fresh fruit and veggies, before our rendezvous with Hugh Collins who'd circumnavigated the world without the aid of GPS in a Nantucket 43 some years ago, before settling in Port Douglas. Huge whisked us off to the brand new golf club he now frequents, and over several cold ones of the FNQ variety, gave us the benefit of his experience at catching fish which is now his passion. [along with the Swans footie team] A big feed of muddies and prawns at Huge's place and a few bottles later, we piled into a cab, bursting with FNQ hospitality. Next morning we left PD on the high tide, vowing to return. |
| Farewell Port Douglas, we will be back |