31st July Scawfell Island to Brampton Island 21nm

We woke to a wonderful sunny day. The weather in this region has been quite ordinary over the last month but the next 5 days is looking very good. The clouds are going and the wind is easing. Today is expected to be around 24 degrees and cloud dissipating.

Peter prepared his specialty breakfast of fruit and cereal with yogurt and we ate that in the morning sunshine. After a cup of tea we set sail for Brampton. The wind was above 15 knots and we had a pleasant sail. Half way between the islands I lost a good lure which was a proven fish catcher. It is now "the one that got away" story. Later as we rounded the north eastern side of Brampton I caught a medium sized Spanish mackerel that will give us at least 2 meals. A good consolation prize.

After anchoring and lunch we launched the dinghy and headed to shore for a walk up to the peak of Brampton Island.

A view from the top. Brampton Island Resort - closed but maintained but for how long?

 I underestimated the length of the walk and it took us 2 hours to complete when I was expecting just over an hour. It was great exercise and we viewed lots of wild life including a kangaroo and her joey. There were also thousands of blue butterflies as we walked along the trail.

 Back on the yacht we had a well deserved beer on sundown and cooked the fish for dinner. Another great day in paradise!! It is so good to be back on board the yacht and cruising these islands. Tamara continues to make great progress and is exercising regularly and eating well. She is looking forward to flying to Townsville on the 15th Aug to join me.

30th July Mackay to Scawfell Island. 28nm

We were farewelled by Steve and Maureen as they are heading south and the conditions are just not good for heading south. There is a window of opportunity on Friday for them to go south and they will have to take that window to do an overnight sail to avoid the military exercise area in the Shoalhaven area.

After refuelling we left the dock at 11am and headed out with just the jib. We made good progress in the 25 knots and anchored at Refuge Bay, Scawfell at 3pm where we had a late lunch. The conditions sailing across were not the greatest in 25 knots of wind sometimes gusting to 28 knots and we had quite a bit of green water over the yacht. I managed to get the 2 fishing lines very badly tangled which occupied me for an hour on the trip over. No fish. We had a great dinner and a fantastic sleep in the sheltered anchorage of Refuge Bay.

 Scawfell Island

28th July Newcastle to Mackay by plane.

This time the flight was very uneventful with everything going to schedule. I arrived back on board Billabong at 7.30pm and was greeted by Steve and Maureen off Boomeroo. Maureen cooked a great Pad Thai noodles with prawns and it was just great to be back on the yacht. Peter Russell arrived at the marina at 9.30pm just in time to have a glass of red. Peter flew to Hamilton Island, caught the ferry to Airlie and the bus to Mackay and a taxi to the marina. It was a long day for him. Our original plan was for me to pick him up at Hamilton Island but Tamara’s operation had priority status so we had to make do with what was already booked. The next day we headed to town in the marina hire car and completed the grocery shopping. The wind was blowing above 20 knots so decided to stay one more night as the forecast was for better conditions the next day. That proved to be wrong as they forecast 20 to 25 knots again.

2nd July to 27th July At home in Port Stephens and Tamara’s Operation.

Tamara arrived back in Australia on the 2^nd July as scheduled. Had a great flight home where she had 4 seats to herself so she was able to sleep most of the way. It was a long wait for her operation which was scheduled for 19^th July. So we spent the time getting fit by walking and eating healthy food. It is important that Tamara does not catch a cold or flu and have the risk of having the operation cancelled.

The 19^th came around and all went very well. The doctor was very pleased and he managed to get all the cancer and preserve the kidney so there was no requirement for chemotherapy. Just another check up in 3 months time. We were all very pleased especially Tamara. The operation was performed with the DaVinci robot at St Vincents Private Hospital. It is key hole surgery and the recovery period is so much shorter than traditional kidney operations. Tamara spent 2 nights in hospital and 48 hours after the operation the doctor approved her discharge and commented that if only all his patients looked that good after major surgery. Goes to show the fitter you go into an operation the fitter you come out and the recovery is so much faster. 

 

48 Hours after surgery and ready to leave hospital

 

The next 4 days were spent recuperating at a serviced apartment in Coogee. I cooked all meals as again we wanted to eliminate the risk of Tamara catching a cold or flu damaging the internal and external stiches. Tamara made an amazing recovery and within 7 days of the operation was walking free of pain and without taking any pain killers. I placed Tamara in the hands of her good friend Elena at Narrabeen and proceeded back to Port Stephens to trim the garden and mow the lawns so I could depart back to the yacht on 28^th July.

1st July – Mackay to Newcastle by airline flight.

Jetstar what a joke!!! They tried hard not to allow me to fly home!!!

We were up early to catch the taxi from the marina to Mackay Airport. Caught taxi at 7.30am Arrived at airport at 7.50. Flight not yet open for booking luggage!!!  We are a bit early not wanting to miss this flight. 8.05 Check in opens. Have coffee and breakfast waiting 2 hours!! 10.00 board plane. 10.15 everyone ordered off plane as it won't start. Engineer must be flown from Brisbane!!!  Where's Eric Knowles when you need him. 10.45 Announcement - charter flight will be brought in to take passengers to Brisbane at 2pm. I will miss my connecting flight from Brisbane to Newcastle. 11.00 I argue profusely to get on next flight at 12.10. Check in lady refuses despite 47 vacant seats on next flight. 11.25 Finally someone has some common sense and allows passengers with connecting flights at Brisbane to transfer to next flight. I get lucky and I am on as I have no baggage. Other people have to wait for luggage to be unloaded from broken plane. 12.30 Plane finally takes off with many empty seats. Passengers with baggage not able to get on. Jetstar policy - check in closes 30 minutes before scheduled flight. 14.00 Arrive at Brisbane holding my previous issued boarding pass for connecting flight to Newcastle. 14.35 attempt to board plane with my boarding pass. “Sorry sir but you are not booked on this flight.”  “But I am holding the F....g boarding pass you idiot!!” 14.45 I am still standing waiting. All passengers are on the plane waiting to close doors. Flight fully booked. No seats available. Some idiot has cancelled my boarding pass and allocated seat to someone else. Lucky two passengers from previous flight had to retrieve their bags from carousel and re check in. (Jetstar Policy!!!) They have not enough time as check in closes 30 minutes before scheduled departure. 14.50 They still cannot find me in the system. I rant and rave. Finally someone has some common sense and amends my now defunct boarding pass with a pen and writes seat no on it and I walk on plane. Hostess thinks I have done it. Tries to seat me in original seat where another passenger is sitting. Goes back to flight deck and rings boarding gate. Confirms I am telling the truth and I take a seat. 16.15 plane lands at Newcastle 20 minutes late. My friend Bill is there to pick me up.

Jetstar tried real hard to stop me getting home!!!