Townsville Brisbane Melbourne

It was great to catch up with all our friends and family in Townsville, the first night we flew in it was the hash Xmas party so that started the festive season off with a bang, a great night was had by all....and it took me all the next day to recover.

Ken started cleaning out the shed and made a start on Chelsea's bathroom, we had all the kids over together for a curry dinner and they bought their puppy's to play as well. We also caught up with our old neighbors and  Mark and Rosemary and family.

Trev and Sonia picked us up and we went to Seaforth to help Scott celebrate 50 years and see all the family and friends down there, another fantastic weekend.

We had an early Xmas feast with the family then Ken took off to Brisbane to spend Christmas with his family before flying on to Melbourne for the Boxing Day test. It was wonderful to catch up with you over a busy time, and for those that we didn't see we hope to do so when we come back next trip.

Melbourne was fabulous.... Ken had a great time at the cricket then watching fox sports all week eating grapes cherries and biscuits.....I enjoyed walking around the shops, beautiful parks and gardens and buying food at the markets... And having coffee and cake everyday while people watching. We had dinner with some friends of Kens at Lygon Street and they remembered the good old days ....a very enjoyable evening.

Know Knob getting what he deserves.....

Melbourne flower boxes

Dads 80th birthday

We spent a wonderful time in Brisbane at my brothers house to celebrate Dads 80th birthday.... All the family were there as well as a few close friends of Dads. Friday night we were all involved in making and eating pizza around the outside pizza oven, Saturday we enjoyed delicious lunch of cold seafood.

The weather was perfect when we went out on a boat into the bay to sprinkle Mums ashes off King Island as she wished, there were lots of sailing and fishing boats out enjoying the glorious day...we all spent a quiet moment with our own special memories of Mum.

Jon & Chelsea  James & Tori  Jess & Mitchell 

All the girls cooked yummy cakes slices and biscuits over the week end and the boys took the boat out and picked up some sand crabs. Dad had two birthday cakes one Friday night and another on Saturday night

Ken and I went down to the coast to see his Dad and Cynthia and spent time catching up with all their news and photos and Ken showing his movie of the orangutans. Another day they spent time watching the cricket.... a good father and son day.

We also saw Kens Mum and Linda &  Ian and the boys it was good to see them and hear all their news and we had plenty of stories for them also.

Jini the spice lady

I met Jini the spice lady while shopping for fresh fruit and veg at the kip markets, I was enquiring about cooking classes while buying some spices to take back to my sister in Australia and she offered to show me how to cook curry so I jumped at the chance to learn... 

Sandy and I spent a wonderful day with Jini learning her way of making curry while she expertly mixed spices for her customers and serving at her shop in the markets

Jini and her husband at their spice shop 

Brightly painted shops in Singapore 

Johor Bahru

While we were in the marina we made the trip into Singapore a few times which is not far across the causeway but it takes a while to get through customs in JB then into Singapore as well as buses and trains in the centre of the city. I had a great day shopping there for bits and pieces and the food is everywhere. Ken got a few things for the boat as well.

A group of us got together and took the bus to Melaka, the trip took about 2 hours and cost 7 dollars in a comfortable air con coach. Melaka is a unesco heritage city with a lot of old buildings, well looked after compared to other places we have seen, plenty of museums to go to and lots of interesting shops. 

Danga Bay Marina

We booked in for a month at the marina, the facility's are average but the veranda upstairs is great it is cool and there is an air conditioned library, which keeps you comfortable during the day as it is very hot and humid here for most of the year. The marina is only 5 k from the centre of Johor Bahru and 60 cents on the bus to get there. JB has most things that you need for the boat and it is a lot cheaper than Australia. The food is magnificent and cheap, we regularly got a group together and had some delicious meals.

Danga Bay Marina at sunset

Delicious Chinese lunch

Belitung to Malaysia

We arrived at Belitung early in the morning and waved to a few fisherman on the way to the anchorage. There are large outcrops of granite boulders, palm trees, white sand and a few simple huts on the beach. In the anchorage there are 25 yachts as well as the colorful local boats. Ken dove down to check the anchor which has dug in well in sand six meters deep and very clear blue water.
We went ashore late in the afternoon for beers, dinner and catch up with the other yachties. The warung was very basic but had a great view the beers cheap at $2.00 large bintang and noodles and nasi goreng $ 1.50 why would you bother cooking.....

We did the town tour the next day we visited a local high school so the students could practice their English, they were very enthusiastic about it and we enjoyed the experience. Next up the museum and then lunch at a traditional timber building with woven leaf mats on the floor for us to sit on. They served us lunch in groups of four on a tray we had fish, chicken, rice,noodles and a soup which we had to eat with our fingers, not sure about the soup with fingers so poured it over the rice, it was delicious.
Most of the people on Belitung are either farmers, tin miners or fisherman, although they are trying to promote tourism to add to the economy, there are no five star hotels here yet but it won't be long as it has a lot going for it, friendly people and clean beaches with natural features.

The weather is starting to change we are experiencing more humid conditions and storms or rain for part of the day. The next few days were spent making water, fuel top ups and gas refills all thirsty work, the warung on the beach a popular place to cool down and socialise. 
We headed off after five glorious days on Belitung and hope to return one day to see more of the island.
As there is not much wind we motor sailed and watched rain and storms go past us, the first anchorage was so uncomfortable, the boat rolled all night, we got up at 3.30 am to head off to the next spot which was really calm so stayed another night we got two storms while there but not a lot of wind just some rain to top up the water tanks and do some washing.

Our last overnight sail for the trip was glorious, full moon no fishing boats but no wind either oh well.... in the morning we crossed the equator so we celebrated and toasted Neptune, took a couple of photos and I christened Ken with a half a bucket of salt water then he threw the rest over me... We arrived at the anchorage just before a storm and also saw a waterspout close by. 

We had some locals come and visit so we swapped paw paw and mangos for books and pencils, they live in a stilt village not far from the boat. Sunset drinks on Southern wing was fun to celebrate the crossing with 6 other boats was good fun, lots of food and champagne and stories.
Our last stop in Indonesia was on Bintan island anchored off some five star resort, the beach was ok the water not clear at all, food and drinks were back to Australian prices, such a contrast from Belitung were we were anchored last week, beautiful clear water and white sand beach and indonesian prices for food and drink.
We had to do the clearance papers which took a day, official things in Indonesia take lots of time but we have our clearance papers so off to Malaysia tomorrow. 
Up early for our trip across the Singapore Strait to make the most of the current, we had fine but hazy weather and no wind, there was plenty of shipping traffic going both ways, our top speed was 8.3 knots. As we started to go up the Johor Strait between Singapore and Malaysia our speed dropped to 5.4 we passed hundreds of ships and cranes in the Harbour area I have never seen so many. Further up the causeway we motored under the link bridge to Puteri Harbour marina arriving at 4.00pm a dream run across a busy water way with lots of traffic, glad it's over.

Puteri marina was very clean and has great facility's so everything got washed and cleaned and Ken started on the list of boat jobs. 
Last week we moved to a cheaper marina Danga Bay $33 a week there are lots of boats here and security is good as we have been talking to the locals who have been here up to 7 years.
The buses stop outside the marina and it is 10 min to the city, so I have been exploring and have found some good shopping and simple hawker stalls to eat delicious local food at around $ 2.00 a plate.
The weather is a bit hotter than townsville and nearly every afternoon we get a big thunderstorm and after it's finished the temperature is much cooler.
We fly back to Brisbane at the end of November to celebrate my Dads 80th birthday then up to Townsville on the 10th Dec - 24th for Ken and 27th for me so we would love to catch up with you at some stage while we are back.




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Borneo

The island of Borneo the Indonesian state Kalimantan, we have come here to see the orangutans in the wild at the national park. We head up the river 15 nautical miles, which takes us three hours, the colour of the water isn't blue anymore it's the colour of iced coffee as we make our way to Kumai the river is very wide and we pass all sorts of ships, passenger boats and fishing boats, the town is busy with people doing their thing on a Friday afternoon, we anchor in the river with 25 other yachts.

On Saturday the next town up the river is celebrating its birthday and the cruisers are invited to join in the festivities, we are picked up in an air conditioned car, we get a tee shirt to wear and some morning tea before walking to the Main Street to watch the parade. As we waved to the people in the parade they waved and were excited to see us in the crowd. Then we were led into the parade, as we approached the official area we were introduced as the "tourists" after about two hours it was over and we were exhausted from smiling saying hello and waving, it was very hot as well, only three degrees from the equator here, the humidity is up there.

Down to the river to go for a ride in their put put boats up past the stilt houses, fish farms and boat building sheds, very interesting, we saw men wash and clean their teeth in the water and they have their out houses built on the walkways that go straight down into the river, Ken tried one out....no flushing involved.

Next stop the traditional markets which sell everything from horse fat to fruit, grains, rice, vegetables, clothing, shoes etc. We had a delicious lunch at a busy warung, our hosts ordered for us and we ate like the locals, with our fingers. 

After lunch we drove to the Yellow Palace, a large timber traditional looking building, we had a look at the old hunting spears, china and bronze urns and portraits of the past Sultans. We then went to the house next door to meet the Prince, the Sultans brother, he performed a small ceremony with the Kris, a wavey sword and threw yellow rice over us to protect us and return to Kalimantan one day, he was a very down to earth sort of man and a pleasure to meet.

One last stop before going home was to the new shopping centre, very westernised so we made the most of it and bought things we haven't had for a while like ice creams. Wow what a day so many new experiences, new places and very friendly people.

Sandy,Phil, Ken and I went on a klotok a timber boat 15 m long with two decks, us upstairs and the crew down we had captain, crew, cook and a guide to show us around, we headed to the national park to see the orangutans. The trip up river to camp three took three hours so we sat back relaxed and had a snack then lunch, fish, noodles, rice, fried soybean, water spinach stir fry and a fruit plate, yum!
There are wild orangutans in the park as well as tame ones that come to the feeding platform for their daily meal of bananas. There are no fences and we were told to keep five meters away from the animals if they come toward you, as we approached the feeding platform quite a few people had stopped to watch Tom the king orang, he climbed up a tree then pushed over a dead tree close to where we were standing, he was showing his dominance, it was a little scary, they are so strong. About six orangutans came to feed some of them with their babies, they were great to watch, so much like us! Tom picked out one of the females and dragged her off into the bushes to have his way with her, he came back about half an hour later for more bananas then he lay down for a stretch and snooze on the ground, very contented.

Back on the klotok we motored down river and tied to a small jetty for the night listening to the insect and birds as the sun set. Dinner was delicious, soup, chicken, stir fry and fruit plate. We slept on mattresses under a mossie net listening to jungle sounds.

We started down the river at sunrise and saw lots of kingfishes, some hornbills and proboscis monkeys. We stopped at camp two and walked to the feeding platform just as the orangutans were coming down the trees for their morning feed, we watched their antics for two hours and took some good photos. We got our first storm of the season, it dumped heaps of rain as we motored down river. 
Back on Watusi late in the afternoon we put fuel on, then next morning we motored down to the river mouth for the night then two nights and two days sailing to arrive at Belitung Island. We are now 350 miles from Singapore/Malaysia.



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Bali

We sailed with four boats for the trip to Bali, we started early in the morning with the wind 5-10 knots but it increased quickly to 15-20 and the current was very strong once you hit the strait between the two islands. We had a good sail for five hours then once we came close to the coastline the wind dropped and we turned on the motor for the rest of the day. When we arrived at the anchorage at Lovina Beach north Bali there were 30 boats, most from the Sail Indonesia Rally, the local fishing boats guided us in and we anchored in 7 m clear water with black sand, you can easily see the starfish and shells on the bottom because of the colour of the sand. 

We went ashore for dinner and caught up on the latest news of weather and anchorages ahead as some of the boats were already on their way west.
Beers at happy hour prices were $2.00 for large bintang and $1.40 for small, Ken was in heaven, the food was tasty and the whole time we were there we never had a bad meal,prices $2.50 - $4.00, the fresh fruit juices delicious at 40-60 cents. We ate out most nights and I had lunch with Sandy a couple of times while the men did boat jobs, another time five of us had massages ($10.00) and then lunch so we really felt spoilt.
The shopping was good too,shorts and cotton dresses 4-5 dollars.

The food lockers were getting low so we caught a taxi in to Singaraja the second biggest city in Bali to stock up for the next month.
We still had lots of tinned stuff on the boat but I was nearly out of flour,cheese,butter, chips and nuts. We also have some meat left and chocolate so I think I did a good job of provisioning as we have only had to get fresh fruit and vegetables and eggs at the markets. Western food is about the same price as it is at home but the Asian food is cheaper.
The local fisherman delivered fuel to the boat for 80 cents a litre so we topped up the tanks, October is transition month and the wind drops as we head towards Singapore so we will be motoring more. 
The weather has been hot during the day so we often jump over the side of the boat when we are anchored to cool off, the nights have been beautiful with a light breeze and much cooler for sleeping. 
I enjoyed the time in Bali, very relaxing, but Ken was keen to move on, oh well I guess he did more work on the boat while we were there than I did.
Next stop is Kumai on the island of Borneo to see the orangutans.

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Sumbawa

Sumbawa is a very poor island, the only tourists that visit are surfers riding the remote breaks on the south of the island. We had a good sail in the morning then the wind died so we motor sailed the rest of the way to the anchorage arriving round four. We anchored next to the local squid boats near the village and watched the locals going about their business from our cockpit. Kids were out picking at something in the rocks at low tide, the beach was black volcanic sand and the older kids played soccer, then we saw goats and cattle walk along the foreshore. The Muslim call to pray  was loud and clear. 

A mixture of sailing and motor sailing for the next two days ending at Medang island where we stayed two nights. It is a low island with coconut palms white sand and reef and a village with 1000 people. We enjoyed sunset drinks on the beach with Southern Wing, Mokisha and Jackstar.
Beahan a local 20 year old offered to take us to his village so we went the next day. As we walked along the main road of the village everyone waved and said hello in their local dialect, Beahan could speak a little English and we got by with our phrase book.

Most of the houses were high off the ground and made of woven bamboo and palm fronds or rusty tin on the roof then others were low and built of concrete and tiles. Underneath the highest ones they had a bamboo platform that they sleep or sit on and talk. Each house had its own well out the front and as we walked by the woman were doing the laundry or bathing and the men were sitting around smoking.
As we walked past a school we were mobbed by 30 kids wanting to shake our hands, we felt very  special and they made us laugh. Most of the men and woman wore a sarong with a shirt, the school kids were all immaculately dressed in their school uniforms, it is always interesting to visit the villages and see how other people live.

We were up early to make our way to Lombok, as we crossed the strait between the island we got 20-30 knot winds on the beam and quite a few waves  broke over the bow and Bimini to give us an early morning shower, it was the roughest weather we have been in so far and the boat handled it well, we sailed along for four hours with those winds and then with in 30 minutes the wind dropped down to 10 knots on the nose so we had to turn on the motor, very unpredictable weather.
We anchored outside a small marina on Lombok Island with good protection then went ashore for dinner there were lots of boats in so caught up with some of the ones that we knew.
We caught the local ferry over to Gilli Air for the day cost us $1.00 for the ferry and $1.00 for the bemo, beaut island full of restaurants and bars on the beach, cheap bungalows, good beach and very clear water, lots of diving and snorkeling. There are no cars or motorbikes on the island the best mode of transport is horse and cart! We had a relaxing day swimming lunching and catching up with some other cruisers.
Six of us did a day trip on Lombok we visited temples, fed the wild monkeys on the side of the road, did some shopping and drove past the beaches and rice paddys, we had another good day sightseeing.
There are still lots of horse and carts transporting people around Lombok so Sandy and I caught one to the local markets for F&V cost us $1.00.
We ate dinner at the marina most nights $5.00 buys spring rolls and a curry or nasi goreng and it was delicious too.



PS I made a mistake with the numbers for the watermaker so for those who are interested we make 300 litres it lasts us just over two weeks. The watermaker makes 130 liters an hour.
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Sail Komodo

The Indonesian government is promoting tourism and supports a sailing event every year so this year it is Sail Komodo held in Labaunbajo on the island of Flores.
We are amongst 30 sailing boats and about the same number of ships, mostly Navy, and a few from Singapore and China so we are all anchored with them in the bay, looks great at night as they have all their decorative lights on.
We have the use of a resort while we are here, pool. lounge and bar area so it has been a wonderful place to meet the other yachties and swap stories.
We went on a day trip to see a cave and a traditional village, we got to taste the local alcohol arack and try beetle nut, they performed some dances for us to their local music, we had a good day. 
We also went to two dinners and on Saturday joined in the sail past with all the ships for the president of Indonesia so we have had a very busy social time here, I did manage to get two massages in,ten dollars an hour ! just what I needed after all that sheet pulling, hand washing and bread making and rowing.

After four days of festivities we headed for Rinca Island a national park to see the Komoda Dragons, which are a type of very large monitor lizard. We had a guide who takes you on a walk to see them in their natural environment, we saw five in the few hours that we were there.
We watched a couple of monkeys digging for crabs on the mud bank close to the boat also some sea eagles on the prowl. The islands here are dry grassy hill types with lots of reef in between, our anchorage the next day was in a bay with reef in very clear water we could see the anchor hooked in the side of a small Bombie in twenty meters of water.
Ken took the opportunity to make water.....170 liters in 50 minutes, it lasts us two weeks.

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Flores

The wind was on the beam 10 - 15 knts so we made good miles for the first two days and nights and no fishing boats or ships we thought we were the only ones out there, then on the third night light winds, so we turned on the motor. We came across fishing boats 100nm from the coast line, gave us a bit of a fright as they only turned on their light as we came close, lucky we could steer round them easily with the motor on, then later in the night a few ships came close to our course, Ken did the night shift that night, I think the adrenalin was pumping and he couldn't rest.

After three nights at sea we anchored at Adonara island next to Flores, S W had passed us the afternoon before so we threw down the anchor near them, we had a view of four volcanos! A village in the distance, a sand cay next to us with reef and sand bottom that we could see the anchor and it was very quiet and peaceful just what we needed after the hustle and bustle of Ambon.
Sunset drinks on the cay in the afternoon was ten out of ten you couldn't ask for a better spot, I have some great photos to show you but the Internet here is terrible, hope to send some through as soon as we can.
Some of the locals came out in their timber dugout canoes to offer us some small reef fish, pineapple etc they were very friendly but hard to speak to them with the little bahasa we know.

The next anchorage was a small bay with hills all around we could see bananas coconut and paw paw trees and the village on top of the hill, the beach was volcanic rocks. All afternoon we had kids come over wanting books, pens, goggles or balls we gave some away but you have to stop at some point, they were happy and wanted to practice their English, most of them say "hello mister" or "how are you" always with a smile.

As we sailed further west we anchored at Maumere in front of a dive resort, we organized for a car and driver to take the four of us to Kellimatu volcano and crater lakes. The drive through the island interior was hilly with jungle and tropical trees, coconut, bananas etc also some rice paddys and small crops. After three hours driving we arrived near the top of the volcano, we walked the last 20 minutes for the best view of the crater lakes all separate from each other and also three different colors, one turquoise one milky mint green and the other one a green black colour apparently they change colour with the seasons and mineral content of the water,amazing.
The next few days were spent mixing with the locals on the bemos into town, getting fresh food at the markets, diesel etc. 

With no wind we motor sailed to the next anchorage, a small bay surrounded with hills and no village, although we were visited by the local fisherman who came in to have a rest, I bought a cuttlefish and S W bought a small crayfish both were still alive so at least they were fresh not like some of the fish we have seen laying in the bottom of their boats in the sun.
The next day 5 knts of wind so we again motor sailed and anchored out side of a reef surrounding the white beach and a village with lots of coconuts trees it looked very pretty, we were having sunset drinks and lots of dugouts came out to fish the reef near us so Ken turned up Joe Cocker and they cheered, music a wonderful way of communicating.

We finally have some wifi....... And hope its a bit more reliable the further west we go.
Thank you for all your news from home it is great to hear from you all xxx
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Ambon

It was the longest time that we have ever run the motor 5 pm till we arrived in Ambon the next day at 11am no wind unfortunately. We anchored with the 20 odd boats from the darwin to Ambon race and rally at a little beachside spot called Amahusu 7 k from Ambon city. 
The host city put on a wonderful night for us all at government house there was music lots of food and beer we all had a great time.
The next night more celebrations and trophies were given out to the winning boats in race section.
The next few days were spent socializing at the bintang bar on the beach where the local kids would come and practice their english or on friends boats for dinner, we went to the markets in town which was a crowded busy place and not all that clean then on to the hotel for free wifi in air conditioned comfort although very slow Internet I was able to get a few emails away.
Ken and his phrase book were a big hit with the kids, one in particular, Murphy would sit next to Ken reading it and learning while his mates were playing. The next day they made a time to meet on the beach, Ken and Nic took the tenders and SV Jepeda up to Ambon to get diesel so bought the boys for a run in the boat which they loved. The fuel was 55cents a litre compared to 1.20 the race organizers were charging the boats.
The people are very friendly but most don't speak much English, there is lots of rubbish everywhere which is very ugly, if they could clean it up it would make such a difference, one afternoon Saltheart crew started picking up rubbish along the beach and road and next minute there are twenty kids helping so hope they get the message.
Before we left I went in to the markets for fresh supplies and there is always something new to see, but its busy,noisy,dirty and this time in the rain we got wet. it's always good to retreat back home to the boat.
We had trouble getting the anchor up it was wrapped around some wire rope and part of an old mooring, anyway with some help from Phil and Nic we got away at 2pmthis time heading south towards Flores 400 nm away.


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Saumlaki to Banda

Around 200 nm to Banda so we did two nights and a day to get there, the first afternoon we played eye spy with the fishing nets and buoys with black flags, not easy to see, which had been set off the island.
The rest of the trip was a mixture of light winds and motor sailing. At the end of the last night we saw the most phosphorus I have ever seen, looking under the boat seemed all lit up and the waves sparkled, it was really beautiful.
The Banda islands are a group of ten islands formed by volcanic explosion and it still has steam coming out, Ken Phil and Nic walked up to the top 660m, great views. The islands are clustered together and 100 m deep in the chanels between the islands, we threw the anchor over in 25m the boat sat in 8m and we tied the stern to a coconut tree only half a boat length from the shore.
The water is so clear no need to snorkel you can easily see the fish, although sadly in some parts you can also see the plastic bags and rubbish. 
Lots of history here with the Portuguese and Dutch invading the islands and building their forts to control the nutmeg plantations, it was the only place in the world that it grew at the time and was very sought after.
The village has many colonial houses from that era which is interesting. 
We did the touristy stuff and visited the plantations and saw the trees and picking process, had dinner out with the crew from the other boats at this wonderful guest house which served the local specialties.
We hope to come back one day as we didn't see it all this time, absolutely special place.
The next stop is Ambon.

T
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Thursday Island to Saumlaki

Ken and I woke early and I made a good breakie to start the day in case it was rolly once we were out of the islands, I didn't get to finish mine and Ken says hurry up let's go! I think he was just a little bit excited to get going. We were moving by 7.30am and put up the sails but by 1.00pm we had the motor on and turned it off 12 hours later. We had a radio schedule at 8am & 8 pm with SW (Southern Wing) and gave our positions every 12 hours.
Day 2 was 15 SE winds but confused seas so I felt queasy and it continued through out the night.  We saw two Indonesian fishing boats in the afternoon and that night ran over two lots of nets strung out between two buoys one lit but not the other one, lucky no damage to us but SW  with has a chunk missing out of his rudder.
Day 3 - 4 were much better long rolling seas behind us with 10 - 15 knts. Ken caught and released his first Indonesian fish a bonito, there are lots and lots of flying fish continually keeping me entertained and one afternoon a pod of about 20 dolphins swimming and playing in the bow wave and jumping out of the water they were really active and great to watch.
Day 5 started out choppy but that night we motored as the wind dropped out, we slowed the boat down so that we arrived in daylight exactly five days and nights and 660 nautical miles from Thursday Island.
Saumlaki is a small town of 15,000 people in the Tanimba Islands we noticed the churches amongst the houses on the hill side and low market shantys around the harbor. The anchorage is very calm next to reef and the water was much clearier that i thought it would be, the locals come and stand in up to their waist and fishing the reef at low tide. We can hear the Muslim music every morning bout 5 o'clock even though there is a higher population of Christians on these islands.
I feel a great sense of achievement arriving here after all the planning and hard work getting the boat ready for the trip.
Ken went in to pick up the customs, quarantine and immigration guys in two trips, five all up, it all went smoothly especially after Ken gave them two bottles of bourbon.
We went ashore later in the day to experience Saumlaki.  
Very friendly people always giving you a smile, the only tourists they get is from cruising boats that pass through the islands. After a couple of bintangs at the local pub on the water we met the other crews that sailed over from Darwin, Saltheart and Jepeda.
Dinner was at the local warung for $2.00 each we had a mixed plate of chicken rice and veges.
The next day we took a mini bus north of the town and saw traditional villages and the beaches.
The island is hilly with tropical vegetation, the beaches have white sand coral reefs clear water and the occasional limestone out crop. 
After buying some veges and bananas at the markets we sailed around the southern part of the island and anchored close to a village, no sooner did we have the anchor down and we got a call on VHF to come and visit the village school tomorow morning. 
The anchorage was on the edge of the reef in about 7m and clearly see the bottom, it was calm and we had the local boats going past us and waving the rest of the afternoon and early evening so we looked forward to going ashore next day.
We picked up Sandy and Phil from SW, when we got closer to the village lots of kids came to meet us on the beach, then we met the teacher Harold he spoke good English we went to see the village chief and we gave him books, pencils, fishing lines etc. The village was very clean, we visited the school, the waterfall spring with rain forest all around it, there is a ladies area and men's area, the woman do their washing there also and the clarity of the water was excellent.
Some of the older ladies weave cotton sashes and table cloths we were able to see one working the looms and their workmanship was perfect.
Everyone in the village was happy and it was a fabulous experience to be able to walk through and also understand how it all works.
They have so many natural features from the clear waters of the reef and waterfall,the beach and unusual limestone outcrops and rainforest they have a wonderful place to live even though they are very poor they are happy.
The name of the village is Latdelam on the island of Yamdena 300 nm from Darwin so close yet so far away from our Aussie way of life.






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Townsville to Thursday Island

It has been a month since we left Townsville, i cant believe it, we have sailed over 1500 nautical miles in that time and seen so much, so here we go! 
After getting last minute things done we threw off the ropes at 11.30 am. We both noticed that Watusi felt really heavy and slow to respond, must be all those home brew bottles Ken has stashed away or my 20 blocks of chocolate! The wind was an easterly 10 - 20 knts so once we got the sails up we were both surprised she sailed as fast as she did and arrived at the airport anchorage on Palm Island at 4.45pm. 
We motored the next day as there was no wind, we anchored at Dunk Island. The next day was the same forecast five knots and lots of activity on the water, one reef we went past had forty boats fishing it, we also saw a couple of whales and dolphins and Ken caught two mackerel. Anchored at Fitzroy Island. We caught up with some sailing friends Sean and Andrina on the Sunday and Ken tested the watermaker which needed some fine tuning before making the first lot of water! 
We motor sailed into Cairns on Tuesday and tied up in the marina, Tom came down to the boat to see us and he took Ken up town to pick up diesel and other stuff.
The four days in Cairns was busy catching up with family and friends which was wonderful to be able to spend a little time with them all before we go.
The crew from Southern Wing and Enigma are in Cairns also and we meet Hellen the Indonesian lady who has organized the cruising certificate and rally dates. After picking up the last of the fruit and vegetables we leave Cairns and sail north to Low Islands.
It is 79 miles to cape Bedford so we make an early start, good winds all day and Ken picks up a very fat spotty mackerel as we round the cape to the anchorage.
SSE 20 knots so we had a good sail to Lizard Island arriving just after lunch time. We count 12 cats and three monos anchored in the bay, the water here is so clear and blue. Sundowners on the beach in the afternoon was very pleasant as the sun went down across the water.
The next day we snorkled around the clam garden, lots of little fish and we saw the meter long mauri wrass, as well as clams and colorful coral. 
We pick up three more mackerel including the biggest fish caught by me a Spanish mackerel just over a meter long, our freezer is full so now it's catch and release.
The weather north of here is always 20 knots that's the average lucky the wind is behind us. We are sailing long days now to get to TI some of the anchorages are Morris island, cape Grenville Portland roads,Shellbourne Bay,Escape River and Horn Island. The country is varied from huge black granite boulders at Cape Grenville, the vivid white sand dunes at Shellbourne Bay, red ant hills at escape river and the aqua blue colour of the water in the Torres Strait.
We anchored at Horn Island with the resident croc sunbaking on the mud bank and next to Teisen Y, the old cray boat. We went over to TI to see customs and get the paper work started for clearance out of Australia, made more water and had some rest ready for the trip across to Indonesia. The weather forecast was good 10 - 20 SE so we will leave Wednesday.
S V Enigma was hit by a fishing boat on the way to TI no one was hurt but they have damage to their boat that has to be repaired before they can continue on, so it is just Southern Wing and us sailing in company to Indonesia.
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