LEAVING AUSTRALIA

We've sailed a lot of miles since we entered Bundaberg, Queensland, Australia, in November 2002.

We'll miss Australia and the Australian people.

Tipperary Marina, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia

Darwin has such huge tides that the marinas are protected by locks. Here is a photo of Wilhelm going through the lock into the Tipperary Bay Marina. (Google Maps -12.4492, 130.8513)

Darwin - Road Trains

Road Trains are three extra long trailers connected by rigid bars that can be over 150 feet long. (This post is a guy-thing)

Port Essington Anchorage (Victoria)

Victoria is a failed attempt at a British outpost lasted only 11 years. Even today, the site can only be reached by sea. In 1849, the same year as the California Goldrush, Britain abandoned its efforts to establish a town that it had hoped would rival Singapore. Remains of buildings and a cemetery are interspersed with termite mounds and brush. A youngish crocodile stuck his head out of the water and watched us as we anchored.

Port Essington Anchorage. May 18, 19, 20. (Black Point) (Google maps -11.149, 132.1405)

Our first anchorage in the Northern Territory. The beach was beautiful – there was a full moon and the sea turtles were coming ashore to lay eggs, and other species were hatching. A large crocodile, nicknamed “Stumpy” because he is missing part of his front foot, glided away as we walked back to our dinghy. Lots of red rock.

Around the Top! May 10

We motored through the Albany Passage and around the top of Australia – completing our journey from the very south to the very north of the Country. We had nice anchorages in Escape River the night before we sailed around Cape York, and behind Possession Island, on the west side.

Lizard Island Anchorage. May 2-5. (Google maps -14.66, 145.4517)

Lizard is just as beautiful as we had heard…and there were only two other boats there! We snorkeled and hiked and climbed the hill that Captain Cook used as a lookout to find a way through the Great Barrier Reef.

Low Island Anchorage. April 28 (Google Maps -16.3827, 145.5633)

A pretty spot, with a nice old lighthouse.