The sun rises on a new series of Barracuda’s Blog. We have been offline since November when we laid Barracuda up in Bundaberg and went home for the winter. We came back to Australia ten days ago and have been working through the usual maintenance and recommissioning along with a few improvements. Because we were leaving her in a cyclone zone we had to strip her right down so putting her back together was a bit of effort, not helped by brutal jetlag.

But that’s all behind us! We now have a refreshed boat, full of food, water and fuel, and are ready for more adventures. Today we left the dock at 4:30 am and glided down the river in the dark. Soon we were in open water and sailing along downwind with just a genoa in 20+ kts – and dawn gave way to bright sun and a sparkly sea, and a lovely fast 60-mile sail to our first destination. Ahhh – and breathe…

We dropped the hook tonight at Pancake Creek – with a somewhat nerve-racking entrance of sparsely-marked coral and sandbars. It’s a quiet spot, with nothing here but two lighthouses and a lot of cruisers. Just right for our first night.

This year’s plan takes us up the Queensland coast, over the top to Indonesia and on to Malaysia in November. We have a lot of islands to visit and miles to cover, so it’s good to be on our way. More to follow.

With the southern hemisphere summer and the cyclone season upon us another Barracuda adventure comes to a close. This trip started in New Zealand and ended in Australia having sailed via Vanuatu and New Caledonia and then squeezing in a quick trip to Tasmania for good measure. We have now sailed nearly two thirds of the way round the world. I suppose it's just easier to carry on round but we don't have a plan. Barracuda is safe and secure ashore in Bundaberg awaiting her next voyage whilst we enjoy winter in the northern hemisphere (we seem to have this the wrong way round). Thanks for following us on this trip. All being well we will be back next year for a trip up the Queensland coast and through Indonesia to Malaysia.

A visit to Tasmania would not be complete without a visit to MONA - the Museum for Old and New Art. We understand it is the brain child of an ultra successful card player who - although now banned from every casino in the world - made enough money to buy a massive art collection and to construct a stunning venue to display it in. It is pretty mind blowing and keeps you switched on for your entire visit. The juxtaposition of such a broad spectrum of art forms is brilliant.

Thanks Tasmania. We know we have barely scratched the surface and may just need to come back.

A drive south took us to Triabunna where we picked up a passenger ferry over to Maria island. The island has had various uses over years including acting as a penal colony (twice), vineyard, cement factory and tourist centre but nowadays it is pretty much of a wildlife centre where you can walk the trails and commune with nature.

We spent the morning looking for wombats and not finding any. Having decided that they were probably nocturnal and certainly shy, we carried on our walk in the afternoon - only to find wombats everywhere, most in pairs. One female even had its joey in its pouch. We also saw pademelons and wallabies; so, all in all a good day for marsupials.

The main tree species on the island is the gum tree (eucalyptus). They shed their bark at this time of year in great strips, and the fresh trunks then have amazing colours, with some blushing a glorious pink. They are very tall and slender, and provide an excellent canopy. Occasionally you see a green parrot flash past but we’ve also spotted several kookaburras.

Yesterday we drove up to the little seaside town of Bichenot to visit the Freycinet Peninsula, about halfway up Tasmania’s east coast. It’s home to a colony of fairy penguins and it’s breeding season now, so last night we stood on the beach, hushed and still, for a couple of hours waiting for them to waddle home to their burrows from the days fishing. We did see one little fellow - and got quite cold despite fleece layers and woolly hats. A reminder again of how far south we are - it’s a far cry from the warmth of Queensland.

Today we did a few walks in the national park. The walk up to the Wineglass Bay lookout, with its 400 steps, was steep but the views over the craggy hills and the picture-perfect bay made it so worth while (today’s picture). Then we headed over to the granite beach at Sleepy Bay and finished at the Cape Tourville lighthouse. The coastline is dramatic, the pink rocks fiery orange with lichen and the water clear turquoise - the views are stunning. This is a glorious part of the world on a good day.

- Curried scallop pies
- Four seasons in a day
- Everything starts with an acknowledgement of the original native people
- Everything stops by 8 pm
- Road kill involves kangaroos, wallabies, pademelons and echidnas
- Stunning geology
- Life moves at a much slower pace
- The whole place looks a bit like Scotland
- Gardens that remind us of home

It was great to catch up with sailing friends last seen in Vanuatu, now just arriving home. Then it was time for some serious history lessons, with the maritime museum, the colonial museum and a walk around the old town. We are enjoying our time in Hobart but the temperature keeps changing (a lot). Still, it will help ready us for the Scottish winter.

The history of Australia's 'discovery', the displacement of the indigenous occupants, use as a penal colony and the gradual colonisation all makes pretty difficult reading. It is a common story in many parts of the Pacific.

Yesterday we drove out to Port Arthur to visit the site of the prison where male convicts, mainly repeat offenders, were sent and put to work or shoved into solitary confinement. The next day it was time for a visit to the remains of the Cascades Female Factory, one of the Hobart centres for female convicts where they would be put to work - and punishment - in pretty brutal conditions. It seems that by the end of the 1800s the U.K. had learnt its lesson about sending those convicted of relatively minor offences (often crimes of survival) half way round the world for punishment. But now we seem to be trying to do it again.

After a great time north of Sydney we flew down to Tasmania for a final fling before we return home. On arrival we met with Pacific sailing friends who have made Tasmania their home. They whisked us up to the top of Mount Wellington to enjoy some stunning views over Hobart before taking us to their home for a delicious dinner. A great welcome to Tasmania.

Oh - and we saw our first wallaby and our first pademelon.

One of the sailing organisations we are members of is the OCC (Ocean Cruising Club). Members have to do a 1000 mile offshore qualifying passage. Members are typically out there sailing long distance and are scattered all over the world. It's a great way to meet fellow sailors. Our hosts at Cottage Point held an OCC bbq to bring together local and visiting members. It was a fine day with many a tale of derring do.

Our time at Cottage Point has been a delight, made possible by our hosts Scot and Rose who we met back in the Bahamas as well as various other places along the way. In addition to enjoying their beautiful home and stunning views across the water we have enjoyed visiting around the shores of the Ku Ring Gai National Park, lunches in local yacht clubs and excursions to the northern beaches.

Yesterday was culture day, as we went with Rose back into Sydney to visit the art gallery, where there is a quite a bit of Aboriginal art on show. In the evening we went to a play at the Sydney Opera House, after drinks and people-watching beside the fabulous opera house and the iconic bridge.

Today Scot took us out in his RIB for a run up to the Hawkesbury River to sample some local oysters. Delicious.

This is a really lovely part of the world and a great add to our travels as we start to see a little more of Australia.