Port to Port Invasion & TAFE

Pictured Tranquility of: Sunset from our boat, The Marina, Nearby Beach & Sunrise

A SAFE PORT We have decided to make Bundaberg our base for the next 6 months. The cyclone season in Central/Northern Queensland can occur anywhere between Nov-March (and the winds have turned early this year). We feel that Port Bundaberg is a lovely, tranquil, cost effective and safe marina to stay put at until next season. It is also very easy port to get in and out of, in any kind of weather. There a numerous locations that we can still venture off to during this time with Bundy being close enough for us to get back to - if a cyclone were to develop.

TRANQUIL When we 1st arrived here - the isolation and openness of this area/ marina was a little daunting - but now we love it! The sunsets & and sunrise's are really pretty. Being able to see for miles without buildings blocking your view is really nice. And as mentioned previously - I really enjoy driving along the country roads with so little traffic - (so what if everything is at least 25K away). Well, we aren't the only ones who like Bundy.

PORT TO PORT This marina has developed into one of the best ports to travel to from the South Pacific Islands (like Vanuatu, Fiji, New Caledonia) to escape the cyclone season. Many of yachts travel together in the 'PORT TO PORT' ocean passage. The group running the 'Port to Port' help organize dealing with Australia Customs. AND THEY ARE ABOUT TO INVADE OUR TRANQUILITY!!! Over 50 yachts are schedule to start arriving the 1st week of November. Some are already starting to arrive - anchored off the marina with the 'Yellow Quarantine Flag's" flying awaiting to be cleared by customs. While it will be exciting to see them all come it - I selfishly hope they move on to other locations......

TAFE The Maritime division of 'Technical and Further Education' (TAFE) is located in Port Bundaberg. And there is a Master Class V course starting next week - ssooooo, I have enrolled in the course. Wish me luck.

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Windsong, Dame Margot & Misty Blue

Pictured: TOP - Mike, Rob, Margot, Donna, Ian, Sharon, Michelle on Dame Margot MIDDLE (Left) Hear NO, Speak NO, See No - Evil (Right) BBQ on the Marina BOTTOM - Community News

FRIENDS We had the pleasure of catching up with folks from the RPAYC as they traveled south back to Pittwater after they wonderful time in the Whitsunday's.

Three boats - Windsong, Dame Margot and Misty Blue stopped over in Bundaberg for a few nights. We really enjoyed seeing them and getting together for diner, drinks and catching on on everyone's adventures. The marina was nice enough to let us use their BBQ and we had diner using their picnic tables one evening (pictured).

PROVISIONS REQUIRED Of course everyone needed to go shopping for 'provisions' before the next leg of their trip. While shopping for these essentials Donna, Sharon and Margot stumbled upon some 'bargains' too hard to pass up - (i.e. shoes). There seemed to be some 'discrepancy' about the cost of these bargain shoes.... So as husbands tried to get to the bottom of this the ladies choose the oath of "SEE NO EVIL, SPEAK NO EVIL, HEAR NO EVIL (pictured)!!!

(note to the ladies: I found the bargain shoes at the mall - the sales person remembered you all well!)

BUNDABERG COMMUNITY NEWS The local newspaper was schedule to take photos of a family staying at the marina for community story - about how they like Bundaberg. The people didn't turn up. The photographer decided that Mike & I were would make a good 'back-up' in case they couldn't get the 1st story published. So we made it to the local newspapers (pictured).

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Pictured:
Top - Port Bundaberg Marina, Waterfall into Burnett River
Bottom - Local 'Sugarcane Fields' (x2), View of fields & farms with ocean in background

THE TRIP
A sunny, pleasant and calm 7 hour trip from Urangan to Bundaberg on Monday - 24th of September. Yes, I'm a bit late in reporting..... Port Bundaberg Marina is quite nice but very isolated and far from town - actually pretty far from everything. Therefore, we went back (to Urangan) the following day to get the car. Without a car here it wouldn't be very good - with a car it's quite nice.

BUS TRIP
So far our experience going back via greyhound to get the car has been really good. Buses have been new, clean, on-time, pretty empty and able to take us to all the locations we have needed (and the bus depots' have been in nice areas). Well - not this time.... The location of the bus terminal in Bundaberg (approx. 35k from the mariana and located behind an old grubby-looking IGA and KMART) was NOT in the 'best' part of town. The bus was late - which meant we got to experience that charming (NOT) area longer (and it's local inhabitants). The bus was crowded and the driver was a former drill sergeant. Thinking this IGA was the place we were destined to do our food shopping - our 1st impression of downtown Bundaberg was NOT good.

DRIVING
The drive from Urangan to Bundaberg turned out to be really beautiful. The countryside was a sprawling patchwork of farmland, sugarcane fields, macadamia nut farms and a variety of flowering foliage in pinks, purples and whites. The roads were not crowded and the trip was really pleasurable.

Because we are in amongst the 'Sugar Fields' it's at least 25-kilometers to anywhere. (The area were we are is not documented in any street-directory!) The speed limit on the local 2-lane roads is 100K. Many side roads are dirt roads. There is no traffic - expect for an occasional tracker or 'Sugarcane-Train'. If you see 4 cars on your 25k trip - that's heavy traffic. So the area is quite Country-like but on the Ocean. There are no water restrictions here and they use 'sprinklers' to water the things - haven't seen 'sprinklers' being used in a loooooonng time. Anyway, we find the driving here very relaxing & enjoyable.

DOLPHINS
We are very lucky to have dolphins come into the marina (right behind the boat) every night. We have gone out in the dinghy a lot (cruising the Burnett River) and have seen dolphins each time. There's something very special about having dolphins as the locals....

STORES
One last thing - we did find the good shopping centers (new & clean), an Apple-mac store (with knowledgeable & helpful staff), and the 'Shalom Market' (open on Sunday's 6AM-12noon) where you can get fresh local produce very cheap. P.S. - the Apple store is located next to a Crystal store - added bonus

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