Left Hexham Island around 8:00 a.m. and headed for the Percy Islands. The seas were much calmer but we once again had to motor-sail as we had very little wind. We chose to anchor at Middle Percy Island which is the largest of the Percy Islands and the most popular haven for yachties. We were really keen to explore the island as we had read quite a bit about it. Close by we found the famous "A" frame hut where cruising people for over sixty years have been hanging their names and dates of their visit. It was great just browsing through these, thinking about the journeys experienced by travelers of the past. We decided to walk one of the tracks through the island, and while we thought we were on the "short" track we had mistakingly gone on the long track that would take us to the Homestead. Over the next hour or so we walked though some amazing areas on Middle Percy. We travelled through dark wooded forests, high tracks that gave us unsurpassed views of the ocean and adjacent Islands and forests that had huge pine trees that reached for the sky. All the way along the track there were signs with poems and inspirational quotes. It was beginning to take on quite a special ambience.
As we approached the Homestead we passed through some quiet "quiet" special places where we were surrounded by hundreds of butterflies, some believe these are the spirits of past inhabitants of the island. We all had a strange calmness as we walked on. Around the next corner, standing in the pathway we came across two goats. They were standing there, still just looking at us as if they had been expecting visitors from Aphelion. As we approached them they turned and led us down the track towards the Homestead. Next were the dogs. Two beautiful Labradors came barking and bounding out of the gate. A woman appeared on the verandah of the old house and called to us inviting us in for a cup of tea.
So now we had met Cate. We went the the first floor of the homestead together with the dogs, and the goats and spent the next couple of hours chatting about the history of the Island. We had a lovely cup of tea boiled on an old wood stove and sweetened with honey from the Island.
Our visit to Percy was very special and we always had a nice warm feeling when we were there. Peter spent the sunset alone on the top floor of the A frame just absorbing the vibes.