We had enjoyed blissful days of aqua perfection, snorkelling the coral gardens within Lady Musgrave Island. We strolled around the flat rock formations, offering great protection for the beach made of coral and shells. This was also an ideal platform for sundowners with anyone else who might surface with an esky at 5 o'clock.
Since it is turtle nesting season, we follow the mumma tracks from water to the dunes to view the many nests lined up above the high water line. Wanna hope they can run and swim fast, I thought to myself hearing the squeaks and squarks of birdlife in the mangroves and remembering the reef sharks in the rock pools nearby. You can't fight with nature, I guess. 💁🏻‍♀️I should know that much by now.
By the end of our stay we relocated from anchor to a vacated mooring ball, making for an easy departure the next morning. There's enough to navigate when leaving this enclosed reef, without worrying if our chain could be wrapped around a coral bommie, which can happen after days of turning with the tides.
This mooring ball we picked up clearly states it is good for our length and weight, but was only guaranteed for up to 35knot winds. We sniggered, like Muttley the dog not expecting such. "Oh this will be perrrrfectt. We can rest easy tonight"! He Who Hums call out from the bow.
But by the end of dinner, our wind indicator was pushing 32knots and hovering. Listening intently to the high and low pitch of the wind wizzing through the rigging, a for-warning with each blow. Our awareness was the load on the mooring line tightening now like a noose around our neck as Condesa yanked and yawled blowing about in the big gusts. One can only hope that an equally as big concrete block is secured to the atoll floor, to keep us off the reefs that surround us.
Out of nowhere, the sound of 25 weighted bowling balls were dumped heavily and rumbled across the night sky. Startled we retired to the cosy aft cabin to watch the show. Both propped with hands under our chins looking out through large hatch windows, level with the water - the stage was set. The light show fired up with a loud clap. Boats we weren't aware of lit up like ghosts, leaving an outline hanging in pitch black until the next clap. The seas were rushing past like a rapid. White caps were break-dancing less than 3 feet in front of us, and without warning a huge splash as if something very large turned defying the force of nature. The show went on from all aspects without interval for the next hour or two, unsure of actual curtain call.
We slept well....no nightmares to speak of, only my concerns for the baby turtles and the pending 150mtr sprint and swim-leg they have ahead of them early December. I feel for those lil turtles, I hope the sea gods keep an eye out for them too!
A new day on top deck, clear skies, sparkling surrounds. It was a full tide so we released the trusty mooring line and drifted out through the narrow passage. We threw the sails up catching the sun and wind, I watched the gulls gliding effortlessly from off shore. Only yesterday I was seeing them as predators, today they are part of the big beautiful picture.
We are off, headed for Bundaberg and who knows what tonight will bring? But Condesa will take rest in the marina and we will be dining at Baltimore's restaurant - if you're looking for us. 🤭
"This is livin Barry" 🥰