Photo: Leaving Split Bridge, Middle Harbour Sydney to head south.
Late afternoon 12th January 2011 and we are back on Dol after a great 6 weeks at home spent with family and friends, ready to continue our travelling experiences. It took us a couple of days to get Dol ship shape again, installing the anchor winch solenoid box and reinstalling the watermaker which we took back to Auckland for some repairs.
We left the mooring at Woolwich on Friday afternoon and anchored at Birkenhead which has great access to a shopping mall, a nearby chandlers and a waterfront walkway to a reserve, great for our morning walks. The anchorage is also off the main thoroughfare and therefore does not get the constant wake action. We had 3 days there, restocking the boat and enjoying our walks. Monday saw us up anchor and move to the other side of the Sydney harbour bridge to Double Bay, close to friends who had moored their catamaran in Elizabeth Bay whilst staying ashore with family. We caught up with Duncan and Darcy the following day for a drink, unfortunately Cheryl and Seisia had gone shopping and were not on the boat.
As Cheryl and Duncan were going to stay with family for the week, we decided to get out of the main thoroughfare and headed for Middle Harbour on Wednesday. What a difference!! Middle harbour is an area accessed by a split bridge which has set opening times during the day and once through the bridge it is more secluded and a bit like Gt Barrier or the Marlborough Sounds, not many boats, (but plenty permanently moored in the area) that was until Friday when the weekenders arrived, no ferries or boat wake, lots of bush for walks, public 24hr moorings, very quiet and a coffee/ice cream/cold drinks boat that came around twice a day. Travelling down the waterways we have both remarked at the density of housing that is along the shores, there isn't a spare inch anywhere.
21st, Saturday, it was time for us to start heading south towards Tasmania; we want to give ourselves time to sit and wait in Eden for a weather window to cross Bass Strait. We headed back through the Split Bridge and out of Port Jackson, Sydney harbour, motoring the 14nm to Port Hacking. We arrived at lunchtime, went ashore for a walk to get some fresh fruit and veges and have a look around Cronulla. Our plan is to continue down the coast tomorrow, day sailing and stopping longer in anchorages if the weather is not favorable. Next blog update will be from Tasmania.