We woke to the forecast strong hot North Westerly winds which were putting us on an uncomfortable exposed lee shore at Cottage Rock. Coming back yesterday was good timing - today's weather sounded ominous.
We decided on a quick swim ashore and then to move to more secure shelter from the stronger winds to come.
We chose a public mooring in Amercia's Bay that looked freshly maintained and designed to withstand a storm - and it did. The top wind gusts that we saw on our boat instruments were 47 knots. At times nearby smaller boats were getting knocked on their sides and bounced all over the place, the wind whipping up waves and water everywhere - never seen it like this - and in a protected anchorage!
We saw boats try to pick up moorings and give up. Others would try different spots trying to get out of the strong winds but there was nowhere to hide.
Early afternoon a very large motor yacht nearby caught our attention trying to get something out of the water while being pushed around with the wind - turned out to be a person in the water desperately clinging to a couple of side vents as handles midships. He was obviously in trouble as the boat was being blown sideways very fast through the water, potentially over him.
He had nowhere to go unless the skipper could spin the boat around and get him to windward quickly - and that would have it's dangers.
The boat kept drifting sideways fast and inevitably he was being dragged under the hull while trying to cling to the boat. The guy couldn't last any longer, he let go and disappeared underwater, under the huge boat. His wife let out a wild scream as he disappeared.It was well over 30 knots wind and higher in the gusts.
Lucky our dinghy was in the water and I had already jumped in to go and assist in what was not going to be a good situation. The dinghy started straight away (doesnt always but must have known it was needed...) and I raced to where he should be - and gratefully his head appeared.
He had no strength left so we sat for a few minutes while he rested in the water safe alongside the dinghy, and then he was able to lift himself and I could drag him into the dinghy and took him back to his very grateful partner. He lives to tell a tale! I'm thankful we saw what was going on as it could have ended quite differently.
Shortly afterwards a large, obviously new big catamaran came scooting past us, way too fast, heading for a mooring in the corner of the bay upwind of a nearby rocky shore. This had disaster written all over it! His partner was on the bow ready to pick up the mooring - not a chance! The driver continued the downwind charge for the mooring. To her credit she hooked the mooring at speed with the boathook and screamed for the driver to help as the mooring disappeared rapidly under the probably 15 tonne cat.
He threw the catamaran into reverse, ran to the bow, also grabbed hold of the boat hook - still not a chance - so the boat hook went flying out of both their hands and into the water! By now the catamaran was still reversing back towards a nearby moored boat and he raced back, threw the boat into forward with maybe a metre if lucky to spare from the boat astern! Now what?
Here we go again - I jumped into the dinghy as the boat hook was floating to the rocks, retrieved it for them, took it to them and offered some friendly advice to 'approach moorings slowly up wind and preferably somewhere out in the middle away from rocks'.
The partner replied, 'they were doing their best' (??? at trying to destroy a million dollar boat and others???).
Anyway good deeds done and a reminder that we were back in another part of Australia - home! - where life is a bit faster, people share big powerful boats because they don't have time, but they have the money, they dont know how to manage the boat (no its not a car) and they feel they need to cram it all into the weekend even if the weather is crap and dangerous!
To quote Jimmy Buffett - 'Take me back to the islands!'
Anyway - Welcome back!
We had a more relaxed day today at The Basin as the wind has gone, skies are blue and the sun shines - perfect spring weather. Time for a swim and a final relax before home tomorrow.
We will remember this journey very fondly with special shared achievements, new places explored, old favourites revisited and many great people we have met along the way.

We scooted down the coast in a nice following breeze and small swell past Port Stephens, Newcastle and the Central Coast in an unusually hot day for spring. This is our final leg to home port, Broken Bay.
The hot weather seemed to make us an attractive haven island for insects blown quite a long way offshore - flies, wasps, bees, lady beetles, other bugs - a new experience!
As we neared Broken Bay the winds built to near 30 knots, the seas increased, and thunderstorms were brewing. In these conditions we excused the 'Welcoming Fleet' for not turning up for our return!
Soon we were out of the open ocean and it was very hot and quite calm inside Broken Bay so we shot straight to our favourite anchorage at Cottage Rock for a swim, shower under the waterfall, followed by a bottle of chilled champage on Leanne's favourite rock.
We were high and dry on our tiny island - the rock was all that was showing as the beach was well under water in a super high tide.
Amazingly in the inland waterway there was no breeze while it raged offshore!
We loved the surreal feel of it all - It's a lovely habit of ours to watch the sun go down on what could have been mistaken for a silent summer evening!
The last 5 months travels provided a lot to reflect on, the thunderstorms passed, and we slept like logs on a still warm night feeling very welcome back home and a great sense of achievement.

The sail (or should I say mainly motor + a bit of sail) was calmer than expected - dont mind that in the dark of the night! We had planned to stopover at Broughton Island off Port Stephens before a final journey to Pittwater however the forecast winds arrived making the area pretty uncomfortable - so we elected to go to safe and comfortable havens... Nelson Bay marina and early pub meal before crashing like logs!
Plans are things you make so you can change them - and instead of continuing south the next day, we went back north to Broughton Island! Coal Shaft Beach proved to be stunning as the weather settled and we enjoyed wandering the beaches, swimming and enjoying the last bit of solitude on what is a remote and unusual little piece of paradise. Funny co-incidences - this was our first stopover on our first trip up the coast with perfect autumn weather - and on this trip, its our last stopover back down the coast with perfect spring weather! Amazing how the seasons have changed the beach, its a bit winter weather beaten and it seems much greener now with flowering plants, a lot of prickly pear and moss covered rocks and caves along the beach. Oh, and flies... lots of them, most we have seen for ages and a few mossies circling too. Funny how we didnt really have any issues with these bugs up north which is where you expect them more. Anyway, six years ago skipper enjoyed catching dinner - and he did again this time! So it was a pretty perfect day!
The area always offers a dolphin showoff or two - and we were lucky to have our friendly escorts with us in and out of Port Stephens. A baby whale learning to breach, thankfully away from us, was added entertainment.
If it wasnt for the strong northerlies now forecast over the coming days, we would stay at Broughton longer. So we are on our final leg to Sydney... having just left in a glorious sunrise over a special bay.

We arrived around midday on Saturday, suitably stuffed - after moving pens, boat cleanup, a nap and shower, we ventured out for an early meal at the Yacht Club. Nothing much has changed around the marina and the district - still rundown and crying out for the proposed redevelopment - its such a wasted opportunity!
The next day was a slow catchup day, a walk up Muttonbird Island and generally stayed out of the strong northerlies that arrived right on cue. On Monday the southerly arrived (!!) but it was gloriously sunny out of the wind. We know we are south now having to readjust to much cooler nights than we have got used to. We spent much of the day in Sawtell, a treelined cute little village and enjoyed a cafe lunch before bar hopping until the late afternoon.
Today we hired a car and drove to Bellingen for a look around. Its pretty countryside and suprisingly green. It reminds us of the Sunshine Coast hinterland towns although its proximity to Sydney is evident in some of the store prices! Its certainly abound with coffee shops although I'm not sure how many survive ...
We also had a quick look at Uranga and Hungry Head - classic regional coastal outposts where time has stood still, some areas seem deserted but it offers such lovely coastline. We enjoyed our leisurely wanders in beautiful spring weather and the opportunity to see country as well as coast in these areas.
Our plan this morning was to leave for another 24 hr stint to Port Stephens - but as we watched a few of the boats on our jetty leave today, we re-checked weather forecasts this afternoon and wondered whether we should leave earlier to ensure we miss the next strong winds... so we elected to go. Around 5 pm today we departed Coffs Harbour marina and are now heading south again! Whales and dolphins already in abundance with sun warm on our faces, motor sailing as I write this blog... and soon to prepare for the cool evening ahead.

An early start from Mooloolaba had us arrive in Southport on dusk and after refuelling, we made our way to the pen and started the cleanup process that is necessary after 12 hours at sea in rolling conditions. The shower was welcomed and for the first time this trip, we both were rocking a little under the water!
The strong northerlies came in as forecast for the first few days then a southerly change just to mix things up and confirm the weather changeability at this time of the year.
Regardless, we enjoyed our 2 days here reacquainting ourselves with walks, the beach (nearly sand blasted off it!), Tedder Ave coffee and pies (!!) and catching up with Jeff and Steph.
The task of getting us and the boat back to Sydney starts becoming a chore from here on - long stretches to be progressively ticked off, or reduce it to daily hops into NSW coastal towns such as Yamba, Clarence River, Camden Haven, Port Macquarie etc etc. which are all tide dependant and coastal bars, requiring calmish weather conditions and time. So while its tempting to actually take the leisurely route, we did do this on our last trip six years ago - so consider it 'ticked off' - plus it would add some weeks now to our journey back. Once you have turned the corner and have home and committments in sight, you really just want to keep going and grab the right weather when its there! And that's exactly what a number of the RPAYC boats did earlier in the week - they completed three consecutive days and nights from Southport to Pittwater! Its not what we will do, nor is the weather right to do it for the present, but its understandable...
Our plan is to do a 24 hour stint from Southport to Coffs Harbour - and we are currently 20 hours into it! It is tiring and tedious and was initially lumpy rolling seas but as the wind died, the seas flattened and we have ended up motoring or motor sailing most of the way so far. The first stretch south after leaving Southport is always amazing just for the sheer scale and length of the coastline dotted with high rise and buildings we all have come to know about the Gold Coast - it seems to go for miles and miles although this time, shrouded in sea haze. Its timely that only this week we read that the locals are strongly resisting more large scale development in the Palm Beach area which so far still retains some houses and small buildings on the beach strip.
Apart from the odd dolphin during the night and dodging a number of fishing trawlers, it has been one of those uneventful but necessary passages. We expect to have to wait out southerly weather again in Coffs so will have time to catch up on sleep!

Here we are again, riding out some weather but probably more importantly, we felt we needed a rest from it all and a chance to stretch the legs beyond the 12 m of boat that we have been limited to for a while. Mooloolaba delivers on all fronts and besides, we like the place.
It turned cold and poured with rain the first morning but eventually..... the sun shone, the legs got moving, we reintroduced ourselves to a bit more civilisation, we took the opportunity to revisit favourite restaurants, buy some wonderful seafood, swim and read on a wonderful beach, have a champagne sunset ....
I was also able to catch up with Andrea, a friend from working days.

All good things do need to end though as we eagerly await the right weather conditions to keep moving towards home. We will grab that tomorrow and head for the Gold Coast - ticking off another 13 hours of progress...