Photo above shows Sundari all on its own on a free courtesy mooring in a small offshoot of commodious and relatively empty Cowan Creek.

We are hooked up to a mooring for the night in commodious Cowan Creek, deep inside Ku Ring Gai Chase national park. This is a beautiful area, just on the northern edge of Sydney, but a world away today, as boats of all kinds and sizes have had to return to their moorings and marinas after the summer holidays. We spent a little longer than we had planned in Port Stephens, but it was probably a good idea as the closer you get to NSW's and Australia's largest city, the busier it gets (except where we are now!).

We also got to catch up with ex yachties, Kerry and Bruce, from nearby Newcastle and their family and Patty and Dave, residents of Port Stephens. We met Kerry and Bruce first in Tonga on their way back to Oz on their circumnavigation, but have kept in touch as they love hiking, cycling and kayaking like us, although they have sold their yacht "Haven". Dave and Patty were companion yachties on the 2008 Sail Indonesia Rally. They never got past SE Asia, which they sailed to twice from Australia, but we met up with them again 2 years ago near Whangarei at the ex Sail Indo Rally get together.



Kerry and Bruce's family - 3 daughters and 3 grandchildren on Sundari in Port Stephens



Kerry and Alison and Kerry's daughter Phillipa's kids on Sundari.



Dave and Patty Bowden sailed their catamaran named "This Way Up" to South east Asia twice. They now live in Port Stephens.

Since the last blog post we have experienced some nasty weather and have had to move anchorages several times to get away from strong winds and waves. We had 3 gales and accompanying thunderstorms while in Port Stephens and one gale with thunderstorms here in Broken Bay - and we've only been here a couple of days! Fortunately, the 2 days we spent on passage from Port Stephens to Broken Bay via Newcastle were quite benign.



Keeping an eye on a severe thunderstorm in Careel Bay in the Pittwater near Sydney - the fourth summer gale we have experienced in the last few weeks.



The weather was gentle when we sailed down and into the busy industrial port city of Newcastle. This is Nobby's Head at the entrance to the Hunter River which runs through Newcastle.



Newcastle is one of the world's busiest and largest coal ports - something that makes it periodically a target for climate change activists trying to get the Australian Government to ditch its addiction to coal.

We'll probably be in this large cruising ground for the next couple of weeks before sailing the last 15 miles or so to Sydney Harbour where we will be mooring Sundari for a few months while we travel overseas, first to Indonesia and the island of Sulawesi, then to France to go cycling on one or more of Europe's long distance cycle trails.



The view from the lighthouse on Barranjoey Head, at the entrance to Broken Bay. The ocean looking south towards Sydney Harbour is on the left and busy but protected Pittwater is on the right.



One of several waterfalls trickling down off the sandstone cliffs in Ku-Ring-Gai Chase national park. This one is in Refuge Cove, where we endured the latest gale!



The lovely, upper reaches of Cowan Creek, which penetrates Ku-Ring-Gai Chase National Park, only 20 km from the Sydney CBD!



Sundari on a national park mooring in better weather in Waratah Bay, off Cowan Creek.