It was sort of a disaster! I am talking about Gladstone. Steve had very good experiences last year when he cleared in and therefore my expectations were high. Unfortunately, it started with being unable to go to the marina. The boat is not insured (for reasons that are quite comprehensible to me) - and the policy is “no uninsured boats in the marina”. - After a bit of research, we found a public pontoon. You are only allowed to stay 10 minutes, though. But in a photo we had found, it was said, one can ask for extension. Steve phoned and persuaded the superintendent: we were allowed to stay a couple of hours. Under the condition that one of us had to remain on the boat.
I don’t know whether I mentioned it before; I am a pizza junkie. And the last pizza was literally months ago. I desperately needed a pizza. Since we were not able to have lunch or dinner in a restaurant together, I tried to find a pizza place with delivery service. And I am now talking about pizza. Not domino’s or Pizza Hut (please forgive my European arrogance!). Guess what - there was nothing!
The following day we thought we could come back as arranged to top up fuel and water and then do the re-provisioning, I’d do one run, then Steve. But Steve had just left for the petrol station when someone from the marina came. He had observed us yesterday: We had been there for two hours - although it was a drop off pontoon only. I argued, that we had had their permission. He hit back, that it was for yesterday. I explained him the situation and he said, that we were stretching the friendship. But in the end we were able to stay again for 2 hours. I literally had to run for the basic groceries and to go to Repco for something we needed for Torea. The few hours we were there on Sunday morning there was only one other boat that used the long pontoon to do a quick pick up.
We stayed at Witt Island, moved into a creek and back to Witt Island. We didn’t see much of the industrial plants of Gladstone when we were in the Creek but depending on tide and wind, we also had a nice view on some of the islands in Gladstone Bay.
Five days after our arrival, Steve dropped me off at the public pontoon again and I completed the shopping, including getting the forms and papers for Micronesia printed. We were “stretching the friendship” when Steve came to pick me up again, as he ran to the petrol station again and I filled all the buckets with water.
On 7 July we gladly left Gladstone and had an unexpectedly nice sail to Hummocky Island. We had to motor for about one hour only.
Although a good anchorage, apart from one launch it was empty but we left the following day. Again we were lucky and were able to sail most of the way to Great Keppel Island. Good old Bureau of Metrology again was reliably unreliable.
We went for a walk the same day, to Mt Wyndham. Since then, we’ve been ashore for walks every day and I must admit I like the island. The tracks are fairly well maintained, just to keep it a bit adventurous and demanding enough to stay attentive. And the views are very picturesque. (We also saw an echidna, the first one I’ve ever seen. I didn’t know, that there are only two oviparous mammals in the world! The echidna is one.)

The trade winds have kicked in a few days ago and brought some swell so the anchorage at Leeks Beach is very rolly now with up to one metre of roll coming into the bay. With the trades blowing though, we will be able to continue north easily. We therefore decided to go to Port Clinton soon to get some proper, un-rolly sleep.

photo: One of the many beautiful views from Keppel Island