Home among the gum trees
19 January 2016
2016 - What will the new year have in store for us? Home is now on a mountain off the grid in northern NSW, our own piece of paradise. It's like living on a boat as we are in charge of our own power, (solar and batteries), water (rainwater) and waste (composting sawdust toilet) surrounded by bush, wildlife and a beautiful garden with fruit trees.
While sailing around Greece in 2014, I dreamt of this beautiful place. Yes I adore cruising and exploring new landfalls but it was time for us to enjoy some space and have a shed. I have a shed and an art studio! It is here that I will finish writing Lati's story. I am still not set on a title and keep going between these two :
A Little Latitude
Salvage in my Sarong
By the time I finish writing I'm sure one of these will feel right or perhaps something new.
Our beautiful yacht Valiam also has a new home. After selling our house by the sea, we bought a marina berth at Mooloolaba Marina. So now we can step on and off, enjoy the facilities, the yacht club, the beach across the road and restaurants a short stroll away. The best of both worlds. Our home on the mountain is 3.5 hours drive from Mooloolaba.
Many people ask us if we have any trips planned on Valiam this year. I would like to go away on a short trip in the winter up north. And our long term sailing plans do include Patagonia but we are not sure when. In the mean time we are enjoying the peace on our mountain and looking after the garden.
We visit Valiam and stay on board every couple of weeks for a few nights. It's lovely to remain in contact with the sailing community as well as our friends and family on the Sunshine Coast. Christmas and New Years Eve was an extremely social time catching up with many sailing friends. There is a communal area on the lawns at the marina where we can use the barbecue and often bands are playing too. So if you are on the Sunshine coast we may be at the marina to enjoy a drink and a chat. I always have copies of Sailing in my Sarong on board too.
This photo was taken last January when we were sailing back from Sydney.