Left the clear blue waters of G Keppel Island for the mud and mosquitos of the Narrows and Taginie Creek behind Gladstone. Not a good swap!

Motorsailed to Great Keppel Island where we are anchored in Long Bay. Lovely bright sunny day with little wind, and this is a beautiful spot.

Completed the big jump from Whitsundays to the mainland south and are now anchored in Island Head Inlet where we will stay for a day or so digesting the prosecco we drank tonight.

Anchored at Middle Island, after a long day motor-sailing in a steady 5 - 7 kn breeze! Made a relaxing change.

Anchored at Refuge Bay, Scawfell Island.

Anchored over at Cid Harbour, waiting. And while waiting, another barnacle / weed scrape.

A few more miles poddling along to Airlie Beach. Bright sunny day but unpleasant wind-on-the-nose.

Across the bay from Bowen, where we took 2 days in the NQ Cruising Yacht Club, to anchor outside the Gloucester Channel. Very nice here.

Anchored off Stone Island near Bowen, after 20 hours overnight from Bowling Green Bay. A bit rolly, but very attractive surroundings.

Anchored in Bowling Green Bay, after 34 hour motor sail from Hinchinbrook. A terrible anchorage, wind and tide.

After a couple of rolly nights, we left Fitzroy with the tide and motorsailed down to Hinchinbrook, where we are anchored in the channel alongside Haycock Island. Will wait here to see what the weather brings in the next few days.

Anchored off Fitzroy Island, motored just a few miles here today from Cairns to remind us how ghastly wind on the nose really is. But this island is pretty and the water is beautiful.

Anchored in the inlet in Cairns, across from the city, had the wind from behind yesterday for the first time in months.

Outside Cairns, 30 miles to go.

Left Lizard early to motor sail in light breeze towards Cairns. Bright and sunny.

Another overnighter to get out to Lizard Island, strong winds and blinding rain on the way, but here we are anchored in Watsons Bay at Lizard Island. Its very pretty.

Anchored off Howick Island overnight, after a nightmarish trip out from Ninian with no jib. New halyard and jib back up this morning with help from sailing buddy Jeff - off to Lizard today.

Rounded Cape Melville to anchor in Ninian Bay. Equipment breakage today - the jib halyard chafed through and the jib fell down, fortunately in the best possible conditions to recover it.

This is the closest point we got to Cape Melville today - the forecast looked OK for a rounding but the wind got up to 38 knots under the Cape, we missed a tidal gate and so after a 0130 start, we are back anchored at Flinders Island.

24 hours from Morris Island, rough in the afternoon, now anchored in Flinders Group.

Anchored off Morris Island.

30 hours from Grenville to here, anchored in Lockhart River. Bright and sunny, no-one around.

Anchored at Shelbourne Bay, near Cape Grenville, after 2 days and a night and a half from Possession Island.

Anchored at Possession Island - left Seisia in fair weather now waiting for tide for the next leg towards Cape Yorke.

Back to Seisia - a bit of a struggle as we were very slow due to the bottom and prop heavily infested with weed and soft coral. We know a crayfish diver in Seisia who is prepared to dive with his hookah gear on the boat and give us a scrub. 4 other yachts in the anchorage right now.

For about 2 months IM was anchored off Roko Island under the eye of the good guys of Rokopearls - thanks Jason. The crew was back in Romania as Lelia's mum was unwell, and unfortunately she died. Back on board today, back to Seisia soon for much needed boat maintenance, and food.

Anchored in Seisia.

Anchored in Shallow Bay.

Turned around and making our way back to Seisia to sit for a spell - the SE wind is too hard. Anchored in Shelburne Bay.

Yesterday we took 22 hours to move 45 miles south, and cover 75 miles while doing it. Grenville to Portland Road, where we are now anchored off the trees, and rolling in a large swell.

Moved anchor closer to Cape Grenville, which we will wait to round until the wind drops. Forecast is not good for a few days. Rolly here, later we will try to find a quieter spot.

Somehow the rain clouds went around us but the wind stayed all day until we anchored for the night in Shelbourne Bay at Cape Grenville. Slow progress. Peaceful here now.

Slow trudge through the night. Dawn has brought lots of rain clouds.

Left Possession Island anchorage 0500 Thursday and rounded Cape Yorke about 0900 - then the Albany Channel and onward SE. Light winds but not comfortable.

Anchored off Possession Island after leaving Seisia to attempt Cape Yorke - wind gusting to 25 -27 knots even before we turned towards Albany channel so we dropped in here to wait for the lower winds forecast for Thursday.

Anchored Seisia after another day of horribleness - strong currents around Crab Island dropping us to half a knot for several hours. Busy day ahead with fuelling and watering the boat by dinghy and gerry cans.

Anchored here after another fine daysail, but a rocky bottom and an early morning SW swell put us on the road towards Seisia at 0400 this morning.

Anchored here, near Flinders Camp, after a pleasant daysail (for a change!) N from Weipa. Heading N again today towards Seisia.

Anchored in Weipa - a tough crossing and still 150 miles short of turning round Cape Yorke. But good to have the Gulf of Carpentaria behind us.

Rain and wind - making for the nearest piece of coast.

On our way to Yorke Pen.

Gove - we had hoped it would be 5 days from Darwin but the easterlies battered us to our knees and it has been almost a fortnight, along the NT coast. In the last 2 days we overnighted from Elcho Island to finish the leg to Gove in the middle of torrential rain and strong winds.

Arrived Elcho Island 0930, anchored off settlement.

Left Liverpool River early this morning, today is good sailing off the SE breeze towards Elcho Island.

Yesterday we had a 4 am start to butt 17 hours into a head wind and seas to anchor off the Maningrida Settlement in Liverpool River. Still here today, onward tomorrow.

A short hop today, to anchor in King River, not a relaxing stop as its a bit of a wind funnel.

Anchored at Sth Goulburn Island 60 hours after leaving Darwin. Very peaceful.

Gone to Woods Inlet until Monday when the Biosecurity treatment will be completed before we go into the marina. All good - great to be back.

In Darwin, tied up to the pontoon outside Cullen Bay Marina. Have already been cleared by Border Force and Quarantine. Ghastly night getting here, the last 50 miles took about 36 hours with thunderstorms and confusing currents in the Darwin Harbour.

50 miles to Darwin, against the tide.

Great days in nature - a whale just 10 metres away from the boat the other day, yesterday a big pod of orcas closely overtaking us on the way SW, we saw their steamy breath, their big dorsal fins and their white flashes as they swam n the waves, then last night a huge lightning display with the clouds lit up continuously and the occasional bolt spearing between the clouds and the sea. We steered away from that lot. 150 miles to Darwin.

Wind up this morning and sea rough - yesterday not so much but good progress due to current once we got away from Timor.

Anchored at Kupang around 2200 Sunday. Fuel and water and fresh fruit to get in today, then check out.

0 wind and sea yesterday, today we've got a little wind and swell aand we are surrounded by cumulo nimbus - we might get rain later. Should be in Kupang tonight.

Left Komodo yesterday at dawn, now in the middle of the Savu Sea with little swell and l & V winds.

Anchored at Komodo after a fast run of 244 miles in 48 hours from Medana Bay, helped by a current of up to 6 knots in the channel between Komodo and Flores. We have a couple of days work to do here cleaning up the boat for Oz.

On the move again - east towards Kupang and exit. Strong currents along the top of these islands have kept us moving fast, even with very little wind.

Arrived Medana Bay this afternoon - almost 1,000 miles since Nongsa Pt 9 days ago. No problem getting fuel and water here.

Painful progress in light head winds, dodging rain squalls.

Motoring in calm conditions. Passed Bawean Island which had been our destination but now we are pressing on for Lombok as we do not have a lot of time.

Sailed for one hour this morning, then put the motor back on. Tipped in 60l diesel from jerry cans, always fun in a rolly boat.

Little wind, rain has set in

No wind, rain in the morning

Light winds and still rolly.

Finally back in the southern hemisphere! On a nice reach all day, but uncomfortable pitch and roll with a confused sea. Settled down overnight. Not much speed, but we are well reefed against forecast squalls, which have not arrived yet.

On the way south, crossing the equator soon, but a bit rough for any ceremonies.

test

2 days in Sekupang then out this morning for Nongsa Pt. Another horrible bash into weather along the axis of the Singapore Strait, wish we could read the weather better.

Called into Senkupang on the way to Nongsa Pt, after bashing along in the Singapore Strait for 11 hours. Officers in the International Ferry Teermnal were not interested in checking us in, with our new Indonesian YachtERS documents, sending us off to Nongsa Pt to get it done.

Back at anchor, preparing to cross over to Indonesia tomorrow.

Tied up in Puteri Hbr Marina, 12 miles N up the Johore Strait, with a few other boats.

Anchored between Malaysia and Singapore after a run down from Langkawi that was straightforward except for the 6 million fishing boats and cargo ships going about their business.

Tied up in RLYC Langkawi Islands Malaysia - 1,200 miles or so from Sri Lanka and 12 days, a lot of it unpleasant.

Tied up in marina in Galle after 4 day passage from Uligan - some rough, some smooth. Absolutely splendid curry meal, and fine tasting beers after an abstinence of several weeks, at the Closenburg Hotel last night.

Anchored in Maldive Islands - after long passages through Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Oman, Arabian Sea and now North Indian Ocean. No pirates to report on water, and lovely here in Maldives.

Unscheduled visit to Salalah Oman to refuel, staying in the IRTC took lots of motoring and a lot more fuel than planned. But safe! Tied alongside a really filthy wall, some swell and a bit tide range broke a dock line. Moving on quickly.

Anchored in Djibouti - 40plus degrees most of the way down the Red Sea, and lots of motoring in the middle. Slow roasting! Hard to get through Bab el Mandeb when wind turned SE. Djibouti colourful but port is very dirty with lots of windblown dirt and coat dust.

Tied up in Pt Ghalib marina after downwind sail from Port Suez among the shipping. Clean well run marina but not cheap - exists mainly for the diveboat/resort trade it seems. No other yahts

Motored to Suez - crushingly hot! Port Tewfiq marina rather run down - will stay a couple of days to tour then go quiet for the next few legs.

Motored to Ismaillia

In Egypt - Port Said.

One day out from Chania - anchored overnight in lovely bay off Gramvousa Island.

Mainly motoring south to Chania in Crete - little wind. We're in the old Venetian harbour. tied up outside a row of restaurants, all with music till late, so ear plugs were bought today. Tomorrow off to walk the Samaria Gorge.

2am arrival in Poros. Left Corinth early-ish but had delays around the Canal, then tried anchorages at Agistri island and Perdika that we were not happy with. Here we have been stocking provisions and did an oil change.

Arrived Corinth yesterday - will be here a few days while Lelia visits Buch and I fit those new sails. Some mast mods required. Actually in the yacht harbour.

2 days on the road, overnighting at Trizonia Island after a stop last night at Petalas.

New sails, pump parts received, leaving this morning towards Corinth.

Waiting for parts.